The Film Fix – August
August streaming is less about one dominant title than a collection of recognizable
brands, returning favorites, genre experiments, and a pair of theatrical releases finding a
second life at home. The major services are spreading their bets across horror, prestige
science fiction, political drama, romantic comedy, superheroes, and several dependable
series.
Netflix:
Netflix leans on a pair of original thrillers, one built around a trapped family and the
other around a missing child and a dangerous criminal legacy.
The Last House (August 7) — Louis Leterrier, the filmmaker behind “The Incredible
Hulk” and “Fast X,” directs this high-concept horror thriller starring Greta Lee and
Wagner Moura. They play the parents of a family of four who wake up to discover that
their home has been sealed from the outside. With supplies dwindling and no obvious
way to escape, the setup promises a mixture of survival drama, supernatural mystery, and
the kind of domestic tension that gets worse when everyone is trapped together.
The Whisper Man (August 28) — This adaptation of Alex North’s bestselling novel
assembles an unusually strong cast for a serial-killer thriller. Adam Scott plays a
widowed crime writer (see Scott playing another troubled writer in the solid horror film
“Hokum” released earlier this year) whose young son disappears, forcing him to seek
help from his estranged father, a retired detective played by Robert De Niro. The elder
man once put away the killer now connected to the abduction. Michael Keaton, Michelle
Monaghan, John Carroll Lynch, Hamish Linklater, and Owen Teague round out the
impressive ensemble.
Prime Video:
Prime Video keeps one of its most reliable action franchises moving while shifting Jack
Reacher into a darker urban mystery.
Reacher (Season 4, August 12) — Alan Ritchson returns as Lee Child’s enormous
wandering investigator in a season based on the novel “Gone Tomorrow.” Reacher
witnesses a woman acting suspiciously on a late-night New York subway train shortly
before her death. What first looks like suicide opens into a conspiracy involving
government secrets, an NYPD detective, and the victim’s brother. The series works best
when its uncomplicated hero is dropped into a complicated mystery, and this season’s
neo-noir setup sounds like a good fit. Use of Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” in the season 4 trailer
is a nice touch!
Apple TV+:
Apple’s August slate brings back its most beloved comedy and one of its more ambitious
science-fiction shows.
Ted Lasso (Season 4, August 5) — Jason Sudeikis returns, after ending with season 3 in
2026, to Richmond for a new assignment that gives the warmhearted comedy a needed
change of formation. Ted is now coaching a second-division women’s football team,
where he and the players must learn to take chances before they feel fully prepared.
Reviving this beloved series after what felt like a natural ending is a big risk. However, a
fresh roster and a different corner of the sport could keep the show from merely replaying
its old formula. “Football is life?” Coach Beard asks one of the players in the trailer.
“No, life is so much more than football,” she responds. “Not as catchy, but true,”
observes Lasso.
Dark Matter (Season 2, August 28) — The first season adapted Blake Crouch’s novel
about Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton), a Chicago physicist abducted into an alternate
version of his life. After fighting through a maze of realities, Jason and his family
appeared to find safety. Naturally, that peace will not last. Season 2 sends the Dessens
running again as the consequences of those alternate lives catch up with them. The
multiverse concept has become overused, but this series hopes to shift the focus on
identity, regret, and the roads not taken.
HBO Max:
HBO Max offers the month’s biggest superhero premiere and a theatrical crime thriller
that I reviewed earlier this year.
Normal (August 14) Fix Rating 5/10 — Bob Odenkirk plays Ulysses Richardson, a
drifting lawman who takes a temporary job as the top deputy in a snowbound town hiding
an increasingly absurd criminal conspiracy. Director Ben Wheatley gives him shootouts,
corrupt officials, and Yakuza trouble, but little of the humor or character chemistry that
made the “Nobody” films click. Odenkirk remains watchable, while Lena Headey, Henry
Winkler, and Brendan Fletcher suggest a better ensemble movie that never materializes.
At 91 minutes, it moves quickly, hits its marks, and exits without leaving much behind.
Lanterns (August 16) — DC Studios moves into prestige television with this eight-
episode series starring Kyle Chandler as veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan and Aaron
Pierre as John Stewart. The two intergalactic law officers investigate a murder in the
American heartland, a grounded setup that has been described as a cosmic version of a
hard-boiled police drama. Kelly Macdonald and Nathan Fillion co-star. After the uneven
“Supergirl,” the new DC universe could use a confident small-screen victory. The latest
trailer sure sells the pathos, and having Macdonald and Fillion involved should ensure
some sincere, prestige moments.
Hulu:
Hulu’s most interesting August arrivals include a political drama I reviewed this spring
and a curious reworking of a familiar “X-Files” feature.
The Wizard of the Kremlin (August 14) Fix Rating 6/10 — Paul Dano plays Vadim
Baranov, a fictionalized version of Russian political strategist Vladislav Surkov, who
helps engineer the rise of Vladimir Putin (Jude Law). Based on Giuliano da Empoli’s
historical novel, the film has inherently fascinating material but the wrong filmmaker
handling it. Director Olivier Assayas drifts through the decades with a placid approach
that drains urgency from a story that should crackle with danger and intrigue. Dano
remains interesting, but the result plays less like a gripping political thriller than a mildly
fascinating historical-fiction footnote.
The X-Files: I Want to Believe — Director’s Cut (August 14) — Rumor has it that
Creator Chris Carter’s R-rated version of his chilly 2008 feature will hit Hulu this month.
The director’s cut is supposed to restore his original vision. Years after leaving the FBI,
Fox Mulder and Dana Scully are drawn back into a case involving abducted women, a
missing federal agent, and a disgraced priest who claims to have psychic visions. The
original movie frustrated viewers hoping for extraterrestrial mythology, but a darker and
more complete version of its standalone mystery might justify another investigation.
Meanwhile, Ryan Coogler has cast Atlanta actress Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel
in new X-Files series that’s shooting now.
Peacock:
Peacock has a relatively light month, but its marquee romantic comedy offers attractive
scenery and two appealing stars.
You, Me & Tuscany (August 7) — Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page lead this romantic
comedy from producer Will Packer. The pairing alone gives Peacock a marketable late-
summer escape, with the Italian setting doing much of the atmospheric work. Page has
the polished charm required for the genre, while Bailey continues to build a screen career
beyond “The Little Mermaid.” If the chemistry works, the movie could be a pleasant
piece of comfort viewing before the fall schedules arrive.
The Undeclared War (Season 2, August 27) — The British cyber-thriller returns to the
secretive world of the United Kingdom’s Government Communications Headquarters.
The first season followed a young analyst confronting a Russian malware attack during a
national election. The new season continues the conflict between intelligence agencies,
hackers, and state-sponsored disinformation. Cyberwar can be difficult to dramatize, but
the series strives to show that invisible attacks can have very visible political
consequences.
Bottom Line: August offers enough variety to justify keeping several subscriptions
active for another month. Netflix has the strongest movie cast with “The Whisper Man,”
Apple brings back two proven favorites, and “Lanterns” is HBO Max’s most important
swing. Viewers looking for something already tested can sample “Normal” and “The
Wizard of the Kremlin,” although both come with reservations. My first choices would
be “The Whisper Man,” dad favorite “Reacher,” and, with cautious optimism,
“Lanterns.”
