New to streaming, ranked (Oct. 25, 2024)
What should you watch this weekend? Mashable ranks new releases from Hulu, Peacock, Max, Shudder, and Netflix.
When it comes to streaming options, the list goes on and on: Hulu, Netflix, Max, Disney+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that’s before you even look at their vast libraries of movies and television within each one!
It can be overwhelming. So, Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, animation, and more. But maybe you don’t know what you want beyond something new and entertaining. No worries.
Mashable’s Entertainment Team has scoured the streaming services to highlight the most buzzed-about releases of this week and ranked them from worst to best — or least to most watchable. Whether you want nail-biting horror, heartwarming comedy, chilling true crime, or a binge-worthy new series, we’ve got you.
7. Trap
M. Night Shyamalan is in fine form in his latest film, Trap, which takes an already out-there concept and spins it into a bonkers fun thriller. Josh Hartnett (Oppenheimer) stars as Cooper, a devoted dad who’s taking his daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to the concert of her dreams. There’s just one problem: Cooper is also a serial killer known as “the Butcher” — and this whole concert is a trap set to catch him.
So begins a delicious cat-and-mouse game where you can’t help but root for the mouse, serial killer though he may be. Hartnett’s performance is a nonstop blast, as are the many twists and turns offered up by the film’s concert-centric premise. Want a series of musical set pieces? Pop star Lady Raven (R&B singer Saleka, who is also Shyamalan’s daughter) has got you covered. How about ludicrous ploys to get backstage? Cooper will give you exactly what you want, including a wild-eyed suggestion that he and Riley pop through a trapdoor in what remains one of the funniest film moments of the year. Perhaps most shocking of all is that amid all this chaos, Trap manages to craft a surprisingly compelling story about fatherhood (even if that father is, yes, a serial killer).
As Siddhant Adlakha wrote in his Mashable review, “Trap is practically an ode to his daughters and their teenage years, though it also wrestles with some of the darker implications of fatherhood.” Between that, Hartnett’s knockout turn, and the tightly wound suspense of the concert scenes, what more could you want? Get on the Trap train, people! — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka
How to watch: Trap is now streaming on Max.
6. Territory
Territory is a land succession drama that takes place on an Australian cattle ranch. This new Netflix series is co-created by Mystery Road‘s Timothy Lee and Ben Davies, with Wolf Creek‘s Greg McLean directing. You’ll meet the Lawson family, owners of the world’s largest ranch, Marianne Station. But what happens when the reign of patriarch Colin (Robert Taylor) ends? Anna Torv (The Last of Us) stars alongside For All Mankind‘s Michael Dorman, Vikings: Valhalla‘s Sam Corlett, and Longmire‘s Robert Taylor.
Mashable’s Amanda Yeo described the show as “Yellowstone meets Succession in the Australian outback” in her review, writing, “Contending with such titles, Territory puts in the effort to set itself apart by embracing its distinctly Australian characteristics, making it different enough to be intriguing while still familiar enough to be comfortable.” — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor
Starring: Anna Torv, Dan Wyllie, Robert Taylor, Jake Ryan, Clarence Ryan, Michael Dorman, Sam Corlett, Tyler Spencer, Hamilton Morris, and Philippa Northeast
How to watch: Territory is now streaming on Netflix.
5. Inside Out 2
Pixar‘s sequel to 2015’s Inside Out is finally streaming, with youngster Riley Andersen’s (voiced by Kensington Tallman) anthropomorphic emotions gaining some roommates inside her head. Why? She’s starting high school. You remember. Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Liza Lapira), and Fear (Tony Hale) are joined by Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser).
As Mashable’s Belen Edwards wrote in her review, “Like 2022’s Turning Red, which in itself proved a groundbreaking representation of puberty, Inside Out 2 embraces the complexities of this daunting life stage, especially when it comes to feelings of self-worth and anxiety. The result is a frank take on mental health that proves more mature than its predecessor, while also maintaining a well-needed touch of irreverence and Pixar comfort.” — S.C.
