Streaming highlights in August: the films and series you just can’t miss
1/8/2024
Translation: Megan Cornish
New month, new streaming recommendations. From Netflix to Disney+, Sky Show to Prime Video, these are our series and film picks on streaming services this August.
I’ve been thinking about becoming a mountain ranger for some time. I should be able to manage it. After all, I Neverest. Until then, I’ll stick to my film and series highlights for August.
Batman: Caped Crusader (series)
There’s no question: visually, Batman: Caped Crusader is based on Batman: The Animated Series from the early 1990s. That’s probably no coincidence – after all, Bruce Timm is back as a producer. I like the look. It takes me back to my childhood, when my brother and I would sit in front of the TV with cornflakes every Saturday morning and watch the series, and then play Batman and Robin ourselves. Ah, the good old days.
Anyway… In terms of content, Batman: Caped Crusader will tell a completely new story. This was promised by co-producers Matt Reeves (who directed The Batman) and JJ Abrams. The series aims to reinvent the Batman mythology. Timm, Reeves and Abrams described it as «exciting, cinematic and reminiscent of Batman’s noir roots». Sounds promising.
When: 1 August
Where: Prime Video
Rebel Moon — The Director’s Cut (film)
What Avatar is for James Cameron, Rebel Moon is for Justice League director Zack Snyder. It’s his passion project. It’s his creative baby, and it’s been 20 years in the making. Last December, Netflix released the first instalment of the epic – trimmed to an FSK-12 rating, which took away any rough edges in Snyder’s original vision.
But that was part of the deal. Snyder said from the beginning that his director’s cut would be released in the middle of this year and would not only be a lot longer, but also bloodier and sexier. Think Star Wars for adults.
The first trailer seems to finally fulfil that promise. Finally, because the Netflix cut of the first instalment was, in my opinion, so unbearably bad, plagiarised and soulless that I skipped the second, concluding chapter. However, I’d like to give the director’s cut a chance. Who knows, maybe there’s a kind of Justice League – The Snyder Cut in Rebel Moon after all.
When: 2 August
Where: Netflix
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (film)
Apes. Together. Strong. Genetically modified chimpanzee Caesar (Andy Serkis) has led his tribe by this motto since Rise of the Planet of the Apes in 2011 – the new take on the franchise that started in 1968. In the new film Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, three films and hundreds of generations later, Caesar has long since become a legend, but the apes are now the planet’s dominant species.
In the latest instalment, we accompany young chimpanzee Noa (Owen Teague) on his journey through a mystical world that’s completely unknown to him. When a foreign, warlike tribe attacks – in search of something, someone – his loved ones are kidnapped. Now Noa has to leave his home for the first time to save his tribe.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes may not be the best part of the series, but it has its heart in the right place. And director Wes Ball put a lot of thought into what an indirect sequel to War for the Planet of the Apes could look like without insulting its legacy. I talked to him about this in detail in an exclusive interview. So, watch the film – it’s worth it!
When: 2 August
Where: Disney+
The Bear: King of the Kitchen – Season 3 (series)
Heard of The Bear? No? It’s a word-of-mouth kind of thing. The type of series that you only watch if it’s recommended to you. That’s why I’m recommending it now. This month, the third season is finally starting in Europe.
What’s it about? Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) is a young but talented chef who’s already been in charge of the best kitchens in the world. When his brother dies unexpectedly, he inherits his run-down sandwich shop, riddled with debt and problems. So Carmy leaves the prestige of fine dining behind – to everyone’s surprise. He loved his brother, even though they hadn’t been on good terms for years. And the dream of running a restaurant together – The Bear – may be Carmy’s only chance to heal the gaping wound left by his brother’s untimely death.
The Bear is pure madness. The story gets under your skin as easily as a knife goes through warm butter. The characters are superbly written and cast. And the behind-the-scenes chaos of a professional kitchen is captured so well that I needed a break after every episode. The pounding stress not only affected the characters; it got to me too. Bravo, chef!
When: 14 August
Where: Disney+
Jackpot! (film)
It probably wouldn’t even be the weirdest thing California would have to offer if this plot became reality. In the not-too-distant future, a new «Grand Lottery» is introduced. The catch: anyone who kills the winner before sunset can legally claim their multi-billion-dollar jackpot.
When Katie Kim (Awkwafina) moves to Los Angeles, she mistakenly finds herself in possession of the winning ticket. She desperately tries to escape the hordes of jackpot hunters. But luckily there’s amateur lottery protection agent Noel Cassidy (John Cena), who does everything in his power to protect her until sunset – in exchange for a share of her winnings.
