Why You Can Trust CNET
Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement
There's so much great stuff to watch this week across all the streaming services, from Netflix to Apple TV Plus to Peacock. Whether you're looking for more horror to prepare you for Halloween, or a familiar comfort show, we've got you covered. There are also more than a few entries in the "truth is stranger than fiction" category, with several documentaries and films that are based on real-life events arriving soon.
On Netflix, catch the third season of The Lincoln Lawyer, and check out Anna Kendrick in the new film Woman of the Hour, based on the true story about an aspiring actress who has a brush with danger when she's cast on a dating show opposite a serial killer. The film also marks Kendrick's directorial debut.
On Hulu, the true story of a music group that has spent more than a decade trying to fend off an identity-stealing catfish is detailed in Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara. On Apple TV Plus, the second season of Shrinking premieres on Oct. 18. The series, developed by star Jason Segel, Bill Lawrence, and Brett Goldstein, will run for 12 episodes this season.
Peacock will debut Anatomy of Lies, an exposé about a television writer who worked on Grey's Anatomy. The streamer is also binge-dropping the new 1980s-set horror series Hysteria! on Oct. 18.
Learn more about the titles and more below.
Read more: Best Streaming Services of 2024
Best new shows and films to stream (Oct. 14 to Oct. 20)
Netflix
The Lincoln Lawyer (Oct. 17)
In Netflix's The Lincoln Lawyer, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo plays Mickey Haller, a man known as the Lincoln lawyer because he runs his law practice out of the back seat of his Lincoln. Based on the series of novels by Michael Connelly, the third season is based on the fifth book in his Lincoln Lawyer series, The Gods of Guilt. All episodes of season three will arrive on Oct. 17.
Woman of the Hour (Oct. 18)
Anna Kendrick directs and stars in Netflix's new original film Woman of the Hour, which is based on the real-life events of a woman named Cheryl Bradshaw. In 1978, Bradshaw appeared as a contestant on The Dating Game, where one of her suitors was a real-life serial killer, Rodney Alcala (played by Daniel Zovatto), who was in the midst of his crime spree. The film will be available to stream Oct. 18.
Hulu
Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara (Oct. 18)
Who knew that rock duo and twin sisters Tegan and Sara were part of an elaborate catfish scheme? Hulu's new documentary Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara dives into one of the oddest celebrity news stories in recent years, when Tegan Quin's identity was stolen and used to deceive and mislead fans of the group for 15 years. The documentary arrives on Hulu Oct.18.
Max
I'm Not A Monster: The Lois Riess Murders (Oct. 15)
Max has been delivering the goods when it comes to addictive documentaries this year and their latest, I'm Not A Monster: The Lois Riess Murders, is another solid entry in their doc library. The two-part series traces the actions of Loiss Riess, a Minnesota grandmother who killed her husband and fled the authorities in 2018. In this new film, Riess herself speaks out in an attempt to make sense of her actions. Both parts of the doc arrive on Oct. 15.
Peacock
Hysteria! (Oct. 18)
The new Peacock original series Hysteria! takes place in the '80s when the Satanic Panic was at its peak and concerned parents worried about heavy metal influencing their kids in all the wrong ways. The eight-episode series follows a high school heavy metal band who try to build a following by leaning into their bad reputation until a series of murders, kidnappings, and "supernatural activity" suddenly makes them suspects in the crimes. All episodes of the first season drop on Oct. 18.
Anatomy of Lies (Oct. 16)
Grey's Anatomy writer Elisabeth Finch rose to fame when she used many of her own personal health problems as fodder for the show she worked on. Eventually, Finch was exposed as a fraud who made up the illnesses she claimed to have had and was fired from the show. The new documentary Anatomy of Lies, out on Peacock on Oct. 16, reveals the truth behind Finch's life with the help from many people close to her, including her estranged wife, Jennifer Beyer.
Apple TV Plus
Shrinking (Oct. 16)
Apple TV Plus' Shrinking is a show that tries to turn grief into comedy. Now back for a second season this Wednesday, the series stars Jason Segel as a widower whose grief and lack of control in his own life has crept into his professional life as a psychiatrist. The supporting cast includes Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Christa Miller and Luke Tennie. Two episodes will arrive on Oct. 16 with one new episode weekly after that.