New to streaming, ranked (Oct. 18, 2024)
When it comes to streaming options, the list goes on and on: Hulu, Netflix, Max, Disney+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at their vast libraries of movies and television within each one!
It can be overwhelming. So, Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, animation, and more. But maybe you don't know what you want beyond something new and entertaining. No worries.
Mashable's Entertainment Team has scoured the streaming services to highlight the most buzzed-about releases of this week and ranked them from worst to best — or least to most watchable. Whether you want nail-biting horror, heartwarming comedy, chilling true crime, or a binge-worthy new series, we've got you.
10. Woman of the Hour
Netflix has become a reliable place for true-crime devotees, offering a wealth of stirring documentaries, shocking series, and trashy adaptations. Now into this sea of suspenseful stories comes Woman of the Hour, a drama about the horrifying true story of the Dating Game Killer. And we'd say skip this one.
The real story behind murderer Rodney Alcala is not the focus of Pitch Perfect star Anna Kendrick's directorial debut. Instead, she casts herself in the title role as an aspiring actress who has an uncomfortable brush with death when she accepts a questionable TV appearance. Beyond The Dating Game set, the screenplay by Ian MacAllister McDonald ping-pongs across Alcala's timeline to recreate several heinous murders, but spends very little time on his victims, and concocts a purely Hollywood finale.
As I wrote in my review, when the film premiered at TIFF in 2023, "Far from the thought-provoking narrative within Promising Young Woman, Woman of the Hour plays to preconceived notions without complication: All men are bad, ranging from rapists and killers to creeps or incompetent cops to disappointing boyfriends and failed allies. Women, on the other hand, are victims, gossips, or witnesses.
'What are girls for?' Cheryl playfully asks her bachelors, who mostly flub their replies. Kendrick's film fares no better answering that query."
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto, Nicolette Robinson, Tony Hale, Kathryn Gallagher, Pete Holmes, and Autumn Best
How to watch: Woman of the Hour premieres on Netflix Oct. 18.
9. Rivals
Hankering for a steamy, prime-time soap opera? Then you'll appreciate the throwback vibes of Rivals.
Set in 1986, this new UK series follows the trysts, twists, and betrayals in the aptly named English county of Rutshire. There, the upper and upper-middle classes live in grand rural estates, throw lavish dinner parties, and start affairs with heady abandon. And snobby class conflict thrives. The rivals at the center of this show are hunky TV personality Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) and TV station head Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant). But thrown into the war between them is a heralded journalist, a hard-headed American producer, bored and horny trophy wives, and a new neighbor oft blistered in lust and frustration over the devilishly charming Campbell-Black.
If you miss the sultry theatrics of Grey's Anatomy, 90210, or Dallas, you'll likely relish Rivals. Full of terrible people, snarling drama, and rampant sex, it's a great binge-watch for cuffing season.
Starring: David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Katherine Parkinson, Lisa McGrillis, Alex Hassell, Emily Atack, and Danny Dyer
How to watch: Rivals premieres on Hulu Oct. 18.
8. MaXXXine
First came the ultra-violent slasher X, then its twisted prequel Pearl. Now, horror auteur Ti West and his menacing muse Mia Goth unleash the third film in their kinky trilogy with MaXXXine, which follows the foul-mouthed Final Girl from the first movie to 1980s Hollywood. There, Maxine (Goth) is an established adult entertainer who seeks to go mainstream as the lead in a gory new movie. But a bizarre string of murders could trip up her rise to stardom.
While reviewing for the film's theatrical release, I praised West's atmosphere as "vibrant in sleaze, satire, and shocking violence." However, as boundary-pushing as his X trilogy has been, this third (and final?) chapter fails to impress with a third act that feels more confounding than exciting. "MaXXXine was on the brink of being the best West and Goth have made yet. But a bungled ending leaves a sour taste."
Starring: Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon
How to watch: MaXXXine debuts on Max Oct. 18.
7. Hysteria!
Don't mistake this new TV series for something it's not. Sure, Hysteria! may star horror-comedy icon Bruce Campbell as a sheriff combatting fear of Satanic Panic in the cozy 1980s suburb of Happy Hollow. However, this isn't anything like Ash vs Evil Dead. Hysteria! creator Matthew Scott Kane is playing the scares straight in this creepy mystery series, which begins with a masked intruder attacking a pair of canoodling teens.
