Netflix in August 2026: 5 best all-new arrivals for Netflix viewers
It's another seismic month for the biggest streamer
Netflix has a big month ahead of it – August brings a whole new list of films and shows being added to the service, and anyone who's looked over the full range knows that there are too many to really process. That hasn't stopped me, though. I've taken a deep look into what's coming and filtered out all the chaff.
That means you'll find five genuine highlights below, each one worthy of your interest. Check them out with trailers embedded for your convenience, as well as details of when they'll start streaming, so that you can circle the relevant dates in your diary if you're really motivated.
The Last House
- Streaming from: 7 August
This is a wild-looking one – a horror movie that definitely has elements of sci-fi playing around in its web. The Last House stars Greta Lee and Wagner Moura as a husband and wife who wake up one day, get their kids ready like normal, then discover that they've been sealed in their house.
In fact, it doesn't take too long for them to realise that this might be happening to everyone, a sort of pandemic-style lockdown being enforced by seemingly supernatural forces. Whether the source is alien or paranormal, I can't be sure, but the trailer makes the movie look properly unsettling, and it could be quite a hit when it arrives early in August.
The Whisper Man
- Streaming from: 28 August
Another scary-looking thriller rounds out the month on Netflix's side, but it's probably the most high-profile addition of the whole month. The Whisper Man makes me think of Zodiac every time I watch its trailer – something about the oppressive atmosphere of Fincher's film is summoned up by the rain and grottiness of this new movie's setting.
Adam Scott plays a father whose son goes missing, and he soon realises that it's the work of a serial killer who'd been locked up for a long time but might now be out and about. He's forced to turn to his estranged dad (Robert De Niro, no less), who once put that killer away, and there are clearly plenty of secrets to be spilled about what happened all those years ago.
My Brilliant Career
- Streaming from: 13 August
If you want something a little more light-hearted, don't worry – Netflix isn't exclusively making scary stuff this month. This lovely series set in Australia, for example, might scratch the itch of any costume drama fan. It's the story of a spirited young woman who doesn't want to conform to expectations.
Rather than simply waiting to be courted and married, she decides to see the world as best she can, and to make the most of her talent for writing while she does it. Of course, that's too simple – the fact that love is going to land in her lap while she does so should make things more complicated.
Don't Say Good Luck
- Streaming from: 14 August
Another romantic-looking movie, but set in a very different time, Don't Say Good Luck pits all the normal travails and challenges of adolescence against a common but no less sad tragedy. Adam Sandler's daughter Sunny stars as a teenager whose mother is extremely sick, but who has her own regular problems to compartmentalise at the same time.
That's a familiar story for so many of us, and it looks like the film's approach should be really heartwarming, as she goes through moments that are normal but also at times extraordinary. Growing up can be brutal, as most of us know, but this looks like it might do a good job of capturing some of the sheer joy that comes our way during the process.
Outer Banks (Season 5)
- Streaming from: 20 August
One of Netflix's most long-running ongoing shows is coming to an end this month, with Outer Banks finally taking a bow. Its story of treasure hunters and fierce rivalries has taken some surprising twists over the years, and had some shocking enough moments, but now it looks like it's all about to end.
The Pogues have one last heist in their sights, but with more power than ever arrayed against them, they're going to have to rely on each other and their wits to get through everything. The big question is whether they'll all make it, or whether some of them will be left behind while the others ride off into the sunset once more.
