the romcom reboot no one asked for: this week's watchlist
the last frontier, abbott elementary s5, monster: the ed gein story, and more
It’s finally Over the Garden Wall and spooky movie season. But there’s plenty of non-halloween themed content coming our way this October. We’re here once again to share what’s new, what we’ve already watched, and how much of it is worth your time. Some of the latest shows & movies are tentative skips, some are surprisingly great, and a few we’re still figuring out…stay tuned.
— Jess and Jenni
what’s new…
(Our thoughts on brand new streaming content, and where you can watch.)
The Last Frontier — Season 1
Watch if you like: Jack Ryan, Shooter, Con Air, The Fugitive
Length: ~50-min runtime, 1 season / 10 episodes
Jess’s rating: 3/5⭐ so far
The Last Frontier is a throwback action series through and through. When a plane full of convicts crashes outside a small Alaskan town, a U.S. Marshal (Jason Clarke) is forced to track down the escapees before a bigger CIA plot comes to light. The setup is very ‘90s thriller (Con Air, The Fugitive), and that’s likely the point, but it also means the show feels far from fresh. There are hints of deeper character work and upcoming twists, but so far it’s not particularly gripping. If you’re looking for an old-school, no-frills manhunt drama, it’ll scratch that itch, but don’t expect it to surprise you too much. — Jess
Our take? Stream it if you want a brain-off action drama. The first 2 episodes air October 10 on Apple TV+.
Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars — Season 1
Watch if you like: Chef’s Table, The Bear, Hell’s Kitchen
Length: 50-min runtime, 1 season / 8 episodes
Jenni’s rating: 2.5/5⭐ so far
This new documentary-style series follows the mysterious Michelin Guide inspectors who dine undercover, and a handful of restaurants from Los Angeles to London who hope to earn their coveted stars. My first thought when watching the screeners was that it felt like a strange amalgamation of a Gordon Ramsay competition show and the more refined Chef’s Table. Turns out the celebrity chef himself is the executive producer, so that checks out.
I am always drawn to food and restaurant content—there’s something about the frenetic energy of food service and the intensity of kitchen culture that never fails to captivate me—but this series leaned a little too “reality TV” in its production for my comfort. While it ostensibly aims to tell the stories of these serious, brilliant chefs and the sacrifices they make in pursuit of culinary greatness, the glossy, game show-like quality to the production undercuts that ambition. It all ends up feeling a bit shallow. — Jenni
Our take? You can leave this one on the back burner. The first 2 episodes air October 10 on Apple TV+.
Abbott Elementary — Season 5
Watch if you like: Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Superstore
Length: ~30-min runtime, 5 seasons / 2 of 22 episodes available in S5
Jess’s rating: 4/5⭐ so far
Abbott Elementary is back, and two episodes into the new season, it’s exactly what I want it to be: funny, warm, and reliably comforting. At this point, if you’ve been meaning to watch it, you probably already have—there’s no convincing necessary. The danger with network comedies is always overstaying their welcome, but Abbott hasn’t hit that point yet, and I’m still more than happy to spend 22 minutes in this world each week. — Jess
Our take? Stream it, obviously. Next episode airs October 14 on ABC, October 15 on Hulu.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story — Season 3
Watch if you like: Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Monster
Length: 50-min runtime, 1 season / 8 episodes
Jenni’s rating: 1.5/5⭐ before I gave up
This is the third installment in the biographical crime anthology series Monster, created by Ryan Murphey and Ian Brennan. I admit, I haven’t seen the previous two seasons, and after my experience with these episodes focusing on Ed Gein—convicted midwestern murderer, grave robber, and suspected serial killer—I don’t plan to.
As a creepy, dread-filled series, I suppose this delivers on atmosphere. But beyond the ominous score and polished production, it feels even more exploitative than the usual true-crime fare. My 1.5 stars are mainly for the commendable performances, but I couldn’t bring myself to get past the third episode. Monster: The Ed Gein Story makes no effort in its first half to move beyond shock value or interrogate its subject with any real purpose. Worse, it leers at questions of gender expression, carelessly blurring queerness with deviance for hours without bothering to interrogate that line further. It’s as if the series wants to give off the air of offering sophisticated commentary on lurid crimes while doing little more than sensationalizing them. — Jenni
Our take? It’s tempting to check out whatever’s in Netflix’s Top 10, but we’d skip it. All episodes now streaming on Netflix.
Maintenance Required — Movie
Watch if you like: You’ve Got Mail, A Cinderella Story, The Wrong Paris
Length: 1h 42m
Jenni’s rating: 2/5⭐
This is a fairly beat-for-beat reimagining of You’ve Got Mail’s premise, but with significantly less chemistry and cars instead of books. Charlie (Madelaine Petsch) is the fiercely independent owner of an all-female mechanic shop threatened by a bigger corporation moving into town. She unknowingly confides in her long-time online confidant Beau about the situation (Jacob Scipio), but he turns out to be her real-life business rival.
