Binge Alert: 6 Must-See Movies and Shows Dropping This Weekend on Netflix, Prime, Disney Plus and More (Oct 17–19)

Halloween is breathing down our necks, so yes, there is horror in the mix. But this week also brings a new Tim Robinson oddity, a Tom Clancy stealth cartoon with some muscle behind it, a five-part Scorsese deep dive, and two classic creepers newly streaming. Six picks across the big apps. You will find something.

New TV shows

The Chair Company (HBO Max, US) — streaming Oct 12

If 'I Think You Should Leave' hits your funny bone and you also loved 'Friendship' this year, good news: Tim Robinson is back with a new HBO Max series called 'The Chair Company.' He and co-creator Zach Kanin are taking their uncomfortable, spiraling comedy energy and pointing it at a customer-service snafu that explodes into a full-blown conspiracy. Robinson plays Ronald Trosper, a regular middle-aged dad whose simple complaint turns into the kind of rabbit hole only he seems to notice. The premise is goofy, the paranoia is big, and the poster leans all the way in.

'There is a whole world under the surface, and only Ron has any idea about it. And sometimes the two worlds collide, and sometimes they don't. Ron holds them at arm's length from each other. Watch every week to find out when he can and when he can't.'

That is a lot for a customer-service call, which is exactly the point.

Splinter Cell: Deathwatch (Netflix, worldwide) — streaming Oct 14

Netflix finally went there: an animated 'Splinter Cell' series. 'Deathwatch' arrives years after the games' timeline, with an older Sam Fisher forced out of retirement when a wounded young operative shows up needing help. Behind the scenes is Derek Kolstad, the guy who built 'John Wick,' so expect clean, mean action. Liev Schreiber headlines the voice cast, and here is a fun Tom Clancy crossover nugget: he was also in the live-action 'The Sum of All Fears' more than 20 years ago. If the trailer is any indication, this could be one of the stronger animated swings on TV this year.

Obituary season 2 (Hulu, US) — streaming Oct 14

If you have not met 'Obituary' yet, time to fix that. The Irish dark comedy has a very 'Dexter meets Bad Sisters' vibe. Siobhan Cullen returns as Elvira Clancy, an obituary writer at a tiny Irish paper who sometimes moonlights as a serial killer. Season 2 picks up with Elvira grieving her father and finding a warped sort of calm in her... hobby, until a new murder rocks the town. She decides to unravel it, joined by her delightfully eccentric editor Vivienne, played by 'Extraordinary' star Mairead Tyers. Expect more blood, more barbed humor, and more small-town weird.

Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV Plus, worldwide) — streaming Oct 17

For the film nerds: Apple has a five-part docuseries that is essentially a portrait of Martin Scorsese told through his work and his life. Director Rebecca Miller had full, unrestricted access to Scorsese's private archives and sat him down for extensive conversations, which is the good stuff you want in a series like this. On top of that, there are interviews with his friends, family, and creative partners, including Robert De Niro, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Steven Spielberg, Sharon Stone, Jodie Foster, Margot Robbie, and Cate Blanchett. If you care about the history of movies, this is homework you will actually enjoy.

New movies

Something Wicked This Way Comes (Disney Plus, worldwide) — streaming now

Disney dusted off a truly unsettling relic from its darker phase: the 1983 adaptation of Ray Bradbury's 1962 novel. Two best friends, Will and Jim, live in a quiet Midwestern town that gets invaded by a traveling carnival run by Mr. Dark, played with eerie charm by Jonathan Pryce. He grants wishes, but there is always a price — and it is not coupons. The cast is stacked with Jason Robards, Pam Grier, Royal Dano, and Diane Ladd. If you were a kid in the 80s, this one might stir up some buried nightmares. Worth revisiting, especially in October.

Frankenstein (1931) (Prime Video, worldwide) — streaming now

With Guillermo del Toro cooking up his own 'Frankenstein' for Netflix, Prime Video has slipped the 1931 classic into its library at just the right moment. This is the definitive early adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, with Boris Karloff giving the monster its iconic look and presence. The setup is timeless: Dr. Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive), obsessed with creating life, raids graves with his assistant and stitches together a being that the world is not ready to accept — with predictably terrible fallout. It is pure Gothic horror that still holds up almost a century later.