From new seasons of fan favorites like “Heartstopper” and “Abbott Elementary” to all-new prestige dramas and satirical comedies, there’s no shortage this October of great titles to stream!
Unsurprisingly, with Halloween right around the corner, it’s a massive month for new and returning horror, thriller, and cross-genre series, including Season 2 of Prime Video’s “The Devil’s Hour,” the premiere of James Wan’s “Teacup,” and Sundance darling “It’s What’s Inside,” making its streaming debut on Netflix in the coming weeks. Plus, usual seasonal favorite “Stranger Things” may still be on hiatus, but this month, catch several 1980s-set additions, including this year’s buzzed-about “MaXXXine” and the upcoming Peacock series “Hysteria!” with Bruce Campbell.
We’re narrowing down all of this month’s additions to our top 19 favorites. Ready to watch? Check out our picks for the best movies and series coming to streaming this October!
“Heartstopper” Season 3 | Thursday, Oct. 3 (Netflix)
Netflix’s beloved coming-of-age rom-com is back for its third season, and it’s growing up fast. As Nick and Charlie’s relationship continues to grow and deepen, the teens will have to face their biggest challenges yet, including mental health, university dreams, and how to approach sex. As the series matures with its characters, “Heartstopper” is the show every queer adult wishes they had as a teenager, letting kids falling in love be actual kids for a bit before they have to grow up with the rest of us. In addition to Kit Connor, Joe Locke, and the rest of the ensemble, you can also look forward to guest stars Hayley Atwell, Jonathan Bailey, and Eddie Marsan. All eight episodes of Season 3 will be available on Oct. 3.
Heartstopper
Teens Charlie and Nick discover their unlikely friendship might be something more as they navigate school and young love in this coming-of-age series.
“The Legend of Vox Machina” Season 3 | Thursday, Oct. 3 (Prime Video)
“The Legend of Vox Machina” has the benefit of having the legendary Critical Role’s name attached to it, but the series in two seasons so far has managed to hook a broader audience. The unlikely heroes are back for a third season as they continue out across Tal’Dorei and try to save their loved ones (and all of Exandria) from dark magical forces. Come for the voice cast you already know and love (or are going to know and love), stay for the excellent storytelling and style.
The Legend of Vox Machina
They’re rowdy, they’re ragtag, they’re misfits turned mercenaries for hire. Vox Machina is more interested in easy money and cheap ale than actually protecting the realm. But when the kingdom is threatened by evil, this boisterous crew realizes that they are the only ones capable of restoring justice.
“It's What's Inside” | Friday, Oct. 4 (Netflix)
Fresh out of Sundance earlier this year, Netflix jumped on the buzzy horror-comedy film, which comes to the platform just in time for spooky season. In it, a group of 20-somethings reunite ahead of a wedding and camaraderie turns to terror when a surprise guest arrives with a mysterious game that lets their souls switch bodies. The campy, genre-bender is one hell of a party and perfect for anyone looking to not get too serious about their scares.
It’s What’s Inside
A pre-wedding party descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend shows up with a mysterious suitcase.
“The Franchise” | Sunday, Oct. 6 (Max)
Maybe HBO’s most anticipated series this season, the satirical comedy created by Jon Brown goes behind the scenes of big-budget superhero movies, depicting the issues facing the film’s crew as they try and survive the business of blockbusters. For those missing “Veep,” especially this election season, “Veep” creator Armando Iannucci and playwright/director Sam Mendes are the executive producers behind the new series, which has assembled a cast including Himesh Patel, Aya Cash, Jessica Hynes, Billy Magnussen, Lolly Adefope, Darren Goldstein, Isaac Cole Powell, Richard E. Grant, and more.
Watch the trailer for “The Franchise” below:
The Franchise
The crew of an unloved franchise movie fight for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe. The series shines a light on the secret chaos inside the world of superhero moviemaking, to ask the question — how exactly does the cinematic sausage get made? Because every f*ck-up has an origin story.
“La Máquina | Wednesday, Oct. 9 (Hulu)
Hulu finally gets its first Spanish-language original series— long overdue, but they’re making up for it with the two-hander reuniting childhood friends and “Y tu mamá también” co-stars Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna. Bernal plays the title La Máquina, an aging boxer, whose manager/best friend Andy (Luna) secures him one last shot at the title, “but when a nefarious organization rears its head, the stakes of this rematch become life and death.” The series, a love letter to Mexican boxing, is as colorful as its culture, cinematography, and characters (and the actors who play them).
