Every month, streaming services in Australia add a new batch of movies and TV shows to its library. Here are our picks for August.
AUGUST 3
For the six-part docu-series Immigration Nation, the co-directors Christina Clusiau and Shaul Schwarz spent three years covering the tense situation on the U.S./Mexico border. Their crew was given unprecedented access to President Trumps Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, so much so that the administration has since become concerned that some of the footage in Immigration Nation may show ICE agents violating the law and misrepresenting their operations. A show thats this controversial before it debuts is certainly a must-see.
AUGUST 5
With The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep, the writer-director Mike Flanagan delivers a Stephen King movie adaptation that feels a lot like reading one of Kings novels. Flanagan uses his lengthy running time to develop the three main characters: the jaded alcoholic psychic Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor), the parasitic immortal cult leader Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson), and the supernaturally gifted teen Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran). The inevitable clash between good and bad psychics lacks a little oomph (and feels derivative of The Shining movie), but for the most part this is a genuinely spooky and resonant film about old ghosts and stolen childhoods.
AUGUST 7
Four years ago, the Guillermo del Toro-produced animated series Trollhunters introduced Netflix viewers to a group of young adventurers who were dealing with the perils of adolescence while getting drawn into ancient feuds between mystical creatures. The story continued in the sequel series 3Below, and now the trilogy wraps up with Wizards. The time-hopping, King Arthur-inspired romp brings together characters and subplots from the entire Tales of Arcadia universe. Based on the series track record, this should be a satisfying conclusion to a consistently entertaining young adult fantasy saga.
During these stressful times, we could all use a well-made, feather-light, agreeably silly dance movie. Work It could very well fit the bill. Produced by Alicia Keys, the film stars Sabrina Carpenter as a teenager who has to learn to dance and then work with a team of other misfits so she can compete in a big contest and enhance her college application. A cast of skilled dancers will get plenty of opportunities to strut their stuff, in a picture that combines underdog sports melodrama with high school romantic comedy.
AUGUST 14
Amanda Peet gives one of the most riveting performance of this television year in the second season of the true-crime docudrama Dirty John, playing the infamous spurned wife and murderer Betty Broderick. Christian Slater plays Dan Broderick, who in the shows version of the story became a successful lawyer with Bettys support, then put her through a humiliating, dragged-out divorce so he could marry a younger woman. The series creator Alexandra Cunningham retells a tale that was a tabloid staple in the 1990s, but puts her focus on the roles that gender and status played in this relationships unbalanced power dynamic. Throughout, Peet embodies a dynamic woman who comes off as both scary and sympathetic.
Netflixs latest big budget action spectacular stars Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Dominique Fishback as a team of unlikely heroes from different backgrounds, working to investigate the proliferation of a designer drug that gives its users superpowers for five minutes. Judging by the trailer, the Project Power co-directors Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost will be relying on some eye-popping special effects to give their movie its own five-minute boosts of energy. But its the low-key charisma of the three leads that will ultimately carry this picture.
AUGUST 21
The supernatural adventure series Lucifer has a lot in common with the excellent Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff Angel, in that both are imaginative and witty episodic dramas about demons who fight their own natures while solving crimes in Los Angeles. The Lucifer creators leaned into that similarity with their shocking season four finale, which saw Lucifer Morningstar (played by the charming Tom Ellis) re-embracing his dark destiny and reclaiming his throne in Hell. This situation surely wont last, but seeing how the devil himself returns to L.A. in season five should be a lot of fun.
