5 underrated movies on Netflix you need to watch in October

It’s easy to find the most popular movies on Netflix thanks to the streamer’s weekly top 10 lists. These charts allow subscribers to see what the majority of users are watching on Netflix. The top 10 lists help facilitate a quicker decision, so you spend less time selecting and more time watching.

Outside of the top 10, there are thousands of movies to select that may not be as popular as the trending content. However, these films are sometimes just as good, if not better. To help narrow your decision, we selected five underrated movies on Netflix you need to watch in October, including a Denzel Washington action thriller, a fascinating sports documentary, and a Julia Roberts rom-com.

Safe House (2012)

For a legendary actor like Denzel Washington, whose career spans over 40 years, there are bound to be a few of his movies that slip through the cracks. One of Washington’s more underrated films of the last 15 years is Safe House.

In the film, rookie CIA officer Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) is in charge of watching a local safe house in South Africa. After nearly a year of inaction, Weston finally receives a “houseguest” in Tobin Frost (Washington), a CIA operative-turned-criminal who’s in possession of an important data storage device. Shortly after Frost’s arrival, mercenaries attack the safe house, forcing Weston to escape with Frost. While on the run, Weston teams up with Frost to survive long enough to discover who hired the mercenaries to kill them.

Stream Safe House on Netflix.

The Take (2016)

There’s a reason why Idris Elba has been rumored to play the next James Bond. Elba has the looks, charisma, and believability to play the world’s greatest secret agent. While The Take is not James Bond, it’s an action thriller vehicle that allows Elba to shine as the hero. On the eve of Bastille Day, pickpocket Michael Mason (Citadel‘s Richard Madden) unknowingly steals a bag full of explosives.

The bag detonates after he gets rid of it, and the explosion kills four people. CIA agent Sean Briar (Elba) captures Mason but eventually discovers he had nothing to do with the bombing. Instead of letting him go, Briar teams up with Mason to solve the case and identify the real identityies of the powerful people behind the bombing,

Stream The Take on Netflix.

Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist (2022)

A decade ago, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o was one of the best football players in the country. As a Heisman finalist, Te’o captained an undefeated Notre Dame team that reached the National Championship. During the season, the team rallied around Te’o after he lost his grandmother and his girlfriend, Stanford University student Lennay Kekua.

However, an anonymous tip in January 2013 stated that Kekua was not real and that Te’o had been the victim of an unfortunate catfishing situation. Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist features interviews with Te’o about how he fell in love with Kekua without seeing her in person. Plus, you’ll hear from the person behind Lennay Kekua as they explain their actions as to why they duped Te’o.

Stream Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist on Netflix.

Outlaw King (2018)

Until 2018, the most famous depiction of Robert the Bruce was played by Angus Macfadyen in Mel Gibson’s Braveheart. However, the Scottish rebel was the focus of his own feature film adaption for David Mackenzie’s Outlaw King. Dungeons & Dragons‘ Chris Pine stars as Robert, the iconic warrior who would become an influential figure during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

After William Wallace is killed, Bruce seizes the Scottish crown and urges his peers to join him in the fight against King Edward I of England (Stephen Dillane) and his son, Edward, Prince of Wales (Billy Howle). Despite some historical inaccuracies, Outlaw King still features violent, invigorating medieval battle scenes and a performance fit for a king from Pine.

Stream Outlaw King on Netflix.

Runaway Bride (1999)

Pretty Woman is the best collaboration between Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Their second outing together, Runaway Bride, is not as effective, but remains a fun romantic comedy. Maggie Carpenter (Roberts) is the titular runaway bride. Having left three fiancés at the altar, Maggie’s exploits have garnered media attention from reporters, including columnist Ike Graham (Richard Gere), who writes an unflattering article about her situation.

After Maggie refutes the article, Ike is fired for his errors. Desperate to restore his reputation, Ike is given another chance to write an accurate story when tasked with profiling Maggie ahead of her fourth wedding. However, the article becomes a conflict of interest when he slowly falls in love with Maggie.

Stream Runaway Bride on Netflix.

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