The leaves are falling, and so is a new batch of shows and movies to watch in October 2026 on Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV and other major streaming services, as well as broadcast and cable TV.
We’re keeping tabs on the month’s biggest returns and buzzy new arrivals, from “The Diplomat” season 4 and “Nobody Wants This” season 3 to the action-packed return of Chris Pratt in “The Terminal List” season 2. Marvel fans have “VisionQuest” to look forward to, while spooky season gets into full swing with “Carrie” and “Crystal Lake.”
There are also some intriguing movies on the way, including Ben Affleck’s thriller “Animals” and the romantic drama “Love of Your Life.” Whether you’re after political intrigue, superhero weirdness, bloody scares or a good old-fashioned love story, here’s what to watch in October 2026, sorted by premiere date.
‘East of Eden’ (Oct. 1, Netflix)
Zoe Kazan has a pretty significant family connection to “East of Eden”: Her grandfather, Elia Kazan, directed the 1955 James Dean movie. Now she’s putting her own spin on John Steinbeck’s sprawling saga with this seven-part adaptation, starring Florence Pugh as the deeply fascinating Cathy Ames. Her story collides with the Trask family, including Adam (Christopher Abbott), Charles (Mike Faist) and twins Cal (Joseph Zada) and Aron (Joe Anders), as generations of family baggage get passed down. — Kelly Woo
‘War’ (Oct. 1, HBO)
The “War” in question not only refers to a high-profile divorce, but the battle between two rival London law firms, complete with billion-dollar stakes and dirty tricks. When movie star Carla Duval (Sienna Miller) splits from tech mogul Morgan Henderson (Dominic West), lawyers Serena Byrne (Phoebe Fox) and Nicholas Taylor (James McArdle) square off against the formidable St. John Smallwood (Pip Torrens) and Beatrice “Queen Bea” Ubosi (Nina Sosanya). Caught between them is Johnny Warren (Archie Renaux), an ambitious outsider willing to do almost anything to get ahead. — KW
Premieres Oct. 1 on HBO andHBO Max
‘Kill Jackie’ (Oct. 2, AMC+)
“Kill Jackie” is a new revenge thriller based on Nick Harkaway’s bestselling novel “The Price You Pay,” and it’s being billed as a stylish mix of “John Wick” and “Killing Eve.” Catherine Zeta-Jones stars as Jackie Price, a former international drug smuggler who has spent the past 20 years leaving her old life behind and enjoying a quiet existence as a wealthy London art dealer. That all changes when an assassination attempt goes wrong and Jackie discovers there’s a huge bounty on her head. Rather than run away and hide, she decides to fight back, using the skills she thought she’d left behind to track down the mercenaries coming after her. It looks like a seriously fun thriller. — Alix Blackburn
‘Carrie’ (Oct. 7, Prime Video)
“The Haunting of Hill House” creator Mike Flanagan is heading to Prime Video for his latest horror show, and it’s an adaptation of Stephen King’s first novel, “Carrie.” The eight-episode series stars Summer H. Howell as the eponymous Carrie White, a young girl tormented by bullies at school and cruelly chastised by her devout mother (Samantha Sloyan) at home. When she discovers she possesses telekinetic powers, a prom night joke that goes way too far turns into a bloodbath. I’m not totally convinced Prime Video’s “Carrie” will surpass the legendary 1976 movie, but improving on the wretched 2013 remake seems very possible. — Rory Mellon
Premieres Oct. 7 onPrime Video
‘Below’ (Oct. 8, Netflix
Netflix is no stranger to thrillers, and its upcoming series “Below” certainly looks like an intriguing one. Set in the remote fishing town of Snook’s Arm off the coast of Newfoundland, the mystery thriller follows Calvin Penney (Josh Hartnett), a local fisherman still haunted by his father’s mysterious death decades earlier. Things take a much darker turn when an unidentified sea creature emerges from the North Atlantic and starts attacking boats, putting the entire community in danger. I’m already completely on board with this one, and it’s easily one of my most anticipated shows of fall 2026. — AB
‘Animals’ (Oct. 9, Netflix)
Ben Affleck already has one Netflix success story under his belt in 2026, co-starring with Matt Damon in the platform’s most-watched movie of the year so far, the warmly received “The Rip.” Hopefully he goes two-for-two with “Animals,” a crime thriller that sees Affleck lead in front of and behind the camera. Affleck has form as a director in this genre, having helmed “Gone Baby Gone,” “The Town” and the Best Picture-winning “Argo.” “Animals” centers on an L.A. mayoral candidate (Affleck) forced to turn to the city’s seedy underworld to score the money to pay a hefty ransom after his son is kidnapped. Sounds promising. — RM
‘Love of Your Life’ (Oct. 14, Prime Video)
I’m a sucker for a good romance movie, and Prime Video’s upcoming “Love of Your Life” is already looking like it has No. 1 potential. Directed by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison, the romantic drama follows Maya (Margaret Qualley), a nurse whose chance meeting with Charlie (Gabriel Basso) leads to an unexpected relationship and a future she never saw coming. But when that future is suddenly taken away from her, Maya is forced to start over and figure out what comes next. Years later, she finds herself navigating new relationships and experiences as she tries to build a new life. I have a feeling this one is going to be a serious tear-jerker. — AB
‘The Lowdown’ season 2 (Oct. 14, FX)
