Everything That’s Streaming in October

The trickle of calendar holidays has officially begun as October heralds the arrival of Yom Kippur, Halloween, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and of course Canadian Thanksgiving. Streaming services are offering a spooky spread of horror content like a fresh Hellraiser reboot, a new paranormal comedy from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. Fans are anticipating long-awaited new seasons of favorite shows like The Sinner, Grey’s Anatomy and Derry Girls. Moe Cason takes Disney+ viewers on a delicious globetrotting tour of grilled cuisine from Colombia to the Bahamas, while a high-tension gaming competition finds esports streamers gunning for the glory of a big tournament win on Amazon Prime. Check out this month’s list of the juiciest shows and movies heading to your favorite streaming services this month.  WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

Netflix

Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities (Oct 25) – Guillermo Del Toro is offering Netflix users a curio cabinet of dark stories with a diverse series that seeks to unlock a new horror aesthetic. A different storyteller directs each haunting tale, and Del Toro teases a tasting menu of creative interpretations of the psyche’s deepest secrets. “Each of the episodes has a whole world. They present you with different delights: some are savory, some are sweet, [and] you’ll get a surprise from each of the bites.” Stars signed on for the frightfest include Rupert Grint, Eric André, Charlyne Yi and Nia Vardalos, director and star of the upcoming My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. Del Toro is clearly delighted by the opportunity to riff on the iconic monsterology behind his creative brand: “We achieved some of the most remarkable images in the series. With Cabinet of Curiosities, what I’m trying to say is look, the world is beautiful and horrible at exactly the same time.” Watch for two spooky new episodes every day through October 28.

Derry Girls Season 3 (Oct 7) – Holy Mary, the gairls are back in the final season of the Northern Irish breakout series that won hearts and viewership around the globe. After a three year Covid-related production delay, the plucky foursome return to a final year of high school to face crucial exit exams that could make or break their futures: passionate, naïve Erin, daffy Orla, anxious Clare and brash, foul-mouthed Michelle deal with school cringe, comic misadventures and a smartass nun (Siobhán McSweeney) while their quirky families attempt to resume normal life as the “troubles” of the early 90s come to a close.

Derry-born show creator Lia McGee says of the show’s natural ending, “I am so grateful to have been able to do this in the first place, and the fact that I’ve been allowed to finish it the way I wanted to finish it has been incredible.” Turn on the subtitles so you don’t miss a sliver of the sharp-as-nails dialogue.

The Sinner Season 4 (Oct 13) – Another hit returning to wrap up its story after Covid wrecked its timetable, the final season of The Sinner is expected to dig even deeper into Detective Ambrose’s (Bill Pullman) troubled psyche as the now-retired detective takes a Maine vacation, still shaken from the events of Season 3. Ambrose begins to doubt his own mind as he becomes involved in the search for a missing woman tied to a powerful family and a horrifying secret—the resolution of which will bring his own struggle with the past full-circle. Complicity, guilt and punishment, innocence and culpability shade the psychological drama with unpausable tension and menace. Also starring Cindy Cheung (The Flight Attendant), Jessica Hecht (The Boys), Ronin Wong (The Man in the High Castle) and Neal Huff (Mare of Easttown).

Big Mouth Season 6 (Oct 28) – Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg are reprising a sixth season of the raunchy adult animated comedy based on their awkward childhoods and the strange transformations that drove their adolescent hijinks. The show follows a group of New York middle schoolers and their hormone monsters as they navigate life’s sloppy changes on the path to growing up; with season 6 expected to explore the emotional side of human development, its creators say the gang will unpack concepts of family: “while you can’t pick your blood family, you can surround yourself with people who love you just the way you are.” Guest stars this season include Tyler the Creator, Adam Levine, Ed Helms, Jeff Goldblum and Steve-O.

Also playing:

The Good Nurse (Oct 26)

Hasan Minhaj: The King’s Jester (Oct 4)

Nailed It! Season 7 (Oct 7)

The Curse of Bridge Hollow (Oct 14)

Visit Netflix for a full list of releases.

Hulu

Hellraiser (Oct 7) – The reimagining of Clive Barker’s 1987 horror classic comes with a gender twist: the new Pinhead will be Jamie Clayton of Sense8. The franchise revival, directed by David Bruckner and produced by Barker, centers around a troubled woman who stumbles onto an ancient puzzle box that unlocks a realm of interdimensional torture– hosted by the demonic Cenobytes, of course. The reboot stays faithful to the raw cold sadism of the original, playing on the terrible inescapability of the box’s fate. Also starring Odessa A’zion, Goran Visnjic and Selina Lo.

