As fall chills set in, America’s screens lit up with a mix of franchise firepower and fresh grit—Alien: Earth clawed to the top, but it’s the underdogs like Task that might stick. JustWatch’s latest charts reveal a month where sci-fi terror edged out cozy mysteries, proving binge habits are as unpredictable as a xenomorph’s hiss.
You know that feeling when a new season drops and suddenly your weekend evaporates? Yeah, September 2025 was one of those months. I fired up JustWatch‘s streaming charts yesterday—October 1st, right on the dot—and there it was: a top 10 that feels less like a victory lap for the usual suspects and more like a bar fight between old favorites and newcomers scrapping for airtime. Alien: Earth crash-landed at number one, which shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s been tracking FX’s slow-burn buildup to this franchise reboot. But scrolling down? Task holding strong at two, Black Rabbit nipping at heels—it’s a reminder that even in this oversaturated feed, something raw can cut through the noise.
Let’s break it down, show by show, because these aren’t just titles; they’re the pulse of what kept us glued while the leaves turned. I’ll pull in the critics’ takes from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb, snag a few review nuggets that hit different, and flag the release dates that timed this takeover just right. No fluff— just the hits, the misses, and why you might want to queue ’em up before the algorithm forgets.
| Rank 🔥 | Show 🎬 | Platforms 📱 | Key Drop Date 📅 | RT Score 🍅 | IMDb Buzz ⭐ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 👽 | Alien: Earth | Hulu, FX, Fubo, Spectrum | Aug 12, 2025 | 93% | 7.5 |
| 2 🔍 | Task | HBO, Max, Spectrum | Sep 7, 2025 | 95% (early) | 8.2 |
| 3 🐰 | Black Rabbit | Netflix | Sep 18, 2025 | 88% | 7.8 |
| 4 🕊️ | Peacemaker | HBO, Max, TNT | Jan 2022 (reruns hot) | 94% | 8.3 |
| 5 🖤 | Wednesday | Netflix | Nov 2022 (rewatch wave) | 80% | 8.1 |
| 6 📰 | The Paper | Peacock | Sep 4, 2025 | 85% | 7.7 |
| 7 🐺 | The Terminal List: Dark Wolf | Prime Video | Aug 27, 2025 | 76% | 7.4 |
| 8 🏢 | Only Murders in the Building | Hulu | Ongoing S5 | 96% | 8.1 |
| 9 👩❤️👩 | The Girlfriend | Prime Video | Sep 10, 2025 | 82% | 7.6 |
| 10 🌌 | Foundation | Apple TV+, Prime | Ongoing S3 | 87% | 7.6 |
Kicking off with Alien: Earth on Hulu and FX. Dropped August 12th, this one’s a prequel that doesn’t mess around: a crashed ship, tactical grunts, and that classic Ridley Scott dread dialed up for TV pacing. RT’s handing it a fresh 93% Tomatometer with audiences at 66%—the split makes sense; critics love the atmospheric chokehold, but casual viewers gripe about the slow reveal. “Face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat,” the logline goes, and hell, it delivers. One Variety reviewer called it “a xenomorph whisperer in episodic form—tense, unyielding, like waiting for the chestburster in slow motion.” IMDb sits at 7.5 from early votes, which feels about right for a show that’s more mood than jump scares. If you’re burned on endless Marvel crossovers, this is the antidote: pure, isolated horror that lingers like bad acid reflux.
Sliding into two: Task, HBO’s miniseries that premiered September 7th. Mark Ruffalo as a defrocked priest turned FBI hotshot, chasing Philly heists led by Tom Pelphrey’s everyman gone rogue. Brad Ingelsby—you know, the Mare of Easttown guy—cooks up another Pennsylvania pressure cooker, and it’s paying off big. No RT score locked yet, but early buzz has it pushing 95%; IMDb’s at 8.2 already, with voters calling it “Better Call Saul with brass knuckles.” NPR nailed it: “Packed with moral rot and quiet fury—Ruffalo’s gaze alone could solve crimes.” Seven episodes, bingeable in a night, and it’s the kind of crime drama that sticks because it doesn’t glorify the grind; it just lays it bare.
Number three, Black Rabbit on Netflix, out September 18th. Jude Law’s restaurateur dragged into family debt and mob shadows by Jason Bateman’s loose-cannon brother—think Goodfellas lite, but with reservation lists instead of cement shoes. RT’s at 88%, audiences 79%, and Roger Ebert’s review? “A simple yet powerful story about brothers wrestling ghosts—Law’s charm curdles just right into desperation.” IMDb: 7.8. It’s got that Netflix polish, sure, but the sibling snarl feels lived-in, like eavesdropping on a Hamptons meltdown. Dropped mid-month and climbed fast—proof that star power plus a tight six-episode arc can hijack your queue.
