What to Stream in October: Our Flag Means Death, Totally Killer, Lessons in Chemistry

This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the shows and films being covered here wouldn’t exist.

If you ever feel like you’re the last to know about a new TV show or movie that’s streaming, our What to Stream articles are for you. We’ve gathered our picks of movies, series, and new TV show seasons premiering on various streaming platforms in October that you’ll definitely want to watch.

This month, help Nathan and Nora stop Freeyond on Upload Season 3, get into the Halloween spirit with Goosebumps, or check back in with Loki and the TVA on Loki Season 2.

Here are our picks for what to stream in October:

Bargain (Paramount+) – October 5

Everyone involved in an underground trafficking ring — victims, traffickers, and buyers — is trapped after an earthquake and will have to fight for survival. Bargain premieres with all episodes on October 5 on Paramount+.

Series Description: In Bargain, men are lured to a remote hotel under the guise of sexual encounters only to be caught in a trafficking ring where their organs are auctioned off to the highest bidder. After a catastrophic earthquake, the victims, traffickers and buyers all are trapped inside the crumbling building. Cut off from the outside world, they must fight to survive the aftermath at any cost.

Our Flag Means Death Season 2 (Max) – October 5

Our favorite pirates are back and getting into all sorts of new shenanigans. Our Flag Means Death Season 2 premieres with three episodes on October 5 on Max with two episodes releasing weekly.

Season Description: Our Flag Means Death is based (very) loosely on the true adventures of 18th century would-be pirate Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby). After trading the seemingly charmed life of a gentleman for one of a swashbuckling buccaneer, Stede became captain of the pirate ship Revenge. Struggling to earn the respect of his potentially mutinous crew, Stede’s fortunes changed after a fateful run-in with the infamous Captain Blackbeard (Taika Waititi). To their surprise, the wildly different Stede and Blackbeard found more than friendship on the high seas…they found love. Now, they have to survive it.

Loki Season 2 (Disney+) – October 5

After finding himself in a brand new timeline where the TVA doesn’t know who he is, Loki will have to find a way to either fix this current timeline or return to his old one (and his friend, Mobius). Loki Season 2 premieres on October 5 at 9/8c on Disney+ with new episodes releasing weekly.

Season Description: Loki Season 2 picks up in the aftermath of the shocking season finale when Loki finds himself in a battle for the soul of the Time Variance Authority. Along with Mobius, Hunter B-15 and a team of new and returning characters, Loki navigates an ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous multiverse in search of Sylvie, Judge Renslayer, Miss Minutes and the truth of what it means to possess free will and glorious purpose.

Totally Killer (Prime Video) – October 6

While running for her life from the Sweet Sixteen Killer, Jamie accidentally time travels back to 1987, when the original killings happened. Totally Killer premieres on October 6 on Prime Video.

Film Description: 35 years after the shocking murder of three teens, the infamous “Sweet Sixteen Killer“ returns on Halloween night to claim a fourth victim. 17-year-old Jamie (Kiernan Shipka) ignores her overprotective mom’s (Julie Bowen) warning and comes face to face with the masked maniac and on the run for her life, accidentally time travels back to 1987, the year of the original killings. Forced to navigate the unfamiliar and outrageous culture of the 1980s, Jamie teams up with her teen mom (Olivia Holt) to take down the killer once and for all before she’s stuck in the past forever. 

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines (Paramount+) – October 6

Step back into the world of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary with a chilling look at how it all began. Pet Sematary: Bloodlines premieres on October 6 on Paramount+.

Film Description: In 1969, a young Jud Crandall has dreams of leaving his hometown of Ludlow, Maine behind, but soon discovers sinister secrets buried within and is forced to confront a dark family history that will forever keep him connected to Ludlow. Banding together, Jud and his childhood friends must fight an ancient evil that has gripped Ludlow since its founding, and once unearthed has the power to destroy everything in its path. Based on the untold chapter from Pet Sematary, Stephen King’s chilling novel, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is a terrifying prequel and the untold story of why sometimes dead is better…

The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix) – October 12

Your new, creepy, Halloween show is here, courtesy of Mike Flanagan. This time, Flanagan takes inspiration from Edgar Allen Poe. The Fall of the House of Usher premieres on October 12 on Netflix.

