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.
22. The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story
This three-part true crime series seems perfectly suited for spooky season by its title alone. As teased in the trailer, the story centers on a murder investigation in 1985, when the proprietor of a pet cemetery in a small town outside of New Orleans was found dead in a bayou, her body bound in thick chains.
Director Philip Cairney speaks to detectives, locals, and Dorothy’s best friend about what could have brought her to such an end. And that is a winding story that goes back decades, looping in other possible murders. And yes, a ghost becomes a pivotal player in this investigation. However, for as creepy as this story sounds. Cairney’s mini-series is pretty bland, save for the interviews with Dorothy’s spirited bestie. There’s better true crime docs and better ghost stories now streaming. Some on this very list! — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor
How to watch: The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story premieres on HBO Max on Oct. 11.
21. R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2
Looking for a spooky movie for younger audiences? Then check out R.L. Stine‘s Pumpkinhead 2, streaming for free this week on Tubi.
The movie returns viewers to the town of Redhaven, where a new Pumpkinhead curse means new frightening disappearances. Sam (Bean Reid) and Becka (Adeline Lo), protagonists of the first film, will have to find a way to stop the curse before it’s too late. Thankfully, they have a witchy ally in their corner: Cassandra, played by none other than horror icon Cassandra “Elvira” Peterson. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
Starring: Cassandra Peterson (aka Elvira), Bean Reid, Adeline Lo, Matty Finochio, Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez, Bob Frazer, Seth Isaac Johnson, and Kendra Anderson
How to watch: R.L. Stine’s Pumpkinhead 2 debuts on Tubi on Oct. 9.
20. Is It Cake? Halloween, Season 2
Mikey Day is back with more cakes that are so good at looking like not-cake that you feel compelled to ask, “Is it cake?” This is the second selection of Halloween-themed confections sure to question your grasp on reality. And the trailer reveals some of our favorite comedians are getting in on the game as guest judges. — K.P.
Starring: Mikey Day, Paul Scheer, Cedric Yarbrough, Kristen Schaal, and Lil Rel Howery
How to watch: Is It Cake? Halloween Season 2 debuts on Netflix on Oct. 9.
19. Matchbox: The Movie
Yup, Matchbox cars now have their own movie. John Cena stars as a spy who reconnects with his childhood friends, accidentally looping them into a dangerous mission to clear his name when he’s framed for the theft of a nuclear weapon.
Got all that? Don’t sweat it. Take a look at the cast and the trailer, and trust that Matchbox: The Movie is gearing up to bring exciting action with much silliness, and many flashy vehicles.* — K.P.
Starring: John Cena, Jessica Biel, Sam Richardson, Arturo Castro, and Teyonah Parris
How to watch: Matchbox: The Movie debuts on Apple TV on Oct. 9.
18. Who is Martin Mull?
Martin Mull is a character actor who you might recognize from Clue, Roseanne, or Arrested Development. But while he is revered by actors and comedians for his distinct humor and inarguable comedic timing, performing is not his passion. Painting is.
This tender documentary from the late Bob Saget and Neil Berkeley explores the career and art of Mull in all its forms. And perhaps he’ll inspire you too. — K.P.
Starring: Martin Mull, Bob Saget, Paul Feig, David Alan Grier, Steve Martin, Kerri Kenney, and Penn Jillette
How to watch: Who is Martin Mull? is now on Netflix.
17. Insidious: Out of the Further
The opening seconds of the trailer for Insidious: Out of the Further will probably give you a pretty good indication of whether or not this is a movie for you. The latest installment in the long-running horror franchise follows Gemma (Amelia Eve), a mother who discovers she has the unfortunate ability to travel into the titular demonic realm — all of which makes her a target for the creatures who want to get out of it. Probably not one to watch while you’re eating, and definitely one to avoid if you have happen to work as a dentist. — Sam Haysom, General Assignment Editor, UK
Starring: Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea, and Lin Shaye
How to watch: Insidious: Out of the Further is now on VOD.
16. Onslaught
Director Adam Wingard and screenwriter Simon Barrett have previously given horror fans such vicious offerings as You’re Next, The Guest, and Blair Witch. Now they reteam for Onslaught, an A24 thriller about a single mom (Adria Arjona) who must defend her child against a squad of merciless super soldiers who’ve escaped their experimental facility. This task might seem impossible. But it helps that this mom is a trained sniper.
