5 new movies to watch this week across Netflix, HBO Max, and more (August 3-9)

Credit: Giulia Parmigiani/Universal Published Aug 3, 2026, 12:15 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. Sign in to your How-To Geek account The start of a new month means major streaming services, including Netflix and HBO Max, are adding new movies to their libraries. Speaking of streamers, Netflix will be the home of my top choice of the week—a supernatural sci-fi thriller about a family stuck inside their home. Elsewhere, fans of Billie Eilish will now be able to enjoy one of her concerts on Paramount+. A charming rom-com hits Peacock, while the second movie in a horror trilogy heads to HBO Max. Finally, a thought-provoking sci-fi mystery from the 2010s streams on Hulu. All five movies can be streamed in the U.S. 5 Ex Machina Man vs. machine You could not have asked for a better directorial debut for Alex Garland than Ex Machina, an enigmatic sci-fi movie starring Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, and Oscar Isaac. Programmer Caleb Smith (Gleeson) wins a one-week trip to the home of his company's CEO, Nathan Bateman (Isaac). Quiz 8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge21st century sci-fi moviesTrivia challenge From dystopian deserts to multiverse mayhem — how well do you know these modern sci-fi classics? Ex MachinaMultiverseMad MaxDuneBlade Runner Begin In Ex Machina, what is the name of the AI humanoid robot that Caleb is asked to evaluate? AAriaBAvaCAdaDVera Correct! Ava is the sophisticated AI created by Nathan at his remote research facility. Her name is a subtle nod to the concept of 'life', derived from the Latin 'vita', and she is portrayed with haunting brilliance by Alicia Vikander. Not quite — the answer is Ava. Portrayed by Alicia Vikander, Ava is the AI at the center of the film's unsettling examination of consciousness and manipulation. Her name is thought to be a subtle nod to the Latin word for life. Continue In Ex Machina, what does Nathan's company, BlueBook, primarily function as in the real world? AA social media platformBAn e-commerce marketplaceCA search engineDA cloud computing service Correct! BlueBook is described as the world's most popular search engine, and Nathan harvested its vast trove of user search data to help develop Ava's intelligence. It's a chilling reminder of how much personal data search engines actually hold. Not quite — the answer is a search engine. Nathan used BlueBook's enormous repository of global search data to model and shape Ava's understanding of human thought and language, giving the film a pointed commentary on big tech surveillance. Continue In Everything Everywhere All at Once, what is the name of the interdimensional villain that Evelyn must ultimately confront? AAlpha WaymondBJobu TupakiCDeirdre BeaubeirdreDBig Nose Correct! Jobu Tupaki is the nihilistic villain who can experience all universes simultaneously — a power that has driven her to the edge of existential madness. In a stunning twist, she is revealed to be a version of Evelyn's own daughter, Joy. Not quite — the answer is Jobu Tupaki. She is an alternate version of Joy, Evelyn's daughter, whose mind was fractured by being pushed to verse-jump too many times. The reveal reframes the entire film as a deeply personal story about a mother-daughter relationship. Continue What mundane business does Evelyn Wang run at the start of Everything Everywhere All at Once? AA nail salonBA dry cleaning shopCA Chinese restaurantDA laundromat Correct! Evelyn and her husband Waymond run a struggling laundromat, and the film opens with the chaos of preparing for a tax audit. The mundane setting brilliantly contrasts with the multiverse-spanning adventure that follows. Not quite — the answer is a laundromat. The film grounds its wild multiverse premise in the very ordinary stress of running a small business and facing a tax audit, making Evelyn's journey from overwhelmed laundromat owner to multiversal hero all the more satisfying. Continue In Mad Max: Fury Road, what is the name of the tyrannical warlord who rules the Citadel and controls its water supply? AThe Bullet FarmerBImmortan JoeCThe People EaterDDementus Correct! Immortan Joe, played by Hugh Keays-Byrne, is the grotesque and powerful ruler of the Citadel who hoards water and guzzles mother's milk while his subjects bake in the wasteland below. His death at Furiosa's hands is one of the film's most cathartic moments. Not quite — the answer is Immortan Joe. Portrayed by Hugh Keays-Byrne (who also played the Toecutter in the original Mad Max), Immortan Joe controls the Citadel's water supply as an instrument of power, deliberately rationing it to keep the population desperate and dependent. Continue What is the name of Imperator Furiosa's homeland that she is desperately trying to return to in Mad Max: Fury Road? AThe Green PlaceBThe Salt PlainsCThe Vuvalini ValleyDThe Abundance Correct! The Green Place of Many Mothers is the mythical homeland Furiosa is racing toward, believing it to be a lush sanctuary. The devastating reveal that it has become a toxic swamp — and that the Vuvalini women are all that remain of her people — is one of the film's most powerful moments. Not quite — the answer is the Green Place. Also known as the Green Place of Many Mothers, it was Furiosa's childhood home and the land of the Vuvalini clan. Tragically, when the convoy finally reaches it, they discover it has long since turned into an uninhabitable swamp. Continue In Denis Villeneuve's Dune (2021), what precious resource makes the desert planet Arrakis the most important planet in the universe? ATritiumBMelangeCSolarisDTiberium Correct! Melange, commonly called 'the spice', is the substance that makes interstellar travel, extended life, and enhanced cognition possible. It can only be found on Arrakis, which is why control of the planet is the ultimate prize in the film's political chess match. Not quite — the answer is Melange, better