The streaming landscape can feel … overwhelming, to say the very least. I know that, when I settle in for the night and want to queue up something new and exciting, I often get a little freaked out by all the options and go rewatch something comforting and familiar (right now, it’s “Gilmore Girls,” and you are not allowed to judge me). Still, we all need to branch out a little bit, and if you’re looking for something new or something you haven’t seen before, there’s a lot of good stuff going on over at HBO Max right now.
Whether you need something freaky to watch for the Halloween season — as an honorable mention, “Bring Her Back” made its way to the streamer earlier in October and earned a solid review from /Film’s own Chris Evangelista, although that’s less “freaky” and more “abjectly terrifying” — or you’re a fan of incredibly specific cringe comedy, I’ve got you covered. Here’s what you should check out on HBO Max between October 13 and October 19.
Read more: 15 Horror Movies So Disturbing You Will Only Watch Them Once
The Chair Company
Ron on the phone pointing and making a weird face on The Chair Company – Sarah Shatz/HBO
I, personally, love Tim Robinson. I love his uniquely bizarre line delivery, a skill honed by performers like him and greats like Catherine O’Hara (who can forget how she says the word “baby” on “Schitt’s Creek?”). I love the fact that all he has to do is squint, and it’s somehow funny. I love that he’s dedicated his career to playing mildly off-putting weirdos who cannot, under any circumstances, ever admit that they’re wrong. It shouldn’t be surprising, with all of that in mind, that I’m vouching for “The Chair Company,” a new series from Robinson and his frequent collaborator Zach Kanin, which premiered on October 12 on HBO. (Chris Evangelista also reviewed this series for /Film and was pretty pleased with what he saw.)
Without spoiling the “twists” and “turns” of “The Chair Company,” something embarrassing happens to a normal middle manager named Ron Kasper (Robinson) at work that sends him into an uncontrollable tailspin … a situation that often befalls Robinson’s characters. Aided by Lake Bell (as Ron’s wife), “It” veteran Sophia Lillis, and supporting turns from legendary comedy writer Jim Downey, acting veteran Lou Diamond Phillips, and newcomer Joseph Tudisco, Robinson is surrounded by greats, and even if you worry that his schtick might wear thin on a half-hour comedy, don’t worry one bit and check out “The Chair Company.”
An Intimate Evening with Adam Pally
Adam Pally plugging in a guitar in An Intimate Evening with Adam Pally – HBO
Full disclosure: I was lucky enough to see a performance of what may or may not have been an early draft of “An Intimate Evening with Adam Pally” when he performed it at 30 Rockefeller Center’s Pebble Bar in the summer of 2023, and I’m pretty thrilled that Pally and his strange, hilarious little special made it to HBO Max. Premiering on October 17, the special, which features Pally by himself with a guitar, features the “Happy Endings” actor telling jokes and singing little ditties. As he said in a press release from HBO, “The special was made out of a deep desire to make something, anything, anything at all, and I couldn’t be prouder of it and grateful to HBO for giving me an incredible platform to make people laugh, play music, and tell some bubbameisters.”
You can definitely expect laughs, music, and even bubbameisters, and whether you’re familiar with Pally’s body of work or are just learning about him for the first time, there’s something to love here for everybody. (Except maybe kids; it’s a little risqué for kids.)
Friendship
Craig sitting in his chair looking confused and holding his phone in Friendship – A24
Sorry, not sorry to double up on the Tim Robinson content, but when you consider that his other huge project — “I Think You Should Leave” — has its own home on a different streamer, I’d definitely recommend that you pair “The Chair Company” with Robinson’s bizarre and wonderful 2024 movie “Friendship.” Written and directed by Andrew DeYoung, who also serves an executive producer of “The Chair Company,” “Friendship” stars Robinson as Craig Waterman, an immensely odd guy who says sentences like “I heard there’s a new Marvel out that’s supposed to be nuts” and barely flinches when his son Steven (Jack Dylan Grazer) passionately kisses his mom and Ron’s wife Tami (Kate Mara) right on the mouth. Everything changes for Craig when he meets his new neighbor, local weatherman and avid fossil collector and adventurer Austin Carmichael (a perfectly cast Paul Rudd), and makes … a friend.
Craig, who is extremely weird, derails this friendship almost immediately, but the lengths he goes to even try and win Austin back are both insane and strangely admirable. Again, you have to like Robinson for this movie, so give “The Chair Company” a shot and then queue this up as a chaser. (Plus, it’s one of the very best comedies of 2025, according to /Film.)
Task
Tom talking to someone at a table on Task – Peter Kramer/HBO
On October 19, the finale of HBO’s hit miniseries “Task” airs — so if you’ve been following along with this twisted, dark story, you’ll definitely want to tune in to see its conclusion. The producers of “Mare of Easttown,” including creator Brad Ingelsby, returned to HBO after that critically beloved series for “Task” — and return to the general Philadelphia area, so prepare yourself for quite a lot of thick Delaware County accents — to tell the story of FBI agent Tom Brandis (star Mark Ruffalo), who leads a task force to try and find the culprit behind a series of burglaries, all of which have turned violent. The man behind said burglaries, Robbie Prendergrast (an excellent Tom Pelphrey), evades Tom at nearly every turn, leaving the agent frustrated and at a loss.
The cat-and-mouse game between Tom and Robbie is definitely going to arrive at some sort of horrifying but satisfying ending, so if you’ve been keeping up with “Task,” check out the finale. If not, the whole miniseries will be available to binge after the finale airs.
The Substance
Elisabeth preparing for a date with mascara on her face in The Substance – Mubi
After a somewhat miraculous Oscar run in 2024, writer-director Coralie Fargeat’s Mubi original “The Substance” is finally available on HBO Max as of October 10, and this movie is perfect for both the Halloween season and a world where we only value women based on their youth and appearance. As fitness and TV star Elisabeth Sparkle’s (an astounding, Oscar-nominated Demi Moore) star begins to fade, she decides to take the titular substance, which effectively splits her consciousness and lets her inhabit the younger and “more beautiful” body of Sue (a hypnotic Margaret Qualley) for one week at a time. The only rule of this substance is that you have to return to your original body every seven days and then hook the younger body up to an IV and keep it in storage. Naturally, Elizabeth — seduced and entranced by Sue’s seemingly breezy and perfect life — does not abide by this one vitally important rule.
Moore and Qualley are absolutely magnetic as the two halves of the being that’s eventually known as Elisasue, and if you don’t know about the absolutely buckwild ending of “The Substance,” I’ll let you discover it for yourself. You absolutely have to be okay with body horror, but truly, “The Substance” is worth every squeamish moment.
All of these are streaming on HBO Max now.
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