Starring: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Paul Walter Hauser, and Kensington Tallman
How to watch: Inside Out 2 is now streaming on Disney+.
4. The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
In the mood for a documentary this weekend? Then check out The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, which uses World of Warcraft recreations to dive deep into a deceased Norwegian gamer’s rich online life.
That gamer is Mats Steen, who died in 2014 from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. His parents Robert and Trude worry that he didn’t make any connections while he was alive, as he spent so much time physically isolated and playing World of Warcraft. Yet when they post about his passing on his old blog, a wave of support from Mats’ World of Warcraft friends proves he was anything but alone.
Director Benjamin Ree reenacts Mats’ in-game conversations with the help of over 42,000 pages of gaming logs, painting a portrait of Mats as someone who was caring, empathetic, and central to his online community. As I wrote in my review for Mashable, the film “serves as a touching tribute to what Mats meant to so many people, as well as the power of the virtual ties that bind us.” — B.E.
How to watch: The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is now streaming on Netflix.
3. Late Night with the Devil
Writers/directors Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes (aka the Cairnes Brothers) won critical acclaim for their Satanic Panic gem Late Night with the Devil out of the 2023 SXSW film festival and even garnered praise from Stephen King. And now, it’s easier than ever to watch at home, as this frightening film has come to Hulu.
The Boogeyman‘s David Dastmalchian plays Jack Delroy, a late-night talk show host who’s clinging to relevance. For Halloween, he decides to craft the spookiest lineup he can muster, with one of his guests seemingly possessed by something sinister.
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As Mashable’s entertainment editor Kristy Puchko wrote in her review, “Paying tribute to ’70s horror, Late Night with the Devil is steeped in the era’s aesthetic and its emerging moral anxiety, as well as the methodical pacing that draws us in, grabs on tight, and won’t let go until that final ghoulish moment.” — S.C.
Starring: David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, Georgina Haig, and Josh Quong Tart
How to watch: Late Night with the Devil is now streaming on Hulu.
2. What We Do in the Shadows, Season 6
Everyone’s favorite vampire roommates are back for one last hurrah in What We Do in the Shadows‘ sixth and final season — so consider this your sign to tune in or catch up if you haven’t already!
This season brings more bloodsucking chaos to the lives of Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch). From a new vampire roommate named Jerry (Mike O’Brien) to landing jobs in corporate America to Laszlo’s new Frankenstein-esque experiments, Season 6 is a delightful ride — and a reminder of why What We Do in the Shadows has one of the best comedic ensembles on TV. — B.E.
Starring: Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Mark Proksch, Doug Jones, Mike O’Brien, and Kristen Schaal
How to watch: What We Do in the Shadows Season 6 is now streaming on Hulu.
1. Star Trek: Lower Decks, Season 5
Created by Rick & Morty writer/producer Mike McMahan, Star Trek: Lower Decks is an animated sci-fi comedy as packed with outrageous action as it is audacious laughs. Far from the strong-jawed drama of most of Star Trek’s movies and TV series, Lower Decks plays like a workplace sitcom, covering everything from intimidating alien threats to the thankless clean-up work demanded of the holodeck. In every episode, there’s reason to thrill and cackle. And now is the perfect time to begin a binge watch (or rewatch).
This week, Paramount+ debuts the start of this sensational show’s fifth and final season. Having seen the first five of the 10 episodes promised, I’m freshly in love with this sensational series, and not ready to say goodbye. In my review, I cheered, “Lower Decks didn’t only amuse me with its spirited screw-ups and clever turns on sci-fi cliches and Star Trek tropes. It drew me into the world of these characters so intensely that I want more, more, more.”
Lucky for us, there’s plenty more Star Trek adventures on Paramount+.
Starring: Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noël Wells, Eugene Cordero, Dawnn Lewis, Jerry O’Connell, Fred Tatasciore, and Gillian Vigman
How to watch: Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 debuts with two episodes Oct. 24, with new episodes weekly.