Grey’s Anatomy Season 19 Premiere (Oct 7) – The longest-running primetime medical drama and millennials’ favorite soap opera is entering its dotage with a nineteenth season of heartbreak and calamity at Grey Sloan Memorial. Five new cast members will be putting on the iconic scrubs as new interns: Harry Shum Jr. (Glee), Adelaide Kane (Reign), Niko Terho (The Thing About Harry), Midori Francis (Ocean’s 8), and Alexis Floyd (Inventing Anna) — playing Simone Griffith, a homegrown Seattleite with a painful, complicated past connected to the hospital. Star and executive producer Ellen Pompeo will be stepping back from her role as Meredith thanks to her new role on an untitled Hulu show, appearing in only eight episodes as interim Chief of Surgery after Miranda Bailey quit. Will this be the last season of the venerable hospital show, or will the plot become sentient and self-sustaining, generating endless narrative paths like a streaming Mandelbrot set? Creator Shonda Rimes and Pompeo are mum – but with the internship program seemingly revived and Dr. Grey in charge (for now), the latest season offers plenty of juicy plot points to keep fans checked in.

Schitt’s Creek Complete Series (Oct 3) – Pack up the wigs and the Herb Ertlinger wine: all six seasons of the uproarious Emmy-winning comedy helmed by father-son comedy duo Dan and Eugene Levy are moving from Netflix to Hulu after the rival platform gained the rights. The show follows a rich family that loses their fortune and is forced to move to their one remaining asset: a town called Schitt’s Creek that they purchased as a joke. David, Moira, Alexis and Johnny will have to find a way to fit in with the eclectic townfolk and find a new path forward as a family. The series fandom bloomed with side-splitting writing and a shining cast that weaved each character’s wackiness into a genuine community of lovable weirdos.

Crimes of the Future (Oct 31) – David Cronenberg returns to vintage form, slicing into new realms of body horror in his latest futuristic thriller starring Viggo Mortensen, Kristen Stewart and Léa Seydoux. Humans have developed in a harsh new environment, and celebrity performance artist Saul (Mortensen) displays his ability to regenerate organs in grisly art theatre shows. The boundaries of the body and selfhood, pain and eroticism blur as Saul is tracked by an investigator from the National Organ Registry (Stewart) and a mysterious group seeks to use him for the next phase of human evolution. Cronenberg’s queasy exploration of the mind/body connection is equal parts intriguing, sensual and gross.

Also playing:

Grimcutty (Oct 10)

Rosaline (Oct 14)

Abandoned (Oct 21)

Wyrm (Oct 21)

Visit Hulu for a full list of releases.

Amazon Prime

The Peripheral (Oct 21) – Chloë Grace Moretz is Flynn Fisher, a small-town girl with a big mission in the new sci-fi drama series from Westworld creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan. Flynn is smart, talented and bored, but when she puts on a homemade VR headset she finds her calling as a fearless badass solving a murder mystery in London. She soon realizes that the danger is real and taking place in the near future – and her role in the action will have world-changing implications. Nolan and Joy serve as executive producers, along with creator and showrunner Scott B. Smith (A Simple Plan).

Chasing the Crown: Dreamers to Streamers (Oct 9) –  The internet has transformed the classic kid fantasy of playing video games for a living into a modern reality: esports earned $300 million in U.S. revenue this year. In a dynamic new Cinderella series, three unknown Twitch streamers team up with pro player “coaches” to compete in video game and real-life challenges in an effort to earn points and viewer votes. The goal: build their following, win prizes, and achieve a spot in Prime Gaming’s big tournament. With global exposure and big money on the table, will the players thrive in a high-octane gaming environment — or log off in defeat?

Also playing:

Savage X Fenty Show. Vol. 2 (Oct 2)

Mr. Robot Season 4 (Oct 6)

Mirzapur Season 2 (Oct 23)

Visit Amazon Prime for a full list of releases.

HBO Max

Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler Season 3 (Oct 6) –  Get ready for the third installment of the origin story of Alfred Pennyworth (Jack Bannon), a former special-forces soldier living in 1960’s London and how he came to work for Bruce Wayne’s father (played by Ben Aldridge). Minus the capes and special effects, Pennyworth offers a raw, noir backstory: a simple man rising to extraordinary challenges by making profound human connections with future-bending implications. With cheeky one-liners and a tight wardrobe that recalls Kingsman and The Avengers, season three finds Alfred investigating a mind control psychedelic that turns hipsters into bloodsoaked killers.

