5 new movies to watch this week across Netflix, Prime Video, and more (August 17-23)

Published Aug 17, 2026, 3:00 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 week, the King of Pop topped the list of new movies to watch on streaming as Michael hit Starz. This week, music plays a big part in the list, but this time, it's centered around a pop star played by Anne Hathaway. Other movies I have my eyes on are an underseen coming-of-age drama from 2022, a tennis documentary about one of the best to ever hold a racket, and a charming black comedy by Steven Soderbergh. However, a 2026 revenge thriller arriving on Prime Video is my top pick of the week. 5 Armageddon Time James Gray's most personal film to date Movies are in a better place when James Gray puts something out. I'm a giant fan of Ad Astra and We Own the Night. Gray thrives when writing about complex families, and he wrote and directed Armageddon Time, which is based on his upbringing in Queens, New York. Middle school student Paul Graff (Banks Repeta), a white student, befriends classmate Johnny Davis​​​​​​​ (Jaylin Webb), an African American student, in Queens during the 1980s. Paul's divisive choices open his mind to social inequality and racial prejudice. It's a moving depiction of the American Dream and how privilege and persecution force many families to assimilate into a community, even if it goes against their beliefs.​​​​​​​ Armageddon Time is now streaming on Netflix. 4 ​​​​​​​Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter A tennis legend fights to stay at the top In tennis, the G.O.A.T. debate, which stands for greatest of all time, typically revolves around three players: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. If the debate were purely about stats, Djokovic would win it. The Serb has the most Grand Slam titles in men's tennis history with 24. He's also 39 and still one of the three best players in the game. What does it take to be arguably the greatest player to ever pick up a racket? Prime Video's new documentary, Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter, will try to answer that by taking fans behind the scenes and into Djokovic's mindset. As a tennis fan, I'm interested in hearing about Djokovic from Nadal's perspective, given their legendary rivalry. The Wolf in Winter is the perfect appetizer for the U.S. Open starting at the end of the month. ​​​​​​​ Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter streams on Prime Video on August 20. Subscription with ads Yes, via Prime membership or $9/month Simultaneous streams 3 3 The Christophers A different kind of caper Steven Soderbergh is the director I most associate with innovation. Soderbergh is always pushing the medium to new heights through his experimentation with genres and camera movements. Soderbergh has done plenty of heist movies, most notably the Ocean's trilogy. The Christophers was billed as another caper, but it's more of a reflection on art and what it means to create. Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen) is a famous artist who crafted a series of paintings called "The Christophers." Julian has completed two series of paintings, but he never finished the third. Julian's children hire artist Lori Butler (Michaela Coel) to finish "The Christophers" series so they can sell the paintings after he dies. At first, Lori is committed to forging the paintings, but as she spends more time with Julian, she gains a better appreciation for the tortured artist. By the end, you won't even care about the scheme. All you'll want to do is spend more time watching the natural chemistry between McKellen and Coel. The Christophers streams on Hulu on August 22. 2 Mother Mary An aging pop star fights to stay in the spotlight What an incredible 2026 has been for Anne Hathaway. She's receiving Oscar buzz for The Odyssey and reprised her beloved role as Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada 2. Hathaway's year in movies began in April with Mother Mary, an A24 psychological drama directed by David Lowery. After an onstage accident, Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway) is an aging pop star looking to mount a comeback and reestablish herself as a top star. Days before her show, Mary visits Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel), her former lover and costume designer, who agrees to make a new dress. Unsurprisingly, Mother Mary is a stylish movie carried by its striking visuals. The movie is also elevated by Hathaway's committed performance, a performance that makes her pop star feel believable. Mother Mary streams on HBO Max on August 21. Mother Mary Release Date April 17, 2026 1 Is God Is Revenge never looked so cool ​​​​​​​ Is God Is knows exactly what it wants to be: a 1970s-inspired revenge thriller. It's a gritty exploitation movie from writer-director Aleshea Harris, who based the screenplay on her play of the same name. Twin sisters Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) both suffered burns as babies from an incident that involved their father (Sterling K. Brown). On her deathbed, the girls' mother (Vivica A. Fox) asks her daughters to kill their father, which they eventually agree to do. The movie then shifts into a road trip movie as Racine and Anaia embark on a violent quest to find and eliminate their father. Is God Is combines three styles—a Greek tragedy, a grindhouse homage, and a blaxploitation film—into one entertaining adventure. Is God Is streams on Prime Video on August 19. More movies to watch this week If you liked The X-Files, then check out The X-Files: I Want to Believe – Vrach Frankenshteyn, Chris Carter's director's cut, which restores the horror elements he had to cut in the theatrical version. Elsewhere, head to Paramount+ to watch a wide selection of movies under two hours, including Crawl and Arrival.