Also arriving:
Shutter Island (August 1), Mundo Mistrio (August 4), Sam Jay: 3 in the Morning (August 4), Anelka: LIncompris (August 5), Worlds Most Wanted (August 5), The Rain Season 3 (August 6), Berlin, Berlin (August 7), High Seas Season 3 (August 7), Nailed It! Mexico Season 2 (August 7), Selling Sunset Season 3 (August 7), Sing On! Germany (August 7), Tiny Creatures (August 7), Insidious: The Last Key (August 9), Game On: A Comedy Crossover Event (August 10), How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (August 10), Greenleaf Season 5 (August 12), (Un)Well (August 12), Glow Up Season 2 (August 14), The Great Heist (August 14), Teenage Bounty Hunters (August 14), 3% Season 4 (August 14), Rita Season 5 (August 15), Space Jam (August 15), Stranger Season 2 (August 15), Crazy Awesome Teachers (August 17), DeMarcus Family Rules (August 19), High Score (August 19), Biohackers (August 20), John Was Truing to Contact Aliens (August 20), Rust Valley Restorer Season 3 (August 21), The Sleepover (August 21), Trinkets Season 2 (August 25), Million Dollar Beach House (August 26), Rising Phoenix (August 26), Aggretsuko Season 3 (August 27), Cobra Kai Seasons 1-2 (August 28), Fearless (August 28).
AUGUST 3
Widely considered one of the best Australian films of recent years, the drama Acute Misfortune directed by Thomas Wright, and co-written by Wright and Erik Jensen is based on Jensens biography of the late Adam Cullen, a painter known for his bold colors, shocking subject matter and punk aesthetic. The movie is about the close and sometimes contentious relationship that developed between the green young journalist Wright and the cantankerous and sickly Cullen. Its a study in how difficult it can be to put artists and their work into context.
AUGUST 5
The outstanding actress Juno Temple gets a much-deserved leading role in Little Birds, playing Lucy Savage, a rich New Yorker who explores the wide open sexual and political possibilities of Tangier in the mid 1950s. Loosely based on the work of the erotic fiction pioneer Anais Nin, this stylish six-part series directed by Stacie Passon spoofs the presumptions and privileges of the colonial class, while graphically depicting their secret desires. Temple brings a sense of playfulness and humor to a character on a wild journey of self-discovery.
AUGUST 20
The TV writer-producer team of Robert and Michelle King best-known for creating The Good Wife and its spinoff The Good Fight go to some wonderfully odd places with their new series Evil. Katja Herbers plays a psychologist who helps a deeply religious Catholic investigator (played by Mike Colter) and a skilled tinkerer (Aasif Mandvi) on a mission to determine if there are reasonable explanations for supernatural phenomena. Michael Emerson plays an antagonistic chaos-agent, working for his own mysterious ends. Evil is occasionally quite scary and often very funny. Its also consistently provocative in the way it depicts issues of faith and fervor.
AUGUST 22
One of the most artfully rendered romantic movies of recent years, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is set on an island estate in late 18th century Brittany, where a painter named Marianne (Nomie Merlant) has been hired to produce a portrait of a moody aristocrat named Hlose (Adle Haenel). The two fall in love and take their time, savoring the days they spend together before Hloses impending marriage. The writer-director Cline Sciamma captures the passion of these two women, as they enjoy the fleeting freedom of a secret affair.
AUGUST 28
Named for Helen Reddys 1972 feminist anthem, I Am Woman tells the story of the Melbourne-born singer and her rise to international pop music stardom. Tilda Cobham-Hervey plays Reddy, who arrives in the United States as an unknown and has to struggle against the ingrained sexism and shortsightedness of 1960s American showbiz to get her voice heard. Danielle Macdonald plays Lillian Roxon, the Australian rock journalist whose enthusiasm for the womens movement helped inspire Reddys most enduring hit.
AUGUST 30
Fans of strange but true crime stories should enjoy Love Fraud, a docu-series about a con-man who drained the bank accounts of several trusting women until they found each other online and worked together to expose him. The co-directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (best-known for the documentary Jesus Camp) get to know these ladies, who for the most part dont seem like easy or even lucrative marks. Love Fraud is about predators who use the internet to find not necessarily the wealthiest prey, but the most persuadable.
Also arriving: The Deceived (August 4), Magic Mike (August 5), Stroszek (August 5), Mr. & Mrs. Murder (August 6), Brabham (August 7), Chimerica Season 1 (August 7), Michelle Obama: Life After the White House (August 11), Battlestar Galactica Seasons 1-4 (August 14), The Circus (August 17), Dark Money Season 1 (August 23), Blood & Treasure Season 1 (August 27).
