I've pored over Netflix's release schedule to bring you the best movies and TV shows premiering on the service this month. My pick for August's most intriguing new series is Kaos, in which Jeff Goldblum plays Zeus in the modern world. It's such a strange premise, I gotta see how it plays out. I'm already sure that the fourth season of Emily in Paris is going to play excellently. There's also the return of Rob Lowe and his son in season 2 of Unstable, director's cuts of both of Zach Snyder's Rebel Moon movies, and a lot more.
Kaos
The great Jeff Goldblum leads the cast of Kaos, a strange, dark, comedy series about what might happen if Zeus (Goldblum) and the rest of the Greek pantheon existed in the modern world. If Goldblum playing a track-suited god isn't a big enough reason to give this series a spin, Kaos was created by Charlie Covell, the genius behind The End of the F***ing World.
Starts streaming Aug. 29.
Emily in Paris, Season 4
Emily Cooper's search for European romance continues for another season of stylish outfits and beautiful scenery. Season four sees Emily traveling from Paris to the majestic French Alps and on to the picturesque piazzas of Rome. That means Emily will have to learn another new language if she hopes to speak to potential Italian suitors. This confection of a series promises just the kind of light entertainment we all need during August's dog days.
Starts streaming Aug. 15.
Unstable, season 2
Unstable's first season earned fans' loyalty for its mix of family comedy and scathing satire, and now Rob Lowe and his real-life son John Owen Lowe are returning for a second season of workplace comedy. They play fictional father and son Ellis and Jackson Dragon. Ellis is a bio-tech billionaire genius who can't keep his shit together, and his son is the only thing that grounds him, but Jackson just wants to play his flute. If you missed season one, don't sleep on season two.
Starts streaming Aug. 2.
Rebel Moon Director’s Cuts
If you can't get enough of Zach Snyders' Rebel Moon movies, the director's cuts might finally slake your endless thirst for Snyder-y space opera. The combined runtime of Rebel Moon Part One: Director’s Cut and Rebel Moon Part Two: Director’s Cut is six hours and 17 minutes—that's almost two hours of added footage. Expect extra violence, extra sex, and extra-Snyder with these R-rated new edits of the sci-fi epics.
Starts streaming Aug. 2.
Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie
Spongebob Squarepants is an American institution, the pop culture hero we both deserve and need. In this full-length original feature, everyone in Bikini Botton is scooped out of the ocean onto dry land, leaving Spongebob and Sandy Cheeks to travel to Texas to put things to right. Saving Bikini Bottom is the kind of kids' movie that everyone likes, so gather the fam.
Starts streaming Aug. 2.
Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
This Netflix original series is a modern take on a classic formula: a plucky, precocious teen sets out to solve a mystery. Emma Myers, who you might remember as Wednesday Addams’ werewolf roommate in Wednesday, plays wannabe detective Pip Fitz-Amobi, a character created by YA novelist Holly Jackson in the book upon which this series is based. If you like Nancy Drew, but feel like it's a little old fashioned, check out A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.
Starts streaming Aug. 1.
Joe Rogan: Burn the Boats
Joe Rogan hosts the most popular and influential podcast on earth, a fact that we all have to deal with. But before he hosted podcasts and gross-out reality shows, Rogan was a stand-up, and he's returning to his roots with Burn the Boats, a comedy special that I'm sure lots of people who aren't me will find hilarious.
Starts streaming Aug. 3.
Secret World of Sound with David Attenborough
Sir David Attenborough is 98 years old. The biologist, natural historian, and actual knight's latest joint is a three-episode series that uses cutting edge technology to examine the way animals use sound, whether it's for mating, fighting, feeding, or just chilling out.
Starts streaming Aug. 4.
The Emoji Movie (2017)
While I try to focus on movies that are good (or at least interesting), sometimes you need a little disaster-cinema. Enter, The Emoji Movie. Who thought making a movie about emojis in your smart phone was good idea? How big of a dumptruck full of money did they drive up to convince talented people like T.J. Miller, Patrick Stewart, and Annis Faris to lend their voices to it? Watch and see if you can figure it out.
Starts streaming Aug. 8.
The Umbrella Academy, season 4
The fourth and final season of Umbrella Academy promises to conclude the story of the Hargreeves siblings battle against the mysterious Keepers. The season begins with our heroes stripped of their powers and separated, leaving each to fend for themselves in a strange new reality. If you're even a little into superheros, don't miss the final season of Umbrella Academy.
Starts streaming Aug. 8.
Inside the Mind of a Dog
Inside the Mind of a Dog is required viewing for all dog parents. Robe Lowe narrates this documentary that asks what's going on inside your dog's head. I'd think the answer would be "literally nothing," but maybe that's just my dog. This documentary features interviews with top canine experts that reveal scientific and emotional insights about our best friends' inner lives.
