This article contains a discussion of addiction.
Can you believe October is over already? I know I can’t. With October just about in the rearview mirror and the final weekend happening over Halloween, plenty of people are probably planning their Elizabeth Holmes-inspired get-ups or figuring out how to perfectly drape some old sheets to approximate the period costumes from “The Odyssey.” If you’re a homebody looking to stream some good stuff over the weekend, though, we’ve got you covered with some solid picks.
Everything on this list is either completely new and exclusive to one streaming network or the premiere of a new theatrical hit coming to streaming for the first time, so just because your favorite movie got randomly added to Netflix, Hulu, or HBO Max doesn’t mean it will make the cut here. From a truly stunning documentary series about a star we lost too soon to two major season premieres to an animated movie that’s actually fun for the whole family, here are five movies and TV shows you should watch on major streamers this weekend, October 30 to November 1, 2026.
The One About Matthew Perry (Netflix)
Not all documentaries about celebrities who died tragically are, well, good; some of them feel a bit like gawking at a traffic accident. Thankfully, Mary Robertson’s three-part Netflix documentary “The One About Matthew Perry” is a surprisingly sweet and honest portrait of a troubled man who did his best and made the world laugh. Perry, as you probably recall, suddenly passed away in 2023, with an eventual cause of death declared as ketamine use and accidental drowning. As “The One About Matthew Perry” makes clear, he struggled with sobriety for most of his life, and fame only exacerbated his addiction.
As dark as this subject matter is, “The One About Matthew Perry” treats its subject with respect and grace, and having Perry’s half-sister Mia Perry Bowick — who became a psychotherapist after watching her brother grapple with sobriety — and old friends like Roger Castillo, David Pressman, Nate Torrence, and Kevin Pollak on board helps tell Perry’s story in the way you’d hope he would want. Robertson said as much in an interview with Vulture: “I think Matthew would be really upset if I made a film about his life that wasn’t funny,” she mused. “It was very important to me that this film be as funny as it could be, and that we find levity in the darkness and in the sorrowful moments.” I’m pleased to tell you that Robertson succeeded in this mission.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration websiteor contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Minions & Monsters (Peacock)
Since “Despicable Me” came out in 2010, the Minions have become a pop culture phenomenon, so it’s not surprising that there’s also a Minions spin-off franchise that received a new movie in 2026 titled “Minions & Monsters.” What is surprising is that, according to /Film’s own Rafael Motamayor, this movie is pretty good and a sneaky remake of a semi-recent box office flop. Directed by Pierre Coffin (who also voices the Minions), “Minions & Monsters” follows the most creative of the titular yellow guys, James, who ends up stumbling upon an actor staging a bank robbery for an upcoming film.
Because the Minions technically interrupt filming, the movie’s director, Max (actual Oscar winner Christoph Waltz) decides to just go ahead and cast them, and “Minions & Monsters” becomes an ode to Old Hollywood as they try to make the leap from silent films to “talkies.” (I’m just as surprised as anybody else that a Minions movie is also paying homage to one of my all-time favorite movies and one of the best movie musicals ever made, “Singin’ in the Rain.”) Elsewhere, there’s an amusing subplot involving an alien robot named Dort that’s clearly a riff on Gort from the 1951 sci-fi classic “The Day the Earth Stood Still.” The gist here is that “Minions & Monsters” is well worth your time, whether you’re a huge fan of Despicable Me movies or you love old Hollywood (or, somehow, both).
The Gilded Age Season 4 Premiere (HBO Max)
If you’re a fan of “Downton Abbey” or “Bridgerton” but you haven’t checked out “The Gilded Age” just yet, you might want to catch up as soon as you can, because the fourth season of HBO’s hit period drama is returning this weekend. “The Gilded Age,” created by Julian Fellowes (the guy who’s quite literally responsible for “Downton Abbey” as well as films like “Gosford Park”), centers around high society in New York City in the 1880s during the titular time period, where wealthy Manhattan dwellers find themselves divided into two societal camps: “old money” and “new money.” As the new money Russells — matriarch Bertha (the incomparable Carrie Coon), her husband and robber baron George (Morgan Spector, who recently and publicly accepted his fan-given nickname of “train daddy”), their son Larry (Harry Richardson), and their married daughter Gladys Vere, the Duchess of Buckingham (Taissa Farmiga) — try to find their place in society, they’re met with opposition from old money stalwarts like sisters Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski, regal as always) and her sister Ada Forte (Cynthia Nixon).
“The Gilded Age” is full of, as Aretha Franklin once famously said, “great gowns, beautiful gowns.” It’s also jam-packed with intrigue, deliciously petty squabbles, and old-timey drama that will keep you absolutely hooked. Season 4 begins its run on HBO on November 1, and after the last two episodes of Season 3, in which George experiences a potentially fatal injury, his marriage to Bertha remains strained, and Ada supplants Agnes in a surprising move, you’ll want to check in on your favorite 1880s socialites and see what happens to them next.
Dexter: Resurrection Season 2 Premiere (Paramount+ with Showtime)
The original series finale of “Dexter,” the serial killer drama developed by James Manos Jr. and adapted from the crime novel “Darkly Dreaming Dexter” by Jeff Lindsay, is considered one of the worst series finales in TV history to this day. Maybe that’s why “Dexter,” which stars Michael C. Hall as the titular righteous murderer Dexter Morgan, has gotten not one but three revivals. “Dexter: New Blood” ran on Showtime from 2021 to 2022, a prequel titled “Dexter: Original Sin” aired in 2024, and now we have “Dexter: Resurrection,” a direct sequel to “New Blood” that began its run on Paramount+ with Showtime in the summer of 2025.
During its inaugural run, “Resurrection” picked up where “New Blood” left off, in that Dexter is nearly killed after being shot by his own estranged son Harrison Morgan (Jack Alcott) but manages to make a miraculous recovery. As Dexter tracks Harrison to New York City, where the young man is working as a bellhop at the Empire Hotel, he unfortunately realizes his old Miami friend turned nemesis Angel Batista (David Zayas) is tracking him, leading to an intricate cat-and-mouse game anchored by Hall’s excellent and familiar performance. With new cast members joining Season 2 like Bokeem Woodbine (who recently had an excellent turn in “Primetime”), “Succession” veteran Brian Cox, and “Downton Abbey” alum Dan Stevens, among others, “Dexter: Resurrection” promises a bloody good time during its sophomore outing. It kicks off on October 30.
Nocturne (Apple TV)
If you want a second serial killer drama to pair with “Dexter: Resurrection,” you’re in luck this weekend: Apple TV is releasing its own crime series with a stacked cast that’s based on a popular novel. “Nocturne,” adapted from the Detective Joona Linna book series written by Lars Kepler (a joint pen name for married writers Alexander Ahndoril and Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril), Americanizes the story under the supervision of creator Rowan Joffé and showrunner and developer John Hlavin. Instead of Joona Linna, this version casts Liev Schreiber as a detective named … Jonah Lynn. (Hey, whatever works!)
When Jonah moves to a small Pennsylvania town to enjoy his retirement after a long career as a homicide detective, he finds himself thrust back into his old work when a serial killer starts terrorizing the hamlet. Schreiber is joined by an excellent cast that includes Zazie Beetz, Stephen Graham (Emmy-winner and star and creator of “Adolescence”), Bill Camp, Rory Culkin, and “This Is Us” alum Chrissy Metz. Across six episodes, you’ll get to watch this gripping, dark, and fascinating story play out. “Nocturne” drops its first two episodes on Apple TV on October 30.
