What’s New to Streaming This Week: Movies and TV Shows (Oct. 23, 2026)

Home viewers navigate a vast landscape across major subscription video-on-demand services such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, and Peacock. Rather than spending valuable time scrolling through endless genre libraries—ranging from horror and comedy to thrillers, animation, and true crime—audiences can look to a curated lineup of new releases, streaming debuts, and notable digital drops available this week.

Top Weekly Feature: Hulu’s Eerie Mystery ‘Phony’

Claiming the top spotlight among recent streaming options is Hulu’s original mystery series Phony. The drama centers on high schooler Sonny, portrayed by Sam Nivola, who wakes up in a hospital following a serious car crash only to discover that his mother, Ellen—played by Connie Britton—has seemingly been replaced by an impostor. Britton takes on the dual presence using subtly transformative prosthetics, presenting Sonny with an unsettling reality that no one else can detect. While constructing a chilling and downright creepy atmosphere, the narrative sustains an authentic comedic streak anchored by an engaging ensemble cast including Meera Syal, Grace Brennan, Mahaela Park, Maliq Johnson, and Colter Lee. The first two episodes are currently streaming on Hulu, with new installments debuting weekly on Tuesdays.

Returning Television Hits and High-Profile Sequels

Several established franchise favorites and fan-favorite series are expanding their runs with brand-new seasons:

• Nobody Wants This (Season 3): Netflix’s Emmy-nominated romantic comedy returns, following Joanne (Kristen Bell) and Noah (Adam Brody) as they navigate the major milestone of moving in together. Co-starring Justine Lupe, Timothy Simons, and Jackie Tohn, the season delivers sustained romantic tension and comedic commitment. The season is now streaming on Netflix.
• Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2: Developed by CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger, this award-winning anime returns viewers to Night City with a brand-new art style and a fresh cast of characters featuring Valeria Rodriguez, Kimoy Lee, Cesili Williams, Daniel Wu, Brittany Lauda, and E.G. Daily. Mashable Digital Culture Editor Crystal Bell noted in her review, Edgerunners 2 doesn’t just live up to its predecessor. In some ways, I think it surpasses it. It is now streaming on Netflix.
• The Terminal List (Season 2): Chris Pratt reprises his role as Navy SEAL James Reece in David DiGilio’s military thriller adaptation of Jack Carr’s novels on Prime Video. The narrative finds Reece offered a full presidential pardon if he collaborates with former colleagues to neutralize the perpetrators behind a wave of terror attacks. Co-starring Constance Wu, Taylor Kitsch, Riley Keough, Arlo Mertz, and Jeanne Tripplehorn, the season is streaming now.
• Lupin (Season 4): French gentleman thief Assane Diop, played by Omar Sy, attempts to serve his prison sentence quietly to reunite with family in Senegal. However, when a copycat thief initiates museum heists framed on Assane, he must execute a daring prison break to establish his innocence. Co-starring Ludivine Sagnier, Antoine Gouy, Soufiane Guerrab, Shirine Boutella, and Etan Simon, the new season debuts on Netflix on Oct. 23.

Controversial Non-Fiction, True Crime, and Documentaries

Real-world studies and personal journeys form the backbone of this week’s non-fiction slate. Netflix debuted The New Stanford Prison Experiment, an unscripted series revisiting Philip Zimbardo’s famous 1971 behavioral research experiment regarding power dynamics between guards and inmates. While executive producer Jane Lipsitz insists the modern production incorporates different safeguards, the series brings the controversial study into mainstream entertainment reality formatting.

In true crime, Hulu is streaming Swipe Right on the Devil, a harrowing three-part documentary directed by Brian Biegel. The series explores the disappearance and murder of 24-year-old Nebraska resident Sydney Loofe, who was targeted through Tinder into a lethal network involving catfishing and self-described witches, culminating in an intense trial supported by testimonies from investigators and surviving victims.

Stand-up comedy and mental health exploration intersect in Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story, premiering Oct. 23 on Netflix. Directed by Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley, the documentary traces Bamford’s stand-up roots from Duluth, Minnesota, through her voice work on projects like BoJack Horseman, Big Mouth, and Rick and Morty, to her candid discussions surrounding mental health. Meanwhile, comedian Adam Conover ventures away from his analytical format with Adam Conover: Big Divorce Energy, an introspective stand-up special exploring his personal identity, sex life, and politics, premiering Oct. 23 on YouTube.