Starts streaming Aug. 9.
Matt Rife: Lucid - A Crowd Work Special
If you're not familiar with Matt Rife, you haven't been watching viral TikTok videos. Rife has the rare gift of being able to connect directly with his audience to create some of the funniest comedy you've ever heard. Rife is the king of crowd-work and in this special, he's working without a net‚ nothing prepared, just off-the-dome comedy. If you like stand-up at all, don't miss Lucid.
Starts streaming Aug. 13.
Daughters
This Netflix original documentary follows Aubrey, Santana, Raziah, and Ja’Ana, four young girls preparing for a big Daddy Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers. The dance is part of an innovative fatherhood program in a Washington, D.C. jail where convicts change from state-issued jumpsuits to semi-formal suits and are given the chance to bond with their children.
Starts streaming Aug. 14.
Worst Ex Ever
This Netflix true crime series was created by the people who brought us Worst Roommate Ever. Like that show, it combines interviews with victims and their loved ones with animated reenactments of terrible domestic situations. If you like "that shit is crazy" style documentary TV, make an appointment with the Worst Ex Ever, but be ready to file a restraining order.
Starts streaming Aug. 14.
Untold: The Murder of Air McNair
Over his 13 seasons in the NFL, Stephen "Air" McNair distinguished himself as one of the great quarterback of all time, even being named MVP in 2003. But soon after his retirement, McNair was gunned down by his girlfriend. This Netflix documentary examines the quarterback's meteoric rise and long career and delves into the troubling questions surrounding his death.
Starts streaming Aug.20.
Incoming
Incoming slaps a new coat of paint on that old cinematic trope of a gaggle of high school nerds trying to be cool and learning something about themselves by going to a rager. But there's a reason these stories keep coming back: They're awesome. Inspired by a real party witnessed by directors Dave and John Chernin, Incoming is packed with up-and-comers like Mason Thames, Ramon Reed, and TikTok star Loren Gray, and it just might be this generation's Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Starts streaming Aug. 23.
Terminator Zero, Season 1
This eight-episode anime series based on the classic Terminator franchise features the voices of Timothy Olyphant, Rosario Dawson, André Holland, Sonoya Mizuno, and Ann Dowd. Instead of focusing on the characters from the movies, Terminator Zero introduces us to a soldier sent back in time to protect a scientist working on an AI system to combat SkyNet. As you'd probably guess, Skynet's assassin is hot on her heels.
Starts streaming Aug. 29.
Last month's picks
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
It's been almost 30 years since cop-out-of-water Axel Foley busted bad guys in Beverly Hills, and Eddie Murphy returns to the title role with some world-weariness to add to his panache. Old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and Taggart (John Ashton) are on hand, but there's some new blood too: Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Axel's partner, and Taylour Paige plays his daughter, whose life is in danger until Pop F. comes to save the day. The mixture of action, comedy, and Eddie Murphy worked in the 1980s, but will it in 2024? Watch Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F to find out.
Starts streaming July 3.
Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 1
Cobra Kai's mix of 1980s nostalgic meta-comedy, teen soap opera cheese, and martial arts shouldn't work so well, but somehow, the charm of its cast and its breezy, "none of this is important in any way" tone make it a must-binge series. This is the first part of the sixth and supposedly final season for the show, and it sees the members of the Miyagi-Do dojo pondering “if and how they will compete in the Sekai Taikai—the world championship of karate." So the plot is whatever, but the original cast are all expected to return to their places in the karate-based alternate universe in which they live, which is reason enough to watch.
Starts streaming July 18.
Too Hot to Handle
The hook of Too Hot to Handle is brilliant: the reality-competition show puts a gaggle of extremely attractive and sexed-up 20-somethings together in an exotic location, makes them sleep in pairs, then penalizes them for hooking up—the only way anyone can win the $250,000 prize is through abstinence. It's dumb reality show spectacle, perfect as a mid-summer guilty pleasure, and I promise I won't tell anyone you watched it all.
Starts streaming July 19.
The Man with 1000 Kids
If you're interested in the future of Humanity, check out docu-series The Man with 1000 Kids. It tells the story of Dutch musician Jonathan Meijer who is accused of fathering hundreds, maybe thousands, of children through sperm donation. If the accusations are true, Meijer's DNA will have more influence on succeeding generations than just about anyone else's on Earth, and he's a super-creepy YouTuber who eats raw meat, stares directly at the sun, and makes absolutely terrible music. Good luck, human race!
Starts streaming July 3.
Exploding Kittens
Based on the popular card game, Exploding Kittens is a cartoon-for-adults in which God and the Devil are sent to Earth in the form of house cats. That's not in the game, but it does capture the oh-so-random tone of the source material. Whether it'll work or not remains to be seen, but producers Mike Judge (King of the Hill, Beavis and Butt-Head) and Greg Daniels (The Office) know something about making comedy, so it's a solid bet.
