GERARD BUTLER in KANDAHAR (2023), directed by RIC ROMAN WAUGH. Credit: Thunder Road Pictures / Album
A new month is here, and while Netflix’s movie lineup for August 2025 may not be the strongest we’ll see this year, there are still a few hidden gems worth your time. From international thrillers and quirky comedies to high-octane action and buzzy festival picks, there’s something for every kind of viewer. We’re here to help you sift through the noise and spotlight the best new movies hitting Netflix this month.
As always with our what to watch picks for any given month, we’ll be splitting this list up into two sections: first, we’ll cover the Netflix Original movies we’re most looking forward to, before looking at some of the licensed movies that are specifically coming to Netflix in the United States. While these latter movies may be on Netflix outside of the US, it’s not guaranteed.
You can find a comprehensive list of everything coming up in August in the US here.
Most Anticipated New Netflix Original Movies in August 2025
Fixed
Coming to Netflix: August 13th
For many years, it looked like Fixed would never see the light of day. Through multiple stages of its development and post-production, it seemed as if this raunchy R-rated comedy about a dog about to lose his balls would never make its way into the hands of audiences. Thankfully, earlier this year, Netflix stepped in and gave the dog a loving home.
Both Andrew Morgan, our critic, and I have already managed to see the film in full, and you can read his opinion in his full review here. But I think this is another excellent addition to the Netflix Original animation library and offers something unique. It could be construed as a little two-dimensional, sure, but honestly, if you’re looking for a good, honest old school comedy movie that is non-stop gags, this is absolutely for you.
Night Always Comes
Coming to Netflix: August 15th
Kicking off Netflix’s potential award slate for the back half of 2025 is a new R-rated crime thriller starring Vanessa Kirby, who’s currently lighting up the big screen thanks to her breakout role in Marvel’s Fantastic Four, now dominating at the box office. Looking to ride that wave of momentum, Netflix is slotting Kirby into a tense, fast-paced film set over the course of a single night, where she plays a woman scrambling to pull favors and cut deals in a desperate bid to secure a future for herself and her brother.
The film also reunites Kirby with director Benjamin Caron, marking their first collaboration since their work on Netflix’s award-winning flagship drama The Crown.
The Thursday Murder Club
Coming to Netflix: August 28th
Netflix has multiple projects in the works with Amblin Entertainment, the company run by the visionary Steven Spielberg. Still, one we’re glad is finally hitting our screens at the end of next month is The Thursday Murder Club. Based on the fantastic book by British author and presenter Richard Osman, you’ll see some British acting royalty unite on screen for a murder mystery that’ll help tee you up for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery later this year.
Chris Columbus, known for directing favorites like the first Harry Potter movie and the sequel to Netflix’s The Christmas Chronicles, is behind the feature with the plot largely following the book in that we catch up with retirees who are used to solving murder mysteries in theory but now they’ll have to put those acquired skills into practice.
Who is among that prestigious cast? Only the likes of Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, Naomi Ackie, Jonathan Pryce, David Tennant, and Lucifer himself, Tom Ellis.
The Truth About Jussie Smollett
Coming to Netflix: August 22nd
Picture: Netflix
Every now and again, Netflix lines up a documentary that you just know has the potential to take off and create headlines. For August, that seems to be the job of The Truth About Jussie Smollett, which covers the relatively recent scandal involving the actor himself lying about being lynched. We suspect this documentary, which has had the blessing and active involvement of the actor since the beginning, will be closely scrutinized and dominate the headlines for weeks after its launch. Gagan Rehill is directing.
Best New Licensed Movies Coming August 2025
The Departed (2006)
Coming to Netflix: August 1st
Picture: Warner Bros. Pictures
As always with the first of the month, we get a big turnover of movies, and while there are certainly a few good callouts from the 42 movies that did touch down, the one I’m going to be giving a rewatch is The Departed, as it’s been way too long since I last saw this Oscar-winning classic. Featuring some of the finest Hollywood talent in history (Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, etc, etc), the Martin Scorsese flick is probably not his most well-known but arguably one of his best executed movies in his career.
