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Esquire has published a weekend viewing guide for Oct. 23, 2026, covering new theatrical releases, streaming titles and a returning Netflix series. Its picks include the stop-motion fantasy Wildwood, DC horror film Clayface, and releases on Shudder, Hulu, YouTube and Netflix.
Esquire has published a weekend watchlist for Oct. 23, 2026, featuring new films in theaters and titles arriving on streaming services and television. The editors’ selections include LAIKA’s stop-motion fantasy Wildwood, the DC Studios horror film Clayface, and new or returning programming on Shudder, Hulu, Netflix and YouTube.
The theatrical picks span several genres. Esquire recommends Wildwood, adapted from Colin Meloy’s 2011 novel, about a Portland girl who enters a forbidden wilderness after her baby brother is kidnapped by crows. The guide identifies the film as a stop-motion production by LAIKA, the studio behind Coraline, ParaNorman and Kubo and the Two Strings. Its praise of the film is the editors’ assessment, not an independent measure of audience or critical response.
The other cinema releases in the guide include Clayface, described as a psychological horror story about actor Matt Hagen, played by Tom Rhys Harries, whose efforts to repair his disfigured face turn his body into moldable clay. Wicker stars Olivia Colman as a woman who commissions a basketmaker, played by Peter Dinklage, to make her a husband; Alexander Skarsgård plays the resulting creation. Esquire characterizes the film as a romantasy story and reports that it has attracted online attention.
At home, the list includes Shudder creature feature The Cycle, Hulu’s three-part true-crime series Swipe Right on the Devil, and the Netflix return of Nobody Wants This for season three. On YouTube, comedian Adam Conover’s special Big Divorce Energy is scheduled to release at 5 p.m. ET on Oct. 23. Netflix is also carrying Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, a sequel with a new crew, and bringing Quentin Tarantino-written, Tony Scott-directed True Romance back to the service, according to Esquire.
A Crowded Week Before Halloween
The guide is a snapshot of a particularly busy entertainment weekend shortly before Halloween, with horror and dark fantasy prominent across theaters and streaming. Viewers can choose between a superhero-universe body horror film, a creature feature and a true-crime series, alongside romance, animation and returning television.
For readers deciding what to watch, the list also gathers releases across platforms in one place. Its recommendations are editorial judgments: Esquire’s strong endorsement of Wildwood, for example, tells readers what its editors favor, but does not establish broader consensus or guarantee how audiences will respond.
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The October Releases in Esquire’s Guide
Esquire frames the selections as options for the weekend one week before Halloween, after a month it describes as crowded with entertainment but comparatively light on horror films. That assessment is the publication’s characterization. The guide points readers to both theatrical releases and home viewing, including a scheduled same-day YouTube stand-up release and new Netflix programming.
Some picks build on earlier work. Wildwood adapts Meloy’s 2011 novel, while Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 follows the acclaimed 2022 animated series but is presented as a disconnected sequel with a different crew in Night City. The guide also notes that True Romance was written by Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott; its return to Netflix is a catalog availability change rather than a new film release.
““one of the most breathtaking movies I’ve seen all year””
— Esquire’s reviewer, on Wildwood
Availability and Reception Details
The supplied guide does not provide theater counts, box-office figures, audience ratings or independent reviews for the listed titles. Its descriptions of films as excellent, acclaimed, viral or overlooked are Esquire’s characterizations and are not accompanied here by supporting metrics.
Availability can also differ by location or change after publication. The source identifies platforms and the YouTube release time, but does not give regional availability details for every title. It also does not specify episode release schedules for the returning series or provide further information about the cases covered in Hulu’s true-crime program.
Weekend Releases and Viewing
The next stated milestone is the release of Adam Conover: Big Divorce Energy on YouTube at 5 p.m. ET on Oct. 23. Viewers can check local theater listings and each streaming service for current access to the other titles. The guide gives no further release dates or schedule details, so availability and viewing plans should be confirmed with the relevant venue or platform.
Key Questions
What is Esquire’s top theatrical recommendation?
The guide’s strongest endorsement is Wildwood, a stop-motion fantasy from LAIKA adapted from Colin Meloy’s novel. That is the reviewer’s opinion, not a claim of universal consensus.
Which horror films are included?
The theatrical horror selection is Clayface. The streaming list includes Shudder’s creature feature The Cycle; the guide also describes Swipe Right on the Devil as a Hulu true-crime series.
When does Adam Conover’s special come out?
Adam Conover: Big Divorce Energy is scheduled for Oct. 23, 2026, at 5 p.m. ET on Conover’s YouTube channel, according to Esquire.
What is new in Nobody Wants This season three?
Esquire says the Netflix season follows Noah and Joanne as they move in together, while Joanne begins converting to Judaism. The guide does not give a more detailed episode schedule.
Source: rss
