It’s a slow month on the streamers, and that’s reflected in our list of the best movies to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Max (HBO), and other services. However, do not think that means there isn’t anything to watch. There are still loads of great originals and releases from other studios to catch up on.
This week, there are just three new additions to this list, including Chris Pine in Poolman, Aubrey Plaza in My Old Ass, and Nick Frost in Black Cab.
We also have guides to the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
New movies to stream at a glance
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Poolman2024 -
My Old Ass2024
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Black Cab2024
Hulu
Poolman (2024)
29%
100m
Genre
Mystery, Comedy
Stars
Chris Pine, Annette Bening, Danny DeVito
Directed by
Chris Pine
Watch on Hulu
A movie that seems destined for “so bad it’s good” status, Poolman stars Chris Pine as Darren Barrenman, a hippie native Angeleno who spends his days tending to the pool of the Tahitian Tiki apartment block. An eternal optimist and activist, Darren is always fighting to make Los Angeles a better place to live — or at least more in line with his vision of what it should be.
When he’s tasked by Diane Espilnade (Annette Bening) to uncover the truth behind a shady business deal, Darren is eager to enlist the help of his friends to investigate a corrupt politician and a greedy land developer.
The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan (2023)
79%
121m
Genre
Adventure, Action, Drama, History
Stars
François Civil, Vincent Cassel, Romain Duris
Directed by
Martin Bourboulon
Watch on Hulu
A big-budget French adaptation of a French story, The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan tells the origin story of the spirited musketeer. When he’s left for dead after failing to save a noblewoman from a kidnapping, D’Artagnan (François Civil) returns to Paris to seek vengeance, not realizing he’s headed straight into cataclysmic events that will shape France’s future. Finding aid in the form of the King’s Musketeers, D’Artagnan’s quest for vengeance leads him into the machinations of the villainous Cardinal Richelieu (Eric Ruf) and Milady de Winter (Eva Green).
Mr. Crocket (2024)
88m
Genre
Horror
Stars
Elvis Nolasco, Jerrika Hinton, Kristolyn Lloyd
Directed by
Brandon Espy
Watch on Hulu
Hulu has become a horror hub this October, and Hulu original Mr. Crocket has been added to the bunch. In 1993, a young mother finds a VHS tape that seems to be a lifesaver in terms of calming down her energetic son. But when the show’s mysterious host, Mr. Crocket (Elvis Nolasco), magically emerges from the TV set to attempt to kill the mother and kidnap her son, she follows the demonic entertainer into the void.
Sting (2024)
57%
92m
Genre
Horror
Stars
Alyla Browne, Ryan Corr, Penelope Mitchell
Directed by
Kiah Roache-Turner
Watch on Hulu
If you’re in the mood for some creature horror this Halloween season, then check out Sting. Twelve-year-old Charlotte (Alyla Browne) is raising an astonishingly talented spider in secret. But as the charming little creature quickly grows into a horrifying, clever flesh-eating monster, she must finally come clean to her family. Now, it’s time to fight the beast for her family’s survival.
Babes (2024)
72%
104m
Genre
Comedy
Stars
Ilana Glazer, Michelle Buteau, John Carroll Lynch
Directed by
Pamela Adlon
This buddy comedy stars Broad City‘s Ilana Glazer as a young woman who becomes pregnant after a one-night stand. Not remotely ready for this responsibility, Eden (Glazer) leans on her married best friend and mother of two, Dawn (Michelle Buteau). As the two women navigate this new chapter and become a strange sort of co-parenting duo, their friendship takes on new layers.
Amazon Prime Video
My Old Ass (2024)
74%
89m
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Stars
Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza, Percy Hynes White
Directed by
Megan Park
Watch on Amazon
Aubrey Plaza and Maddie Ziegler star as the same person at different stages of her life in this heartwarming Amazon Original. On her 18th birthday, free-spirited Elliott (Ziegler) takes mushrooms, only to find the trip brings her face-to-face with her 39-year-old self (Plaza). Initially, the two women hit it off — they’re each other, after all — but as Elliott’s “old ass” starts doling out advice, the younger Elliott realizes she still has some hard questions to answer about life.
Canary Black (2024)
103m
Genre
Thriller, Crime, Action
Stars
Kate Beckinsale, Rupert Friend, Saffron Burrows
Directed by
Pierre Morel
Watch on Amazon
Kate Beckinsale is back in the action movie saddle with the Amazon Prime Original Canary Black. When terrorists kidnap her husband, top CIA operative Avery Graves (Beckinsale) is blackmailed into betraying her country. Cut off from her elite team, Graves delves into the underworld to search for the intelligence the kidnappers seek. But she’s not the only one looking for it, and she’ll have to lean on every ounce of her training and fighting skills to free her husband and avert a global crisis.
