Since Halloween is just around the corner, we expected a veritable smorgasbord of new horror-themed movies and TV shows to take place this weekend, but Netflix, Prime Video and Max have seemingly resisted the urge to get spooky.
That’s not to say there won’t be scary stories to enjoy in the days ahead. Apple TV Plus, for example, has that The Enfield Poltergeist – the latest adaptation of the infamous spooky film from the 1970s – while Five nights at Freddy’s makes its long-awaited debut on Peacock.
Below are our picks of the best new movies and TV shows to watch on streaming services this weekend. Happy Halloween, folks!
Painkillers (Netflix)
If you’re in the mood for a star-studded, satirical takedown of Big Pharma this weekend, look no further than Painkillers on Netflix.
This new Netflix film – which is loosely based on a 2018 New York Times article of the same name – is coming out Harry Potter director David Yates and follows a high school dropout (Emily Blunt) whose new job at a struggling pharmaceutical start-up takes a turn for the illegal.
Chris Evans also starts Painkillers, which critics have described as a “formal drama about a subject that has already been thoroughly explored in other, more serious films.” Ouch. Praise nonetheless has focused on Emily Blunt’s “enchanting” performance as Liza, so perhaps this one could make our list of the best Netflix films after all.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
Life on our planet (Netflix)
Nothing comes close to a David Attenborough-narrated nature documentary, but Netflix has the next best thing: a Morgan Freeman-narrated nature documentary.
From executive producer Steven Spielberg and the Emmy Award-winning team behind it Our planet – which, ironically, is narrated by David Attenborough – Life on our planet explores, well, life on our planet, from prehistory to the Ice Age and up to the present day.
Spanning eight episodes and four billion (!) years, this docuseries is described as “natural history like you’ve never seen it before,” so anyone with even a passing interest in animals and evolution should tune in. Critics hated the CGI, mind you.
Now available to stream on Netflix.
The Enfield Poltergeist (Apple TV Plus)
Apple is the latest production company to attempt to dramatize the haunted Enfield, the infamous claim of supernatural activity that took place in Enfield, London between 1977 and 1979.The incantation 2 is another recent example).
The difference, however, is that this four-part series combines fictional reenactments with original footage reportedly taken from the house itself, which should add a whole new layer of creepiness. Critics have called The Enfield Poltergeist ‘a smart and powerful piece of television’, even if it takes a while to get going.
Now available to stream on Apple TV Plus.
Five Nights at Freddy’s (Pauw)
Participate The Enfield Poltergeist in this weekend’s Halloween-themed double bill Five nights at Freddy’s on Peacock.
The first film adaptation of the 2014 video game of the same name, Five nights at Freddy’s revolves around a decommissioned, circus-like pizzeria whose creepy animatronic characters aren’t as lifeless as they seem. Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard and Elizabeth Lail star.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t resemble the terror of Five nights at Freddy’s the video game translates all that well into Five nights at Freddy’s the film. Critics are calling this one “about as scary as Barney the Purple Dinosaur,” but fans of the original story will certainly find plenty of nostalgia to enjoy here.
Now available to stream on Peacock.
Fellow Travelers (Paramount Plus)
The long-awaited dramatization of Tomas Mallon’s decades-long novel, Fellow travelersbegins streaming this Sunday on Paramount Plus.
This love story and political thriller charts the romance of two very different men who meet in McCarthy-era Washington. One (played by Matt Bomer) is a respected politician, the other (played by Jonathan Bailey) is a young man brimming with idealism. This eight-part series follows the pair through the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s, the drug-fueled disco-hedonism of the 1970s and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s.
Suffice to say, critics loved it Fellow travelers – it’s been described as “an epic gay love story that’s as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming” – so this seems like a shoo-in for a spot on our list of the best Paramount Plus shows.
Streaming on Paramount Plus from Sunday.
The Gilded Age season 2 (Max)
HBO’s critically acclaimed period drama set in New York, The Gilded Agereturns this weekend for its highly anticipated second season on Max.
In new episodes, the old money Rhijn sisters (played by Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon) once again struggle to come to terms with the popularity of the power couple Russells (played by Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector), so it’s safe to still more fork-tongued domestic drama to be expected.
The first episode of The Gilded Age season 2 will be available to stream on Max from Sunday evening (that’s Monday morning in the UK), with the remaining seven episodes dropping weekly through December 17.
Can be streamed from Sunday on Max.
Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles (Prime Video)
Okay, this might be the most niche recommendation we’ve ever made in our weekly streaming list, but if you’re a big fan of Australian children’s music group The Wiggles, then Prime Video has a documentary for you this weekend. .
Through decades of personal archive material and intimate access to their sold-out shows, Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles tells the story of how Anthony Field, Murray Cook, Greg Page and Jeff Fatt rose to fame as unlikely music and TV megastars.
Now available to stream on Prime Video.
Didn’t you see anything nice? Check out our guides to the best Apple TV Plus shows, the best Paramount Plus movies, the best Hulu movies, and the new Max movies.