It's August, people! A new month brings with it a hefty new slate of content on your streaming platform of choice – and if that's Netflix, then you're in for a treat. There are some incredibly enticing new additions coming to the streamer in the next few weeks, and some that you can already tuck into right now.
I've gathered the additions that I think you need to know about this month – from new original movies to series. There are some huge names attached to these projects, and some releases that fans have spent years anticipating, so be sure to check them all out with the included trailers to learn more.
Night Always Comes
- Streaming from: 15 August
Vanessa Kirby is a huge name, and she's having a really big summer thanks to her role as Sue Storm in the new Fantastic Four movie, making her one of Marvel's newest stars. Netflix might be deliberately looking to follow in that movie's wake with Kirby's latest thriller, Night Always Comes.
She plays a young woman caught between a rock and a hard place when her debts come due, and she's forced to go on a one-night mission to get some cash together in whatever way she can. The movie looks extremely stressful, to be honest, but also likely to be pretty excellent from top to bottom.
The Thursday Murder Club
- Streaming from: 28 August
This one's taken a long while to arrive, but fans of Richard Osman's series of mystery novels will be practically champing at the bit to watch it. Set in and around a retirement home, The Thursday Murder Club will see some dedicated OAPs become central to the investigation into a surprising killing.
After years of trying to solve cold cases as a bit of fun, they'll come together and become a bit of a brain trust when there's a death much nearer to home than expected. With a thoroughly impressive cast including Helen Mirren and Ben Kingsley, this is basically a guaranteed hit for Netflix.
Wednesday Season 2
- Streaming from: 6 August
It might only be the first half of the season, but it's going to be huge for Netflix early in August when Wednesday finally returns. The first season was absolutely massive in the numbers that it posted, becoming one of the streaming platform's biggest ever successes, but it's taken years to produce a follow-up.
Jenna Ortega is back as Wednesday Addams, and she's now something of a mini-celebrity at her school, after the events of last season. Of course, that won't mean she gets to spend an academic year in peace. Rather, with her brother joining the academy, a new threat will soon loom for her to take care of.
Hostage
- Streaming from: 21 August
I'm quietly convinced that Hostage is going to be a big sleeper hit for Netflix despite it not having generated all that much coverage yet. It's a short thriller series that will pose the simple question of how a world leader might react if their loved one was taken hostage. In this case, it's the UK Prime Minister whose husband will be held.
Played by Suranne Jones, she's going to have to deal with a huge amount of pressure as terrorists make demands that she knows she can't agree with. All of this will come with the backdrop of an already stressful summit with the French President, played by Julie Delpy, who might know more than she's letting on about the whole situation.
My Oxford Year
- Streaming from: Streaming now
Since we're already a few days into August, I thought I should include one pick that you can watch right now, since it joined the service on 1 August. My Oxford Year is exactly the sort of sappy nonsense that can be perfect if you need a quiet night in with a glass of wine, some chocolate and a comfort blanket of a movie.
It tells the story of a whirlwind romance conducted among the dreaming spires of that famous academic city, with Sofia Carson in the leading role as a young American student spending a year abroad in the UK. When her romantic diversion suddenly comes to an end, she'll need to ask herself some deep questions about what she really wants from her future.