Like Meg Ryan before her, Petsch is charming in the leading lady role. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the Tom Hanks stand-in or the rest of the production. Everything about this romcom is rather charmless and empty feeling. The sets give off “too-clean, generic Hallmark town” vibes even though most of the movie was meant to be set in Oakland—a place with a ton of character! Another bummer of a miss for the contemporary romcom genre. — Jenni
Our take? Please just watch You’ve Got Mail instead. Streaming now on Prime Video.
checking back in…
(A running check-in on the weekly releases — what’s working, what’s losing us, and what we’ve bailed on. We’ll circle back with end-of-season reviews once they wrap.)
still watching…
Chad Powers — Rarely am I as against the popular opinion as I am with this one, but I adore this show. This latest episode leaned heavily into the football action, playing out like a classic underdog sports drama, but with big laughs as a bonus. (JS)
Outlander: Blood my Blood — Looking forward to the season finale tomorrow, final thoughts next week. (JC)
The Great British Baking Show (S16) — Watched this week with my parents while they were in town. Such a multi-generational crowd-pleaser. (JC)
Taskmaster (S20) — This cast is really growing on me in general, but Ania Magliano might be my favorite new comedian. (JC)
on pause…
Slow Horses (S5) — I haven’t caught last night’s episode yet, but it’s on the agenda for tonight. First two eps held up for me. (JC)
dropped…
The Lowdown — No hate to Ethan Hawke or to this show, but I’m being selective with my time. If I keep hearing that it’s worthwhile, I’ll return to it. (JS)
Only Murders in the Building (S5) — Am I finally ditching this series for good? Maybe! Why do I feel guilty?! (JS) Yesss, join me on the dark side, Jess. (JC)
on the horizon…
(New shows and streaming movies that are out this week but we haven’t seen yet)
Stay (Movie) — A PhD author and her ex-MMA fighter husband face both the collapse of their marriage and a supernatural threat in this “Huluween” movie.
Watch on Hulu: October 9Boots (Season 1) — Set in the 1990s and based on The Pink Marine memoir, this Hulu comedy-drama follows a secretly gay teenager who enlists in the Marines with his straight best friend and finds unexpected purpose and belonging.
Watch on Netflix: October 9 (all 8 episodes)Vicious (Movie) — In this straight-to-streaming horror film, Dakota Fanning stars as a woman who discovers a mysterious box that triggers a ritual that pulls her into a distorted reality.
Watch on Paramount+: October 10The Woman in Cabin 10 (Movie) — Based on Ruth Ware’s bestselling novel, this thriller follows a travel journalist (Keira Knightley) who witnesses what she believes is a murder aboard a luxury cruise, only to find no one else will believe her.
Watch on Netflix: October 10How to Train Your Dragon* (Movie) — This live-action remake of the 2010 animated fantasy film (based on the 2003 novel by Cressida Cowell) sees a young Viking, Hiccup, defy tradition by befriending a dragon.
Watch on Peacock: October 10 (*Streaming Premiere)The Chair Company (Season 1) — Tim Robinson co-creates and stars in this HBO comedy as an office worker whose humiliating mistake sends him spiraling into an investigation of a far-reaching conspiracy.
Watch on HBO/HBO Max: October 12 (1 of 8 episodes, then weekly)
in theaters…
(movies you can watch if you're in the mood to leave the house this weekend)
Bone Lake
Watch if you like: Speak No Evil, Funny Games, The Gift
Length: 1h 34m
Jess’s rating: 3.5/5⭐
Sage (Maddie Hasson) and Diego (Marco Pigossi) head out for a romantic weekend only to find their vacation rental has been double-booked. Instead of finding different accommodations, they decide to share the house with the other couple, and from there things get increasingly uncomfortable as the strangers test the limits of Sage and Diego’s relationship.
Director Mercedes Bryce Morgan isn’t reinventing the wheel here—much of the first half felt very similar to Speak No Evil—but she certainly knows how to keep the psychological tension simmering. Rather than rely on gore or jump scares, the unease in the first half comes from off-kilter interactions and chilly isolation. Everyday politeness masks darker motives, and you’re kept in anxiety waiting to see what those are. Unlike Speak No Evil, this one leans harder into pulp and salaciousness. It doesn’t all land, and the ending will undoubtedly be divisive, but it’s a solid entry in the “weekend getaway gone wrong” genre. — Jess
Our take? Go see it if you’re a horror fan. In theaters everywhere now.
Roofman
Watch if you like: Catch Me If You Can, Logan Lucky, The Place Beyond The Pines
Length: 2h 6m
Channing Tatum stars in this true story about a divorced father who robs retail stores to make ends meet. Read the full review in my TIFF coverage. — Jess
In theaters everywhere October 10.
Urchin
Watch if you like: Naked, Heaven Knows What, Queer
Length: 1h 39m
Jess’s rating: 3/5⭐
Actor Harris Dickinson (Babygirl) makes his directorial debut with Urchin, which premiered earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival. A grim character study, it follows a young man living on the streets of London whose attempts at recovery are constantly undercut by addiction and self-sabotage. Dickinson eschews the typical redemption arc for a gritty, circular tale of homelessness and systemic neglect. Paired with the social realism are bursts of surrealist imagery that are meant to internalize the main character’s psyche.
This film is getting a lot of hype, and I think that’s largely due to Dickinson’s star power—people are excited when an actor presents a real directorial point of view. But Urchin feels more like a collage of influences than the showcase of a new distinct voice. It marks a debut with ambition, but it’s uneven and more admirable than satisfying. — Jess
Our take? Don’t go out of your way to see it. In theaters everywhere October 10.
And a few more in theaters we haven’t seen yet…
Kiss of the Spider Woman — Directed by Bill Condon (Dreamgirls), this adaptation of the Tony-winning musical stars Diego Luna and Tonatiuh as cellmates who bond over stories of a glamorous film diva played by Jennifer Lopez.
Watch in Theaters: October 10Tron: Ares — A sophisticated program named Ares (Jared Leto) is sent from the digital realm into the real world on a dangerous mission, triggering humanity’s first encounter with AI beings.
Watch in Theaters: October 10
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