Expect blood, explosions, and carnage. Plus, The Guest‘s Dan Stevens as a mad scientist who looks like a Halloween decoration.* — K.P.
Starring: Adria Arjona, Dan Stevens, Eric Wareheim, Reginald VelJohnson, Michael Biehn, Alex Pereira, Drew Starkey, and Rebecca Hall
How to watch: Onslaught is now on VOD.
15. Fall 2: Deadpoint
In 2022, Fall delivered a survival thriller that rattled with suspense and boasted a sensationally WTF ending. Now comes a sequel of sorts with Fall 2: Deadpoint.
Scott Mann and Jonathan Frank, who cowrote the first film, are reunited here, scripting a spin-off story with some striking similarities. Harriet Slater stars as Jax Hunter, the younger sister of the late Shiloh Hunter (Virginia Gardner). Spiraling from grief, she teams up with Hunter’s friend Luce (Arsema Thomas) to tackle an adventure her sister never got to attempt: a treacherous climb of Mount Kwan in Thailand that ends before a statue of the Death Dragon, which is said to eat your fear.
Will this attempt to overcome grief by taking a risky climb play out better for Hunter’s sister? Well, a rockslide promises a rough path. But we’ll have to see to find out if Fall 2 can live up to its sister prequel. — K.P.
Starring: Harriet Slater, Arsema Thomas, Tom Brittney, Virginia Gardner, and Grace Caroline Currey
How to watch: Fall 2: Deadpoint is now on VOD.
14. Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger
The English rock band Oasis is as arguably known for its infighting between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher as they are for their music. So, when the band reunited after 15 years of estrangement between the siblings, fans bought tickets for the tour with baited breath. Would they take to the stage or breakup before they got there? Spoilers: They made it. And Don’t Look Back in Anger — a perfect title for a doc about this band in particular — captured the the process from rehearsals, backstage footage, and concerts captured on video.
So, now, even if you couldn’t get that hot ticket, you can feel a part of the tour, thanks to documentarians Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern. — K.P.
Starring: Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher
How to watch: Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger comes to Hulu and Disney+ on Oct. 9.
13. Your Attention Please
The concept of the attention economy, and the tech billionaires profiting from our addiction to the algorithms they’ve created is something that we’ve been discussing for years now. Sara Robin’s documentary explores it in more detail, following mother Kristin Bride as she fights for social media reform in the wake of her 16-year-old son’s death by suicide after a period of cyberbullying. — S.H.
How to watch: Your Attention Please is now on Apple TV to rent or own.
12. Animals
Aside from his skills as a brooding leading man, Ben Affleck has also distinguished himself as a director, helming scorchingly riveting thrillers such as Gone Baby Gone, The Town, and Argo. So, we’re pretty pumped to see Animals, which marks his return to the role of actor/director.
This crime thriller stars Affleck as Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose world is thrown into spin when his young son is kidnapped. He and his wife (Kerry Washington) have invested their wealth into his campaign. So, to get together a ransom quick, they’ll have to get their hands dirty.* — K.P.
Starring: Ben Affleck, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Adriana Paz, Ray Fisher, Matt Gerald, Luis Gerardo Méndez, and Steven Yeun
How to watch: Animals debuts on Netflix on Oct. 9.
11. Eternally Yours
After the end of What We Do in the Shadows, TV has been missing an offbeat vampire comedy. Luckily, supernatural sitcom Eternally Yours is here to fill that very niche, well, niche.
Created by Ghosts‘ Joe Port and Joe Wiseman, Eternally Yours introduces vampire couple Charles (Ed Weeks) and Liz (Allegra Edwards), who have been together for 500 years. Their stale marriage gets a major shakeup when their daughter, Emma (Helen J. Shen), brings home her human boyfriend, Max (Jaren Lewison). If you’re a Ghosts fan, or just looking for a sweet sitcom with a little bite, check out Eternally Yours. — B.E.
Starring: Ed Weeks, Allegra Edwards, Helen J. Shen, Jaren Lewison, Parker Young, and Rose Abdoo
10. Carrie
Mike Flanagan’s modern-day adaptation of Stephen King’s first published novel places our telekinetic heroine in a high school filled with smartphones and school shooter drills. The core elements for the book are still there, but the story has been expanded and retrofitted for a new audience.