known as 'the spice'. Found only in the deep deserts of Arrakis, Melange grants extended life, heightened awareness, and — crucially — enables the Guild Navigators to fold space for interstellar travel, making whoever controls it effectively controls the universe. Continue In Blade Runner 2049, what shocking discovery does Officer K make early in the film that sets the entire plot in motion? AHe finds evidence that Deckard is still aliveBHe uncovers the buried remains of a replicant who died in childbirthCHe discovers a secret replicant rebellion baseDHe finds a decommissioned Nexus-6 model hidden in the city Correct! K discovers the skeletal remains of a female replicant buried beneath a tree on a protein farm — and forensic analysis reveals she died during a cesarean section, meaning a replicant had miraculously given birth. This discovery of biological reproduction among replicants threatens to upend the entire social order. Not quite — the answer is the buried remains of a replicant who died in childbirth. The discovery that a replicant could naturally reproduce is treated as an existential threat by both the Wallace Corporation and the authorities, since it would fundamentally challenge the boundary between humans and their engineered servants. See My Score Challenge CompleteYour Score / 8 Thanks for playing! Try Again Caleb eventually learns the real reason Nathan invited him there: to study Ava (Vikander), a humanoid robot, and see if she is capable of consciousness and thought. Considering what we now know about AI, Ex Machina feels ahead of its time, as Garland's script tackles humanity's god complex and morality. And if all else fails, enjoy Isaac cutting a rug on the dance floor. Ex Machina is now streaming on Hulu. 4 The Strangers: Chapter 2 The creepy masked villains return for more horror In 2024, director Renny Harlin relaunched The Strangers franchise with The Strangers: Chapter 1. The second and third movies arrived in 2025 and 2026, respectively, with the former heading to HBO Max this week. Maya (Madelaine Petsch) survives the events of Chapter 1 and begins Chapter 2 in the hospital. News of Maya's survival does not thrill titular strangers Pin-Up Girl, Scarecrow, and Dollface, who want to finish the job. The ensuing hunt for Maya will certainly excite slasher fans, as Harlin's sequel is packed with intense thrills and scares. Harlin's movies are not better than 2008's The Strangers, but they are still capable of satisfying horror fans looking for mayhem. ​​​​​​​ The Strangers: Chapter 2 streams on HBO Max on August 7. Roku Ultra $91 $99 Save $8 Connectivity luetooth, Ethernet, HDMI, USB, Wi-Fi 3 ​​​​​​​Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour The international pop star teams with a directing legend ​​​​​​​ Billie Eilish's career is beyond impressive. She has two Oscars, 10 Grammys, and millions of records sold all before turning 25. Add "movie star" to the list, as Eilish released a concert movie, Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour, earlier this summer. The directors of this concert film are Eilish and James Cameron—yes, that same James Cameron behind The Terminator, Titanic, and Avatar. The movie is a combination of performances from Eilish's concerts with behind-the-scenes footage of the singer's creative process with her brother and collaborator, Finneas O'Connell. With Eilish's creativity onstage and Cameron's genius behind the camera, Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour is an immersive experience that raises the bar for future concert films. Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour streams on Paramount+ on August 6. Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) 2 You, Me & Tuscany Finding love in the Italian countryside ​​​​​​​ Honestly, many people will only need to hear "Italy" to stream You, Me & Tuscany. I'm certainly one of those people. Who wouldn't want to watch a rom-com with two attractive people drinking wine, sampling delicious food, and falling in love in the Italian countryside? Aspiring chef Anna Montgomery (Halle Bailey) hops on a plane to Tuscany without any lodging plans. Anna ends up staying in the empty villa of Matteo Costa (Regé-Jean Page), an Italian man she previously spent the night with. Anna winds up meeting Matteo's family and convinces them she is his fiancée so she can avoid being arrested. When Matteo arrives, he and Anna decide to keep up the ruse. You, Me & Tuscany is a throwback rom-com to iconic classics from the 1990s, including Pretty Woman and While You Were Sleeping. It's charming and lighthearted, which is what people want to see in their rom-coms.​​​​​​​ You, Me & Tuscany streams on Peacock on August 7. You, Me & Tuscany Release Date April 10, 2026 Runtime 104 Minutes Director Kat Coiro 1 The Last House Stay inside or face the consequences ​​​​​​​ My favorite type of Netflix Original movie is a thriller. Carry-On, Rebel Ridge, and The Guilty are some of the standouts. Hopefully, the new sci-fi thriller The Last House will live up to the hype. One day, a family of four—with Greta Lee and Wagner Moura playing the parents—becomes trapped inside their house. They can't break a window, nor can they open the front door. The family remains trapped inside for over three years as they build a life together there. Then, everything changes with the presence of a supernatural creature or entity that wants to get inside. The Last House's trailer does not give too much away, which I appreciate greatly. It's the type of genre movie that Netflix should double down on and make more of. The Last House streams on Netflix on August 7. The Last House Release Date August 7, 2026 Runtime 110 minutes Director Louis Leterrier Watch more movies and shows this week This list is only a taste of what's arriving on streaming in August. If you head to HBO Max, be sure to check out Lanterns, the DC detective-style show coming August 16. Also, try Paramount+ for the return of Lioness.