Watch the trailer for “La Máquina” below:
La Máquina
An aging boxer’s crafty manager secures him one last shot at a title. But to make it to fight night, they must navigate a mysterious underworld force.
“Outer Banks” Season 4 Part 1 | Oct. 10 (Netflix)
We’re back to the Outer Banks in the Netflix series’ biggest season yet—- and for good reason: after Season 3 ended on an 18-month fast-forward to striking gold at El Dorado, Season 4 will show you what you missed during that time. Another hit teen drama for Netflix (perfect to pair with your “Heartstopper” viewing), the melodrama is the perfect adventure for those holding onto one last piece of summer. The second five-episode batch will drop on Nov. 7.
Outer Banks
A tight-knit group of teens unearths a long-buried secret, setting off a chain of illicit events that takes them on an adventure they’ll never forget.
“Teacup” | Thursday, Oct. 10 (Peacock)
Genre fixture and visionary James Wan’s work can sometimes feel like a gamble for his fans these days—yes, “M3GAN,” for which he conceived the story; absolutely no, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom“—but there’s no doubt the “Conjuring” franchise creator and “Saw” and “Insidious” co-creator knows how to shock and awe. The rural Georgia-set “Teacup,” which follows a disparate group who must come together in the face of a mysterious threat in order to survive, is his first series as EP since the short-lived “Archive 81” and full of unknowns.
Teacup
Follow a disparate group of people in rural Georgia who must come together in the face of a mysterious threat in order to survive.
“Abbott Elementary” Season 4 | Thursday, Oct. 10 (Hulu)
It’s still back-to-school season, at least for as long as “Abbott Elementary” returns to our screens. First class back: Chemistry. The all-star ensemble, led by series creator Quinta Brunson, picks up where they left off in their third season, with Janine and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) revealing their new relationship and the teachers needing to find creative solutions to deal with a new neighboring golf course. “Abbott” may have lost this year’s Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy to “Hacks,” but it is unquestionably at the top of the class. The new season premieres on ABC the night before, but new episodes will be available on Hulu on Thursdays.
Abbott Elementary
In this workplace comedy, a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.
“Disclaimer” | Friday, Oct. 11 (Apple TV+)
As a TV series creator, Alfonso Cuarón is 0-for-1 with NBC’s one-season “Believe” in 2014, a critical flop. Just eight days before it premiered, he had won his first two Oscars for “Gravity” (and has won three more since with “Roma”). It’s all about perspective. This time, with Apple TV+’s “Disclaimer,” he’s diving back in with another Oscar winner by his side: Cate Blanchett, who plays a journalist who receives an intriguing novel by her bedside and is horrified to realize she’s a key character in a long-buried story, one that exposes her darkest secret. More Oscar winners and nominees, including Kevin Kline, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Kodi Smit-McPhee, are along for the thrill.
Disclaimer
When an intriguing novel appears at the bedside of a journalist whose career has been built on revealing transgressions, she is horrified to realize she’s a key character in a long-buried story—one that exposes her darkest secret.
“Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Special” | Tuesday, Oct. 15 (Netflix)
Not even death can stop Rachel Bloom. The “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” creator and star arrives at the final stop on her one-woman musical’s journey (named “Death, Let Me Do My Show” for the stage version), from Off-Broadway to the Netflix is a Joke festival to Williamstown Theater Festival, and now, the streamer. The always hilarious, clever, and deliciously raunchy Bloom takes on “birth, death, cosmic uncertainty, and pungent trees” with Seth Barrish directing. The show won the 2024 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics; if you watched “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and are still singing “You Stupid Bitch” and “No One Else Is Singing My Song,” this one is for you.
Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Special
Comedian and actor Rachel Bloom muses on birth, death, cosmic uncertainty and pungent trees in this whimsical and reflective musical comedy special.
“Shrinking” Season 2 | Wednesday, Oct. 16 (Apple TV+)
Apple TV+ struck gold with “Ted Lasso” and was wise enough to bring creator Bill Lawrence and writer/star Brett Goldstein back for some extended therapy. The slow-burner “Shrinking” returns for its sophomore season with Jason Segal playing a grieving therapist who not so much toes as leaps over the ethical line to get more involved in his patients’ lives. Lovable curmudgeon Harrison Ford is back as co-star (don’t take it for granted), and the series as a whole, weighing grief against joy, sadness against hope, reminds you it’s all about balance.