AUGUST 7
A different kind of food show or perhaps a different kind of political panel show Pan y Circo is hosted by the actor Diego Luna, who brings together an assortment of activists and celebrities for a series of fabulous meals, across Mexico. The guests have spirited debates about everything from immigration law to the drug war to gender politics, all in a spirit of honesty and good will. Theres even a quarantine special, with Lunas pals gathering virtually, to talk about life in the COVID-19 era.
AUGUST 14
The reality television producer Mark Burnett launched his career in the mid-1990s with Eco-Challenge, an extreme team race across the wilderness, combining multiple disciplines. Burnett set the concept aside after he found greater success with shows like Survivor and The Apprentice, but now hes bringing it back as Worlds Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji. The ruggedly outdoorsy TV personality Bear Grylls hosts the ten-part series, which covers a grueling, nonstop 11-day scramble across mountains and water, with 66 teams a total of over 300 athletes pushing the limits of their endurance.
Also arriving:
Chemical Hearts (August 21).
Read more:
- High Seas Forecast (Tropical Atlantic) - December 8th, 2016 [December 8th, 2016]
- U.S. High Seas Marine Text Forecasts by Area - December 10th, 2016 [December 10th, 2016]
- Global High Seas Marine Preserve A non-profit dedicted ... - February 2nd, 2017 [February 2nd, 2017]
- New centre for high seas visitors in Angus - The Courier - The Courier - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Naval Presence on High Seas Underscored - Financial Tribune - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Pirates Face Push Back On The High Seas - American Media Institute - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Queen Mary 2 to Host High Fashion on the High Seas - Cruise Hive - Cruise Hive - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Nigeria Rescues Oil Tanker From High-Seas Pirates - OilPrice.com - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Cabin cam shows the hilarious frustration of rolling on the high seas - Pickle - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Ransomware Gangs Have Become the High-Seas Pirates of the Internet - On the Wire (blog) - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Suspect in high-seas homicides hospitalized, putting case on hold - Sacramento Bee - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Gargrave Pantomime Group hit the high seas with Sinbad the Sailor - Craven Herald - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Sailing the high seas: Top cruises for first-timers, families and excursions in 2017 - Malay Mail Online - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- The Cold War returns to the high seas (opinion) - CNN.com - CNN - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- All aboard for Cosplay on the high seas, Latest Travel News - The ... - The New Paper - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- The Cold War returns to the high seas - CNN International - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Star-Studded Broadway on the High Seas 8 Sets Sail Feb. 17 - Playbill.com - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- 'The internet is like the high seas' - Deutsche Welle - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Sailing the high seas - Fiji Times - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- In Dramatic High Seas Rescue, Four Fishermen Rescued By Good Samaritans Off Galveston, Texas, Coast - Patch.com - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Greg McQuade discovers life on the high seas aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower - wtvr.com - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Escape to the high seas at the National Aviary - NEXTpittsburgh - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Ocean Prediction Center-Coastal, Offshore and High Seas ... - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Lagerstein hitting the high seas for Rum City - Bundaberg News Mail - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Scapa Flow German High Seas Fleet scrap sites explored - The ... - The Orcadian - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Two boats towed in harbor in high seas - Cayman Compass - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- Take to the high seas with Condor Sailing Adventures - Pensacola News Journal - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- Aging high-seas murder suspect out of hospital and back in court - Sacramento Bee - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Masters of the waves talk of high seas, thrills & spills - The New Indian Express - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Campbell River Sea Cadet off to England to hit the high seas - Campbell River Mirror - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- Survival on the high seas (From The Northern Echo) - The Northern Echo (registration) - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- Industry 4.0 on the High Seas - MarineLink - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- New Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Trailer Brings Us More Action On The High Seas! - LRM Online (press release) (blog) - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- Eco-warriors meet government authority on Ballina's high seas - Echonetdaily - March 6th, 2017 [March 6th, 2017]
