October 8, a new documentary from Wendy Sachs and Debra Messing, is finally available to watch online – but there’s only one way you can stream it.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 people. This became the latest catalyst for warfare in the longstanding Israel-Gaza conflict, taking the lives of over 50,000 people (and counting, with Palestinians accounting for most of the casualties).
The war has led to multiple films and news specials; notably, No Other Land won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature earlier this year. Its director, Hamdan Ballal, was attacked by a group of Israeli settlers in March, less than a month after his win.
In the same month, a documentary looked to investigate “the rise of anti-Semitism” across the US: October 8.
How to watch the October 8 movie
October 8 is available to buy or rent via Amazon Prime and other on-demand platforms now, as of April 1, 2025.
The documentary had a limited release in theaters in the US on March 14, but if you missed it, you’ll need to seek it out on digital.
However, it isn’t cheap: it’s a premium VOD release, so it’ll cost $19.99 to rent or $24.99 to buy.
What is October 8 about?
Briarcliffe EntertainmentAccording to the October 8 website, the movie “offers a look at the explosion of antisemitism on college campuses, social media and in the streets of America beginning the day after the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas.”
“Through meticulous investigation, the film also uncovers how over decades, Hamas created sophisticated networks in America to permeate US institutions and examines the tsunami of online antisemitism, propaganda, and disinformation unleashed by Iran, China, and Russia – with the sole purpose of dividing American society.”
The film features appearances from Messing, actor Michael Rapaport (who’s been a vocal advocate of Israel throughout the conflict), congressman Ritchie Torres, and other commentators.
Sachs, the director, spoke to Fox News about how difficult it was to get October 8 made. “I was told all throughout Hollywood, ‘No one’s gonna touch this film,’” she explained.
“I couldn’t get representation from the main agencies… the agents didn’t want to represent the film, largely because it’s just so hard to make money from it, not because they didn’t think it was a great film.”
According to Sachs, Netflix and Hulu turned it down before she secured a small theatrical release.
You can also keep tabs on the month’s new documentaries and all of the movies coming out in 2025.
