August Streaming Guide: 13 Must-See Movies and TV Series to Stream this Month 


If there’s one joy in the world, it’s finding a great new film to watch while home on the weekend. However, with all the streaming services out there—Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Apple TV+, Shudder for horror fans and more—there’s so many options that you might not even know where to start. That’s not even counting the VOD options for indie cinema.

Well, here at The Movie Buff we are introducing a monthly edition that will work as a one-stop shop for upcoming films that will be streaming on the aforementioned platforms, with their respective release dates and when you’ll be able to watch the film (and a few TV series). We’ll be offering a variety of options from the world’s biggest streaming platforms. We’ll limit your options to about 15 each month, only recommending what strikes our interest and what we think will catch yours, as well. 

For this feature’s first month, we’re highlighting three TV series and 10 feature films. You’ll find those below, and let’s start with the TV options…

‘Ted Lasso’ | Season 2 streaming July 23, airing every Friday through August | Apple TV+ 

Though this has been streaming in July, I have to highlight the delight of “Ted Lasso.” Many will be aware of the comedy, co-created and starring Jason Sudeikis as the titular Ted Lasso, a college football coach invited to coach a soccer team in the U.K. It’s heartwarming and a totally hilarious comfort show for me, with great one-liners from Sudeikis. If I’m ever having a bad day, I can just put Ted Lasso on; the positivity he has as a character helps me find my Zen again. He’s one of my all-time favourite characters.

‘What If…?’ | Streaming on August 11, with new episodes every Wednesday | Disney+

Our choice for streaming on Disney+ this month, “What If…?” is the latest series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as an animated offering which looks at how differently this universe could look if there was a slight difference. For example, we know that the first episode has Peggy Carter taking the super soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers. As well, the second episode imagines what would happen if T’Challa, instead of Peter Quill, was taken by Yondu as a child and became Star Lord? I love alternate timelines, and the possibilities here with this series seem endless.  

‘Schmigadoon!’ | Started streaming July 16, new episodes Aug. 6 & 13 | Apple TV+

Here’s another Apple TV+ series that started streaming in July, but I have to recommend it because I’m having a lot of fun with “Schmigadoon!,” a musical about a couple—Melissa (Cecily Strong) and Josh (Keegan Michael Key)—who go on a couples retreat to rediscover their spark and then stumble into a 1940s musical town of Schmigadoon. 

They go through the motions of the first day; and then learn from a leprechaun (Martin Short) that this is real and they’re only allowed out if they find their true loves. The cast is so great—also including Dove Cameron, Fred Armisen, Kristen Chenoweth—and is directed by “Men in Black” director Barry Sonenfield. It’s a good time; and the last two episodes of the first season premiere on the first two Fridays of August.

And now for the films…

‘CODA’ | Friday, August 13 | Apple TV+

Our last option from Apple TV+ comes in the form of the new film “CODA,” a film which has been receiving strong reviews since this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which sparked a bidding war between Netflix, Amazon, and Apple TV+ where Apple ultimately bought writer/director Sian Heder’s project for $25 million. 

The film is about Ruby (Emilia Jones), a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults), who is the only hearing person in her deaf family. It sounds like a classic small-town narrative, as her family’s business is threatened and Ruby has to choose between her parents (Marlee Matlin and Kotsur) and pursuing her love of music. The film has been on my radar since Sundance and sounds beautiful. 

‘The Kissing Booth 3′ | Wednesday, August 11 | Netflix

In these write-ups, there will be a lot of Netflix Originals highlighted as the titan of streaming… We start here with “The Kissing Booth 3,” the continuation of the story of Elle Evans (Joey King), whose #FirstWorldProblems continue with her deciding between two colleges… Go to college with her best friend Lee Flynn (Joel Courtney)? Or go to college with Lee’s brother Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi), who is also Elle’s boyfriend? I can’t say anything positive about these films other than they have some sweet moments and they seem fine for their target audience; but hopefully this one is more bearable than the second film’s epic 134-minute runtime. 

‘The Suicide Squad’ | Friday, August 6 | Theatres and HBO Max

It appears that controversy led to opportunity, as James Gunn’s release from “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” let him fall into DC’s hands, where he helped breathe fresh air into this new “soft reboot” of David Ayer’s 2016 film “Suicide Squad.” (And luckily, and correctly, Gunn was still able to join back in on “Guardians” again.) 

