What We’re Watching This Fall
As the weather cools down, the leaves start to change, and everything suddenly tastes like pumpkin spice, it’s the perfect time to fire up some mystery and thriller movies and TV series. Whether you’re curled up at home with your streaming service of choice, or headed out to a theater, there are plenty of new releases to check out. Here’s what we plan to be watching this fall.
Last Light
Lost star Matthew Fox makes his return to TV in this adaptation of Alex Scarrow’s bestselling novel. Fox plays an oil industry chemist who’s at the center of a global catastrophe when the world’s oil supply suddenly runs out. Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt co-stars as his wife, and the two must race to reunite their family as nations rapidly collapse around them. It’s a fast-paced global thriller with a disturbingly timely premise. All five episodes of the limited series are now streaming on Peacock.
So Help Me Todd
Maybe the title is a bit of a groan-worthy pun, but it captures the playful tone of this legal drama starring Skylar Astin as the title character. He’s a smart but reckless private detective who loses his license and winds up taking a job as an in-house investigator for his no-nonsense lawyer mother (Marcia Gay Harden). They work together to solve cases while also working on their family relationship. For fans of CBS procedurals, it offers a quirky take on a familiar format. New episodes air Thursdays at 9 p.m. on CBS and stream on Paramount+.
Luckiest Girl Alive
Jessica Knoll’s twisty 2015 novel made quite an impression on readers, and it’s the latest literary thriller to get the Netflix original movie treatment. Mila Kunis stars as Ani Fanelli, a young woman who seems to fit the title but has dark secrets in her past. A documentary filmmaker and a former teacher bring up troubling memories from a time Ani thought she left behind. She examines her seemingly perfect life, including her successful career and loving fiancé, as she faces up to the terrible trauma she experienced. Luckiest Girl Alive opens in select theaters on September 30 and streams on Netflix starting October 7.
A Friend of the Family
For a few months in 2019, it seemed like everyone was watching the true-crime documentary Abducted in Plain Sight, telling the shocking story of a Mormon family whose young daughter was kidnapped multiple times by a supposed family friend. Now the story gets the dramatic treatment in this limited series from The Act and Candy co-creator Nick Antosca. Jake Lacy stars as the seemingly friendly neighbor with sinister intentions, with Anna Paquin and Colin Hanks as the parents who are powerless against his manipulations. The first three episodes premiere October 6 on Peacock, with subsequent episodes releasing weekly.
Magpie Murders
This six-part TV series is based on the first of Anthony Horowitz’s mystery novels featuring book editor turned sleuth Susan Ryeland. Lesley Manville plays Susan, who investigates the mysterious death of a renowned mystery author just before he could finish his latest novel. The show, adapted by Horowitz himself, mixes Susan’s investigation into the author’s death with the narrative from the author’s final novel, starring Timothy McMullan as the fictional detective. It brings two mysteries together to arrive at an unconventional solution. Magpie Murders airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on PBS beginning October 16.
The Good Nurse
The title of this true-crime thriller could refer to Amy Loughren (Jessica Chastain), a devoted healthcare worker who uncovers her colleague’s murderous treatment of patients. Or it could refer to Charles Cullen (Eddie Redmayne), Amy’s seemingly kind and diligent friend and co-worker whose pleasant demeanor allowed him to get away with his killings for decades. He flies under the radar until Amy suspects that he may be reponsible for supposed overdose deaths. The Good Nurse premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and will be released in select theaters on October 19 before streaming on Netflix October 26.
Enola Holmes 2
Millie Bobby Brown returns as Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister in another mystery film based on the young adult novels by Nancy Springer. After the events of the first movie, Enola has set up her own detective agency, and her first case involves searching for a young girl’s missing sister. That puts her at odds with her more famous brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill), and the two must team up to solve their intertwined cases. As in the first movie, the sequel promises plenty of rousing action and self-aware humor. Enola Holmes 2 premieres November 4 on Netflix.
The English
Emily Blunt is both the star and producer of this limited series set in 1890 Wyoming. Blunt plays an English aristocrat who recruits a Pawnee scout (Chaske Spencer) to help her cross the harsh western territory. They face danger on their way to the town of Hozem, Wyoming, where the local sheriff (Stephen Rea) is investigating a series of strange murders. Created by Hugo Blick (The Honourable Woman, Black Earth Rising), The English is a Western full of suspense and action that also takes on serious issues of race and class. All six episodes premiere November 11 on Amazon Prime Video.
By clicking 'Sign Up,' I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
What to Read Next
Josh Bell is a freelance writer and movie/TV critic based in Las Vegas. He’s the former film editor of Las Vegas Weekly and the former TV comedies guide for About.com. He has written about movies, TV, and pop culture for Vulture, Polygon, CBR, Inverse, Crooked Marquee, and more. With comedian Jason Harris, he co-hosts the podcast Awesome Movie Year.