Star-Driven Comedies and Dark Genre Thrillers

Scripted films and scripted series span intimate relationship studies to supernatural investigations:

• The Invite: Directed by Olivia Wilde and written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, this English-language remake of the Spanish comedy The People Upstairs stars Wilde and Seth Rogen as a fatigued married couple who host their upstairs neighbors, played by Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton. Reviewing the film, Kristy Puchko wrote: I was enchanted by The Invite. McCormack and Jones’ screenplay is smartly written, bringing emotional depth to all four lovers, while solidly establishing the relatable frustrations of long-term relationships. Wilde’s direction is deceptively simple in its aesthetic, favoring cinematography that allows us to spy without the discomfort of voyeurism. This keeps the tone light even as the talk turns dirty. And with an ensemble that’s totally game to embrace the silly, sexy, and subversive, The Invite is ruthlessly entertaining. The film arrives on HBO Max on Oct. 23.
• I Want Your Sex: Gregg Araki directs this erotic comedy starring Cooper Hoffman and Olivia Wilde, now available on digital storefronts. Hoffman plays an assistant who enters a BDSM relationship with a celebrated artist (Wilde), questioning contemporary sexual attitudes alongside co-stars Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Daveed Diggs, and Charli XCX. Critic Kristy Puchko characterized it as an exuberantly entertaining comedy, alive with sexual vigor, earnest humanity, and biting humor.
• Yaga: Adapted from Kat Sandler’s play, this Canadian series tracks private investigator Rapp (Noah Reid) and detective Carson (Clark Backo) as they probe the disappearance of billionaire heir Henry Park (Hudson Williams), leading them to an enigmatic academic played by Carrie-Anne Moss. Critic Belen Edwards remarked: As an examination of witchcraft as a conduit for female rage, it’s not angry enough. As an erotic thriller, it’s not titillating enough. As a mystery, its twists and turns are intriguing, but never quite captivating. The ingredients for success are there, but they never quite come together to cast the right spell. The first two episodes premiere Oct. 23 on AMC+.
• By Any Means: Directed by Elegance Bratton and now on digital, the 1960s-set civil rights drama stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as FBI Agent Wayne Strider investigating the murder of Vernon Dahmer (Giancarlo Esposito), alongside Mark Wahlberg as mob enforcer Gregory Scarpa. Puchko’s review remarked that By Any Means becomes a kind of buddy-cop movie, where Strider is the by-the-books hero, and Scarpa is the scrappy, no-rules, no-fucks-given man of action… [but offers] a muddied message about the place of violence in seeking justice.
• Moana (2026): Now on Disney+, Thomas Kail’s live-action reimagining stars Catherine Laga’aia alongside Dwayne Johnson. In a critical assessment, Puchko observed: Aside from my general grievance about the lack of innovation in Disney’s menagerie of live-action remakes, Moana has a strangely false quality to it. The cast — led by 19-year-old Catherine Laga’aia — gives performances that feel straight out of a Disney Channel show. They’re bouncy and broad in a way that made me expect the cheer of a pre-recorded studio audience to break in. Puchko added: The result is a film that misses the point of its protagonist’s journey. Rather than going somewhere new, Kail and company avoid discovery, opting instead to approximate popular IP. And in that way, it feels like AI. It does not feel like an earnest, human expression, but rather a shallow approximation that might have the general look but misses the soul of the original work.
• The Cycle & Junk: Debuting Oct. 23 on Shudder, Jordan Downey’s horror-thriller The Cycle stars Deborah Ann Woll as a forensic anthropologist discovering her long-lost father’s remains at a crime scene. Meanwhile, music video director Jack Begert’s dual-narrative dark comedy Junk, starring David Schwimmer, Dominic Fike, Talia Ryder, and Gaby Hoffmann, premieres Oct. 23 on Mubi.

Why This Matters

The current slate reflects key programming strategies across the highly competitive streaming sector. Platforms are leaning heavily into distinct subscriber acquisition tactics: Netflix continues to maximize known IP with anime extensions like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, internationally recognized series like Lupin, and conversation-generating unscripted formats. Concurrently, streamers like Hulu and HBO Max are capitalizing on character-driven mid-budget adult comedies and psychological mystery premises to sustain consistent weekly viewership. By balancing live-action adaptations, niche horror platforms like Shudder, and creator-led comedy specials on YouTube, content distributors are catering directly to fractured audience demographics seeking specialized viewing options beyond traditional theater releases.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the top recommended new mystery to stream this week?
The standout recommendation is Hulu’s original mystery series Phony, starring Connie Britton and Sam Nivola. It focuses on a teenager who suspects his mother has been replaced by an impostor following a car accident.

Which major comedy specials and documentaries are premiering on Oct. 23?
Oct. 23 brings the Netflix debut of Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story, directed by Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley, as well as the YouTube premiere of Adam Conover’s comedy special Adam Conover: Big Divorce Energy.

Where can audiences stream the new seasons of ‘Lupin’ and ‘The Terminal List’?
The Terminal List Season 2 is currently streaming on Prime Video, while Lupin Season 4 makes its debut on Netflix on Oct. 23.