Steamy, scary TV to watch in October

Fall is when studios love to drop some of their juiciest awards-season contenders. And October’s slate unsurprisingly features several buzzy, prestigious new offerings, with a movie for virtually all tastes.

‘East of Eden’

East of Eden | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube

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Florence Pugh stars in this adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel. She plays Cathy Ames, who shoots her husband, Adam (Christopher Abbott), and flees to run a brothel after delivering their twin boys. The series offers an “allegory of the moral corruption of a nation,” said Inkoo Kang at The New Yorker. (on Netflix now)

‘War’

WAR | Official Trailer | HBO Max - YouTube

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Creator George Kay’s new drama tackles the divorce between actress Carla Duval (Sienna Miller) and tech tycoon Morgan Henderson (Dominic West) while foregrounding their warring law firms. The series is an “old-school adult drama,” said Michel Ghanem at The Cut. (on HBOMax now)

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‘Carrie’

Carrie – Official Trailer | Prime Video - YouTube

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In this new take on Stephen King’s novel from horror auteur Mike Flanagan, updated for the social media era, Summer H. Howell plays Carrie White, the shy student whose bullying results in supernatural tragedy. Flanagan’s take on the story makes “everyone a little more sympathetic,” said Katie Rife at Inverse. (on Prime Video now)

‘The Diplomat’ season 4

The Diplomat: Season 4 | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube

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“The Diplomat” returns with President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) and Vice President Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell) scrambling to contain the fallout from a shocking act of espionage while Hal’s wife, Kate (Keri Russell), tries to salvage the international order. It’s a show that “treats politics as something deeply personal,” said Lucy Baugher Milas at Paste Magazine. (Oct. 15 on Netflix) (out Tuesday on Netflix)