When a popular jock goes missing, suspicion turns to a trio of misfits who are in a heavy metal band. Feigning as Satanists could bring them the attention they've so long craved from the cool kids. But it might also earn the ire of the local police and the fear of parents desperate to keep their own homes safe — whatever the cost. Playing out with teen drama, twisted turns, and a timely message — both in spookiness and the political power of fearmongering — Hysteria is a pitch-perfect binge for this very moment.
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Julie Bowen, Emjay Anthony, Chiara Aurelia, Kezii Curtis, Jessica Treska, Nikki Hahn, Anna Camp, Nolan North, Garret Dillahunt, Elijah Richardson, and Milly Shapiro
How to watch: All episodes of Hysteria premiere on Peacock Oct. 18.
6. It's Florida, Man
The Florida Man meme has been a reliable — albeit mean-spirited — source of laughs for internet ages. Now, the producers who brought us The Righteous Gemstones are digging behind the headlines that had us giggling to interview the real people who lived through these scandals with It's Florida, Man.
Premiering this Friday on HBO and Max, It's Florida, Man combines true crime docuseries elements like talking head interviews and re-enactments with comedy guest stars performing those re-enactments. In our review, I wrote, "From episode to episode, the tone can shift radically, as the team behind It's Florida, Man seems uneasy in turning everything into comedy fodder. But overall, there's something undeniably charming about these Florida men and women who refuse to be defined by internet snark and 15 minutes of infamy."
Starring: Anna Faris, Randall Park, Jake Johnson, Juliette Lewis, Simon Rex, Ego Nwodim, and Sam Richardson
How to watch: It's Florida, Man debuts on HBO Oct. 18 at 11 p.m. ET, and will also be available to stream on Max. New episodes air weekly.
5. Shrinking Season 2
From the minds that brought us Scrubs, Ted Lasso, and the 2011 charmer The Muppets comes the second season of this delightful Apple TV+ series. Jason Segel stars as therapist and widowed dad Jimmy Laird, who is grappling with grief by switching up how he interacts with his patients. The results are often healing, hilarious, and sometimes explosive. Along for the ride are his gruff but lovable mentor (Harrison Ford), his chipper and well-hydrated friend (Jessica Williams), and his teen daughter (Lukita Maxwell).
Mashable UK Editor Shannon Connellan cheered this ensemble comedy series's Season 2, writing in her review of the first two episodes: "Whether its characters are learning to understand their triggers or trying to process their frustrations with one another, Shrinking arms you with a collection of common sense, usable advice for your own complicated stuff. Honestly, it feels great to be reconnected with such flawed, vulnerable, hilarious characters, all of whom are simply trying to figure it out day by day.
Shrinking, one of TV's best-written comedies, returns to cut to the deep shit among the regular shit, without judgment and with a lot of laughs. Consider us prescribed."
Starring: Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Christa Miller, Michael Urie, Luke Tennie, Lukita Maxwell, and Ted McGinley
How to watch: Shrinking Season 2's first two episodes are now streaming on Apple TV+, with a new episode every Wednesday.
4. Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara
The Canadian indie pop duo Tegan and Sara have been beloved by fans since their rise in the early 2000s. Since then, they have expanded their work into a tender memoir and its charming TV adaptation, High School. But behind the scenes of their growing success, toxicity was creeping into their fandom, and in its depths hid a curious catfish.
From Erin Lee Carr, the documentarian who brought us Britney vs Spears and Mommy Dead and Dearest comes Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara. The critically heralded director sits down not only with Tegan and Sara Quin, but also with several fans who've been conned by a catfish who posed as Tegan online, as well as one of their suspects for the strange personal invasion.
Out of our TIFF review for the doc, I wrote, "Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara is a fascinating film because of the balance in empathy between the stars and their fans. When fandom goes toxic, both sides of that equation suffer. Carr shows that through thoughtful interviews and also interactions between the real Tegan and Fegan's victims, brought together to pick up the pieces of this bizarre betrayal of trust." The result is a poignant and provocative film that speaks to parasocial relationships, stan culture, and cyber security with equal passion.
