Later this month, look for Kirkus’ columns on Dopesick, a Hulu miniseries premiering Oct. 13, based on Beth Macy’s nonfiction bestseller (a finalist for the 2018 Kirkus Prize); and Dune, the new, long-awaited movie version of Frank Herbert’s SF epic, streamable on HBO Max on Oct. 22. In the meantime, here are four more October book-to-screen adaptations to check out:

Oct. 1: Maid (Limited Series Premiere, Netflix)

In the last few years, Margaret Qualley has appeared in two major productions based on books: the FX miniseries Fosse/Verdon, based on Sam Wasson’s Kirkus-starred biography Fosse, and the film My Salinger Year, based on Joanna Rakoff’s well-received memoir. (Qualley was nominated for an Emmy for the former.) Now, Qualley stars as a fictional character, Alex, in a limited series inspired by Stephanie Land’s Kirkus-starred 2019 memoir of working as a minimum-wage housecleaner while raising a daughter as a single mother in Washington state. Kirkus’ reviewer found the book to be a grim but insightful and important account of the struggles that the working poor face each day in America. Qualley is a fine actor, and the trailer for the series, created by Shameless producer Molly Smith Metzler, looks promising. However, one bit of casting could prove distracting: Qualley’s real-life mother, Andie MacDowell, plays Alex’s mom in the series; hopefully, this recurring reminder of Qualley’s privileged upbringing won’t undercut the show’s message.

Oct. 7: One of Us Is Lying (Series Premiere, Peacock)

This new high-school murder-mystery show is based on Karen M. MacManus’ 2017 YA series-starter, which, according to Kirkus’ reviewer, combines elements of Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and The Breakfast Club. In it, five teens from different social cliques are in detention when one of them, Simon, keels over and dies after drinking water tainted with peanut oil, to which he is deathly allergic. It turns out that Simon was about to reveal scandalous dirt about the remaining four students—Bronwyn, Nate, Cooper, and Addy, described as a “brain,” a “criminal,” a “princess,” and a “jock,” respectively—on his gossip app, which makes them all suspects in his murder. To clear their names, they embark on a search for the killer. It’s an irresistible setup, and the show’s creative team is intriguing, as well: Its showrunner is Darío Madrona, who co-created the popular Spanish Netflix drama Elite, and the pilot episode is directed by Jennifer Morrison, who memorably co-starred in the shows House and Once Upon a Time.

Oct. 13: Fever Dream (Film Premiere, Netflix)

Argentinian author Samanta Schweblin wrote the screenplay for this movie version of her Kirkus-starred 2017 novel. In the book, which was translated from the Spanish by Megan McDowell, a woman named Amanda lies dying at a clinic in the Argentinian countryside. A child named David questions her about the events that brought her to her current state, which include strange, dreamlike elements, including poisonous water and a mysterious healer. Kirkus’ reviewer called the work “an unsettling and significant dissection of maternal love and fear…and of our inability to escape or control the unseen and unimagined threats all around us.” The film is directed by Peruvian filmmaker Claudia Llosa, who was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film for 2009’s The Milk of Sorrow.

Oct. 15: I Know What You Did Last Summer (Series Premiere, Amazon Prime Video)

Lois Duncan’s 1973 YA novel is a modestly suspenseful revenge tale that was adapted as a popular 1997 slasher movie that barely resembled the source material. In the original book, a group of high school kids accidentally kill a 10-year-old boy in a hit-and-run; later, one of the teens, Julie, receives an anonymous note in the mail with the titular phrase. It soon becomes clear that someone is targeting the group, seeking vengeance for the young boy’s death. In the film, the teens run down an adult pedestrian and are then pursued by a hook-wielding murderer; it’s a tale full of gory killings that don’t occur in the book. This new TV series clearly takes its cues from the movie, and it seems likely to appeal to horror fans; one of its executive producers is James Wan, the co-creator of the Saw franchise, and it co-stars the talented Brianne Tju, who was a highlight of the underrated Hulu YA horror series Light as a Feather—which was also based on a book.

David Rapp is the senior Indie editor.