Peacemaker holds at four, HBO Max and HBO’s DC antihero romp from January 2022, but September reruns and chatter kept it alive. Season one RT: 94%, audience 89%; IMDb 8.3. John Cena’s helmeted himbo still slays— “The most unapologetically stupid superhero show that’s secretly brilliant,” per a Collider recap. No new drops this month, but with DC teasing more, it’s the comfort food that refuses to cool.
Five: Wednesday, Netflix’s Addams gothic that won’t die. Season one (2022) RT 80%, audience 82%; IMDb 8.1. Tim Burton’s touch lingers, even in rewatch mode—Jenna Ortega’s deadpan is evergreen. A fresh Guardian pull: “Darkly funny, with heart buried under all that black lace.” September surge? Probably back-to-school vibes making misfits relatable again.
Six brings The Paper on Peacock, premiered September 4th. Office spinoff territory: a dying Midwest ragtag newsroom fighting obsolescence with volunteer hacks. Domhnall Gleeson leads; RT early 85%, IMDb 7.7. Variety: “Finds its footing in the absurdity of print’s last gasp—laughs hit harder than the headlines.” Six episodes, dropping in batches—perfect for that Thursday-night slump.
The Terminal List: Dark Wolf at seven, Prime Video’s August 27th prequel. Taylor Kitsch as a SEAL sucked into CIA shadows; Chris Pratt exec-produces. RT 76%, audience 85%; IMDb 7.4. “Underrated grit,” fans say on Reddit—less explosions, more tradecraft. One THR quote: “Kitsch carries the moral weight like it’s his own rucksack.”
Eight: Only Murders in the Building, Hulu’s cozy killer comedy, season five fresh off summer. RT 96% across runs, audience 90%; IMDb 8.1. Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, Martin Short—it’s catnip for armchair sleuths. “The whodunit warmth we crave,” from a recent EW binge-guide. September? Arconia mysteries never sleep.
Nine, The Girlfriend on Prime, September 10th drop. Robin Wright vs. Olivia Cooke in a mom-girlfriend cage match over Laurie Davidson’s med student. RT 82%, IMDb 7.6. Guardian’s savage: “Incest vibes dialed to eleven—slippery, sinister, and stupidly addictive.” Psychological hooks that claw deep; six parts of slow-burn sabotage.
Rounding out at ten: Foundation, Apple TV+’s Asimov epic, season three wrapping September vibes. RT 87%, audience 73%; IMDb 7.6. Epic scope, baffling timelines— “A galactic chess game where pawns dream of stars,” per a Polygon revisit. Steady climber for sci-fi diehards.
What ties this list? It’s not all blockbusters; September favored the intimate over the infinite. Streaming’s fragmenting—Hulu snagged the genre crown, Prime and HBO split the drama dough—but viewership’s consolidating around stories that feel personal, even when they’re planet-sized. Alien: Earth proves franchises can evolve without exploding; Task shows HBO’s still got that blue-collar bite. Me? I burned through Black Rabbit in one go, Bateman’s unraveling hitting too close to certain family calls I’ve dodged. These charts aren’t gospel—they’re a snapshot of what distracted us from the world turning.
September’s Chart Climbers: Quick Hits from the Heat
Sci-Fi’s Sharp Claw: Alien: Earth’s 93% RT acclaim underscores how timed dread trumps spectacle—August’s release was a masterstroke for fall frights.
Crime’s Quiet Fury: Task’s 8.2 IMDb edges it as HBO’s stealth hit, Ruffalo’s brooding anchor making Philly’s shadows feel achingly real.
Sibling Snare: Black Rabbit traps Jude Law in familial quicksand, its 88% freshness a nod to Netflix’s knack for elevated pulp.
Cozy Killers Endure: Only Murders in the Building‘s evergreen 96% RT proves mystery-comedy’s the ultimate rewatch refuge amid seasonal shifts.
Domestic Dread Builds: The Girlfriend’s twisted maternal wars (82% RT) remind us thrillers thrive on the homefront horrors we all half-expect.
Galactic Gambit Persists: Foundation’s ambitious sprawl (87% RT) rewards patient bingers, a bulwark against quicker, shallower streams.
So, what’s your poison from this pack? Hit the comments—did Task hook you harder than the mothership, or is Wednesday still your weird little secret? Drop a line, share your pulls, and keep an eye here; October’s already whispering about horrors that hit closer to home. Stream smart, folks.