Series Description: From Mike Flanagan, the creator of The Haunting of Hill House and Midnight Mass, a wicked horror series based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Ruthless siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth, privilege and power. But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth.

Goosebumps (Disney+ & Hulu) – October 13

A childhood classic is being revamped! Follow five high schoolers as they investigate the paranormal, learning some of their parents’ secrets along the way. Goosebumps premieres with five episodes on October 13 on both Disney+ and Hulu with new episodes releasing weekly.

Series Description:Inspired by R.L. Stine’s worldwide bestselling book series, Goosebumps follows a group of five high schoolers as they embark on a shadowy and twisted journey to investigate the tragic passing three decades earlier of a teen named Harold Biddle — while also unearthing dark secrets from their parents’ past.

Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+) – October 13

Based on the popular novel of the same name, the series follows Elizabeth after she’s fired from her lab and accepts a job as the host of a TV cooking show, Supper at Six. Lessons in Chemistry premieres with two episodes on October 13 on Apple TV+ with new episodes releasing weekly.

Series Description: Set in the early 1950s, Lessons in Chemistry follows Elizabeth Zott (played by Larson), whose dream of being a scientist is put on hold in a patriarchal society. When Elizabeth finds herself fired from her lab, she accepts a job as a host on a TV cooking show, and sets out to teach a nation of overlooked housewives — and the men who are suddenly listening — a lot more than recipes.

Wolf Like Me Season 2 (Peacock) – October 19

Mary and Gary have to navigate all the joys and questions surrounding a (werewolf) pregnancy. Wolf Like Me Season 2 premieres with all episodes on October 19 on Peacock.

Season Description: In the second season of Wolf Like Me, Mary (Isla Fisher) and Gary (Josh Gad) leap into the next phase of their relationship and face their biggest challenge yet: pregnancy. As much as they try to have a “normal” pregnancy, it seems impossible with so many questions looming over them. Will their child be a baby or a wolf pup? Just how long can they keep things secret from the rest of their family? And will what happened in the outback come back to haunt them? But when Mary’s former professor, Anton (Edgar Ramirez), suddenly reappears in her life, new secrets from Mary’s past are revealed, leaving Mary and Gary to question whether they’re even meant to be together.

Doona! (Netflix) – October 20

Sparks fly when a former K-pop idol and a college freshman’s paths cross at a shared house. Doona! premieres on October 20 on Netflix.

 Series Description: Doona! is a coming-of-age romance between an ordinary college freshman and a former K-pop idol who meets at a sharehouse.

Upload Season 3 (Prime Video) – October 20

Nathan is finally back in the real world, in a real body, and he’s spending time with Nora as they try to stop Freeyond and save millions of lives. Upload premieres with two episodes on October 20 on Prime Video with two episodes releasing weekly.

Season Description: In Upload Season Three, we pick back up with Nora and freshly downloaded Nathan as they navigate their relationship, while racing to stop the mysterious conspiracy that threatens to destroy millions of lives. Can they shut down Freeyond, and finally have a real life together? Or is it just a matter of time until Nathan’s head explodes? Meanwhile, in Lakeview, a backup copy of Nathan has been activated and Ingrid’s not about to let this second chance at love slip away. Back in the real world, Aleesha rises through the ranks of Horizen by managing AI education, and falls into a new romantic relationship. And Luke, all alone in Lakeview, is forced to come up with the funds to pay for his stay in paradise, driving him to work in The Grey Zone.

Pain Hustlers (Netflix) – October 27

Emily Blunt and Chris Evans star in this film that offers another look at the opioid crisis. Pain Hustlers premieres on October 27 on Netflix.

Film Description: Upon losing her job, a blue-collar woman struggling to raise her daughter takes a job at a failing pharmaceutical start-up, only to get involved in a dangerous racketeering scheme.

Five Nights at Freddy’s (Peacock) – October 27

Peacock is adapting a terrifying video game that follows Mike as he tries to survive the night shift at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. Five Nights at Freddy’s premieres on October 27 on Peacock.

Film Description: The film follows a troubled security guard as he begins working at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza. While spending his first night on the job, he realizes the night shift at Freddy’s won’t be so easy to make it through.

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What will you be streaming in October? Share your picks in the comments below!

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