This month, Netflix hauls out the big guns: a claustrophobic nightmare from a legendary horror scribe, a quasi-revival of an era-defining TV hit, a teen drama set after the apocalypse (or is it an apocalypse drama with teens?) and a double shot of Paul Rudd. Also on deck: an eerie podcast-turned-series, a bouquet of heartstring-tugging shorts, an underground sensation from lands north, and lots more. Heres what youll be streaming this October.
Big Mouth, Season 3 (Netflix, Oct. 4th)
The horniest pre-teens in cartoon history return with a slew of new pubescent bugaboos. The boys have ranked the girls in their grade by hotness on an official and widely circulated list! Awkward young Andrew (voiced by John Mulaney) has the hots for his Floridian cousin! Ali Wong joins the cast as the new kid in school who also happens to be pansexual! And in a feat of Netflix cross-promotion, the fab five of Queer Eye pay the hideously unhygienic Coach Steve (voice of co-creator Nick Kroll) a visit in animated form. Anything goes on this gleefully profane look at the middle school years, where a girls first tentative experience with masturbation can instantaneously transform into a game show, live studio audience and all.
Daybreak (Netflix, Oct. 24th)
High school is, like, difficult enough without being forced to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland peopled by roving gangs of marauders and zombified wraiths. Everykid Josh (Colin Ford) leads a small team of trusted pals on a crusade to find his long-lost girlfriend (Sophie Simnett) in the charred ruins of what used to be Glendale, California. (Imagine Ferris Bueller dropping out to go hang with Mad Max in the desert especially since Matthew Broderick is in this!) Along with a pint-size pyro (Alyvia Alyn Lind) and a bully-turned-ally (Austin Crute), they might stand a chance of making it through the hostile territory, and also, hopefully, their teenage years.
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El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (Netflix, Oct. 11th)
Breaking Bad actually wound up its celebrated run six years ago (though it feels like an eternity ago). In that time, the fanbase has wondered: Where did Jesse Pinkman take off to after that the final shootout? Now, New Mexicos premier meth suppliers get their coda with this feature-length spinoff, as Aaron Paul revisits the role and sports some nasty scars to answer the question of, What happened next? The trailer suggests: even more violence. And of course Badger and Skinny Pete are along for the ride! Yeah, science!
In the Tall Grass (Netflix, Oct. 4th)
Following the successes of 1922 and Geralds Game, Netflix returns to the Stephen King storybook once again for this adaptation of his novella co-written with son Joe Hill. Regular Hannibal helmer Vincenzo Natali brings this stripped-down horror yarn to the screen, in which a handful of regular folk are drawn into a large field by the sound of a childs screams. They soon realize that they cant find their way out. Uh-oh.
Letterkenny, Season 7 (Hulu, Oct. 14th)
The rapid-fire deadpan of this sitcom, set in a sleepy Ontario town, earned it cult status during its first six seasons original run on Canadian television; now Hulu has snatched up the exclusive rights to the seventh season and rebranded it as an Original. Its the same old story: Low-key hijinks from the sardonic locals including alpha male Wayne (creator Jared Keeso), his best pals Darryl (Nathan Dales) and Squirrelly Dan (K. Trevor Wilson), and his sister Katy (Michelle Mylett) mixed with no-stakes plotlines. Thats more than enough. Watch with a free trial to Hulu here.
Limetown (Facebook Watch, Oct. 16th)
Weve adapted just about everything into some form of moving picture entertainment, from novels to kids toy lines to roller coasters, so why not podcasts? (See also: Dirty John, Homecoming.) Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie rose to the top of the download charts with a ingenious concept for a modern radio play, sticking a journalist into her own private episode of The X-Files. On screen, Jessica Biel portrays the conspicuously Sarah Koenig-ish journalist whos working on a story about a mysterious mass disappearance. Now that it must also be watched, we imagine this mystery will be slightly more difficult to enjoy during the morning commute.
Little Monsters (Hulu, Oct. 11th)
Just when you thought the zombie flick was on its last decomposing legs, a new spin on the sub-genre hits the streaming world by way of Australia. Rudderless slacker Dave (Alexander England) volunteers to help chaperone a kindergarten-class outing due mainly to his interest in the sunny yet enigmatic teacher Miss Caroline (Lupita Nyongo). As fate would have it, a plague of the living dead breaks out, and the two of them must enlist the help of a foulmouthed kiddie entertainer (Josh Gad) to protect their helpless charges. Worst. Field Trip. EVER.
Living With Yourself (Netflix, Oct. 18th)
Eat your heart out, Dostoyevsky. In a high-concept riff on The Double, Paul Rudd plays Miles Elliot, a man beset by melancholia who visits a futuristic spa in the hopes of improving his mood. He leaves feeling significantly better, until he goes home to find his doppelgnger slowly taking over his life. So begins a battle of the wills between one version who meets with fabulous success and popularity and another sinks into failure and madness. Its literally twice your normal daily dose of Rudd.
Looking for Alaska (Hulu, Oct. 18th)
Miles Pudge Halter (Charlie Plummer) transfers to a new prep school for his junior year, and makes fast friends with loudmouthed Chip (Denny Love) and the beguiling, troubled Alaska (Kristine Froseth). They seem to be going through the normal drama of unrequited crushes and late-night joyrides, when an unspeakable tragedy leaves the characters to sort through the painful aftermath. John Greens novel of adolescent angst struck a chord with the Tumblr crowd, and the author has established himself as a generations go-to Kleenex dampener. So dont expect this miniseries to pull any of its pathos-related punches.
Modern Love (Amazon, Oct. 18th)
Telegenic celebrities falling head over heels what could be better? This anthology cherrypicks eight true-life highlights from The New York Times long-running romance column and plays them out with a staggeringly star-studded ensemble. Deep breath: Anne Hathaway, Tina Fey, Dev Patel, John Slattery, Julia Garner, Olivia Cooke, Cristin Milioti, Catherine Keener, Andrew Scott, Andy Garca, Sofia Boutella, and more explore love in all of its many shapes: marriage, family, self-acceptance, friendship, or yknow, just a good lay. John Carney, the man behind Once and Sing Street, direct several episodes; so does Catastophes Sharon Horgan. Watch with a 30-day free trial to Amazon Prime here.