August streaming highlights

Luca Fontana

1.8.2025

Translation: Katherine Martin

New month, new streaming recommendations. From Netflix to Disney+, Sky Show, Apple TV+ and Paramount+, these are my series and film picks on streaming services this August.

How long do chickens work? Around the cluck! Unluckily for them. As for me, I’ve been working hard to meet this month’s binge-watching quota. The result? A fresh roundup of series and films out on streaming platforms this August.

Every so often, a series causes a sensation that nobody sees coming. Wednesday was one of those series. I’m sure Netflix had hoped the horror comedy would make a splash. But was the streaming platform expecting it to be its most successful series of all time? A series revolving around a dancing, violin-playing, murderous goth, no less? Come on. And to be honest, I still don’t quite get it.

Sure, Jenna Ortega was fantastic. She carried the whole series with her stoic gaze and razor-sharp timing. With ease. The rest, however, was okay. And only okay. Nicely filmed, nicely written. A little mystery here, a little romance there and a little Tim Burton thrown in for good measure. Not a flop, but not a milestone in TV history either.

And now, here comes Season 2, bringing a genuine challenge along with it: living up to expectations. Ortega’s actually been made an executive producer this time around. Reportedly, the series is even darker, less teenage and more horror-like in tone. I like the sound of it. Plus, Netflix is splitting the episodes’ release over two Wednesdays. Clever. But will that be enough to make it a success?

When: (Part 1): 6 August
When: (Part 2): 3 September

Hostage (miniseries)

Sometimes, it’s the series you don’t have on your radar that surprise you the most. Hostage, a UK political thriller, might well be one of those series. Although it was announced without much fanfare, the trailer immediately promises suspense.

The series centres on British Prime Minister Abigail Dalton, played by Suranne Jones. During a state visit, her husband is kidnapped, and the French president (Julie Delpy) is also targeted by a blackmailer. Suddenly, a story of political vanity gives way to one about life, loyalty and a conspiracy threatening to plunge both countries into chaos.

With five episodes, a high-calibre cast and a script penned by Bridge of Spies writer Matt Charman, it seems there could be more to Hostage than its fairly low-key marketing campaign suggests. Frankly, I’d better put it on my watch list before I let a potential gem almost slip through my fingers (à la Paradise, the best series of 2025).

When: 21 August

Eyes of Wakana looks good, won’t hurt – and probably won’t be remembered for long. The four-part animated miniseries set in the Marvel universe moves away from big names such as T’Challa or Shuri, focusing instead on the story of a spy named Noni. Her goal? To retrieve stolen vibranium artefacts in a Mission- Impossible-meets-Wakanda-folklore feat.

That sounds more ambitious than I guess it’ll turn out to be. Despite its pretty art style, atmospheric design and interesting premise, it all feels more like a gap-filler for the franchise than a genuine highlight. The idea of shedding light on Wakanda’s past sounds decent, but is four episodes really enough to do more than just nicely hint at it?

Of course, if you’re stuck for something to watch, it’ll do fine. If you love Marvel and fancy spending an evening devouring some new lore, have at it. As for everyone else? Eyes of Wakana probably isn’t a must-see.

When: 1 August

King of the Hill, Season 14 (series)

The thing that made King of the Hill so brilliant was its humour. Subtle, almost understated humour, creating a wry commentary on the absurdities of the middle classes and ordinary people. This was how the humdrum, often slightly dull life of the Hill family from Arlen, Texas, became brilliant comedy. The show went on for 13 seasons between 1997 and 2009 before being taken off the air.

Now, 16 years later, it’s finally returning to our screens. Rather than hitting the reset button, Season 14 reintroduces us to old acquaintances: Hank, Peggy, Bobby and the gang. In their absence, however, the world has kept on turning. Uber, craft beer and gender debates – all things Hank is yet to discover – are sure to provide plenty of fuel for some good, old Arlen stories.

You can’t help but look forward to seeing the crew again. It’s essentially a reunion with old friends who’ve grown a little older, but haven’t lost their quirks. The series certainly won’t change the world, but hey, it doesn’t need to. We’re all far too fond of the weird little world of Arlen anyway.