Habla Loud (Oct 7) – The newest installment in HBO Latino’s Habla series, the hour-long documentary special features interviews from influential Latinos putting the spotlight on creativity and activism, in both English and Spanish. Habla Loud features stories and insights from inspiring figures like rapper and activist Residente, Wilson Cruz, Leila Cobo, singer/songwriter Carla Morrison, actress and advocate Isabella Gomez, poet Natalie Diaz, Ritchie Torres and more. “I’m intrigued by personal experiences that lead to social changes,” said series creator and director Alberto Ferreras. “Every story in this new installment is about transformation. We spoke with artists, activists, journalists, and political representatives to reveal how their personal journeys have had an everlasting influence in the community. Habla Loud will help us understand the profound complexity of the Latino experience in the U.S.”

!García! Season 1 (Oct 28) – A new sci-fi series based on a popular Spanish graphic novel is getting international attention for its lush style and seamless integration of retro and modern sensibilities. García is a cryogenically frozen superspy from the 60’s awakened to present-day Madrid: once a mindless enforcer for dictator Francisco Franco, he must grapple with new cultural dynamics and confront the ghosts of the country’s violent past. “Whilst we see a Spain that has changed somewhat in the last few decades, some elements remain the same,” says executive producer Miguel Salvat. The ambitious adventure series seeks to push genre boundaries while exploring the country’s complicated ties to its own history. 

The White Lotus Season 2 (Oct 30) –  The Emmy-winning satire about entitled guests at a Hawaiian luxury resort is debuting a second installment on October 30 – with a new batch of bratty vacationers spending a week at a resort in Sicily. Jennifer Coolidge is reprising her role as rich, self-absorbed guest Tanya McQuoid; she’s joined by new beau Greg (Jon Gries) whom she met in Hawaii and her assistant Portia (Haley Lu Richardson).

Writer/creator Mike White says the real tension this season comes from the taut dynamic between two couples vacationing together, calling it a “bedroom farce with teeth.” White steered away from the geopolitics of season one to focus on the frenemy relationship between stay-at-home mom Daphne (Meghann Fahy) and executive wife Harper (Aubrey Plaza) – while continuing to highlight America’s widening wealth gap and the dark side of the service industry. Plaza told Entertainment Tonight, “It’s still The White Lotus but now it’s in Italy, so it has a totally different vibe and so I think people are going to be surprised.”

 Also playing:

Eraser: Reborn (Oct 5)

Avenue 5 Season 2 (Oct 10)

Year One: A Political Odyssey (Oct 19)

La Pitchoune: Cooking in France Season 1 (Oct 23)

Visit HBO Max for a full list of releases.

Disney Plus

World of Flavor with Big Moe Cason (Oct 5) – Navy veteran and champion pitmaster Moe Cason is charmingly blunt about his incredible skills. “Cooking meat. Over fire. That’s what I do.” Cason hits the road to find humanity’s most mouthwatering flame-cooked dishes, exploring the power of local food and community by visiting cultures all around the world. Cason’s watchability lies in his excitement to connect American barbecue to global culinary tradition by learning hometown recipes and trying them out himself. From Colombia to the Bahamas, the pitmaster logs some serious miles searching out the roots of the best grilled food on Earth.

Werewolf By Night (Oct 7) – Venture into Marvel’s pulpiest corner—if you dare! It’s definitely a dark and stormy night when a secret cabal of monster-hunters gather after their leader’s death to compete for a powerful relic—and figure out which of their own is a monster in disguise. Directed by Rogue One and Jurassic World composer Michael Giacchino and inspired by horror films of the 1930s and 40s, the chilling black-and-white tale plays up old-school scares and horror tropes with tributes to classic horror icons like Lon Chaney. The 45-minute special stars Gael García Bernal, Laura Donnelly and Harriet Sansom Harris.

The Mysterious Benedict Society Season 2 (Oct 26) – The breakout kid’s series based on the best-selling YA book series by Trenton Lee Stewart finds the team of four plucky orphans reuniting a year after their first mission to find Mr. Benedict (Tony Hale) and Number Two (Kristen Schaal), who’ve been kidnapped by Benedict’s nefarious brother Dr. L.D. Curtain (also Hale) in a new sinister plan that will impact the world. The diversely gifted kids must combine their smarts to follow Benedict’s scavenger hunt clues and foil Curtain’s scheme before they become his next victims. The series has drawn extensive comparisons to Wes Anderson, with obvious retro/steampunk elements and flat, symmetrical cinematography.