“Overall, this is a series that will be enjoyed by people unfamiliar with Carrie, while keeping and changing enough of the book to also appeal to Stephen King readers,” I wrote in my review for Mashable. “It’s not a perfect adaptation, but it is a visceral and engaging take on a story that looks set to keep its grip on horror fans for many more years to come.” — S.H.
Starring: Matthew Lillard, Amber Midthunder, Summer H. Howell, Samantha Sloyan, Siena Agudong, Arthur Conti, Alison Thornton, Josie Totah, Joel Oulette, and Thalia Dudek
How to watch: Carrie is now streaming on Prime Video.
9. Cupertino
Tired of AI? Then tune into Cupertino, a new legal drama about a firm that represents the Davids in the fight against the Goliaths of Silicon Valley.
Hailing from The Good Wife creators Robert and Michelle King, Cupertino introduces the law firm of Price & Siffre, helmed by two attorneys (Mike Colter and Rachel Keller) who have been seriously slighted by big tech. Together, the pair and their team will tackle current-day issues like chatbots, betting apps, and AI-generated music. For the staunchly AI viewer, expect some serious catharsis. — B.E.
Starring: Mike Colter, Rachel Keller, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Busy Philipps, Ella Stiller, and Nik Dodani
8. Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton returns to the MCU, reuniting Tom Holland and Zendaya as Peter Parker and MJ. But in this adventure, she still doesn’t remember her first love. Yet she means enough to Peter to be threatened by a new force (Sadie Sink), a young girl who can control people with her mind. Helping Peter topple this foe is the Punisher (Jon Bernthal), who makes a bizarre edition to a PG-13 franchise. In other places, it feels like a rehash of superhero movie tropes.
As I wrote in my review, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day is entertaining, but it falls short of the last three films in terms of imagination, surprises, and joy. Instead, this sequel feels bogged down by IP connections and brooding, which have been the albatross of too many other superhero movies to count.” — K.P.
Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink, Liza Colón-Zayas, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Mando, Tramell Tillman, and Marvin Jones III
How to watch: Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now available for purchase on digital.
7. Disclosure Day
Emily Blunt stars as a TV weather reporter who becomes keenly aware humans are not alone in the universe. Assisting her in understanding this world-changing truth is Wake Up Dead Man‘s Josh O’Connor.
Steven Spielberg reteams with Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp for an original sci-fi drama that — as I wrote in my review — “functions like a companion piece to Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Like Spielberg’s 1977 film, the story of alien life’s existence focuses on how two average white Americans, one male and one female, comprehend it. But more importantly, the production design and creature design of that classic film carry over here, suggesting a narrative continuum without any characters in common.
“What sets Disclosure Day apart is that Spielberg embraces action here. While Daniel and Margaret aren’t soldiers, they face off against plenty. That means car chase scenes, fleeing gunfire, stand-offs over alien tech, and one particular chase scene involving a train. The latter was so tense I held my breath, only letting it out to scream in excitement.” — K.P.
Starring: Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo
How to watch: Disclosure Day begins streaming on Peacock on Oct. 9.
6. Hokum
To date, the scariest movie of the year is Hokum. The latest from Irish filmmaker Damian McCarthy (Caveat and Oddity) stars Adam Scott as a misanthropic American novelist who falls down a rabbit hole of folklore and horror.
You see, Ohm Bauman (Scott) has traveled to a remote hotel in Ireland for some grim business, including scattering the ashes of his deceased parents. But when a bartender who was kind to him goes missing, Ohm can’t resist the urge to find her, even if he thinks the talk of a witch plaguing the hotel’s honeymoon suite is “hokum.”
In my review, I called Hokum “a seriously scary masterpiece,” explaining, “It’s a nerve-shredding, bone-rattling, scream-pulling good time, and an absolute blast to see in a theater.” And in case you’re on the fence, know this: This movie made me scream myself hoarse while watching it.* — K.P.
Starring: Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Florence Ordesh, Michael Patric, Will O’Connell, Brendan Conroy, and Austin Amelio
How to watch: Hokum debuts on Hulu on Oct. 10.
5. Late Fame
From screenwriter Samy Burch (May December, Coyote vs. Acme) comes another adaption alive with humor and heartache. Late Fame stars Willem Dafoe as Ed Saxberger, a New Yorker who had aspirations to be a poet decades ago, but has since settled into a cozy routine away from the arts. However, when a young group of emerging writers take him up as their long-lost discovery, he begins to see himself differently.
