October is here, which means spooky season is officially underway. There are plenty of options, both scary and not, for what to watch this weekend across Netflix, HBO Max and other streaming services, plus broadcast and cable.
As Tom’s Guide’s streaming editor, I watch TV and movies for a living, and I’ve curated and ranked this week’s biggest new releases to help you cut through the endless scrolling and find something actually worth watching this weekend.
Fall TV brings “Marshals” season 2, a lavish new adaptation of “East of Eden” and more workplace chaos in “Scrubs” season 2. On the movie side, “Tyler Perry’s Doing Life” brings some serious drama, while “Coyote vs. Acme” finally gives Wile E. Coyote his long-awaited shot at justice. So settle in, embrace the October vibes and let someone else do the scrolling for a change. Here’s my weekend watchlist, ranked by must-watch factor.
1. ‘East of Eden’ (Netflix)
Genre: Period drama
Available now: 7 episodes (about 1 hour each)
What it’s about: Zoe Kazan’s sweeping adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel puts Florence Pugh’s Cathy Ames at the center of the family saga. As Cathy’s life becomes tangled up with brothers Adam (Christopher Abbott) and Charles Trask (Mike Faist), their choices ripple into the next generation, including twins Cal (Joseph Zada) and Aron (Joe Anders).
Why it’s worth your time: Kazan has a particularly juicy connection to the material: Her grandfather, Elia Kazan, directed the 1955 James Dean movie. But this is her chance to tell the whole story, not just the slice that made it to the big screen.
Where to watch:Netflix
2. ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ (digital)
Genre: Live-action/animation comedy
Runtime: 1h 43m
What it’s about:After decades of getting blown up, flattened and crushed by Acme products, Wile E. Coyote has finally had enough. He hires billboard accident lawyer Kevin Avery (Will Forte) to sue the corporation responsible for his many cartoon catastrophes, putting the pair up against Acme’s slick attorney (John Cena).
Why it’s worth your time:The real-life story behind “Coyote vs. Acme” is almost as wild as the movie: Warner Bros. shelved the nearly-finished film for a tax write-off; after a fan uproar, they eventually sold it to Ketchup Entertainment. Then the movie became a hit, both commercially and critically. Now that’s a funny joke.
Where to stream:Prime Video (with purchase)
3. ‘Marshals’ season 2 (CBS)
Genre: Western crime drama
Release date: Episode 1 on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 8:30 p.m. ET (about 45 min)
What it’s about: Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) has traded the Yellowstone Ranch for a badge, but apparently nobody told his family that his new job was supposed to be less dangerous. When his son Tate (Brecken Merrill) is taken hostage, Kayce goes rogue to get him back, while his fellow marshals investigate a criminal operation connected to the East Camp land grab.
Why it’s worth your time: If “Yellowstone” left you craving more Dutton drama with a side of federal law enforcement, “Marshals” remains happy to oblige. Season 2 brings back Kayce’s team, continues the fallout from that brutal first-season finale and even welcomes “Yellowstone” favorite Jimmy Hurdstrom (Jefferson White) back into the fold.
Where to watch:CBS and next day on Paramount+
4. ‘War’ (HBO)
Genre: Legal drama
Available now: 1 episode (about 1 hour)
What it’s about: Divorce is messy enough without two of London’s fanciest law firms turning it into a blood sport. When movie star Carla Duval (Sienna Miller) splits from tech billionaire Morgan Henderson (Dominic West), Taylor & Byrne and Cathcarts & Sons go to war over the very lucrative fallout. Meanwhile, ambitious young lawyer Johnny Warren (Archie Renaux) gets pulled into the fray.
Why it’s worth your time: Watching rich people behaving badly? Don’t threaten me with a good time. The stacked British cast brings plenty of bite, while creator George Kay packs the drama with backstabbing, class tension and enough legal maneuvering to make a prenup feel like a thriller.
