7 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and more this weekend (October 7)
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It may only be the first week of October, but the creepy season is well underway on streaming services.
Conversations With a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes may be the most horrifying of this weekend’s newcomers, but Werewolf by Night, Hellraiser, The Midnight Club, and Luckiest Girl Alive all have their share of bloody suspense on Disney Plus, Hulu, and Netflix , respectively.
Below, we’ve rounded up seven of the biggest new movies and TV shows to stream in the coming days on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max, and more.
Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes (Netflix)
Despite all its recent shortcomings, Netflix certainly manages to spark interest in the content.
The latest streamer success, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, was catapulted to popularity after a spate of pre-release controversy — and just two weeks later, Netflix taps into the same morbid curiosity with Conversations With a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes.
This three-part documentary series from director Joe Berlinger (Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile) chronicles Dahmer’s heinous crimes through lifelike footage and newly unearthed interviews with his legal team. As with Monster, The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes probably won’t be a pleasant watch – but you already knew that.
Now streaming on Netflix.
Hellraiser (Hulu)
Lots of horror franchise reboots have hit the screen this year – Scream, Prey and Texas Chainsaw Massacre among them – only one new horror movie we didn’t expect Grace streamers to be a fresh take on Hellraiser in 2022.
This new adaptation of Clive Barker’s 1986 novella (which was itself turned into a 1987 film) is actually the 11th installment in the Hellraiser franchise, but it’s meant to be a reboot of Barker’s original story. The film follows a young woman who, using an old puzzle box, accidentally summons the Cenobites, a group of sadistic supernatural beings from another dimension.
Hellraiser is currently streaming exclusively on Hulu in the US, but director David Bruckner has promised to share news about the film’s international release (probably on Disney Plus) “in the next week or so.”
Now available to stream on Hulu.
Werewolf at Night (Disney Plus)
Who says Marvel has run out of creative steam?
Werewolf by Night, a new one-off Disney Plus special, is unlike anything the superhero studio has done before. Directed by the composer-turned-filmmaker Michael Giacchino (the maestro behind the sounds of Ratatouille and the batter), follows a secret group of monster hunters who participate in a deadly competition for a powerful relic after the death of their leader, Ulysses Bloodstone.
Of course, there’s much, much more to the Werewolf by Night story, and rest assured, it’s worth staying ahead of. In our review of the special, we described Marvel’s quirky horror project as a “satisfying, thrilling, and spooky, monster-filled romp that further explores the supernatural side of the MCU.”
Now available to stream on Disney Plus.
The Midnight Club (Netflix)
Midnight Mass became a critically and culturally beloved horror series after its release on Netflix last year, and creator Mike Flanagan hopes his latest project, titled The Midnight Club, will be equally well received.
An adaptation of Christopher Pike’s 1994 novel of the same name, the show revolves around seven terminally ill teenagers who, in order to pass the time in their shared hospice, try to scare each other with various scary stories.
In our review, we said, “The Midnight Club is not meant to amaze with twists and turns or insomnia-inducing fears. Its message has a more straightforward alchemy — the relevance of storytelling in our mortality.” So by most accounts, it looks like Flanagan has another winner on his hands. All 10 episodes are now available to stream.
Now streaming on Netflix.
Catherine named Birdy (prime video)
In refreshing contrast to her role as Ellie in HBO’s upcoming The Last of Us TV ShowGame of Thrones alumnus Bella Ramsey gets to show off her comedy chops in Prime Video’s new period film, Catherine Called Birdy.
Based on Karen Cushman’s award-winning children’s book of the same name, the film follows the fortunes of Lady Catherine (Ramsey), a 13th-century duchess who resists her father’s attempts to marry her off to a wealthy lover. Andrew Scott, Billie Piper, Russell Brand and Joe Alwyn also star in this Lena Dunham-directed comedy.
The critical reception of Catherine Called Birdy has so far been almost universally positive, with many reviewers calling it a witty and hilarious medieval romp. Girl fans, take note.
Now available to stream on Prime Video.
Happiest Girl in the World (Netflix)
Netflix is no stranger to pitch-black character drama, and the streamer’s latest film, Luckiest Girl Alive, continues its penchant for dark and twisty storytelling.
Luckiest Girl Alive, an adaptation of the 2015 novel by Jessica Knoll (who also serves as the film’s screenwriter), follows a successful New York businesswoman (Mila Kunis) whose perfect life begins to unravel when a documentary filmmaker digs deeper into her troubled past. .
Critics are divided on the film’s quality, but in our own review, we said that Luckiest Girl Alive “stands out in the obvious comparisons of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train for its nuanced portrayal of trauma, survival and recovery, and impressively subtle lead performance by Mila Kunis.”
Now streaming on Netflix.
Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler Season 3 (HBO Max)
After The Origin of Batman’s Butler is added to the title, the former Epix series Pennyworth is heading to HBO Max for its third season.
Continuing the early adventures of the Caped Crusader’s faithful confidante (here played by Jack Bannon), the series’ latest outing will jump five years into the future to delve deeper into the origins of Martha Kane, Thomas Wayne, Bet Sykes, Lucius Fox and the rest of Pennyworth’s main cast of characters.
Given the ongoing impact of Warner Bros’ merger with Discovery IncPennyworth was at serious risk of being canceled, but the series’ ties to the former studio’s (Batman) largest intellectual property appear to have saved it from extinction.
Now available to stream on HBO Max.