Ethan Hawke’s truthstorian is back, and Lee Raybon has somehow found an even bigger mess to investigate. In season 2, Lee gets pulled into a case involving a missing prisoner, two murders and an allegedly dirty sheriff’s department, with public defender Ginger (Betty Gilpin) as his unlikely partner in crime-solving. And his personal life is no less complicated: His estranged father, Lee Sr. (Tommy Lee Jones), suddenly turns up, despite Lee telling his daughter her grandfather was dead. — KW
Premieres Oct. 13 on FX and next day onHulu
‘VisionQuest’ (Oct. 14, Disney+)
It’s about time we found out where the hell Vision has been all this time. “VisionQuest” is the final chapter in the trilogy that began with “WandaVision” and continued with “Agatha All Along.” Paul Bettany returns as White Vision, who is living in hiding while trying to rebuild his identity. Although he has some of his memories left, he no longer has any emotional connection to them, leaving him unsure of who he really is. By day, he disguises himself as a human, while at night he retreats into his own virtual “Mindspace,” where he encounters familiar Stark A.I.s and even Ultron (James Spader). However, his quiet life quickly changes when a bounty is placed on him. — AB
‘Crystal Lake’ (Oct. 15, Peacock)
“Crystal Lake” has been one of my most anticipated shows ever since it was announced, so getting it during the spooky season makes me even more excited. Produced by A24 for Peacock, this “Friday the 13th” prequel takes us back to the early 1970s, several years before the events of the original 1980 movie. The series focuses on Pamela Voorhees (Linda Cardellini), a devoted mother working at Camp Crystal Lake while raising her son Jason (Callum Vinson). The story really begins after Jason goes missing and is presumed drowned following an accident at the camp, setting the stage for a much darker story about the Voorhees family and the infamous Camp Crystal Lake. — AB
‘The Diplomat’ season 4 (Oct. 15, Netflix)
If The Diplomat has taught us anything, it’s that marriage counseling doesn’t really work for the most powerful of couples. Season 4 finds Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) discovering that her husband, Hal (Rufus Sewell), and President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) have been conspiring to steal Russia’s most powerful weapon, putting the U.S. on a path to war. Meanwhile, Kate’s marriage is barely holding together, and First Gentleman Todd Penn (Bradley Whitford) becomes her unlikely ally. — KW
‘Tenzing’ (Oct. 16, Apple TV)
“Tenzing” is an Apple Original biographical drama with an impressive 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and that alone has piqued my interest. The movie tells the story of the historic 1953 expedition to Mount Everest, following Tenzing Norgay (Genden Phuntsok), a highly skilled Sherpa climber who had spent years helping mountaineers tackle some of the world’s toughest peaks. Tenzing is recruited alongside New Zealand climber Edmund Hillary (Tom Hiddleston) by expedition leader Colonel John Hunt (Willem Dafoe), as the team sets out to accomplish something no one had managed before: reach the summit of Mount Everest. — AB
‘Phony’ (Oct. 20, Hulu)
Connie Britton and Sam Nivola have a quasi-”White Lotus” reunion (they starred in different seasons) in this coming-of-age comedy-mystery. After a car accident, Sonny Cooke wakes up to a nightmare that’s somehow worse than the accident itself: His mom, Ellen, has been replaced by an impostor. There’s just enough creepiness to make you question whether Sonny’s onto something — or simply spiraling. — KW
‘The Terminal List’ season 2 (Oct. 21, Prime Video)
After forever
four years, James Reece is finally back, and apparently retirement was never really on the table. Chris Pratt returns as the Navy SEAL, this time trading his revenge quest for a globe-trotting espionage mission inspired by Jack Carr’s True Believer. Reece gets a pardon in exchange for joining a new operation, only to uncover a conspiracy stretching from Moscow to Langley and into his own family history. With Tom Hopper, Constance Wu and Gabriel Luna along for the ride, expect bigger stakes and plenty of bullets. — KW
‘Nobody Wants This’ season 3 (Oct. 22, Netflix)
The rom-com series is finally ditching the will-they-won’t-they nonsense. Joanne (Kristen Bell) and Noah (Adam Brody) are moving in together, tackling all the firsts that come with sharing a home, from brushing their teeth together to figuring out Joanne’s conversion to Judaism. But the supporting cast has plenty of romantic mess to offer. Sasha (Timothy Simons) and Esther (Jackie Tohn) are newly single and back in the dating pool, while Morgan (Justine Lupe) insists she’s focusing on herself. Uh huh, sure. — KW
‘Lupin’ season 4 (Oct. 23, Netflix)
It’s been a very long three years since we last saw the gentleman thief of the French mystery thriller. “Lupin” finally brings Omar Sy back as Assane Diop, who’s been cooling his heels in prison since turning himself in at the end of season 3. He’s ready to finish his sentence and reunite with his family in Senegal, until a mysterious copycat calling themselves “Lupin” starts pulling off simultaneous museum heists and somehow frames Assane for them. So much for retirement. To clear his name, Assane will have to break out and become (the real) Lupin again. — KW
‘Newlyweds’ (Oct. 23, NBC)
Talk about art imitating life. Real-life married couple Téa Leoni and Tim Daly star as Jeanie and James, a free spirit and buttoned-up professor who impulsively tie the knot after a whirlwind courtship. The comedy marks their return to playing spouses after “Madam Secretary,” only this time they actually are married. James’ plans for a quiet life go sideways fast once Jeanie enters the picture, with Jamie Lee Curtis recurring as his ex-wife. — KW
Premieres Oct. 23 on NBC and next day onPeacock