Brothers (2024)
88m
Genre
Action, Comedy
Stars
Josh Brolin, Peter Dinklage, Glenn Close
Directed by
Max Barbakow
Watch on Amazon
Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage star in this oddball comedy that looks almost like a remake of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito’s Twins. Brothers, however, is a bit more of an action comedy. Reformed criminal, Moke (Brolin), finds his attempt to go straight derailed when his twin brother, Jady (Dinklage), ropes him in for the score of a lifetime. As they embark on a road trip to make it big, they find themselves dodging bullets, the law, and their overbearing mother, all the while healing their brotherly bond.
Challengers (2024)
132m
Genre
Romance, Drama
Stars
Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O'Connor
Directed by
Luca Guadagnino
Watch on Amazon
Who knew a great movie could be made out of tennis games and complicated love triangles? Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers is not only one of 2024’s best movies, but it’s also one of the most purely enjoyable experiences out there. Zendaya stars as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis wunderkind who coaches her pro husband, Art, whose career has hit a lull. When an old rival of Art’s and an old flame of Tashi’s sweeps back into their lives, will he change their game both on and off the court? Challengers is sexy without being graphic and sporty without needing to know too much about tennis to follow along. It also gives Zendaya and co-stars Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor a chance to showcase their impressive acting and irresistible charisma.
House of Spoils (2024)
101m
Genre
Horror, Thriller
Stars
Ariana DeBose, Barbie Ferreira, Arian Moayed
Directed by
Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy
Watch on Amazon
This new Amazon Original thriller stars Ariana DeBose as an ambitious young chef opening a new restaurant on a remote estate. The farm-to-table concept feels doomed on arrival, however, as she fights kitchen chaos, her own self-doubt, and a haunting presence that is constantly attempting to sabotage her. Imagine if The Menu were less satire, and more straight horror.
Shudder
Black Cab (2024)
87m
Genre
Horror, Thriller
Stars
Nick Frost, Synnøve Karlsen, Luke Norris
Directed by
Bruce Goodison
Watch on Shudder
Nick Frost stars in this Shudder original about a cab ride gone wrong. When Anne (Synnøve Karlsen) and Patrick (Luke Norris) hail a black cab after a night out, they’re in no mood to talk to their chatty driver. They’re barely talking to each other. But they soon realize they’re locked in a cab with a driver who has no intention of taking them home. As he drives them to a stretch of deserted and haunted road, the couple scrambles to figure out the driver’s motives and make an escape.
The Exorcism (2024)
46%
96m
Genre
Horror, Thriller
Stars
Russell Crowe, Ryan Simpkins, Sam Worthington
Directed by
Joshua John Miller
Watch on Shudder
Troubled actor Anthony Miller (Russell Crowe) is shooting a supernatural horror film, but as he immerses himself in the role, he becomes increasingly unraveled. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), begins to suspect he’s relapsing into addiction, but as she investigates more closely, she sees something more sinister. Between Crowe and Sam Worthington, The Exorcism is a more star-studded release than usual for Shudder.
Peacock
Despicable Me 4 (2024)
52%
94m
Genre
Animation, Family, Comedy, Action
Stars
Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell
Directed by
Chris Renaud
Watch on Peacock
The Despicable Me movies just keep on coming! One of the summer’s biggest movies, Despicable Me 4 lands on Peacock as the Gru (Steve Carell) family welcomes a new member, Gru Jr. But while Lucy (Kristen Wiig) and their three girls are smitten with the baby, he seems to love nothing more than tormenting his dad. Beyond a new child, Gru also discovers new nemeses in Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) and his girlfriend Valentina (Sofia Vergara), who they force the family on the run.
Dìdi (弟弟) (2024)
78%
94m
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Stars
Izaac Wang, Joan Chen, Shirley Chen
Directed by
Sean Wang
Watch on Peacock
A coming-of-age story in the mold of Jonah Hill’s Mid-90s, Didi follows an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy in his last month of summer before high school in 2008. Despite his rigid family upbringing, Didi finds there are a number of things his family and school can’t teach him, including how to skate, flirt, and love his mom.
The Fall Guy (2024)
73%
126m
Genre
Action, Comedy
Stars
Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Directed by
David Leitch
Watch on Peacock
Ryan Gosling stars as stunt man Colt Seavers in the ridiculous meta comedy The Fall Guy. After a nearly career-ending accident, Seavers finds himself the star of his own narrative as he has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy, and win back the love of his life (Emily Blunt) while still getting blown up at his day job.
