3 exciting Netflix thrillers to watch this week (August 31-September 6)

Published Aug 30, 2026, 6:15 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. It's the end of the month, meaning many movies will be leaving Netflix U.S. Thankfully, these three thrillers will remain on the service throughout September. Our first movie is one of David Fincher's most controversial films of the last 20 years. I happen to think it's one of his best. The next movie is a satirical crime thriller featuring a sensational performance that became one of the most egregious Oscar snubs of this century. My top pick of the week is one of Netflix's new August releases and stars Robert De Niro. 3 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo What happened to Harriet Vanger? I vividly remember the marketing for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ahead of its release in December 2011. The tagline read, "The feel-bad movie of Christmas." Fincher has a twisted sense of humor because this adaptation of Stieg Larsson is not for the faint of heart. For me, this movie rocks and might be Fincher's most underrated movie. After being convicted of libel, disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) receives an interesting offer from wealthy magnate Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer). Blomkvist is hired to investigate the presumed murder of Harriet, Henrik's grandniece, who went missing 40 years earlier. In need of more help, Blomkvist recruits Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a genius computer hacker, social outcast, and abuse survivor. Lisbeth is also the titular girl with the dragon tattoo. Together, Blomkvist and Salander uncover dark secrets in the Vanger family that nefarious individuals have tried to keep hidden. There is no sugarcoating the brutality in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. You might look away during some of the sequences, particularly the one involving Salander and her legal guardian. However, it's difficult to look away from Mara's magnetic performance, a performance that received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. It's a thrilling mystery that takes no prisoners. Its biggest strength is that it gets better the more times you see it. 2 Nightcrawler Jake Gyllenhaal chases crime It's a disgrace that Jake Gyllenhaal did not receive an Oscar nomination for his performance in Nightcrawler. Here are the five actors who made the cut: Eddie Redmayne (winner) in The Theory of Everything, Steve Carell in Foxcatcher, Bradley Cooper in American Sniper, Benedict Cumberbatch in The Imitation Game, and Michael Keaton in Birdman. Gyllenhaal could have taken any of the other four spots, with Keaton being the lone exception. That's how locked in he was for Nightcrawler. In Dan Gilroy's thriller, Gyllenhaal plays Lou Bloom, a small-time criminal looking for ways to make money. After coming across a car crash, he notices that stringers record the wreckage and sell it to local news stations. Lou buys a camcorder and a police scanner in an attempt to chase down accidents. After speaking with news director Nina Romina (Rene Russo), Lou learns that the more violent and graphic a crime, the more money stations will be willing to pay for the footage. As Lou becomes obsessed with this lifestyle, he adopts unethical practices, though these tactics win him more pay and recognition. Nightcrawler starts and ends with Gyllenhaal, who was in his ‘Psycho Jake Era’ at the time, playing a character who showcases his intensity. Gyllenhaal famously punched a mirror during one of Lou's freakouts and immediately needed medical attention. Aside from Gyllenhaal's performance, Nightcrawler is a dark, brutal critique of sensationalist media. Americans love crime. Just go on Netflix, and I'm sure you'll find the latest documentary about a woman who may have been responsible for her husband's disappearance. 1 ​​​​​​​The Whisper Man The notorious criminal might have returned ​​​​​​​ The Whisper Man is another page-turning book thriller that Netflix loves to adapt. The novel was written by Alex North, the pen name of author Steve Mosby, who specializes in writing about crime. The streamer rolled out the red carpet for North's The Whisper Man, recruiting Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, and Michelle Monaghan. Tom Kennedy (Scott) is a grieving widower struggling to raise his son, Jake (Acston Luca Porto). Things become much worse for Tom after Jake is abducted. During the investigation, the authorities believe Jake's abduction could have a connection to the Whisper Man, a convicted serial killer who is currently behind bars. Is this a new version of the Whisper Man? Either way, Tom enlists the help of Peter Willis (De Niro), his estranged father and a retired police detective. Peter captured the original Whisper Man years ago, so no one has more experience with this type of case. The Whisper Man is a detective thriller on its surface, but according to director James Ashcroft, he saw it more as a story about fathers and sons. Crime fans, it's still a creepy mystery with a disturbing villain stalking this town. It should play well for Netflix's audience. The Whisper Man Release Date August 28, 2026 More streaming shows and movies coming your way With Labor Day approaching, make sure to add some shows and movies to your watchlists to stream over the holiday weekend. Prime Video has some fun legacy shows on its service, including Homecoming and Hannibal. If you're searching for new movies, Prime Video's The Last Sunrise and Netflix's Untold: The Testimony of Vince Young are great options. Subscription with ads Yes, $8/month Simultaneous streams Two or four