Starring: Tegan Quin, Sara Quin, and Erin Lee Carr
How to watch: Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara begins streaming on Hulu Oct. 18.
3. I'm Not a Monster: The Lois Riess Murders
Also directed by the prolific Erin Lee Carr, I'm Not a Monster is a two-part documentary that follows the strange and shifting story of convicted killer Lois Riess.
Even if you recall this murderous Minnesota native being the focus of a nationwide manhunt — and the killer grandma headlines central to the coverage — you'll be shocked at the twists and turns of this true crime tale, which involve embezzlement, fraud, gambling addiction, murder, and more.
What sets Carr's true crime docs apart from much of the genre's more questionable corners is the ardent empathy she has for just about everyone involved. As such, perpetrators, victims, witnesses, police officers, and everyone in between is given a chance to show their true character, be it despicable, vulnerable, or deeply quirky. Carr's thoughtful portraits of Riess, her heartbroken family, her frightened friends, and even her righteously furious victims create a complex and fascinating narrative that's as riveting as it is ultimately humane. You'll gasp in horror. You'll cry in sympathy. Occasionally, you'll laugh, but not at these people, more at the absurd and unexpected collisions that make up the best and worst of human nature. But what to make of Lois Riess and her side of this disturbing story? Carr won't give you an easy answer there.
Starring: Lois Riess, Erin Lee Carr
How to watch: I'm Not A Monster: The Lois Riess Murders is now streaming on Hulu.
2. MadS
Seeking something scary? Then this French zombie thriller is sure to satisfy that creepy craving.
Writer/director David Moreau spins a wild night among teens into a freshly biting tale of terror through a blend of sex, drugs, contagion, and blood — all shot as if in one 88-minute long take. It all begins when rich 18-year-old Romain (Milton Riche) runs across a mysterious woman dressed only in bandages and yowling incoherently. He can't imagine what this grisly chance encounter will lead to, but fans of this rotting horror subgenre will have some idea. As MadS shifts from Romain's story to that of his girlfriend (Laurie Pavy) and her bestie Julia (Lucille Guillaume), it only gets wilder and more harrowing.
In my review for the film's streaming release, I cheered Moreau's use of its ambitious cinematography, writing, "MadS' one-take device binds us to these characters, allowing us to experience the claustrophobic frenzy and fear at their sides. No cutaways will offer an escape to another location or from the tension. Doggedly, we follow them as they run, bike, and clamor for salvation. We watch helpless as they are as they transform from frivolous to ferocious, their teeth gone from points of pride to pointed weapons. And we share in their horror as the world around them goes from glowing and full of thrills to wretchedly caked in gore and rife with terror."
Starring: Lucille Guillaume, Laurie Pavy, and Milton Riche
How to watch: MADS debuts on Shudder Oct. 18.
1. The Wild Robot
One of the most buzzed-about animated movies of the year is now available to watch from the comfort of home! From Chris Sanders, the co-writer/co-director of Lilo & Stitch and the voice of Stitch, delivers a heartfelt adaptation of Peter Brown's novel, named for the curious android at its center.
Lupita Nyong'o lends her voice to Roz, a helper droid intended for domesticity but stranded on an island populated only by wild animals, like a cunning fox (The Last of Us's Pedro Pascal), a sassy opossum (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice's Catherine O'Hara), and an orphaned gosling (Heartstopper's Kit Connor).
In her review out of the film's Fantastic Fest premiere, Belen Edwards praised the fish-out-of-water story as well as the visual splendor Sanders paints. She writes, "Pristine forests and tidal pools bloom to life on screen, their blue and green hues a sharp contrast to Roz's metal-gray plating and blinking lights. Flocks of geese take flight in a dazzling airborne montage. Roz's bright lights slash through a driving snowstorm. Each image is a marvelous snapshot on its own. But together, they create something wholly incredible, making The Wild Robot an unforgettable viewing experience and a perfect capstone to celebrate DreamWorks' 30th anniversary."
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O'Hara, Matt Berry, and Ving Rhames
How to watch: The Wild Robot is now available to rent or purchase on digital.
For more viewing suggestions, check out Mashable's Watch Guides for the latest and greatest movies and TV shows now streaming.