This rendition has supervillains Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), and other cons at Bell Reve prison. They join the top secret Task Force X, where they’re dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. These villains, other than Harley Quinn, don’t seem so familiar to the average fan (which is me), so that definitely seems to be a part of the fun of this film. I’m super psyched for it. 

‘Jakob’s Wife’ | Thursday, August 19 | Shudder

For those craving horror, Shudder is a great streaming service to help those needs. “Jakob’s Wife” is a Shudder Exclusive, where it will prominently be on the streaming service in Canada, the U.S., U.K., as well as Australia and New Zealand. The film follows Anne Fedder (Barbara Crampton), who lives under the shadow of her minister husband, Jakob (Larry Fessenden). However, when she’s turned into a vampire, she finds more control over her life and her surroundings. Indie horror icons like Barbara Crampton and Larry Fessenden, and she turns into a vampire? Yeah, count me in.

‘Beckett’ | Friday, August 13 | Netflix

After a car accident in Greece, the titular “Beckett” (John David Washington), an American tourist, finds himself at the center of a dangerous political conspiracy and on the run for his life. I love on-the-run actioners, though the “political conspiracy” aspect of the film isn’t as interesting to me. However, I’ll be checking this one out for the cast with John David Washington, Boyd Holbrook, and especially Alicia Vikander (who you can see in theatres in David Lowery’s “The Green Knight.”

‘The Loud House’ Movie | Friday, August 20 | Netflix

For Netflix’s animated offering this month, we find “The Loud House,” a musical comedy based on the Nickelodeon animated show “The Loud House,” about Lincoln Loud, a boy who lives with his 10 sisters. In the film, the family travels to Scotland and learns they are part of Scottish royalty. They hijinks start and they take their rightful home in an ancestral castle.

‘Reminiscence’ | Friday, August 20 | Theatres and HBO Max

Reminiscent of Kathryn Bigelow’s “Strange Days,” the new film “Reminiscence” follows Hugh Jackman’s character as he discovers a way to relive the past and uses this technology in an attempt to look for a long lost love. The film looks like a neat high-concept sci-fi, and is the directorial debut of Lisa Joy, the co-creator of “Westworld.” 

‘Sweet Girl’ | Friday, August 20 | Netflix

Apparently the biggest day of streaming this month will be August 20, as another action film hits Netflix on this day with “Sweet Girl.” In the film, Cooper (Jason Momoa) is grief-stricken as his wife is killed and in a revenge actioner, he vows to bring justice to those responsible for his wife’s death. He does all this while protecting his only remaining family, his daughter, Rachel (Isabela Merced). I’m hoping for decent set pieces and a good father-daughter chemistry between Momoa and Merced, as I like them both. 

‘Vacation Friends’ | Friday, August 27 | Hulu

This is the summer of John Cena—with “Fast and Furious 9,” “The Suicide Squad” and now “Vacation Friends,” the latest comedy streaming on Hulu. While on vacation in Mexico, two couples meet and their friendship takes a turn when they return back home. It seems like raunchy comedies like “Neighbors” or even the Cena comedy “Blockers,” where John Cena’s Ron and Kyla (Meredith Hagner) are the annoying couple; and Lil Rel Howery and Yvonne Orji play the straight-laced Marcus and Emily. I like the poster, and I like Howery and Cena at the very least, so I’m interested in this one. 

‘He’s All That’ | Friday, August 27 | Netflix

Helmed by “Mean Girls” director Mark Waters, “He’s All That” is a gender-swapped remake of the Rachel Leigh Cook and Freddie Prinze Jr. 1999 comedy “She’s All That.” 

The updated remake, as well, appears to feature some stunt casting with TikTok mega-star Addison Rae as the female lead, Padgett Sawyer. She accepts a challenge to give the school’s least popular boy, Cameron Kweller (Tanner Buchanan), into prom king. The one great casting choice here is Rachel Leigh Cook playing Padgett’s mom, so they’re at least passing the torch down in some way. 

What are you planning on watching on streaming this month? Let us know your thoughts below!