Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that’s before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each streamer!
Don’t be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We’ve got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you’re seeking something brand new (or just new to streaming), we’ve got you covered there, too.
15. Death of the Pastor’s Wife
At a glance, John-Paul Miller and his wife, Mica Miller, seemed to have a happy, even blessed marriage. But before she turned up dead in a state park in April of 2024, she’d shared with family and friends her experiences of manipulation, abuse, and stalking at his hands.
Over three episodes, Death of the Pastor’s Wife explores what went wrong in the Miller marriage through interviews with Mica’s surviving friends and siblings. While the filmmakers were unable to interview John-Paul or his new wife, who wed him a year after Mica’s body was discovered, footage of his video-recorded sermons give an insight into how he viewed love, marriage, and the duties of a wife. Be warned: It will make your blood run cold, and it won’t provide a satisfying ending. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor
How to watch: Death of the Pastor’s Wife is now streaming on Netflix.
14. Penny Lane Is Dead
Australian writer-director Mia’kate Russell’s Penny Lane Is Dead draws from the ’80s Ozploitation films that put the country on the horror cinema map. However, while the film may start with “school’s out” teen fun and overt Australiana, it quickly goes to a dark, ultraviolent place that deserves a rape-revenge genre content warning. Penny (Bailey Spalding), Toni (Tahlee Fereday), and Amy (Alexandra Jensen) have finished high school and organize a girls’ night to celebrate. But Penny’s plotting cousin Kat (Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn) invites herself (and her criminal adult boyfriend and his criminal adult friends) to the party, and things take a dangerous turn. An exploitation film it is, alright, and how that sits in 2026 will be up to audiences. — Shannon Connellan, Senior Editor
Starring: Sophie Wright-Mendelsohn, Tahlee Fereday, Alexandra Jensen, Bailey Spalding, Ben O’Toole, Steve Le Marquand, and Fletcher Humphrys
How to watch: Penny Lane is Dead premieres Aug. 28 on Shudder.
13. Robot Chicken Adult Swim Special
Everyone, wish Adult Swim a happy 25th birthday! To celebrate, the animation mainstay is airing a Robot Chicken special that combines characters from everything from Smiling Friends to The Venture Bros. and Aqua Teen Hunger Force to Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. The special places these beloved characters (and even more) on a cruise that goes — you guessed it — terribly wrong. Tune in for the mayhem. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: The Robot Chicken Adult Swim Special premieres at midnight ET on Aug. 31 and streams on HBO Max the next day.
12. Motor City
In the mood for stylized action? Cruise over to Motor City, where Reacher star Alan Ritchson lays the smackdown on hordes of gangsters in 1977 Detroit. He plays ex-con John Miller, who’s on the warpath for vengeance against mobster Reynolds (Ben Foster). Not only did Reynolds frame John for a crime, he also stole his fiancée Sophia (Shailene Woodley). John’s quest plays out with little dialogue and a rock-heavy soundtrack, so you’ll be headbanging with every punch. — B.E.
Starring: Alan Ritchson, Shailene Woodley, Pablo Schreiber, Ben Foster, and Ben McKenzie
How to watch: Motor City is now available to buy or rent on digital.
11. Above & Below
Hypothetically, would you rather deal with great white sharks or a crime gang? Well, the folks in Jesse V. Johnson’s Above & Below have to choose both. With Antonio Banderas somehow starring, this horror-action-thriller throws a group of vacationing friends in the deep end when they’re accidentally caught up in a cartel drug situation during a shark diving session. Half are being held at gunpoint, and half are stuck in a shark cage with 10 minutes of oxygen left — quite the lose-lose situation. Which would you pick? — S.C.
Starring: Laura Marano, Antonio Bandera, Christina Ochoa, Diego Llinás, Timothy V. Murphy, Louis Mandylor, Jess Liaudin, Donncha Tynan, Ryan Bertroche, Ramiro Alonso, Rodrigo Poisón, and Mario Tardón
How to watch: Above & Below is now available to buy or rent on digital.
