Fans of classic franchises, heart-pounding action, summer comedies, and top-tier Netflix originals are in luck. Netflix has added a ton of excellent films to their catalogue for the month of August.
With all of these new Netflix movies to choose from, we have narrowed your options down to some of the best that Netflix has to offer. Don’t worry—if your favorite is not on this list, plenty of other films might pique your interest. In the meantime, here are just some of the best films you should watch with your Netflix subscription this month.
August 1:The Departed (2006)
Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-winning film is an exciting addition to Netflix this month. The Departed is a Boston crime thriller that centers around mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) and the two moles connected to him. Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an undercover cop who infiltrates Costello’s gang, while Collin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is one of Costello’s spies planted in the Massachusetts State Police. Billy and Collin must find and eliminate the other, with the constant reminder that their lives are on the line if they fail.
The Departed is a remake of an acclaimed Hong Kong film, Internal Affairs, loosely based on real-life criminals known as the Boston Winter Hill Gang. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director (the first of Scorsese’s career). Mark Wahlberg was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his scene-stealing turn as dogged Staff Sergeant Sean Dignam. The film features tense sequences that will leave you on the edge of your seat, a nuanced look at the heart of crime, and an ending that you’ll be thinking about for days.
August 1: Jurassic Park (1993)
Hot on the heels of this summer’s Jurassic Park Rebirth, Stephen Spielberg’s original summer blockbuster finds a home on Netflix. Paleontologists Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) think they have hit the jackpot when they are invited to tour a theme park filled with genuine prehistoric dinosaurs. However, billionaire John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) hasn’t thought the whole thing through, and soon Alan, Ellie, and Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) are fighting for their lives to survive just one night in the park. The odds of surviving seem impossible between attacks from a T-Rex, velociraptors, and bugs in the park’s security system.
The streaming platform has also added The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) and Jurassic Park III (2001). However, Jurassic Park still stands as the best of the franchise due to its unique premise (courtesy of sci-fi legend Michael Crichton), compelling characters, and highly realistic special effects. Even though VFX has come a long way since 1993, Jurassic Park’s dinosaurs are unmatched. If you only have time to watch one of the original trilogy, make it the one that started it all.
August 1: Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
Wet Hot American Summer is a bonkers spoof of the summer camp movies of the 1980s. On the last day of camp, a group of rowdy counselors tries to wrap up any unfinished business. Coop (Michael Showalter) tries to express his love to Katie (Marguerite Moreau), who is doing her best to hold onto her relationship with bad boy Andy (Paul Rudd). Meanwhile, Ben (Bradley Cooper) and Susie (Amy Poehler) try to put on a talent show, which seems doomed from the start. And none of this even touches the drama involving a talking can of vegetables, the imminent danger of a falling U.S. space station, and surprising sexual awakenings.
Netflix has strong ties to Wet Hot American Summer due to their original shows, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later. However, the original film has been missing from the streaming platform for many years, making this a triumphant return for the cult classic comedy. This silly comedy features both established and future stars, including Elizabeth Banks, David Hyde Pierce, Ken Marino, Michael Ian Black, Molly Shannon, Joe Lo Truglio, Janeane Garofalo, H. Jon Benjamin, and Christopher Meloni. Check out this comedy gem before it’s gone again.
August 15: Night Always Comes (2025)
Night Always Comes is an upcoming Netflix original that you should keep an eye on. Lynette (Vanessa Kirby) faces eviction unless she can raise $25,000 to purchase the house she is renting with her brother (Zack Gottsagen) and mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh). She only has two days to find the money, so she embarks on a dangerous journey into the city to protect her family.
While the film’s premise seems simple, there is likely more than meets the eye. Night Always Comes (directed by Benjamin Caron) is based on a novel by award-winning author Willy Vlautin, whose work has been praised by the New York Times Book Review and the Washington Post. In addition, the star power, particularly from Kirby and Jason Leigh, suggests a great film in the works. Viewers can likely expect a noir-inspired drama, filled with intrigue and investigations into the harsh realities of many hard-working citizens.
August 16: Fast Five (2011)
Nothing says “family” like a complicated car chase. After the events of Fast & Furious (2009), Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) effectively resigns from the police force by breaking Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) out of police custody. They hide out in Rio de Janeiro for the time being, but they have one last job to do before they can truly be free. It will take a crack team of car racers and computer hackers to pull this off, all while avoiding capture by the relentless DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson).
While Netflix is adding the entireThe Fast and the Furious saga, including Hobbs & Shaw (2019), you can’t do better than Fast Five. The film marks a shift in tone and mission, moving the likes of Dom and Brian away from small-time theft into higher-stakes drama. However, it doesn’t veer quite into the same level of ridiculous antics as some of the later entries, making for a quick, high-octane adventure. Plus, the introduction of Dwayne Johnson and the return of Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, and Ludacris as major cast members bring new life to the series, making it a major high point for the franchise.
August 28: The Thursday Murder Club (2025)
If you’re a fan of a cozy murder mystery, then this new Netflix original has you covered. The Thursday Murder Club follows a group of friends in a retirement home: Joyce (Celia Imrie), Ron (Pierce Brosnan), Elizabeth (Helen Mirren), and Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley). They meet every Thursday to solve cold cases, just for fun. However, they find themselves enmeshed in a real murder case, and solving it may be more than these amateur sleuths bargained for.
This film is reminiscent of films such as Knives Out (2019) or Enola Holmes (2020), with a refreshing spin on the amateur detective genre. Chris Columbus directs this adaptation of Richard Oseman’s novel, which received wide acclaim and grew into a popular series (so, we could expect some future sequels). The performances from Imrie, Brosnan, Mirren, and Kingsley are enough to sell this movie. Still, we can also look forward to watching notable scene-stealers such as Naomi Ackie and David Tennant to round out the cast. You’d better sharpen your sleuthing skills before Ebola The Thursday Murder Club later this month!