The thriller involves an undercover cop and a mole both trying to outcompete each other and discover each other with a notorious Irish gang run by Costello in Boston at the center. The film scooped four Oscar wins and was a box office success nearly two decades ago when it was released, and is still an absolute blast today, whether it’s your first time watching or you’re going in for a rewatch.
Kandahar (2023)
Coming to Netflix: August 9th
Gerard Butler has quietly become one of Netflix’s most reliable action stars, with several of his films regularly finding renewed success in the top 10s (usually anywhere around the world) long after their initial releases. If recent performance trends are anything to go by, his 2023 thriller from Thunder Road Pictures looks poised to do the same.
In this high-stakes geopolitical action film, Butler stars as Tom Harris, a seasoned CIA operative caught in a rapidly unraveling mission in the heart of Afghanistan. After unintentionally exposing a covert operation, Harris and his local translator find themselves on the run, pursued by elite special forces and hostile agents with orders to take them down at any cost. With limited resources and no backup, the two must navigate treacherous terrain, shifting alliances, and mounting odds as they fight for survival and the truth.
The movie blends Butler’s trademark gritty action with timely political tension, making it a strong candidate to re-emerge in the Netflix top 10 as audiences continue to flock to pulse-pounding thrillers. With a tight runtime, explosive set pieces, and a central performance that’s both stoic and emotionally grounded, it’s no surprise that this title continues to draw in new viewers.
Fast and Furious Movie Collection
Coming to Netflix: August 16th
Licensing movie franchises has become far more strategic for Netflix in recent years, with the streamer increasingly boarding entire collections rather than piecemeal entries. While that wasn’t always the case, studios are now more inclined to bundle their marquee franchises together — a move that allows them to charge a premium, while giving Netflix more value and viewers a more complete experience. After all, if someone starts a franchise, they’re likely to binge it all the way through.
Starting mid-month, Netflix will be streaming the first seven Fast and Furious movies. What begins as a street-racing crime saga quickly shifts gears into high-octane heist thrillers and eventually full-blown action blockbusters (for better and/or for worse – take your pick!). They’re not Oscar material, but they’re undeniably crowd-pleasers. If you’re in the mood for a full-throttle movie binge, this is the franchise for you — complete with explosions, globe-trotting stunts, and, of course, a whole lot of “family.”
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)
Coming to Netflix: August 25th
One of two late additions to the August 2025 roster (meaning you won’t see these listed on other websites!) is the most recent Transformers entry and while I can’t hand on heart say it’s one of the best entires (Bumblebee and the first movie still hold those spots for me) this one at least tried to do something interesting albeit it didn’t execute everything (or even 50%) perfectly.
The movie pulls in a bunch of other movies, arguably, such as Godzilla vs. Kong and even a bit of Jurassic World too, and it’s a fun combination to watch on screen, particularly if you want just to watch CGI beat up other CGI. The official synopsis reads, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on a ‘90s globetrotting adventure with the Autobots and introduce a whole new faction of Transformers – the Maximals – to join them as allies in the existing battle for earth.”
Broke
Coming to Netflix: August 21st
One of the late additions to the Netflix roster for August 2025 is the streaming subscription video-on-demand debut of Broke, which arrives on Netflix just a few months after the movie skipped theatrical and opted for a home release instead. That’s a crying shame given that this movie has picked up a bunch of good reviews from both audiences and critics alike and now, thankfully, is getting exposed to a bigger audience courtesy of Netflix.
Headlined by Wyatt Russell and Dennis Quaid, the Western comes from writer/director Carlyle Eubank, with the plot set following True Brandywine, a rodeo rider who has been caught in some hard times professionally and now has to contend with an incoming blizzard that could mean life or death for him.
Are any of these movies on your watch list for August? Have we missed any obvious picks? Let me know in the comments down below.