Big Shot Season 2 (Oct 12) – High school basketball coach Marvyn (John Stamos) is back at Westbrook with fresh fire to prove his team belongs in Division 2 play and that he’s still the champion coach he was in the NCAA. His latest strategy is to get the team on ESPN by recruiting a controversial beach volleyball phenom who’s been banned from her own sport. Between losing their assistant coach to a rival school, new friction amongst teammates, the school’s sudden integration of boys, and off-the-court disasters that aren’t in any playbook, the Westbrook Sirens have even more to prove this season. Stamos, who built his brand on the ability to balance vanity and tenderness, reels expertly between the drive to be at the top of his game and the selflessness of real community engagement.

Also playing:

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (Oct 26)

Eureka! Season 1 (Oct 26)

Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel (Oct 28)

Visit Disney+ for a full list of releases.

Apple TV Plus

Hello Jack! The Kindness Show (Oct 7) –Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) is back to spread kindness and positivity with a second season of adventures and laughter in Clover Grove – with sweet skits, giggly kid segments and guest stars like Kristen Schaal (Bob’s Burgers), Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick), Tony Hale (Arrested Development) and rock band Ok Go, Jack finds new ways to inspire the townspeople to embrace creativity and empathy.

Shantaram Series Premiere (Oct 14) – “I was a wanted man with a price on my head. But for now, I was free.” Shantaram is an unabashed drama thriller based on the Gregory David Roberts novel inspired by his own life: an Australian bank robber who escapes prison and flees to India. The ten-episode series directed by Justin Kurzel and Bharat Nalluri follows fugitive Lin Ford (Charlie Hunnam) trying to keep a low profile in colorful, chaotic 1980s Bombay as he finds a path forward with the help of new friends and crime boss Khader Khan (Alexander Siddig, Game of Thrones). The beleaguered production juggled location changes because ofCovid shutdowns, format changes and the departure of writer-showrunner Eric Warren Singer, replaced by Steve Lightfoot.

Louis Armstrong’s Black and Blues (Oct 28) – For nearly a century, iconic jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong has divided cultural perception as a legendary modern musician, a sellout, and a fluffy commercial crooner. Sasha Jenkins brings the polarizing musician to life in a new documentary that offers a complex, nuanced portrait of his life and legacy, showcased by archival footage, animation, and Armstrong’s personal letters read by Nas. While the jazz musician was a conflict point for Civil Rights issues of the era, Jenkins reveals a less-saccharine side in his response to bigotry, pointing out Armstrong’s indignant re-telling of racist encounters and his irreverent, profanity-filled rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner.

Also playing:

Acapulco Season 2 (Oct 21)

Ghostwriter Season 3 (Oct 21)

Visit Apple TV+ for a full list of releases.

Paramount Plus

Inside Amy Schumer Season 5 Premiere (Oct 20) – The brassy comedian is back after a six-year hiatus to fulfill a contractually obligated fifth season, promising that the new material on her biting sketch show will “finally get me forever cancelled.” As Schumer’s projects drew commercial success, the star put the show on hold to expand her career–and she says she’s learned a few tricks and grown up (a little) along the way. “I wanted to bring back Inside Amy Schumer to burn any remaining bridges,” she said in a recent statement posted to social media. “It’s what the queen would have wanted.” Season five will co-star Amber Tamblyn and drop the first two of five episodes October 20, with three episodes following weekly.

Never Seen Again Season 3 (Oct 11) – Mystery hobbyists and keyboard detectives have their work cut out for them in the third season of executive producer Tyler Perry’s gripping true crime docuseries Never Seen Again, featuring the haunting true stories of ordinary people who disappeared into thin air. Each eerie vanishing is told in a series of wrenching family interviews as they clutch photos and plead for information. Perry created the project after becoming personally involved in the search for answers in the 2004 disappearance of Terrance Williams, later linked to injustice and police corruption.

Significant Other (Oct 7) – Maika Monroe, the unforgettable lead actress from It Follows, is not feeling like herself again in a chilling sci-fi thriller that explores the darkness lurking in a Pacific Northwest forest. Ruth (Monroe) and her partner Harry (Jake Lacy) set out on a remote backpacking trip where Harry plans to propose, but the plot sours when they discover unsettling signs of life in a cave and realize they’re not alone. Fireside smooches spiral into violence and catatonia as the audience is left to piece the nightmare back together… along with a pair of good Samaritans who find Ruth bloodied and alone in the wilderness.

Also playing:

Monster High: The Movie (Oct 6)

New episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy (Oct 27)

New episodes of Mike Judge’s Beavis & Butthead (Thursdays)

Visit Paramount+ for a full list of releases.