10. Untold: The Testimony of Vince Young
Remembered for his MVP performance in 2006’s epic Rose Bowl game between the Texas Longhorns and the USC Trojans, football star Vince Young was supposed to be the NFL’s next big thing. But a series of injuries, conflicts, and more led to a very different career trajectory. The latest installment of Netflix’s Untold sports documentary series explores the complexities of Young’s rise and decline, with insight from Young himself. — B.E.
How to watch: Untold: The Testimony of Vince Young is now streaming on Netflix.
9. The Deb
Rebel Wilson’s directorial debut The Deb has taken a long and dramatic road to release, with the director sued for defamation by star Charlotte MacInnes. Two years after premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the musical comedy will hit digital release this week.
The Deb follows awkward farm girl Taylah (Natalie Abbott), who lives in small town Dunburn, where the local debutante ball is a marquee event. Her city-slicker influencer cousin Maeve (MacInnes) shows up, sent away after an anti-patriarchy protest. These polar opposite relatives have very different views on feminism and “the deb,” and could learn a thing or two from each other. — S.C.
Starring: Rebel Wilson, Natalie Abbott, Charlotte MacInnes, Stevie Jean, Brianna Bishop, Karis Oka, Tara Morice, Shane Jacobson, Costa D’Angelo, Alex de Crespigny, Ioane Sa’ula, Ben Turland, Hal Cumpston, Stephanie Tisdell, Amanda Kour, and Sophea Pennington
How to watch: The Deb is now available to buy or rent on digital.
8. The Undeclared War Season 2
In 2022, cyber thriller The Undeclared War, created by Peter Kosminsky (Wolf Hall), saw its first season out on the UK’s Channel 4., taking audiences into the world of intelligence in the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). Now, four years later, the show’s second season arrives with new director Paul McGuigan (Sherlock, Luke Cage), new writer Colin Teevan (Das Boot), and Simon Pegg as head of GCHQ operations Danny Patrick. Expect surveillance and bureaucracy and tension. — S.C.
Starring: Simon Pegg, Siân Brooke, Hannah Khalique-Brown, Alex Jennings, Danny Sapani, Ed Stoppard, and Chloe Pirrie
How to watch: The Undeclared War Season 2 is now streaming on Peacock.
7. Leanne Season 2
Stand-up comedian Leanne Morgan’s self-titled sitcom returns this week, bringing more Southern charm to Netflix. Season 1 followed Leanne (Morgan) as she endured the biggest shock of her life: her husband of 33 years leaving her for another woman. Season 2 continues Leanne’s journey of self-discovery and reinvention, powered by support from her family, including her sister Carol (Kristen Johnston). — B.E.
Starring: Leanne Morgan, Kristen Johnston, Celia Weston, Blake Clark, Ryan Stiles, Jayma Mays, Tim Daly, Graham Rogers, and Hannah Pilkes
How to watch: Leanne Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
6. The Last Sunrise
Looking for a swoon-worthy summer love story? Then check out The Last Sunrise, based on the novel by Anna Todd. The film introduces college student Ry (Maia Reficco), who heads on a summer vacation to Mallorca with her mother (Eva Longoria). There, she strikes up a fling with Julián (Fernando Lindez). But their romance will face challenges as Ry struggles with chronic illness and uncovers hidden family secrets. Will these obstacles get in the way of Ry and Julián’s connection? — B.E.
Starring: Maia Reficco, Fernando Lindez, Eva Longoria, Andrés Velencoso, Chloé Sweetlove, and Sabrina Bartlett
How to watch: The Last Sunrise is now streaming on Prime Video.
