We’re hitting the halfway point of October, and despite some unseasonably warm temperatures on the East Coast of the United States (where I happen to generally reside), we’re all looking forward to this perfectly crisp season. We’re baking sourdough. We’re pulling our sweaters out of storage. We’re picking apples and making pies. We’re thinking about our Halloween costumes (what do you mean, you’re going as “the $15,000 animatronic bird Kelly Clarkson wasn’t allowed to buy in Brooklyn”?!). As you prepare for your autumnal weekend, though, what should you sit inside and stream?
On these lists, we only include completely new content — “Disclosure Day” started streaming on Peacock on October 9, and “The Death of Robin Hood” hits HBO Max on October 16, but neither of them are actually brand spankin’ new — but there’s still plenty to choose from. Between a goofy Netflix series starring an actor experiencing a bit of a renaissance to two new seasons of different delightful dramas to a horror prequel and an original film, here are five new things you can stream on the weekend of October 16, 2026.
Below (Netflix)
The premise of “Below” is pretty ridiculous. This new Netflix series, created and helmed by Jesse McKeown, stars Josh Hartnett (who recently starred in “Verity” and is, of course, the lead in the deliriously fun M. Night Shyamalan thriller “Trap”) as Calvin Penney, an iceberg harvester and fisherman living in the small town of Snook’s Arm in Newfoundland. As he tries to keep his family — Wade (“Stranger Things” and “Industry” veteran Charlie Heaton), Mary (“Bridgerton” player Ruby Stokes), and Jay (Rohan Campbell) — together despite them being scattered across Canada, a threat arises from the waters surrounding the hamlet. Alongside his sister and the town’s harbormaster, Ruth (Willow Kean), Calvin uses his specific set of skills to fight a sea creature that threatens the entire population of Snook’s Arm.
“Below,” which also stars Mackenzie Davis (“Halt and Catch Fire,” “Station Eleven”) and features Natasha Henstridge, Joshua Close, Sean Doyle, and David Wenham in recurring and guest roles, is eminently silly. It’s also a ton of fun, and Hartnett fully commits to the bit — something he’s been doing throughout his recent career renaissance. Queue up “Below” for a fun adventure, and don’t think too hard about it.
The Diplomat Season 4 (Netflix)
“Homeland” veteran Debora Cahn launched “The Diplomat” on Netflix in 2023, and it’s been a steady hit for the streamer ever since. Not only does it routinely rack up Emmy nominations, but it’s a fun, captivating show with plenty of intrigue and drama. Plus, it stars Keri Russell, and she’s the best. Russell leads “The Diplomat” as the titular diplomat, Katherine “Kate” Wyler, who, at the start of the series, is unexpectedly thrust into a new role as the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom despite believing that she’d be sent to the Middle East. Not only is Kate immediately tapped as a potential vice presidential nominee, but she also has to deal with her nearly-estranged husband, Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), the former ambassador to Iraq and Lebanon, who’s well-liked by just about everybody.
Throughout the first three seasons of “The Diplomat,” we watch Kate handle international crises alongside high-ranking members of the UK and U.S. governments, including the show’s original president, William Tresselt “Bill” Rayburn (Michael McKean), his successor, Grace Hagen Penn (Allison Janney (who won an Emmy for her supporting role in 2026), UK Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear), and many, many more. “The Diplomat” is exceedingly fun thanks to Russell’s mere presence, and if you haven’t caught up, get to it; Season 4 dropped on Netflix on October 15.
Crystal Lake (Peacock)
Horror origin stories are all the rage and have been for some time … so it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that the Friday the 13th franchise got one in the form of “Crystal Lake.” The series, which dropped in its entirety on October 15 on Peacock, arrives just in time for peak spooky season and, with showrunner Brad Caleb Kane at the helm, stars Linda Cardellini as Pamela Voorhees, mother of the legendary slasher Jason Voorhees. (Callum Vinson, who recently showed up in “Long Bright River” and “The Night Agent,” appears in a recurring role as Jason throughout the show.)
Cardellini is one of our most reliably excellent performers no matter what, and she brings an engaging and sinister energy to Pamela, a character originated by Betsy Palmer on-screen. With William Catlett, Devin Kessler, Cameron Scoggins, Gwendolyn Sundstrom, Nick Cordileone, and Joy Suprano in supporting roles, “Crystal Lake” is a must-watch for horror fans, and /Film’s own Bill Bria gave it a solid review.
The Lowdown Season 2 (Hulu)
One of the best shows of 2025 is back for a second go-around, and it’s better than ever. Ethan Hawke leads Sterlin Harjo’s (“Reservation Dogs”) series “The Lowdown” as Lee Raybon, an enigmatic and incredibly fun character inspired by real-life historian Lee Roy Chapman — but in the show, Hawke’s Lee describes himself as a “truthstorian” and works as a bookseller, electing to sound slightly less official. During Season 1 of the series, which premiered last year on Hulu, Keith David starred alongside Hawke as private investigator Marty Brunner to help Lee unpack a shocking family conspiracy involving some wealthy Oklahomans about whom Lee wrote an exposé. (The series is set in Tulsa.) In Season 2, Hawke’s Lee will be joined by Tommy Lee Jones, appearing in a series regular role as Lee Raybon Sr., our protagonist’s dad. (Incredible casting.)
The first two episodes of Season 2 of “The Lowdown” dropped on October 14, and the series, which is a co-production between FX and Hulu, will then air on a weekly release schedule. Don’t miss “The Lowdown,” and even if you haven’t seen Season 1, you might be able to dive directly into Season 2 because Lee gets involved in a different Midwestern mess during each season.
Love of Your Life (Prime Video)
After becoming the first female cinematographer to be nominated in the category at the Academy Awards (for Dee Rees’ 2017 film “Mudbound”), Rachel Morrison made the leap to directing, and her latest project, “Love of Your Life,” dropped on Amazon Prime Video on October 14. “Love of Your Life” stars Margaret Qualley, an all-around excellent performer who’s been in everything from “Maid” to “The Substance,” as Maya, a young woman who buys furniture from a young man named Charlie (Gabriel Basso) right as she’s about to begin her career in Boston as a nurse. Gabriel and Maya’s relationship progresses quickly, allowing her to meet his mother Ruth (Catherine Keener) and best friend Jason (Patrick Schwarzenegger) before the real thrust of the film kicks in: the COVID-19 pandemic is just about to hit.
Qualley’s Maya goes through a harrowing but fulfilling journey as she grieves a massive loss, and after she runs away to Portugal to rebuild, we catch up with her years later as she embarks on a surprising romance with Felix (Aaron Pierre, fresh off the successful first season of “Lanterns”). “Love of Your Life,” written by “Nyad” scribe Julia Cox, is a tearjerker for sure, but it’ll resonate with anybody who’s loved and lost before.