When: 4 August

Alien: Earth (series)

After Alien: Romulus, it was clear to me that the franchise had regained its bite. Or rather, its teeth. Many of them, in fact. Sharp ones, too. The fact that we’re now getting a series (created by Fargo mastermind, Noah Hawley, no less) makes my sci-fi heart beat faster. Alien: Earth brings the iconic horror to where it hurts the most: home.

Instead of being set within the corridors of a spaceship or in a remote colony, the story takes place on earth in the year 2120. While we don’t know all the details about the plot yet, the first teaser promises a dark, oppressive atmosphere and a heroine reminiscent of Ripley: Wendy, played by Sydney Chandler. FX and Hulu, Disney’s subsidiary for content aimed at adults, are fully committed to the project, with two seasons planned.

If it’s a success, we’re in for a new horror delight. I’m so ready for it.

When: 13 August

The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox (miniseries)

Few crimes have been devoured by the tabloid press with such relish as the murder of Meredith Kercher. Similarly, you’d be hard pressed to find a young woman exploited by the media as mercilessly as Amanda Knox. Innocent or guilty? At some point, the world stopped caring about that question and became much more interested in the image. The ice-cold American woman. The sex maniac. The killer.

The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox aims to shatter that very image, with Amanda Knox herself acting as executive producer. Yes, it’s important she’s allowed to tell her story. The fact that she’s even doing so alongside Monica Lewinsky makes the project sound exciting on paper. Even so, it still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I mean, how many more series, documentaries, podcasts and books will it take before Amanda Knox’s story is considered «told»? There’s a danger that this project will also end up living off the hype it claims to be criticising. I’m intrigued.

When: 20 August

Alright, let me try and break this down. Peacemaker is a spin-off series and sequel to the brilliant The Suicide Squad, which, in turn, was a soft reboot of the devastatingly bad Suicide Squad. That means it’s actually set in the old DCEU, while Season 2 is now suddenly set in the new DCU, but still follows on from Season 1. Got it? No? Don’t sweat it. Peacemaker himself doesn’t seem to fully understand what’s going on either.

What he does understand is that everything’s better in the new world he discovers in this new adventure. The thing is, it isn’t real. Instead of peace, he once again finds himself at war – with himself, with the past and with a universe that’s constantly reinventing itself. Superman director James Gunn makes clever use of this. Instead of a big multiverse show, we get a small-scale, personal story about whether it’s possible to reinvent yourself or whether you’re forced to stay who you are. In Peacemaker’s case, a brutal, shouty, sometimes surprisingly heart-warming anti-hero with a toilet seat helmet.

Is this the same DC we used to know? Beats me. Either way, Peacemaker is back. And that’s enough for now.

When: 21 August

Mickey 17 (film)

Imagine if it was your job to die. Over and over again. All because a new you would simply be printed out each time you did so. Welcome to the world of Mickey 17, Bong Joon-ho’s sci-fi satire about capitalism, the ethics of cloning and a colony on the brink of madness. Robert Pattinson plays Mickey. Or rather, Mickey 17, the seventeenth copy of a man who’s starting to realise he’s more than just a replaceable cog in the system.

The film gets off to a fabulous start. It’s clever, absurd, infused with a dry wit and features a 3D printer that forms human beings out of organic waste. Later on, Mickey 17 gets louder, more OTT, but also more playful. Instead of asking just one question, the film juggles numerous ideas, images and genres. It doesn’t get every scene right, but there’s a method to the madness. And Pattinson plays his role with so much charisma that it’s a joy to follow him through every print run.

When: 29 August

Jason Momoa can see again. Pretty clearly, in fact. Chief of War is his passion project. His Braveheart, as he’s described it. Only, he’s swapped the Highlands for Hawaii. Chief of War tells a story of war, betrayal and honour. Most importantly, however, it’s a story of self-determination.

Momoa plays Ka’iana, a warrior attempting to unite the fragmented kingdoms of 18th-century Hawaii before Western colonisers overrun the country. It sounds epic, and may well turn out to be exactly that. The series was shot with a Polynesian cast, features the Hawaiian language and shows genuine respect for the culture. Momoa doesn’t just appear in front of the camera – he also works behind it as a screenwriter, producer and director of the finale. We’ve never seen him in a project this personal.

Will Chief of War really be his masterpiece? I don’t know. But the trailer alone feels more meaningful than plenty of the stuff that gets lost in the flood of streaming fare.

When: 1 August

Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.» more

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