3 exciting Netflix thrillers to watch this week (August 10-16)

Published Aug 10, 2026, 2:30 PM EDT After graduating from Marist University with a degree in communications and journalism, Dan Girolamo has over 10 years of experience writing about entertainment and sports. Dan's work can be seen in various publications, including Digital Trends, SportsCasting, and Tom's Guide. Throughout his career, Dan has interviewed several high-profile filmmakers and creatives, including Brendan Fraser, Jamie Lee Curtis, Caitriona Balfe, Frank Grillo, Miranda Cosgrove, Jai Courtney, Chris Columbus and James Cameron. Dan joins How-To Geek as a Senior Editor. When he's not writing about entertainment, Dan is either watching a movie or praying for the New York Knicks to win a championship. Last weekend marked the release of The Last House, a sci-fi thriller and one of the service's new movies this August. If you want to continue in the suspenseful genre, watch these three thrillers now available to stream in the U.S. Our top pick is a cops-and-robbers genre film starring one of the best action stars in Hollywood. Then, check out a 2016 horror movie that relies on silence. Rounding out the list is a wild black comedy whose origins can be traced back to a viral Internet moment. 3 Zola A wild Twitter story takes over the Internet Contrary to popular belief, the Internet can still be a fun place. Not everything is politicized, and sometimes, an unbelievable story can unite us all. That happened in October 2015 when A'Ziah "Zola" King posted a long Twitter thread about an infamous trip she took to Florida. The 148-tweet story features lies, deception, and many "this can't be real" moments. One month after the thread, Zola's story became a Rolling Stone article, and years later, it became the subject of a movie. Directed by Janicza Bravo, Zola stars Taylour Paige as Zola King, a waitress and dancer who meets Stefani (Riley Keough), who invites her on a trip to dance in Florida. Enticed by the prospect of a lucrative payday, Zola joins Stefani, Stefani's boyfriend Derrek (Nicholas Braun), and Stefani's roommate X (Colman Domingo). It's safe to say things do not go according to plan in Florida, making it the most chaotic weekend in Zola's life. Zola's 86-minute runtime flies by as this movie never stops to let you breathe. Taylour Paige is a magnetic presence at the center of the film, playing the perfect stand-in for the audience. Paige won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. Hollywood needs fewer IP retreads and more so-crazy-it's-true internet stories to serve as the basis for a movie. Zola Release Date June 30, 2021 2 Don't Breathe Sound is the enemy From the title, I'm sure many of you who haven't seen Don't Breathe can guess that the movie has something to do with noise, or lack thereof. It's such a genius idea for the simplest of pitches—don't make a sound, or else. Before tackling space in Alien: Romulus, Fede Álvarez directed a suspenseful thrill ride in Don't Breathe. Jane Levy stars as Rocky, a Detroit native who longs to take her younger sister away from their abusive home life. Rocky and her two friends, Alex (Dylan Minnette) and Money (Daniel Zovatto), rob houses for a living and sell the stolen goods. The trio decide to make a move on a house belonging to blind war veteran Norman Nordstrom (Stephen Lang), who reportedly has $300,000 inside his house. Robbing a blind man should be easy. When the trio realizes Norman has a heightened sense of hearing, they fear for their lives, as the old man will do anything to protect what's hiding in the basement. Silence is Don't Breathe's biggest asset. The lack of noise drums up the tension, transforming the robbery into a fight for survival. Watching the characters fret over the smallest of sounds made me afraid to make noise while watching the movie. That's how I knew the premise worked. 1 Den of Thieves This town ain't big enough for both of us ​​​​​​​ In one corner stands Gerard Butler, a physically imposing Scotsman who specializes in portraying action heroes. In the other corner stands Pablo Schreiber, a hulking figure who portrayed Master Chief, one of the most iconic video game protagonists, in Halo. Obviously, these two men have the size and presence to headline an action movie. Butler and Schreiber square off for masculine dominance in Den of Thieves. Former Marine Ray Merrimen (Schreiber) is a criminal mastermind, orchestrating heists in hopes of scoring big profits. During one of Merrimen's robberies, a police officer is killed, prompting Los Angeles detective "Big Nick" O'Brien (Butler) to join the investigation. Merrimen and his crew have chosen their next target: the Federal Reserve. Executing the perfect heist is only half the battle. Outsmarting O'Brien is the bigger problem. I'm convinced that if Den of Thieves had been released at the peak of action cinema in the 1980s and 1990s, it would have made over $100 million. Den of Thieves is a throwback action movie built on masculinity and big-dad energy. Butler and Schreiber are the perfect alpha males going head-to-head. It's not the best example of the cops-and-robbers trope, but it's a highly entertaining addition to the heist genre. What else should you watch on Netflix? There's always something to watch on Netflix; you just need to know where to find it. If you explore the page dedicated to TV shows, you'll find new and returning programs in August, including Alley Cats and My Life with the Walter Boys. Elsewhere, you'll find some intriguing documentaries, including Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy. Subscription with ads Yes, $8/month Simultaneous streams Two or four