Watch the trailer for Season 2 of “Shrinking” below:
Shrinking
Jimmy is struggling to grieve the loss of his wife while being a dad, friend, and therapist. He decides to try a new approach with everyone in his path: unfiltered, brutal honesty.
“Hysteria!” | Friday, Oct. 18 (Peacock)
All you had to say was Bruce Campbell and my fellow “Evil Dead”-heads and I are lined up. Peacock just axed its fan-favorite “Chucky” series but is (temporarily) burying the ax with its new 1980s-set thriller, centered around the disappearance of a varsity quarterback during the “Satanic Panic” of the time and a trio of outcasts in a struggling heavy metal band who capitalize on the town’s sudden occult fascination by rebranding themselves as a Satanic metal band. Emjay Anthony, Chiara Aurelia, and Kezii Curtis play band/ringleaders Dylan, Jordy, and Spud with Julia Bowen, Campbell, and more.
Hysteria!
When a beloved varsity quarterback disappears during the “Satanic Panic” of the late 1980s, a struggling high school heavy metal band of outcasts realize they can capitalize on the town’s sudden interest in the occult by building a reputation as a Satanic metal band, until a bizarre series of murders, kidnappings, and reported “supernatural activity” triggers a leather-studded witch hunt that leads directly back to them.
“Rivals” | Friday, Oct. 18 (Hulu)
The second book in Jilly Cooper’s hit Rutshire Chronicles novels gets an eight-episode adaptation, and Hulu is pulling in Britain’s best to give the story’s power-grabbers some gravitas. Set in 1980s England in the TV industry—somehow, not a horror series—“Rivals” follows talk show host Declan O’Hara gets pulled in to work at Corinium TV station, where a rivalry between a Lord and the station’s managing director has seeped into every aspect of production and where, during a time of “drama, excess, and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite,” even the rivalries have rivalries. Aidan Turner, David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Katherine Parkinson, Lisa McGrillis, Emily Atack, and Danny Dyer lead the cast.
Rivals
Set against the backdrop of the drama, excess, and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 1980s England, dive headfirst into the ruthless world of independent television in 1986.
“MaXXXine” | Friday, Oct. 18 (Max)
Ti West’s “X” series top grosser wraps up its theatrical run and comes to the streamer just in time for Halloween. Muse Mia Goth returns for film number three, reprising her role from 2022’s “X” as adult film star Maxine, who begins her journey to mass fame in success in 1980s Hollywood while being targeted by a mysterious killer. The third film in the A24 trilogy may be the weakest of the three, but West’s work makes that a high bar, anyway, so expect another highly stylized, ambitious ride. (You can also stream “Pearl” on Netflix this month.)
Watch the trailer for “MaXXXine” below:
MaXXXine
In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.
“The Devil's Hour” Season 2 | Friday, Oct. 18 (Prime Video)
The first season of Prime Video’s “The Devil’s Hour” was an instant hit for the streamer, full of suspense, supernatural spooks, and grounded performances from two of TV’s best (Peter Capaldi and Jessica Raine). The new season climbs back over the cliff after Season 1’s big reveal of Lucy’s connection to killer Gideon and the recent killings that put her at the center of everyone’s story. This will be part two of three for the series, which will conceived as a trilogy, and while the first season was good at drawing out the anticipation, the next two seasons will likely give you no time to catch your breath.
The Devil’s Hour
Lucy wakes every night at exactly 3:33am. Nothing in her life has made sense for a long time. But the answers are out there, somewhere, at the end of a trail of brutal murders.
FX’s “What We Do in the Shadows” Final Season | Tuesday, Oct. 22 (Hulu)
It’s very likely that, like its characters, “What We Do in the Shadows” could’ve gone on for hundreds of years. The endlessly quotable and consistently absurd series, through five seasons, holds a 98% average on Rotten Tomatoes, and its only real failure has been the unfortunate timing of existing at the same time as award season darlings “The Bear” and “Ted Lasso.” FX lays the series to rest, but it will certainly have a long, long afterlife
What We Do in the Shadows
A documentary-style look into the daily (or rather, nightly) lives of a group of vampires in Staten Island who have “lived” together for hundreds and hundreds of years.