Where to watch:HBO and HBO Max
5. ‘Scrubs’ season 2 (ABC)
Genre: Medical comedy
Available now: 2 episodes (about 22 min each)
What it’s about: J.D., Turk and Elliot have gone from Sacred Heart’s frazzled newbies to the doctors everyone else is supposed to learn from, which is funny considering they’re still figuring out plenty themselves. J.D. tries to help Dr. Cox through a rough patch, Elliot gets tangled up with ex Sean (Scott Foley), and new doctor Sam Tosh gets career advice from Tamera Mowry-Housley’s pediatrician, Dr. Steffie.
Why it’s worth your time: The revival has found its footing, giving the original trio room to be the lovable disasters we remember while letting the newer generation step into the spotlight. Scott Foley’s return as Sean adds some delicious romantic complications.
Where to watch:Hulu
6. ‘Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma’ (Mubi)
Genre: Surrealist horror romance
Runtime: 1h 52 min
What it’s about: After years of increasingly lousy sequels, the Camp Miasma slasher franchise gets a shot at resurrection from young filmmaker Kris Williams (Hannah Einbinder). Her big idea? Bring back Billy Presley (Gillian Anderson), the reclusive star of the original movie, who now lives at the abandoned camp where it was filmed. But when Kris tracks her down, her professional obsession quickly becomes something much more intimate.
Why it’s worth your time: If “Sunset Boulevard” and “Friday the 13th” somehow had a very strange, very horny baby, it might look something like this. Jane Schoenbrun follows “I Saw the TV Glow” with another campy, surreal meditation on how pop culture gets under our skin, only this time with a lot of blood.
Where to watch:Mubi
7. ‘Tyler Perry’s Doing Life’ (Netflix)
Genre: Romantic drama
Available now: 1h 47m
What it’s about: Anika (Naomi Baker), a single mother and correctional officer, is barely keeping her life together when she reconnects with Carousel (Jay Reeves), a reformed ex-con who once saved her life during a prison riot. What starts as a correspondence between two people on opposite sides of the bars slowly turns into something more.
Why it’s worth your time: Tyler Perry is back with another Netflix melodrama, and this one has all the ingredients of a classic Perry tearjerker: unlikely romance, redemption, family struggles and people getting a second chance when they least expect it. It may not win over critics, but Perry will surely nab the top spot on Netflix’s movie chart.
Where to watch:Netflix
8. ‘Get Jiro’ (Adult Swim)
Genre: Adult anime
Release date: Episodes 1-2 on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 12 a.m. ET
What it’s about: In a bloody adaptation of Anthony Bourdain and Joel Rose’s graphic novel, chefs rule near-future Los Angeles like crime bosses, and food is the ultimate status symbol. Mysterious sushi chef Jiro (Brian Tee) arrives with vengeance on the menu and gets caught between rival culinary factions.
Why it’s worth your time: Bourdain’s particular brand of food-world cynicism gets a suitably unhinged animated makeover. Think “The Bear” by way of a samurai revenge flick.
Where to watch:Adult Swim and next day on HBO Max
9. ‘The Last First: Winter K2’ (Apple TV)
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 1h 37min
What it’s about: Amir Bar-Lev’s documentary follows the 2021 race to become the first team to summit the peak of the world’s second highest mountain during its most brutal season, centering on Icelander John Snorri Sigurjónsson and Pakistani father-son climbers Ali and Sajid Sadpara. But they’re hardly alone, with Nepali mountaineers, influencer climbers and assorted camera crews all converging on K2.
Why it’s worth your time: The climbing footage alone is enough to make your palms sweat, with avalanches, hurricane-force winds and temperatures plunging to around -40C. But this is more than a white-knuckle mountain movie; it digs into who gets the glory in mountaineering, who gets relegated to the role of helping hand, and what happens when an increasingly commercialized sport collides with the human need to be first.
Where to watch:Apple TV
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