The Ultimate Guide to What to Watch on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Prime Video, and More in October 2022

It's almost time to hand out streaming recommendations to trick-or-treaters! Impress the neighborhood with your great taste by catching up on October's latest hits, including AMC's modernized take on Interview with the Vampire, the final season of Netflix's Derry Girls, and the new anime Chainsaw Man. And the end of the month has the main event: Season 2 of HBO's The White Lotus. Of course, if you're looking for something to get you into a macabre Halloween mood, we have recommendations for the best Halloween movies and where to watch them.

Our guide to the best TV in October is divided into three sections: the best shows and movies to watch in the month, the best shows to watch by streaming service, and a calendar of TV highlights. Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it below.

Next month's guide: The Ultimate Guide to What to Watch on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and More in November
Last month's guide: The Ultimate Guide to What to Watch on HBO Max, Apple TV+, Netflix, and More in September

The best movies and TV shows to watch in October

Interview with the Vampire (Oct. 2, AMC)

Jacob Anderson, best known as Game of Thrones' Grey Worm, stars in this gothic horror show that AMC hopes will become its next big hit with the impending end of The Walking Dead, its longtime flagship. Anderson plays soulful vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac in Interview with the Vampire, inspired by author Anne Rice's famous romantic horror novels. Lestat de Lioncourt, Louis' truly evil counterpart, is played by relatively unknown actor Sam Reid, who could become a star thanks to the juicy role, which was played by Tom Cruise in the 1994 movie (Louis was played by Brad Pitt). In her review, Allison Picurro says, "It's the crazy, sexy, queer adaptation Rice's crazy, sexy, queer story always deserved." -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

Catherine Called Birdy (Oct. 7, Prime Video)

Did you get word from the raven? Period pieces no longer have to be stuffy, boring slogs, and can now feature today's pop hits and Gen Z lingo while still putting their main characters in elaborate gowns and powdered wigs. Lena Dunham takes her turn unstuffing the old times with this film about a young lady (Game of Thrones' Bella Ramsey) in 1290 England whose parents wish to marry her off in order to regain some medieval clout, so she schemes to sabotage their plans. She's precocious, see? Billie Piper and Andrew Scott, both always delightful, also star. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Derry Girls Season 3 (Oct. 7, Netflix)

The beloved '90s-set comedy from Northern Ireland returns for its third and final season, which ends — historical spoiler alert — with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, which marked the official end of the Troubles. Until you get to that, though, you can be entertained by witty dialogue and accents so thick you might need to turn on closed captioning. This show, which premiered on the UK's Channel 4 in 2018, put Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan on Netflix's radar, and look at her now. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]

Hellraiser (Oct. 7, Hulu)

The 1987 horror classic Hellraiser gets "reimagined" for a new audience, whatever that means. Is it a prequel? Is it a sequel? Is it a do-over? Do we even care what it means? It's Hellraiser, Clive Barker's franchise about the Cenobites, a group of sadistic supernatural beings from another dimension led by horror icon Pinhead. The story sounds similar to the first film: When a woman plays with a mysterious puzzle box, she summons Pinhead and their crew, and things get gruesome. In a cool gender-flipped twist on the franchise, this Pinhead will be portrayed by Sense 8's Jamie Clayton. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Let the Right One In (Oct. 9, Showtime)

So far every adaptation of the 2004 Swedish novel Let the Right One In has been good. The 2008 Swedish film is considered a vampire classic, and the 2010 American adaptation, Let Me In, is a rare American remake that does the original justice. We're guessing the hits keep rolling in Showtime's TV series adaptation, starring Demián Bichir as the father of a 12-year-old girl vampire (Madison Taylor Baez) who grapples with keeping his daughter alive. Expect a tricky mix of heart-filling emotion and blood-spilling gore. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

Chainsaw Man (Oct. 11, Crunchyroll)

