5 Best Movies & TV Shows Streaming On Netflix This Week (October 13-19)

There are so many streamers now that I always think of a version of this social media post every time I try and decide which one to try, but if you really think about it, Netflix is the OG — without its presence kicking off our current era of streaming, we might not have, say, AMC+. While that could be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it, I'm trying to make lemonade out of lemons here ... and the truth is that there actually is a lot of stuff worth watching on Netflix.

There are a few brand-new and fairly-new projects populating the Netflix charts this week, and, plus, just for fun, I've included an older nostalgia-based pick for you to try out as we transition into the fall season. From movies to new and returning TV shows to that aforementioned autumnal favorite, here's everything you should consider checking out on Netflix this week.

Netflix has several great coming-of-age shows in its library — "Never Have I Ever," "Sex Education," and "Heartstopper" come to mind, just to name a few — and if you like those, you'll love "Boots," the streamer's new series about a young man discovering who he is and what he wants out of life. Based on Greg Cope White's memoir "Pink Marine," the show focuses on Cameron Cope (Miles Heizer, known for the streamer's series "13 Reasons Why" as well as the hit movie "Love, Simon"), a young man desperate to get out of his small town but unable to afford college or a move on his own. 

After his best friend Ray McAffey (Liam Oh), who was recently released from the Air Force Academy over eyesight issues, encourages him to join the Marines, Cameron teams up with Ray and the two enlist, but there's one problem: it's the 1990s, and with "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" still in effect, Cameron can't admit to anybody that he's gay without risking his status as a Marine.

"Boots" is pretty real and raw about the boot camp experience, but it's still incredibly emotional and heartening to watch Cameron, Ray, and the other recruits not only adjust to their life, but thrive. Plus, Vera Farmiga is in this! She plays Cameron's overwhelmed but loving mom, Barbara! You should always watch projects featuring Farmiga, in my opinion.

Helmed by Debora Cahn and led by television veteran Keri Russell, "The Diplomat" is an intense, occasionally campy, and deeply fun political thriller that casts Russell as Kate Wyler, the titular diplomat who ends up fulfilling her duties for the United States government abroad in the United Kingdom. Despite internal strife at work over her marriage to fellow diplomat Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), Kate thrives at her job, especially when it comes to her work alongside Grace Penn (the always perfect Allison Janney), the U.S. vice president who ultimately rises to the office of President. (Also, fans of "The West Wing" will be delighted to see Bradley Whitford, Janney's co-star from that political drama, play her husband, Todd Penn, in season 3.)

That third season drops in its entirety on Netflix on October 16, so if you're a fan of "The Diplomat" — or you binge the entire thing as you prepare for this full-season arrival — you might want to try and set aside an entire day to catch up with Kate and her international exploits. Russell may have gained massive fame and acclaim for playing a Russian spy on "The Americans," but now, she's fighting for the home team. Plus, if you missed it, /Film ranked "The Diplomat" as one of the very best shows of 2024.

Based on the hit 2016 novel by Ruth Ware, "The Woman in Cabin 10" casts Keira Knightley as Lauren "Lo" Blacklock, an investigative journalist who recently endured a traumatic event but still accepts an invitation to cover the maiden voyage of a luxury yacht. Aboard The Aurora, Lo meets the man behind the journey, Richard Bullmer (Guy Pearce), his grievously ill wife Anne (Lisa Loven Kongsli), and various other wealthy and privileged guests, like Heidi, Grace, Adam, and strangely, Lo's ex-boyfriend Ben (played respectively by Hannah Waddingham, Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings, and David Ajala). 

After Lo hears some alarming noises in the night, she becomes convinced that a fellow passenger has gone overboard, and more to the point, she's certain that it's the strange woman named Carrie (Gitte Witt) that she met in the titular cabin 10 ... but after the ship's security professionals investigate the noises, they tell Lo that there was no passenger in cabin 10.

"The Woman in Cabin 10" does make some slightly confusing changes from its source material, but that's the name of the game when it comes to adaptation, and this movie is still extremely enjoyable, especially thanks to Knightley's magnetic central performance. Solve the mystery along with Lo, check out "The Woman in Cabin 10," and then consider trying Ware's book (and its 2025 sequel "The Woman in Suite 11").

"Black Rabbit" dropped on Netflix rather quietly in the middle of September 2025 — though /Film's Debopriyaa Dutta gave it a seriously solid review — and if you haven't watched it yet, she's right; it deserves your attention. Potentially based on the drama surrounding the very real New York dining hotspot The Spotted Pig, which was apparently home to rampant sexual harassment and abuse under the "supervision" of owner Ken Friedman and investor Mario Batali (who both allegedly participated in said abuse), "Black Rabbit" stars Jude Law as restauranteur Jake Friedken, who owns the titular restaurant the Black Rabbit. Jake's life is quickly turned upside down when his shady brother Vince, played by Jason Bateman, comes to town and threatens to destroy all of Jake's success when his gambling debts come to light.

"The Black Rabbit" isn't always an easy watch, and Bateman is especially stomach-turning as the show's heel, but it's a great binge-watch on a rainy day or chilly night, so consider adding it to your Netflix queue. It's kind of like "The Bear," if "The Bear" had way more crime in it.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Yes, I know this show ended in 2007, but bear with me. "Gilmore Girls," the small-town series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino that centers around a precocious teenager, Lorelai "Rory" Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) and her young, impossibly cool mom, Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham), is the perfect show to watch as temperatures drop and the leaves start to fall from the trees. The show picks up as Rory learns that she's all set to transfer to a prestigious prep school in Connecticut, Chilton, but there's one catch: Lorelai needs tuition money from her estranged and wealthy parents, Emily and Richard Gilmore (Kelly Bishop and the late, great Edward Hermann), bringing her judgmental but quietly big-hearted parents back into her independent life.

There are seven original seasons of "Gilmore Girls" — though any fan worth their salt will tell you that season 7, which saw both Sherman-Palladino and her creative partner and husband Daniel leave the series, wasn't really any good — and four 90-minute episodes of the 2016 spin-off "A Year in the Life," so fret not; there's a ton of "Gilmore" content to help you celebrate the new season. Just trust me. Make a cup of tea. Get a blanket. Press play on "Gilmore Girls." Then, let me know when you've inadvertently breezed through multiple seasons and tell me which of Rory's boyfriends is the best. (The answer, by the way, is Matt Czuchry's Logan Huntzberger, followed by Milo Ventimiglia's Jess Mariano; Jared Padalecki's Dean Forrester isn't even worth considering.)

All of these are streaming on Netflix now.