5 new movies to watch this week across Netflix, Prime Video, and more (July 27-August 2)

Published Jul 27, 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. It's the last week of the month, and theaters are packed thanks to The Odyssey and soon-to-be-released Spider-Man: Brand New Day. At home, the major streamers are releasing a slew of movies before the calendar turns to August. The best new movie to hit streaming this week—and my top selection—happens to be one of the most shocking movies of the year. It stars two A-list actors and hails from A24. Need I say more? On Prime Video, there is an intriguing new shark thriller arriving at the perfect time this summer. Other movies to spotlight this week include a legacy sequel to a sacred sci-fi text, a masterful psychological drama, and a tense creature feature. All five movies can be streamed in the U.S. 5 Primate Something is wrong with the family chimpanzee January and February are typically a dumping ground for studios to release horror movies. This past January, Paramount released Primate, a throwback creature feature about a killer animal. College student Lucy Pinborough (Johnny Sequoyah) heads home to Hawaii with her friends to visit her family, which includes her deaf father Adam (Troy Kotsur) and sister Erin (Gia Hunter). Lucy's family also has Ben, their adopted chimpanzee who is highly intelligent and capable of communicating through a soundboard. One night, a mongoose bites Ben, sending him into a violent rage. The movie becomes a survival horror as the humans try to outlast Ben. Primate is not going to win any awards, but it's a highly effective thriller. It's mean, bloody, and under 90 minutes—exactly what you want in this kind of movie. Primate streams on Prime Video on July 31. Primate Release Date January 1, 2026 4 The Devil's Mouth Be careful where you swim Speaking of animals attacking humans, summer is the ideal time to release an intense shark movie. In The Devil's Mouth, the setting is a picturesque cave in Thailand. Don't worry, the thrills and screams will still be as loud as ever. Before starting their adult lives, five friends—played by Kathryn Newton, Lana Condor, Nico Hiraga, Gavin Casalegno, and Tommi Rose—embark on a journey to the beautiful location of Thailand. Looking for adventure, the group signs up for a guided swim in a freshwater cave system known as The Devil's Mouth. Somehow, a shark has made the cave his home, and it has its sights set on the group. I can almost guarantee that not everyone will make it out alive. Start placing your bets on who survives. The Devil's Mouth streams on Prime Video on July 29. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus $30 $50 Save $20 The Fire TV Stick 4K Plus has Wi-Fi 6 capabilities and Alexa+, so you can easily find your new favorite show. 3 Tár The defining cancel culture movie ​​​​​​​ It doesn't happen often, but when Todd Field makes a movie, Hollywood pays attention. To date, Field has directed three feature films: In the Bedroom, Little Children, and Tár. All three of Field's critically acclaimed movies explore humanity's flaws and divisive moral debates. Tár, Field's most fearless film, is one of the decade's most powerful movies. Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) might be the world's most famous conductor. At the top of the classical music world, Tár is preparing to conduct a career-defining symphony. However, Lydia's life is about to come crashing down due to a scandal with the potential to torpedo her career. Watching Lydia—a power-hungry abuser with a god complex—crumble while facing the consequences of her actions is one of the most accurate portrayals of cancel culture ever depicted on screen. Tár is now streaming on Netflix. Tar Release Date October 7, 2022 2 Blade Runner 2049 The seminal sci-fi classic gets a sequel ​​​​​​​ Legacy sequels are tricky. While many fans want to return to the universe they grew to love in the original movie, there is always the chance a second chapter could tarnish the franchise. There are more Zoolander 2s than Top Gun: Maverick. While Blade Runner 2049 does not reach the highs of the Top Gun sequel, there are still enough new ideas to justify its existence. It's Los Angeles in 2049, and K (Ryan Gosling), a blade runner in the LAPD, discovers that a replicant reproduced and had a child. If this information gets into the wrong hands, it could start a war, so K is tasked with finding and "retiring" the child. K's investigation leads him to Rick Deckard, who may hold the key to this mystery. Blade Runner may have pacing issues, but its visuals are legitimately stunning. It also reignited the franchise—the Prime Video series, Blade Runner 2099, arrives in November 2026. Blade Runner 2049 streams on Paramount+ on August 1. 1 The Drama One of the more unique movies of 2026 ​​​​​​​ Nothing is going to top The Odyssey or Dune: Part Three this year in terms of theatrical experiences. However, The Drama might take the cake for the biggest surprise of 2026. Directed by Kristoffer Borgli, The Drama stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as Emma Harwood and Charlie Thompson, an engaged couple set to be married in a week. Before the wedding, one of them makes a shocking confession that puts their marriage in jeopardy. I'm being extremely vague because this twist changes the entire mood of the movie. If you haven't seen it, go into this movie knowing as little as possible. You'll be rewarded with a thought-provoking exercise on empathy and compassion. However, prepare for your stomach to drop once the twist happens. The Drama streams on HBO Max on July 31. The Drama Release Date April 3, 2026 More movies to check out on streaming As July winds down, start adding some movies to your watchlist for August. If you're interested in award-winning movies on Netflix, check out Lawrence of Arabia and Rocky. If you want some classic movies, try Terms of Endearment or ​​​​​​​American Graffiti.