There are tons of reasons why Chainsaw Man is one of the most anticipated anime series of 2022. The manga it's based on — written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto — is a bestseller with more than 16 million copies in circulation. The studio producing the show, MAPPA, is behind monster hits like Attack on Titan: The Final Season and Jujutsu Kaisen. And boy, Chainsaw Man does not disappoint. The wild premise sees all hell break loose when a young man named Denji makes a contract with his pet devil dog Pochita and is revived with the power to transform his body parts into chainsaws, which he uses to hunt other devils. If the first episode is any indication, we are in for a wild adventure. Stunning animation? Check. Explosive action? Check. A stirring premise that will tear your heart into pieces before slowly piecing it back together? Checkcheckcheck. -Kat Moon [Trailer]

Shantaram (Oct. 14, Apple TV+)

Charlie Hunnam stars in this adaptation of the best-selling novel as an Australian bank robber who breaks out of prison and runs off to India in the 1980s. The novel, written by Gregory David Roberts and based on his own life, is an ode to the up-and-down life of Mumbai, then known as Bombay — both dangerous and beautiful — and one man's transformation as he becomes consumed by the culture. If the series captures even just a little bit of that, it's got a shot at best of the year lists. -Tim Surette [Trailer]

The White Lotus (Oct. 30, HBO)

Fresh off those well-earned Emmy wins for its first season, The White Lotus is back for Season 2, except now it's in Sicily. Is there any chance HBO's anthology about the upstairs, downstairs dynamic between the staff at an upscale resort and the wealthy guests who stay there will be as good as its first? The cast — which includes Aubrey Plaza, F. Murray Abraham, Michael Imperioli, Haley Lu Richardson, and Jennifer Coolidge, reprising her role as flighty socialite Tanya McQuoid — is certainly promising. We'll have to wait and see if it can recapture the magic, but I'm usually more than willing to put my faith in Mike White. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]

What's on HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon, Netflix, and more in October

HBO and HBO Max's best new shows and movies in October

The truly scary thing this October isn't what's on your screens, it's what isn't! HBO and HBO Max and having a pretty Chilloween, with not too many new shows or movies of note this October. However, the end of the month brings the premiere of Season 2 of The White Lotus, which kind of counts as three or four pretty good shows, so maybe it will all work out. Until then, tide yourself over with the second part of the NXIVM cult docuseries The Vow, the documentary film The Fastest Woman in the World (Oct. 20), and the Season 1 finale of House of the Dragon (Oct. 23). Here's our list of the best shows and movies on HBO and HBO Max in October, plus everything coming to HBO and HBO Max in October.

More on HBO and HBO Max:

• The best movies on HBO Max right now
• The best shows on HBO Max right now
• The best Halloween movies on HBO Max
• The new TV shows and movies on HBO and HBO Max in September
• HBO Max review 2022: Everything to know about the streaming service
  

Hulu's best new shows and movies in October

If you're in the mood for something that'll get you prepped for Halloween, Hulu has the revival of Clive Barker's seminal horror film Hellraiser, starring Sense8's Jamie Clayton as Pinhead, on Oct. 7, and the original film Grimcutty, in which a scary internet meme seemingly comes to life and starts attacking a teenage girl, on Oct. 10. Also coming this month are the scary British movie The Matriarch (Oct. 21), the Blade films, the V/H/S/ franchise, Fright Night, Let Me In, and Antlers. And, of course, it's the fall TV season, which means all your favorite broadcast shows are returning, and many of them, like Grey's Anatomy, The Good Doctor, and more, will air on Hulu the following day. Here's our list of the best shows and movies on Hulu in October, plus everything coming to Hulu in October

More on Hulu: 

• The best TV shows on Hulu right now
• The best movies on Hulu right now
• The best Halloween movies on Hulu
• The new TV shows and movies on Hulu in September
• How much does Hulu cost? Plans, pricing, channels, and more in 2022

Amazon Prime Video's best new shows and movies in October

This October, Amazon doesn't have anything as big as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power coming out, but it does have the Season 1 finale of The Rings of Power (Oct. 14), so if you squint hard enough and land the perfect dismount after some mental gymnastics, you can convince yourself that October is an even bigger month for shows and movies on Prime Video than September was. As for bona fide new releases, Lena Dunham's new film Catherine Called Birdy, Chloë Grace Moretz's sci-fi extravaganza The Peripheral, and the horror film Run Sweetheart Run are also out in October. Here's our list of the best shows and movies on Amazon Prime Video in October, plus everything coming to Prime Video in October.

