August is always a weird time for movie fans, but the current strike-related ambiguity that has brought Hollywood to a screeching halt makes this month’s entertainment landscape even harder to navigate. Normally, August is the bridge between the peak of the summer blockbuster season and the beginning of the fall festival circuit. Sure, there are always a few big studio projects rolling out in theaters, but many cinephiles begin to look ahead to the slate of awards contenders debuting in Venice, Toronto, and Telluride.
This August’s theatrical lineup follows a predictable pattern — while nobody is comparing “Strays” and “Blue Beetle” to “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” there are still major studio releases to be found. But the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike has thrown the entire fall release schedule into limbo. With actors unable to promote their projects, many of autumn’s biggest scheduled releases could end up being delayed. While nothing is certain, it’s very possible that we’ll all be spending more time than usual streaming old movies this fall.
Fortunately, Netflix’s August lineup offers plenty of opportunities to get started. While this month’s slate doesn’t feature as many original films as usual, it’s filled with comedy classics to help you keep cool during the dog days of summer. From nostalgic ’80s movies like “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Coming to America” to hard-R-rated modern hits like “Sausage Party,” everyone should be able to find something to laugh at this month. There’s also plenty of dramatic fare to be found, with selections ranging from indie classics like “Lost in Translation” to family hits such as “Paddington.” Keep reading for our seven favorite movies streaming on Netflix this August.
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“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (Streaming now)
Image Credit: ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection John Hughes’ endlessly rewatchable day-in-the-life classic remains one of the best teen movies of all time. Matthew Broderick shines in his career-defining role as a charismatic high schooler who convinces his best friend and girlfriend to join him in a legendary day of playing hooky. From the fourth wall-breaking shower monologues to the parade singalong, virtually every scene stands on its own as an iconic moment in film history. Any ConHeads still nursing a “Succession” hangover can tune in for another great performance from a young Alan Ruck.
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“Lost in Translation” (Streaming now)
Image Credit: ©Focus Films/Courtesy Everett Collection Two decades after its initial release, Sofia Coppola’s collaboration with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson remains a seminal work in all three artists’ careers. Murray stars as a washed up movie star whose excursion to Tokyo to film a commercial sparks a surprise encounter with an equally lonely young woman. The film went a long way towards developing the archetypes that Murray would go on to play in the third act of his career and establishing Johansson as a capable leading woman. It’s a perfect time to revisit the film as you count down the days until Coppola’s “Priscilla” hits theaters later this year.
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“Coming to America” (Streaming now)
Image Credit: ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection Eddie Murphy was a movie star operating at the height of his powers in 1988 when he headlined “Coming to America,” John Landis’ fish-out-of-water comedy that saw him playing an African monarch who looks for love in America. The attention to detail that went into the fictional nation of Zamunda, combined with charming supporting performances from Arsenio Hall and James Earl Jones, makes “Coming to America” an ’80s comedy that still holds up after multiple rewatches.
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“The Jerk” (Streaming now)
Image Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection It’s a big month for Steve Martin fans, as “Only Murders in the Building” is returning to Hulu for its highly anticipated third season. While you wait for the comedy legend’s latest work, it’s a great time to revisit one of his most iconic films. Carl Reiner’s “The Jerk” stars Martin as the white son of a poor Black family whose attempts to venture out into the world and seek his fortune come up hilariously short. The film, which was a favorite of Stanley Kubrick, helped Martin transition from “SNL” fame to movie stardom.
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“Paddington” (Streaming August 14)
Image Credit: ©Weinstein Company/Courtesy Everett Coll / Everett Collection One of the most acclaimed family films of the past decade, “Paddington” stars Ben Whishaw as a marmalade-loving Peruvian bear who winds up taking an unexpectedly charming trip to London. While the stellar “Paddington 2” has rightly surpassed the original film in the minds of most fans, “Paddington” still stands on its own as a fitting introduction to the beloved British character. It’s a great time to get caught up before the Peru-set “Paddington 3” hits theaters.
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“The Pope’s Exorcist” (Streaming August 16)
Image Credit: ©Screen Gems/Courtesy Everett Collection The latest theatrical hit to head to Netflix is “The Pope’s Exorcist,” the Russell Crowe-led Vatican thriller that spooked audiences this April. While the film boasts a relatively standard exorcism plotline, detailed Catholic iconography and Crowe’s signature gravitas elevated it into a highly entertaining experience. The film should make a great appetizer before David Gordon Green’s “The Exorcist: Believer” brings demonic thrillers back into the zeitgeist this fall.
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“Sausage Party” (Streaming August 23)
Image Credit: ©Sony Pictures/Everett Collection / Everett Collection Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg returned to the animation genre with this month’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” which they wrote and produced. Their modernized take on the 1980s sewer dwellers is earning positive reviews — but it’s quite a departure from their last animated effort. “Sausage Party” famously infused Pixar-style animation with the sophomoric humor that made Rogen a household name, telling the story of a coterie of anthropomorphic groceries who realize that they’re insanely horny. What could have been a simple shock-value premise ended up being a rather creative summer film, which culminated with the wildest food orgy you’ll ever see on screen.
