The Best Movies to Stream at Home in August

The home streaming streaming calendar is a little bit quieter in August than it was last month when three of the top 5 movies of the year at the box office dropped all at once — most of the action is in movie theaters, where The Odyssey and the latest Spider-Man flick are dominating pop culture. But there's still plenty of fun to be had at home on your streaming service of choice, especially if you love good thrillers, music films, or documentaries. And, somehow, we even have a new cut of a nearly two-decade-old X-Files movie.

So while the August roster of new streaming movies may seem a little mundane after last month's deluge of blockbusters, there's actually a lot of low-key interesting stuff worth taking a look at. Here's what's coming to Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Prime Video, and more. 

Note: The list includes movies coming to major subscription streaming services for the first time; new movies to stream at home that are only available for purchase or rent were not included in this list. 

This concert movie, co-directed by James Cameron and Billie Eilish, will definitely lose some of its oomph on streaming, since this played as a 3D movie when it hit theaters back in the spring (something we mostly cared about because of Cameron's involvement). Still, if you like Billie Eilish, you'll probably have a good time either way. [Trailer]

Thursday, Aug. 6 on Paramount+

In this supernatural thriller, Wagner Moura and Greta Lee star as a couple who, along with their two children, become trapped inside their house by an unknown force. It's giving big March 2020 vibes. [Trailer]

Friday, Aug. 7 on Netflix

Bridgerton star Rege-Jean Page and The Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey team up in this throwback-style romantic comedy, in which Bailey breaks into an Italian villa, pretends to be engaged to the guy who's supposed to live there, and then falls in love with his hot cousin (Page). [Trailer]

Friday, Aug. 7 on Peacock

Jafaar Jackson takes on the role of his uncle, pop king Michael Jackson, in this controversial biopic from director Antoine Fuqua. It's a rare film that caught more flack for what wasn't included — the many allegations of abuse against him — than what was, though that didn't stop it from making a billion dollars at the box office. It's still an entertaining movie in its own right, at least when Jafaar is recreating some of Michael's most electrifying live performances, but the omissions will be a tall hurdle for a lot of folks. [Trailer]

Monday, Aug. 10 on Starz

The second X-Files film, released years after the series originally came to an end, was a box office failure and was disliked by fans and critics alike when it hit theaters in 2008 with a PG-13 rating. But this new version, which is rated R, restores at least some of series creator Chris Carter's original vision, which apparently makes for a much more violent movie — and, hopefully, a scarier one, too. [Trailer]

Friday, Aug. 14 on Disney+ and Hulu

Adam Sandler's daughter Sunny stars in this Netflix coming-of-age story about a teen girl who has to deal with an excessive amount of family drama. This one has the vibe of '00s indie dramedies like Garden State and Little Miss Sunshine, so you can hopefully expect to feel your feelings a little bit with Don't Say Good Luck. [Trailer]

Friday, Aug. 14 on Netflix

The often-great Ben Wheatley (High-Rise, Free Fire) directs this action thriller in which a small town sheriff (Bob Odenkirk) has to battle against corrupt local leaders and Yakuza hitmen. This one comes from the writer of John Wick and Nobody, and that's exactly what kind of movie this is, too. [Trailer]

Friday, Aug. 14 on HBO Max

Written and directed by Aleshea Harris as an adaptation of her own play, Is God Is is a Southern revenge thriller focused on a pair of sisters on a quest for revenge against their father, who set their house on fire while they and their mother were inside when they were children. This is one of the best movies of the year according to both Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. [Trailer]

Aug. 19 on Amazon Prime Video

This is a rare documentary sequel, following up on the 2022 film Downfall: The Case Against Boeing. The doc continues filmmaker Rory Kennedy's investigation into reported corner-cutting that may have led to several high-profile plane crashes, this time putting the focus on whistleblowers within Boeing. [Trailer]

Wednesday, Aug. 19 on Netflix

This documentary film, from The Last Dance director Jason Hehir, tells the life story of one of tennis' most dominant players ever. It's just a movie, so don't expect anything as exhaustive as Hehir's 10-hour Michael Jordan doc was, but it should be plenty entertaining compared with your typical biographical documentary. [Trailer]

Thursday, Aug. 20 on Prime Video

Anne Hathaway plays the title character in director David Lowery's strange drama about a 40-something pop star attempting to mount a bit of a comeback tour — but something spooky and possibly supernatural is getting in the way. Critics didn't love this one, but it may be worth watching for its soundtrack, which includes original music from Charli XCX, FKA Twigs, and Jack Antonoff. [Trailer]

Friday, Aug. 21 on HBO Max

A man's son is kidnapped, and it appears that an old local serial murderer could be responsible — except that killer, the Whisper Man, has been in prison for three decades and couldn't have been directly responsible. This smell like the kind of spooky thriller that has a big twist ending. It's got an impressive cast that includes Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan, and Michael Keaton. [Trailer]

Friday, Aug. 28 on Netflix

Everything you need for summer TV:

• The complete guide to summer TV
• The most anticipated shows coming this summer
• All the new shows coming this summer
• The ultimate guide to what to watch in August