More on Amazon:

• The best movies on Amazon Prime Video right now
• The best shows on Amazon Prime Video right now
• The best Halloween movies on Amazon Prime Video
• The new TV shows and movies on Amazon Prime Video in September
• Amazon Prime Video pricing, channels, and deals in 2022
  

Netflix's best new shows and movies in October

The scariest thing happening to Netflix in October is the horrifying removal of Emmy-winner Schitt's Creek. The Canadian comedy has been a staple on the 'Flix for years, and is largely responsible for its stunning surge in popularity later in its run. (Schitt's Creek is now on Hulu instead.) But the scariest thing on Netflix in October will probably be The Midnight Club, the latest from horror maestro Mike Flanagan. It's the headliner of Netflix's Halloween content, which also includes the anthology Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, a new season of Unsolved Mysteries, and the stop-motion horror comedy Wendell & Wild. And if you really want to see something scary, Sex and the City 2 comes to Netflix on Oct. 1. Here's our list of the best shows and movies on Netflix in October, plus everything coming to Netflix in October.

More on Netflix:

• The best shows on Netflix right now
• The best movies on Netflix right now
• The best Halloween movies on Netflix
• The new TV shows and movies on Netflix in September
  

The best new shows and movies everywhere else in October

It's not all vampires and werewolves this month, but there sure are a lot of vampires and werewolves out there. The vampires are staking (GET IT) their claim to cable TV with shows like AMC's Interview with the Vampire (Oct. 2) and Showtime's Let the Right One In (Oct. 9), and you can find at least one werewolf on streaming in the form of the Disney+ comedy-horror special Werewolf by Night (Oct. 7), starring Gael García Bernal. Plus, a different type of monster — Michael Myers — returns in Halloween Ends on Peacock (Oct. 14). But if you're not looking to get spooked, there's also the Charlie Hunnam-led Shantaram on Apple TV+ (Oct. 14), and Paramount+ has the first new season of Inside Amy Schumer since 2016. (Oct. 20).

More on Apple TV+, Peacock, Disney+, and Paramount+:

• The best shows and movies on Apple TV+ right now
• The best shows on Peacock right now
• The best movies on Peacock right now
• The best shows on Paramount+ right now
• The best shows on Disney+ right now
• The best movies on Disney+ right now
• The best Halloween movies on Disney+
  
• New Disney+ TV shows and movies coming in October
• How to get a Paramount+ free trial and deals

Looking for fall schedules and premiere dates for ABC, NBC, CBS, the CW, and Fox? Right this way.

Looking for the best Halloween movies to stream? Here's our list.

October TV calendar highlights

Saturday, Oct. 1
Saturday Night Live Season 48 (NBC)

Sunday, Oct. 2
East New York (CBS)
The Equalizer Season 3 (CBS)
Interview with the Vampire (AMC)
Nothing Compares (Showtime)
The Walking Dead Season 11 Part 3 (AMC)

Monday, Oct. 3
The Good Doctor Season 6 (ABC)
A Sinister Halloween Scary Opposites Solar Special (Hulu)

Tuesday, Oct. 4
Hasan Minhaj: The King's Jester (Netflix)
Sherwood (Britbox)

Wednesday, Oct. 5
Bling Empire Season 3 (Netflix)
Chucky Season 2 (Syfy)
Kung Fu Season 3 (The CW)
Mr. Harrigan's Phone (Netflix)
Nailed It! Season 7 (Netflix)
Prince Andrew: Banished (Peacock)
The Real Love Boat (CBS)
Reginald the Vampire (Syfy)
The Trapped 13: How We Survived the Thai Cave (Netflix)

Thursday, Oct. 6
Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake (Netflix)
Alaska Daily (ABC)
A Friend of the Family (Peacock)
Grey's Anatomy Season 19 (ABC)
The Joys and Sorrows of Young Yuguo (Netflix)
Station 19 Season 6 (ABC)
Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler Season 3 (HBO Max)
Walker Season 3 (The CW)
Walker: Independence (The CW)