Among this collective called the Enthusiasm Society, he’s most drawn in by a beguiling actress (Greta Lee), who has a Holly Golightly vibe to her. Together, they talk of art and dreams; perhaps they could be the key to each other’s future. — K.P.
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Edmund Donovan, and Greta Lee
How to watch: Late Fame is now on VOD.
4. Below
Loved Widow’s Bay and looking for more spooky seaside towns? Then Netflix’s Below might be right up your alley.
The series transports viewers to a small Newfoundland town, where something sinister lurks in the waters. As a mysterious sea creature begins to terrorize the town’s inhabitants, local fisherman Calvin Penney (Josh Hartnett) will team up with marine researcher Fonda Howander (Mackenzie Davis) to find the beast and protect his family. Expect serious secrets, scares, and twists as the truth of what lies Below comes to the surface.* — B.E.
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Mackenzie Davis, Charlie Heaton, Natasha Henstridge, Joshua Close, Rohan Campbell, Willow Kean, Ruby Stokes, Kaleb Horn, and Mary Walsh
How to watch: Below is now streaming on Netflix.
3. Small Prophets
This British comedy/drama from Mackenzie Crook (The Office, Detectorists) proved so popular when it debuted on BBC Two that Apple TV snapped up the world rights. Small Prophets tells the story of Michael Sleep (Pearce Quigley), a man so haunted by the disappearance of his girlfriend that he creates homunculi in his garden shed so he can see into the future. An unusual premise? Absolutely. But the 100 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating means this is one to add to your to-watch list. — S.H.
Starring: Pearce Quigley, Jon Pointing, Sophie Willan, Michael Palin, and Mackenzie Crook
How to watch: Small Prophets’ first two episodes are now streaming on Apple TV, with new episodes weekly.
2. Haunted Hotel, Season 2
For my money, the best show you’re not watching on Netflix is Haunted Hotel. Created by Archer producer/writer Matt Roller, this animated series is essentially a family sitcom set in a — well — haunted hotel.
The Undervale used to belong to the plucky dreamer Nathan Freeling (voiced by Will Forte), but when he died he left the cursed property to his sister, Katherine (Eliza Coupe). But Nathan never left. As a ghost, he’s a father figure to his nebbishy nephew Ben (Skyler Gisondo) and fearless niece Esther (Natalie Palamides). For his sister, he’s a mixed-bag mediator between her goals of making this hotel profitable, and the many ghosts and demons — including a pesky boy called Abaddon (Jimmi Simpson), who say “boooooo” to that.
The result is a comedy show that’s wildly funny, surprisingly sweet, and stuffed to the gills with allusions to your favorite horror movies. With Season 2 hitting Netflix, this is the perfect time to catch up and dive in as the Freelings find new mayhem and more heart-to-heart moments among the horror. — K.P.
Starring: Will Forte, Eliza Coupe, Skyler Gisondo, Natalie Palamides, and Jimmi Simpson
How to watch: Haunted Hotel Season 2 premieres on Netflix on Oct. 9.
Best of streaming this week: Avatar: Seven Havens
Yip yip! A new Avatar series is hitting streaming this week. Not a bland live-action remake, not a sequel movie, but a full-on series in the vein of The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, this next step in the Avatar cycle blows up the beloved franchise’s world entirely. Say goodbye to the Four Nations, and say hello to the Seven Havens.
Avatar: Seven Havens takes place in the aftermath of a great calamity brought on by Korra. (And you know what? I’ll keep defending her!) That means her successor, earthbender Pavi (voiced by Saheli Khan), has grown up in a world where the Avatar is viewed as humanity’s destroyer. Now, she and her long-lost twin must fight to save the remains of civilization, even as humans and spirits hunt them down. Yet even in the apocalypse, some things remain constant across all Avatar series, including sick bending fights and darling animal companions. In this case, that’s cat-monkey Geet, and I can’t wait to get to know him and Pavi more.* — B.E.
Starring: Saheli Khan, Aishu Devan, Akshay Khanna, Major Curda, Sakina Jaffrey, Darren Barnet, Dianne Doan, and Dee Bradley Baker
How to watch: Avatar: Seven Havens‘ first three episodes premiere on Paramount+ on Oct. 9, with new episodes weekly.
(*) denotes a blurb came from a prior list.