I’m a simple creature. I’ve liked John Cena since The Suicide Squad. And he seems to be a pretty good guy in other ways too. That’s reason enough for me to give this wild, crazy ride a chance.
When: 15 August
Where: Prime Video
The Union (film)
I’ll be honest: this tip might not turn out to be a good one. The trailer alone seems as if the entire story has already been summed up in 2 minutes and 54 seconds. And yet, the spy thriller starring Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry and JK Simmons promises fun entertainment without too much depth. Exactly the kind of film we all need sometimes.
When: 16 August
Where: Netflix
Rick and Morty: The Anime (series)
Somewhere in the vastness of the multiverse, there had to be an anime based on Rick and Morty. Well, now we get to see it.
When: 17 August
Where: Sky Show
Wyatt Earp and The Cowboy War (docudrama)
Wyatt Earp. The hero who wasn’t one. I almost didn’t even mention this one. I’ve never heard of this Earp. But the more I learn about him, the more fascinating I find his story. Earp was historically glorified for a long time. As a picture-perfect sheriff. A heroic law enforcer. Even a man of the people who ensured law and order. Far from it. In truth, Earp was one of the most dangerous, brutal and corrupt men of his time. A pimp and a murderer – and one of the protagonists in the «biggest gunfight in American history». He died 95 years ago.
Now Netflix wants to retell this story. But not just in any old way; as a docudrama. The narrator is Ed Harris, who played a similarly ruthless gunslinger in Westworld – the Man in Black. Unlike in normal documentaries, the historical scenes are re-enacted as well as elaborately staged. That’s why it’s called docudrama. I’m excited.
When: 21 August
Where: Netflix
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – Season 2 (series)
It’s the most expensive television production of all time – and yet The Rings of Power is at loggerheads with its fans. The first season was met with much ridicule, malice and rejection. Criticisms include that the story deviates too much from JRR Tolkien’s original and that historical events are completely jumbled up. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The second season is set to smooth things over.
At the end of the first season, Halbrand – the supposedly «rediscovered» King of the Southlands – was forced to reveal himself to Galadriel as Sauron. It was a shock: at that point, Galadriel had already been hunting him for decades. Sauron is a follower of Morgoth – the source of all evil in the universe. After Morgoth’s downfall at the end of the First Age, Sauron took his place. But only Galadriel seems to recognise the extent of Sauron’s true danger – until now.
Sauron’s plan is to forge the Rings of Power and give them to the mighty princes of dwarves and men. Together they are to reshape and rebuild Middle Earth – scarred by the war with Morgoth – based on Valinor, the immortal home of the elves. At least that’s what Sauron claims. But because no-one’s naive enough to blindly accept gifts from Sauron, the former Maiar disguises himself as fair elf Annatar, the Lord of Gifts. No-one’s to know that Sauron’s secretly forging his own Ring of Power, with which he intends to enslave the other rings – and their wearers – and find them, drive them into darkness and bind them to his will forever.
When: 29 August
Where: Prime Video
Chaos (series)
Zeus (Jeff Goldblum) – the eternal pretty boy and king of the gods – is having a cosmic midlife crisis. There’s a wrinkle on his flawless forehead! He’s increasingly panicked. He’s seeing conspiracies everywhere, even in his own reflection. His brother Hades (David Thewlis), on the other hand, has completely different problems. The underworld’s overflowing, the dead are getting restless, and he’s lost track of things. So much for «resting in peace».
But that’s not all. Hera (Janet McTeer) – the queen at Zeus’ side – has had enough. Her husband’s becoming more and more unbearable. She’s making plans, because no-one gets the better of a goddess. Then there’s Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan), the rebellious son. Parties, excesses, chaos – he’s a young and wild Zeus. A father-son conflict of epic proportions is brewing.
Meanwhile on Earth, Poseidon (Cliff Curtis) shows off his yacht and ignores humanity. But the mortals have had enough of the gods and their ego trips. A revolution is building. Because four very different underdogs – Riddy, Orpheus, Caneus and Ari – come together to fight against the capricious gods. Their mission: the end of Olympus. It’s going to be chaotic, funny – and absolutely divine.
When: 29 August
Where: Netflix
Did I miss a film or series that we should definitely watch this month? Let me know in the comments.
Header image: «The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power» / Amazon Studios
Luca Fontana
Senior Editor
Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.chI'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.»