“Star Trek: Lower Decks” Final Season | Thursday, Oct. 24 (Paramount+)
Between “Enterprise,” “Discovery, “Strange New Worlds,” “The Next Generation,” “The Original Series,” and more, it’s not like you’re going to not be able to find more “Star Trek” to watch on Paramount+. But the streamer is ending maybe its best of the current generation of shows, and its first animated series since, well, “The Animated Series.” Centered on the support crew of one of Starfleet’s least important ships, “Lower Decks” got off to a bumpy start with its first season, but its mission has gone flawlessly since.
Star Trek: Lower Decks
The lives of the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Rutherford and Tendi have to keep up with their duties and their social lives, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies.
“Before” | Friday, Oct. 25 (Apple TV+)
The classic combination of autumn and Billy Crystal would lead you into more “When Harry Met Sally” territory, but the iconic comedian and actor is heading to the small screen, not just as a series star but the series star of a psychological thriller. The 10-episode supernatural mystery series follows Crystal’s Eli, a child psychologist and recent widower who encounters a troubled young boy, Noah, who seems to have a haunting connection to Eli’s past. Judith Light, Jacobi Jupe, Rosie Perez, Maria Dizzia, and Ava Lalezarzadeh join Crystal for his something odd and new. The first two episodes will premiere on the platform on Oct. 25 with a new episode every Friday through Dec. 20.
Watch the trailer for “Before” below:
Before
After tragically losing his wife, child psychiatrist Dr. Eli Adler encounters a troubled young boy who seems to have a haunting connection to Eli’s past.
“Simone Biles Rising” Part 2 | Friday, Oct. 25 (Netflix)
Back when the first half of “Simone Biles Rising” premiered in July, the Olympian was only a seven-time medalist; now, she’s got 11, so we’ve got some catching up to do. The final two episodes of the four-time docuseries follow Biles as she competes at the 2024 U.S. Gymnastics Trials, qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Team, through her performance at the Paris Games. An important chronicle of her journey since withdrawing 2020 Tokyo Olympics, “Simone Biles Rising” shows how taking care of your mental health actually makes you the GOAT.
Simone Biles Rising
Follow gymnast Simone Biles as she balances her personal life, mental health journey and training ahead of a highly anticipated return to the Olympics.
“Somebody Somewhere” Final Season | Sunday, Oct. 27 (Max)
It’s teeny ‘tini last call. The Peabody Award-winning comedy series days goodbye with its third and final season, as Bridgett Everett’s Sam, Jeff Hiller’s Joel, and the rest of the Kansas community’s lovable outsiders will see personal growth “against all odds.” Three seasons is too short, but the show, which never faltered in its writing or character development, found its people. To know “Somebody Somewhere” is to love it.
Somebody Somewhere
Sam is a true Kansan on the surface but beneath it all struggles to fit the hometown mold. As she grapples with loss and acceptance, singing is Sam’s saving grace and leads her on a journey to discover herself and a community of outsiders that don’t fit in but don’t give up, showing that finding your people, and finding your voice, is possible. Anywhere. Somewhere.
“Wizards Beyond Waverly Place” | Wednesday, Oct. 30 (Disney+)
Emmy nominee and “Only Murders in the Building” star Selena Gomez has moved further uptown from Waverly Place to the Arconia, but who says you can’t go home? Disney is bringing nostalgic treats this Halloween with the upcoming “Wizards of Waverly Place” sequel series following adult Justin, with David Henrie reprising his role. While he’s chosen to live a normal, mortal life with his family, things change when Alex brings home a young wizard seeking help, and Just must dust off his skills to both play mentor and family man. Janice LeAnn Brown, Alkaio Thiele, Max Matenko, Taylor Cora, and Mimi Gianopulos co-star in the series, which will premiere first on the Disney Channel on Oct. 29, and yes, Gomez will be home for the holiday.
Wizards Beyond Waverly Place
Justin Russo has chosen to lead a normal, mortal life with his family, Giada, Roman and Milo. But when Justin’s sister Alex brings Billie to his home seeking help, Justin realizes he must dust off his magical skills to mentor the wizard-in-training while also juggling his everyday responsibilities — and safeguarding the future of the Wizard World.