It’s psycho season.
As the countdown to Halloween continues and the social flurry of October picks up steam, you might be feeling a little wound up this week. Hey, you’re entitled! But there’s no better way to turn down the crazy in your own life than to turn it up (turn it alllll the way up) on your screen. So with the weather getting colder and the vibes getting creepier, this weekend is the perfect moment for an absolutely unsettling stream.
If an unhinged killer on a murder spree is your thing, there’s no need to end the party with Hitchcock’s 1960 classic Psycho (which landed on Netflix at the beginning of the month). You can watch a true crime miniseries about internet sleuths taking things into their own hands, a trio of movies with three totally different takes on the genre, or a cult-hit TV series that puts the “psycho” in psychology. Have a killer weekend!
But first, what’s new on Netflix?
A fresh chance at romance. Susannah Grant’s new romantic drama Lonely Planetstars Laura Dern as an author on a writers’ retreat in Morocco, where she meets a younger man (Liam Hemsworth) with whom she forges an unlikely connection. Not falling for it? Step onto the court with the new docuseries Starting 5, which follows five basketball stars at the top of their game — Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James, Domantas Sabonis, and Jayson Tatum — through the 2023–24 NBA season. Not a slam dunk? Head to North Carolina with Outer Banks: Season 4, Part 1 of the mystery teen drama, which brings new adventure for the Pogues, is now here.
If you have just a night …
Let the amateurs step in. In Mark Lewis’ 2019 limited series Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer, a group of passionate internet sleuths works to apprehend a killer who posted a video of himself murdering kittens. In three episodes, the series sees its would-be detectives join forces out of horror over the crime, begin to piece together who did it, and launch a global manhunt for the criminal so that he can never f**k with cats — or with anyone — ever again.
If you have a whole day …
Go three for three. A trio of serial killer movies — displaying varying degrees of realism — will have you jumping in your seat and locking your doors at night. Start with a classic: Mary Harron’s 2000 hit American Psycho, based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel of the same name,stars Christian Bale as a high-functioning, high-earning, high-killing business bro Patrick Bateman (whom you’re likely to see at least once every Halloween). For another disturbing turn from an otherwise heartthrob star, see Zac Efron in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, Joe Berlinger’s 2019 crime drama in which the actor plays Ted Bundy. And for a more recent cinematic slasher, queue up Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s Scream, a 2022 revival of the iconic horror franchise.
If you have the entire weekend …
Get inside their heads. The acclaimed crime thriller Mindhunter, based on John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker’s book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit, follows two FBI agents (Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany) whose latest project is interviewing serial killers, hoping what they find about the way their minds work will help the Bureau catch others. Created by Joe Penhall and executive produced (and often directed) by David Fincher, the series ran for two seasons, from 2017–2019, and was critically acclaimed.
Don’t forget, you have one last chance …
… for a dance. Steven Soderbergh’s 2012 dramedy Magic Mike stars Channing Tatum in the title role as a male stripper in a Florida club run by its ambitious owner (Matthew McConaughey); Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer and Alex Pettyfer co-star as his well-muscled colleagues. The original film and Gregory Jacobs’ 2015 sequel Magic Mike XXL will both gyrate right outta town in a few weeks.
