August is that time of year where it feels too hot to do anything besides sit inside, fire up your streaming services, and find a quality movie to enjoy. As always, I wanted to save you the trouble of sweating it out while clicking through all of your viewing options, so I dove into Netflix, Prime Video, Max, Hulu, and Peacock to find some movies you might find worthy of watching.
This month’s movies to stream are all here to take home the gold! Get it? Because the Olympics are going on right now. Bad joke, I know. Anyway, here they are:
Netflix: Hit Man (2024)
Glenn Powell is the hottest thing in Hollywood. He’s hot, he’s charming, and he knows how to pick fun and interesting projects. We’ve been so starved for the next crop of “movie stars” that people have been quick to anoint him the heir apparent to the likes of Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington. Although he still has a long ways to go to reach the status of either of those legends, if Powell continues to pick projects like Hit Man he may find himself there sooner rather than later. Hit Man is somewhat conventional in its narrative unfolds, but it’s so confident it’s ability to entertain that you can’t help but be charmed. Powell certainly has the magnetism to bring you in and Linklater still has the goods behind the camera to keep you locked in.
FOR FANS OF: Bernie; In Bruges; Grosse Pointe Blank
Prime Video: Downfall (2005)
It’s inherently difficult to praise someone for a performance as Adolf Hitler, but Bruno Ganz is absolutely riveting as him. Examining the final days of Nazi Germany’s reign as Hitler and those around him spiral into an even deeper insanity, Downfall doesn’t compromise with the evil it’s depicting. There are no rose tinted glasses looking back at the end days of the country’s darkest period. Everyone was bad. They were doing bad things. Let’s see what it looked like when those bad guys were faced with the impending reckoning for the evil they spread. Downfall is one of the best World War II movies out there because it doesn’t take time to moralize or try to make sense of what happen. It simply lays out everything out as plainly as possible for viewers to make sense of.
FOR FANS OF: JoJo Rabbit; Paths of Glory; Inglourious Basterds
Max: Zola (2021)
Back in 2021 when A24 had the juice to distribute nothing but bangers, they released what is still one of the most under appreciated movies of the last five years or so – Zola. If you’re not familiar with the story behind Zola, it’s the first (and to this point only) movie based on a Tweet thread. Capturing the vibe, aesthetic, and sensibilities of the social media age has proved to be difficult for filmmakers. However, director Janicza Bravo proved to be up to the task of translating the world of Twitter threads to the big screen. Mix in one hilarious supporting performance by Nicholas Braun (aka Cousin Greg) and one terrifying supporting performance by Colman Domingo and you’ve got yourself a quality cinematic treat.
FOR FANS OF: Spring Breakers; The Hangover; After Hours
Hulu: Perfect Days (2023)
Don’t you love when a movie can inspire you to want to live your life in a slightly better way? Perfect Days is one of the best examples of these kinds of movies. Following a Tokyo man in his job cleaning public city toilets, and his ability to find joy in the simplicities of everyday life and routine, Perfect Days has the rare ability to pierce the deepest parts of your emotional vulnerability. The level empathy you end of feeling for our protagonist Hirayama (played brilliantly by Koji Yakusho) will at times take you by surprise, but will never feel unwarranted. Wim Wenders has a history as a director to tap into the universality of our emotional desires on a masterful level. Perfect Days may not be his best movie, but it is certainly a perfect example of how incredible that kind of filmmaking can be.
FOR FANS OF: Ikiru; Paris, Texas; Amelie
Peacock: Old (2021)
Word on the street is there’s a new M. Night Shyamalan movie hitting theaters. Which means it’s time for us Shyamalan defenders to once again awake from our slumbers and let you know that his movies (especially those of the last 5 to 10 years) are actually pretty enjoyable. Old is no exception to that rule. It’s a fun and interesting exploration of how we value and spend our time – especially in relation to our loved ones. Like most other recent Shyamalan projects, Old is written and directed with such an intense intentionality I can’t help but appreciate the director’s earnestness in filmmaking (even if not every creative choice is my favorite). There’s a way to engage in Shyamalan’s work that can make it enjoyable beyond trying to figure out what the twist might be. I think once we can all get there, film fans will be able to enjoy the likes of Trap and Old and whatever else he has to offer in the ways they were intended to be enjoyed.
FOR FANS OF: Trap; The Village; Knock at the Cabin
Make sure you check out all of these awesome options and let us know what you think. Also, be sure to let us know the best hidden gems you’ve streamed recently. Share in the comments and help us expand the list!
See you next month!