5. Mousetrap
Need a new mystery series? South Korean thriller Mousetrap has just landed on Netflix, an unsettling careen into the world of “identity laundering.” When incognito novelist Je Moon-jae (Ryu Jun-yeol) finds his identity completely stolen and loan shark No-ja (Sul Kyung-gu) on his trail, the writer must figure out why a mysterious figure known as “The Rat” has done such a thing, and how he can possibly get his life back. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for this mind-bending thriller, directed by Kim Hong-sun and written by Lee Jae-gon, which twists and turns through the streets of Seoul. — S.C.
Starring: Ryu Jun-yeol, Sul Kyung-gu
How to watch: Mousetrap premieres Aug. 28 on Netflix.
4. Hadestown: The Musical
If you haven’t seen Hadestown on stage, you know someone who’s told you to see Hadestown on stage. Well, you could still see Hadestown on stage, and/or you could watch the live capture, Hadestown: The Musical. Filmed in London’s West End, Anaïs Mitchell and Rachel Chavkin’s Tony–winning musical comes to digital this week. An ideal way to watch or rewatch the hit adaptation of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, this Hadestown filmed performance stars original Broadway cast members Reeve Carney, Eva Noblezada, Amber Gray, André De Shields, and Patrick Page. Then you can be the one to tell others to see Hadestown.* — S.C.
Starring: Reeve Carney, Eva Noblezada, Amber Gray, André De Shields, and Patrick Page
How to watch: Hadestown: The Musical is now available to buy or rent on digital.
3. The Whisper Man
Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, and Adam Scott have all the crime thrills for you this week, with The Whisper Man arriving on Netflix. Based on Alex North’s novel of the same name, the film hinges around an unsettling playground rhyme from the author’s book: “If you leave a door half open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken. If your window’s left unlatched, you’ll hear him tapping at the glass. If you’re lonely, sad, and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you.”
When children start disappearing, including the 8-year-old son of a crime writer (Scott), his detective father (De Niro) is pulled out of retirement as the culprit could be a serial killer he arrested long ago. With James Ashcroft (The Rule of Jenny Pen) directing a script from The First Omen‘s Ben Jacoby and IT’s Chase Palmer, expect dark and chilling twists aplenty. — S.C.
Starring: Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, Adam Scott, Hamish Linklater, Owen Teague, Acston Luca Porto, and Will Brill
How to watch: The Whisper Man premieres Aug. 28 on Netflix.
2. Dark Matter Season 2
Silo Season 3 may be winding down, but Apple TV has more sci-fi for genre lovers to feast on in the form of Dark Matter Season 2. Based on the novel by Blake Crouch, Dark Matter‘s first season introduced physicist Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton), who winds up traveling through a series of alternate versions of his life. Season 2 goes beyond the book, with the Dessen family facing danger when threatening powers force them on the run again. Brace yourself for mind-bending multiversal madness. — B.E.
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, and Jimmi Simpson
How to watch: Dark Matter Season 2 premieres Aug. 28 on Apple TV.
Best of streaming this week: Adults Season 2
FX’s Gen Z sitcom Adults got off to a strong start in its first season, introducing a lovably messy friend group in housemates Samir (Malik Elassal), Billie (Lucy Freyer), Paul Baker (Jack Innanen), Issa (Amita Rao), and Anton (Owen Thiele). Things only get funnier (and wilder) in Season 2, which sees Adults‘ cast firing on all cylinders, whether that means shining by themselves or gelling impeccably in ensemble scenes.
Just what kind of chaos can you expect from Season 2? Secret friend groups, cringe-y pop star careers, a raccoon invasion, and maybe, just maybe, more crumbs of romance between Anton and Paul Baker. Fair warning: There are only eight bite-sized episodes of this delightful season, so be sure to binge with caution. As soon as you’re done, you’ll want to hop right back to the beginning and re-witness the chaos of these friends’ adulthoods. — B.E.
Starring: Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer, Jack Innanen, Amita Rao, and Owen Thiele
How to watch: Adults Season 2 premieres Aug. 27 at 9 p.m. ET on Hulu and FXX.
(*) denotes a blurb came from a prior list.
