The Films and Shows You Should Be Streaming in August 2026

The summer is slowly coming to an end, but the streaming recommendations never stop. Yes, it’s time for the Nerd’s Watch, the place to find out all the best genre titles coming to Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Peacock, and more. Plus, we do the work for you. This isn’t a simple copy-paste of everything coming to every service. It’s something more. What follows is a list of the best stuff on all the big streaming services. We look at all those long, annoying lists and whittle them down to a few dozen titles that we think are noteworthy this month. Some are new, some are old, but either way, we’ll tell you why you should care. Or at least joke about it. Field of Dreams Image: Universal Lots of Chucky movies (August 1 on Netflix) Netflix is getting six movies starring everyone’s best friend, Chucky, this month but the original is not one of them. So, if you’re into sequels, you have Child’s Play 2, Child’s Play 3, Bride of Chucky, Seed of Chucky, Curse of Chucky, and Cult of Chucky. Just no plain Child’s Play. The Fast and the Furious franchise (August 1 on Netflix) On the other hand, Netflix has the first seven Fast and Furious movies just in time for the franchise’s 25th anniversary. That means The Fast and the Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, and Furious 7, all on Netflix. And, if you don’t mind skipping eight, F9: The Fast Saga and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw are both on Peacock. Field of Dreams (August 1 on Netflix and Peacock) If you stream it, they will watch. One of not just the best sports movies, but almost certainly the best genre sports movie ever, comes to streaming. And, not only does it star Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, and Ray Liotta, recent Oscar-winner Amy Madigan is in there too. Speed and Speed 2: Cruise Control (August 1 on Netflix) One of the best action movies ever, and one of the worst action sequels ever, both come to Netflix this month. Both star Sandra Bullock and both are about large modes of transportation. Swiss Army Man (August 19 on Netflix) Before they won Oscars for Everything Everywhere All At Once, the Daniels made this incredibly weird film starring Paul Dano as a man stranded on an island who sort of befriends a dead, farting corpse played by Daniel Radcliffe. The Ninth Jedi (Image: Lucasfilm) Short Circuit (August 1 on Hulu) If you grew up in the 1980s, this movie about a robot named Johnny-5 who gains consciousness was everywhere. We all loved it. If you grew up anytime after that, you will find it incredibly weird and offensive, but also charming. A fascinating window into ’80s pop culture. Ex Machina (August 3 on Hulu) Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac, and Domhnall Gleeson star in Alex Garland’s awe-inspiring sci-fi thriller about a stunning AI robot. The X Trilogy (August 3 on Hulu) One of the most unlikely, but fun, trilogies in recent memory is Ti West’s wild ride through the life and times of an aspiring actress named Maxine, played by Mia Goth. The story starts in X, goes back in time with Pearl, and jumps ahead in MaXXXine. The X-Files: I Want to Believe Vrach Frankenshteyn (August 14 on Hulu) Chris Carter’s second X-Files movie is coming on Hulu on August 14 and, as an extra bonus, there’s an extended, R-rated director’s cut as well. Star Wars: Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi (August 5 on Disney+ and Hulu) The first, but probably not the last, Star Wars animated series based on one of its Star Wars: Visions shorts is finally here. Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence (Image: Warner Bros.) Lanterns Season 1 (August 16 on Max) James Gunn’s DC Universe continues with this eight-episode superhero detective story starring Earth’s Green Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) as he trains his potential replacement, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). The Cabin in the Woods (August 30 on Max) One of the most fun, surprising, and innovative horror movies in recent memory comes to streaming and, whether you’ve seen it before or not, it’s time for a revisit. 10 Cloverfield Lane and Cloverfield (August 1 on Paramount+) Before he became the Predator guy, director Dan Trachtenberg made an awesome, tense, tangentially related sequel to Matt Reeves’ highly influential found footage monster movie. And now, they’re both coming to Paramount+. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (August 1 on Paramount+) It’s been 25 years since Steven Spielberg picked up the pieces of a Stanley Kubrick idea and turned it into this fascinating, sad adventure starring Haley Joel Osment and Jude Law. What better time than now, in this world of AI, and on its anniversary, to check it out again? The From Dusk till Dawn Trilogy (August 1 on Paramount+) The Robert Rodriguez-directed, Quentin Tarantino-written, 1996 vampire film From Dusk till Dawn is an all-timer. It then spawned one sequel and one prequel (neither of those were directed by Rodriguez nor written by Tarantino), as well as a TV show. And while the show isn’t coming to streaming this month, all three of the movies are. Armageddon (Image: Disney) Gravity (August 1 on Paramount+) Sandra Bullock and George Clooney (sorta) star in this once-in-a-lifetime space film from director Alfonso Cuarón. Seeing it on streaming isn’t quite what it was like to see it in theaters and in 3D, but it’s still a phenomenal movie. Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back (August 1 on Paramount+) Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is basically Avengers: Endgame for the Kevin Smith universe. While it ultimately wasn’t the last Jay and Silent Bob movie Kevin Smith would make, at the time it felt like everything had been building up to it from Clerks and beyond. Where The Wild Things Are (August 1 on Paramount+) Maurice Sendak’s iconic children’s book comes together in maybe the most beautiful way imaginable from director Spike Jonze. A film that is only getting better with age. Armageddon (August 1 on Peacock) If you don’t want to miss a thing, then head over to Peacock on August 1. That’s when Michael Bay’s star-studded sci-fi blockbuster about oil riggers who have to stop an asteroid from smashing into Earth will be streaming. It’s just pure fun. Escape Room and Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (August 1 on Peacock) The idea of a horror movie based on escape rooms is extremely cool. And so, it was no surprise when the 2019 film Escape Room became a massive hit. Its sequel didn’t follow suit, mostly because it ignored the promise of the original, but it’s still a decent double feature. The Matrix (Image: Warner Bros.) Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (August 1 on Peacock) Usually there are three rules to caring for a mogwai, the lovable creature at the center of the Gremlins films. But with the two films coming to streaming and a third one in development, the only rule you have to follow is to revisit them asap. Insidious Chapters 1-3 (August 1 on Peacock) Insidious has been one of the scariest, most consistent horror franchises in recent years, especially those first three films. And, lucky you, those are the three that are being added to Peacock as the summer comes to a close and spooky season slowly creeps in. The Matrix Trilogy (August 1 on Peacock) Yes, there’s a (very good) fourth Matrix movie out there but, this month, it’s the first three movies that are coming to Peacock: The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, and The Matrix Revolutions. And all we can say is “Whoa. Old (August 1 on Peacock) It may now be known primarily for the meme “Beach that makes you old,” but M. Night Shyamalan’s horror film about, well, a beach that makes you old is still one of his most gruesome, intense films. We’re big fans. Troy (August 1 on Peacock) Brad Pitt stars in this high-priced adaptation of The Iliad, which means that it’s kinda sorta a prequel to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, now in theaters. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.