Disney+
Music by John Williams (2024)
72%
106m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
John Williams, Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy
Directed by
Laurent Bouzereau
Watch on Disney+
The definitive documentary on legendary composer John Williams is a Disney+ original. Williams scores are some of cinema history’s most iconic, from Star Wars to Harry Potter. In this poignant documentary, go behind the curtain with Williams to hear his own recollection of a decades-spanning career and peek into rare footage of him making movie history. Insights from filmmakers, musicians, and others he has inspired round out the film.
Inside Out 2 (2024)
73%
97m
Genre
Animation, Family, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Drama
Stars
Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman
Directed by
Kelsey Mann
Watch on Disney+
One of the biggest movies of the summer, Inside Out 2, picks back up in the mind of a now-teenage Riley. But while Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale), and Disgust (Liza Lapira) have felt like things have been going OK, they’re not ready for the explosive arrival of new teenage emotions like Anxiety (Maya Hawke), who shows up and commandeers the whole operation with a bunch of new emotions in tow.
Young Woman and the Sea (2024)
62%
129m
Genre
Drama, History
Stars
Daisy Ridley, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Stephen Graham
Directed by
Joachim Rønning
Watch on Disney+
Born to immigrant parents in New York City in 1905, Trudy Ederle (Star Wars: The Last Jedi‘s Daisey Ridley) became one of the most decorated woman swimmers of her time. Through the steadfast support of her sister and trainers, Ederle fought against the patriarchy to win Olympic gold on her way to the ultimate feat: Becoming the first woman to swim the 21-mile gauntlet of the English Channel.
Netflix
Martha (2024)
Martha Stewart tells her own story to director RJ Cutler in this Netflix Original documentary. Tracing her rise from teenage model to the original influencer to America’s first self-made female billionaire, Cutler and Stewart shed light on one of the most fascinating episodes of the American dream. While Stewart, herself, is the star, this definitive documentary also draws on interviews with those in her inner circle.
Harold and the Purple Crayon (2024)
34%
90m
Genre
Family, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy
Stars
Zachary Levi, Lil Rel Howery, Zooey Deschanel
Directed by
Carlos Saldanha
Watch on Netflix
The beloved children’s book comes to life in this live-action/CGI hybrid. As a child, young Harold could make anything come to life by simply drawing it with his magic purple crayon. But as an adult (Shazam‘s Zachary Levi), Harold draws himself off of his book’s pages and into the physical world. It turns out he has a lot to learn about real life — but will still need more than a little imagination.
Daddio (2024)
62%
100m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Dakota Johnson, Sean Penn, Marcos A. Gonzalez
Directed by
Christy Hall
Watch on Netflix
Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn star in this quiet drama set in a New York City yellow taxi. When a young woman (Johnson) lands at JFK airport and hails a cab to take her into Manhattan, she strikes up a conversation with the driver, Clark (Sean Penn), that has surprising consequences. As the two strangers begin delving into the relationships in their lives, they become surprisingly vulnerable with one another, leading to an evening that neither will ever forget.
Woman of the Hour (2024)
76%
95m
Genre
Drama, Crime, Thriller
Stars
Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto, Tony Hale
Directed by
Anna Kendrick
Watch on Netflix
Anna Kendrick stars in her own directorial debut as Sheryl Bradshaw, an aspiring actress in 1970s Los Angeles cast on an episode of “The Dating Game.” What seems like an intriguing step on her career turns into a nightmare, however, when she realizes her counterpart on the show is a serial killer right in the middle of a years-long killing spree. The movie debuted at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) and had already received significant critical acclaim before landing on Netflix as a new original. Based on a true story, Woman of the Hour is a great dose of dramatic darkness for Halloween.
A Sacrifice (2024)
44%
94m
Genre
Thriller
Stars
Eric Bana, Sadie Sink, Sylvia Hoeks
Directed by
Jordan Scott
Watch on Netflix
After a disturbing occurrence is linked to a Berlin cult, American social psychologist Ben Monroe (Eric Bana) is called in to investigate. While he gets busy with work, however, his teenage daughter, Mazzy (Stranger Things‘ Sadie Sink) gets involved with a local boy who brings her into the city’s underground party scene. But both Mazzy and Ben are on dangerously intersecting paths. Adapted from Nicholas Hogg’s 2015 novel Tokyo, A Sacrifice landed in limited release this summer before arriving on Netflix.
Max (formerly HBO and HBO Max)
Janet Planet (2024)
83%
113m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Julianne Nicholson, Zoe Ziegler, Will Patton
Directed by
Annie Baker
Watch on max
Set in rural Western Massachusetts in the summer of 1991, Janet Planet stars young Zoe Ziegler as 11-year-old Lacy, who is leading a wildly imaginative life under the watchful eye of her mother, Janet (Julianne Nicholson). Over the summer months, three visitors are drawn into their orbit by Janet’s magnetic nature, causing a rift between Janet and Lacy. But as Lacy delves deeper into her own mind, her imagination becomes so incredibly rich that it begins to seep into the real world. Predictably heavy, this film continues the partnership between A24 and Max.