Friday, Oct. 7
Blue Bloods Season 13 (CBS)
Catherine Called Birdy (Prime Video)
Conversations With a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes (Netflix)
Derry Girls Season 3 (Netflix)
Fire Country (CBS)
Hellraiser (Hulu)
Luckiest Girl Alive (Netflix)
The Midnight Club (Netflix)
The Mole (Netflix)
Significant Other (Paramount+)
S.W.A.T. Season 6 (CBS)
Werewolf by Night (Disney+)

Saturday, Oct. 8
Bring It On: Cheer or Die (Syfy)
Cursed Friends (Comedy Central)

Sunday, Oct. 9
Let the Right One In (Showtime)
NCIS: Los Angeles Season 14 (CBS)
The Real Housewives of Potomac Season 7 (Bravo)

Monday, Oct. 10
All American Season 5 (The CW)
All American: Homecoming Season 2 (The CW)
Avenue 5 Season 2 (HBO)
Grimcutty (Hulu)

Tuesday, Oct. 11
Chainsaw Man (Crunchyroll)
Iliza Shlesinger: Hot Forever (Netflix)
The Winchesters (The CW)

Wednesday, Oct. 12
Big Shot Season 2 (Disney+)
The Challenge Season 38 (MTV)
Easy-Bake Battle: The Home Cooking Competition (Netflix)
I Love You, You Hate Me (Peacock)

Thursday, Oct. 13
Exception (Netflix)
The Watcher (Netflix)

Friday, Oct. 14
Halloween Ends (Peacock)
High School (Freevee)
Rosaline (Hulu)
Shantaram (Apple TV+)

Saturday, Oct. 15
The Owl House (Disney)

Sunday, Oct. 16
Annika (PBS)
Magpie Murders (PBS)
Miss Scarlet & The Duke (PBS)
Step Up Season 3 (Starz)

Monday, Oct. 17
The Paloni Show! Halloween Special! (Hulu)
The Vow Part Two (HBO)
Waffles + Mochi's Restaurant (Netflix)

Tuesday, Oct. 18
Gabriel Iglesias: Stadium Fluffy Live From Los Angeles (Netflix)
LiSA Another Great Day (Netflix)
Mama's Boy (HBO)
Somebody Feed Phil Season 6 (Netflix)
Unsolved Mysteries Volume 3 (Netflix)

Wednesday, Oct. 19
American Horror Story: New York City (FX)
Documentary Now! Season 4 (IFC)
Love Is Blind Season 3 (Netflix)
The School for Good and Evil (Netflix)
The Stranger (Netflix)

Thursday, Oct. 20
Inside Amy Schumer Season 5 (Paramount+)
One of Us Is Lying Season 2 (Peacock)

Friday, Oct. 21
28 Days Haunted (Netfilx)
Acapulco Season 2 (Apple TV+)
Argentina, 1985 (Prime Video)
Descendant (Netflix)
From Scratch (Netflix)
Matriarch (Hulu)
The Peripheral (Prime Video)
Raymond & Ray (Apple TV+)

Saturday, Oct. 22
The Hair Tales (Hulu)

Sunday, Oct. 23
Franco Escamilla: Eavesdropping

Tuesday, Oct. 25
Fortune Feimster: Good Fortune (Netflix)
Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (Netflix)

Wednesday, Oct. 26
The Good Nurse (Netflix)
The Mysterious Benedict Society Season 2 (Disney+)
Sherman's Showcase Season 2 (IFC)
Tales of the Jedi (Disney+)

Thursday, Oct. 27
Dubai Bling (Netflix)
Romantic Killer (Netflix)
Star Trek: Prodigy (Paramount+)

Friday, Oct. 28
All Quiet on the Western Front (Netflix)
Big Mouth Season 6 (Netflix)
The Devil's Hour (Prime Video)
Wendell & Wild (Netflix)

Sunday, Oct. 30
The White Lotus Season 2 (HBO)