Starts streaming July 1
Sprint: The World's Fastest Humans
Sprint: the World's Fastest Humans takes us into the world of elite sprinters so we can learn what motivates someone to devote their lives to the pursuit of speed. If you're planning to watch the track and field events at the Olympics later in the month, this is a perfect way to get to know some of the top athletes competing.
Starts streaming July 2.
Receiver
Last summer's Quarterback followed three of the NFL's best quarterbacks; in this summer's Receivers, we learn about the dudes they throw to. This Netflix original documentary series details the 2023 seasons, both on and off the field, of Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, George Kittle, Deebo Samuels, and Amon-ra Saint Brown, five best-of-the-best players that football fans either totally love or begrudgingly admit are awesome, even though they hate them, depending on their team loyalty.
Starts streaming July 10.
Back to the Future series
Back to the Future is a perfect movie, and the other two entries in the series are alright too. If you have a few rainy days this summer, there are a lot worse ways to spend them than gathering the family and basking in the '80s glow of this trilogy. It still works all these years later.
Starts streaming July 1.
Lost: Seasons 1-6 (series)
Lost's ending was so epically terrible, it's easy to forget that its first few seasons were as good as any prestige television that has ever been produced—and it was made before "prestige television" even existed. Co-created by J.J. Abrams, and co-written by Damon Lindelof, Lost features a talented cast that includes Evangeline Lilly, Terry O'Quinn, and Dominic Monaghan, and mind-bending plot that ultimately doesn't make much sense, but it's still a fun trip.
Starts streaming July 1.
The Boy Next Door (2015)
Jennifer Lopez stars in good, old-fashioned domestic thriller The Boy Next Door. She's a teacher who has an affair with her much younger new neighbor, but he turns out to be one of her students, and he's a psycho who sets out to destroy her family and her life. You know the drill—it's a potboiler, but with the always charismatic J-Lo at its center.
Starts streaming July 16.
Simone Biles Rising
Gymnast Simone Biles grabbed the world's attention when she withdrew from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. But the shocking move, partly in response to Biles' mental health concerns, didn't end her career. Biles is back for another go at Olympic glory this year, and Simone Biles Rising details her hard road back to potential greatness at the 2024 Olympics. This docuseries is a pre-Olympics must-watch.
Starts streaming July 19
Star Trek: Prodigy (Season 2)
If you've been looking for a first Star Trek series to watch with your children, Star Trek: Prodigy is for you. The CGI-animated series captures the thoughtful adventure-and-exploration vibe that makes Star Trek great, and does it in a kid-friendly way that isn't adult-unfriendly. The first season of the CGI series earned a 94% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes for taking the dusty franchise in unexpected directions; hopefully season two measures up.
Starts streaming July 1.
Skywalkers: A Love Story
If you like white-knuckle cinema, Skywalkers is for you. It chronicles the life and relationship of Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, a young couple who live to climb the world's tallest buildings. Skywalkers: a Love Story follows the couple's elaborate plans to conquer Malaysia’s Merdeka 118 super-skyscraper without harnesses, ropes, or permission. It makes me nervous just thinking about it.
Starts streaming July 19
Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam
Lou Pearlman, the impresario behind The Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, and Britney Spears might not have been a super honest guy—shocking, I know. Dirty Pop details how Pearlman changed music while building his personal empire, and doesn't shy away from the dark side of the business of fame, power, and exploiting talented young artists.
Starts streaming July 24.
The Decameron
If you like unconventional comedy, check out The Decameron. Loosely based on Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron, published in the 14th Century, this Netflix period comedy is set in Florence, Italy, in 1348 among a rag-tag group of nobles and their servants who are camped out in an opulent villa as the plague rages outside. To pass the time, they tell each other stories that range from from touching to ribald, while the social order descends into chaos. Seems relatable. Netflix describes it as "Like Love Island, but Back in the Day," and that's enough for me to give it a watch.
Starts streaming July 25.
Unsolved Mysteries, Volume 4
The first three seasons of Netflix's revival of Unsolved Mysteries are excellent. Netflix hasn't released a ton of details about volume four yet, but if previous seasons are any indication, it will feature a mixture of unexplained deaths, strange disappearances, paranormal activity, UFOs, and other "what the hell?" content presented in a thorough, thoughtful way.
Starts streaming July 31.
Tickled (2016)
Tickled is one of the strangest documentaries I've ever seen. Journalist David Farrier starts off hunting a quirky story about the "sport" of competitive tickling, but uncovers a strange underworld that's not funny at all. I don't want to spoil any of the twists and turns in this narrative, so I'll just urge you to watch this movie.
Starts streaming July 10.