Trap (2024)
52%
105m
Genre
Thriller, Crime, Horror
Stars
Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka
Directed by
M. Night Shyamalan
Watch on max
OK, so we didn’t exactly love Trap. Is it areally any surprise that one of the year’s most divisive movies is from director M. Night Shyamalan? We’ll let you draw your own conclusions after seeing it. Here’s the setup: A dad and his teen daughter go to a pop concert. But the dad soon discovers that the entire show and all the people there are part of an elaborate trap to catch a criminal.
MaXXXine (2024)
64%
104m
Genre
Horror, Crime, Mystery
Stars
Mia Goth, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney
Directed by
Ti West
Watch on max
The final film in Ti West’s X Trilogy, MaXXXine finds 1980s adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) on the precipice of her big break. But there’s a brutal killer stalking Los Angeles, targeting starlets like Maxine. As the trail of blood thickens, it threatens to reveal Maxine’s own dark and sinister past. The first two films in the X Trilogy — X and Pearl — were released in 2022 and have generated a cult social media following that has made MaXXXine‘s arrival one of October’s most anticipated on Max. The star-studded cast includes Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Halsey, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon.
Caddo Lake (2024)
100m
Genre
Mystery, Thriller
Stars
Dylan O'Brien, Eliza Scanlen, Lauren Ambrose
Directed by
Celine Held, Logan George
Watch on max
More thriller than horror, Caddo Lake is a new Max original that’s good to get the blood pumping. When an 8-year-old girl mysteriously vanishes on Caddo Lake, it opens up a can of worms. Soon, a series of other past deaths and disappearances begin to add up and link together, forcing a broken family to assess their history. M. Night Shyamalan is a producer, while Dylan O’Brian and Eliza Scanlen star.
Tuesday (2024)
69%
111m
Genre
Drama, Fantasy
Stars
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lola Petticrew, Arinzé Kene
Directed by
Daina Oniunas-Pusić
Watch on max
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) stars in this dark modern-day fairy tale about a mother and her sick daughter forced to confront death. However, it’s not the Grim Reaper. Rather, Death (Arinzé Kene) appears in the form of a talking bird. While he appears as a companion for the ailing, declining daughter (Lora Petticrew), Death soon makes it clear that he’s really there to help the mother move on.
Apple TV+
The Last of the Sea Women (2024)
87m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Jang Soon-duk, Kang Joo-hwa, Woo Jeong-min
Directed by
Sue Kim
Watch on Apple TV+
The newest addition to Apple TV+ is an ecological and anthropological documentary following the haenyeo divers of South Korea’s Jeju Island. Renowned for their tradition of diving to the ocean floor without oxygen to harvest seafood, their centuries-old society is in imminent danger. The “real-life mermaids” are now in their 60s, 70s, and 80s and continue to fight for preservation and restoration of the ocean, aided by a younger generation through social media.
Wolfs (2024)
62%
107m
Genre
Crime, Comedy, Thriller
Stars
George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Austin Abrams
Directed by
Jon Watts
Watch on Apple TV+
Brad Pitt and George Clooney team up for this Apple TV+ original as a couple of professional fixers (and loners) forced to work together on the same job. Both men are hired to clean up the same high-profile crime, but each has a subtle directive the other doesn’t know about. Regardless, neither expected the evening to spin completely out of control.
Paramount+
Apartment 7A (2024)
50%
104m
Genre
Horror, Thriller
Stars
Julia Garner, Dianne Wiest, Kevin McNally
Directed by
Natalie Erika James
Watch on Paramount+
Although Paramount+ hasn’t done much in the way of original movies, it’s taking a bit of a swing with artsy thriller Apartment 7A. Julia Garner stars as Terry Gionoffrio, an ambitious young dancer sidelined with a devastating injury. The silver lining, however, is that a wealthy older couple (Dianne Wiest and Kevin McNally) have welcomed her into their home in the luxury building the Bramford. There, she meets an influential Broadway producer (Jim Sturgess), who offers her a second chance at fame. But after an evening that she can’t quite remember, she soon begins to suspect there may be something evil afoot.
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
68%
99m
Genre
Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller
Stars
Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff
Directed by
Michael Sarnoski
Watch on Paramount+
The third film in the Quiet Place saga, A Quiet Place: Day One, goes all the way back to the beginning. This prequel to the first two films follows Sam (Lupita Nyong’o), a woman who just happens to be on a day trip to New York City when bloodthirsty alien creatures with ultrasonic hearing invade the planet.