- Tech on the high seas: Fred Olsen IT chief chats cloud, connectivity and security - www.v3.co.uk - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- Why newbie Drusilla is preparing for life on the high seas - The Wharf - The Wharf - March 7th, 2017 [March 7th, 2017]
- Bhang Travel Inc. Brings Cannabis Networking to the High Seas - PR Web (press release) - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- Drama on the high seas: East Kilbride couple reveal dramatic rescue after boat sinks in Gulf - Scottish Daily Record - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- Journey through the high seas - The Standard - March 10th, 2017 [March 10th, 2017]
- French, Irish yacht sailors survive high seas off Australia's coast - TRT World - March 10th, 2017 [March 10th, 2017]
- 3 Digital Marketing Lessons From a Lawyer Focused on the High Seas - Entrepreneur - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Captain Cannonball sails the high seas as a pirate - Destin.com - Destin Log and Walton Log - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- No clean boats on the high seas | Kochi News - Times of India - Times of India - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Trekr Racing makes its debut on the high seas - Washington Blade - Washington Blade - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Real 'Pirate Women' On The High Seas Of Old | On Point - WBUR - WBUR - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Cruise Operators Continue to Hide Behind the Death on the High ... - Cruise Law News - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Cruise ship crime: Who's in charge of law and order on the high seas? - Star2.com - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- Footprints: PERIL ON THE HIGH SEAS - DAWN.com - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- You can gamble on the high seas out of Galveston, but it might not always be smooth sailing - Rare.us - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- An Energy Shock from the High Seas - Wall Street Journal (subscription) - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- Navy dispatched 52 flotillas to high seas in 8 years - Mehr News Agency - English Version - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Barker and Team Japan ruling the high seas - Royal Gazette - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- Hitting The High Seas: US LNG Finds A Home - Seeking Alpha - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- A U-Boat Strikes and Terror Follows on the High Seas - New York Times - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- HOPE LARSON and REBECCA MOCK Hit the High Seas with KNIFE'S EDGE - Newsarama - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- Geopolitics On The High Seas And In Today's Headlines | On Point - WBUR - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- World Oceans Day Comes at a Critical Time for High Seas - Natural Resources Defense Council - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- High seas force Durban beaches closure | Berea Mail - Berea Mail - June 9th, 2017 [June 9th, 2017]
- African states band together to defeat crime on high seas | News24 - News24 - June 10th, 2017 [June 10th, 2017]
- Handmade boat for the high seas - New Straits Times Online - June 12th, 2017 [June 12th, 2017]
- High Seas, High "C"s: "The Little Mermaid," at the Prospect Park Auditorium through June 18 - River Cities Reader - June 13th, 2017 [June 13th, 2017]
- 'Skull & Bones' takes open world online gaming to the high seas - Engadget - June 13th, 2017 [June 13th, 2017]
- The Electric, Driverless Revolution Is About to Hit the High Seas ... - Bloomberg - June 13th, 2017 [June 13th, 2017]
- Brazil Gets Ready to Fight on the High Seas and Sets Aside US$ 1.8 Bi for New Warships - Brazzil.com - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- Skull and Bones is pure high seas sailing fun from Ubisoft - Critical Hit - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- Disney PhotoPass coming to capture your high-seas adventure on Pirates of the Caribbean at Magic Kingdom - Inside the Magic - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- Coast Guard unloads 18 tons of cocaine seized on the high seas - The San Diego Union-Tribune - June 16th, 2017 [June 16th, 2017]
- High seas inspire collection - Royal Gazette - June 17th, 2017 [June 17th, 2017]
- High Yields on the High Seas | Equities.com - Equities.com - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- Spectacle on the high seas: The best boat races in the Caribbean - USA TODAY - June 20th, 2017 [June 20th, 2017]
- Taking the Fight to the High Seas with the Dutch Royal Navy - MMORPG.com (press release) (registration) (blog) - June 22nd, 2017 [June 22nd, 2017]
- Big waves close coastal walkway, but some still brave stormy seas - Taranaki Daily News - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- Seniors make waves with high-seas whodunit - Simi Valley Acorn - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- High seas adventures at the Hannibal Aquatic Center - Hannibal.net - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- Come See the Value Opportunities I Saw on the High Seas - TheStreet.com - June 26th, 2017 [June 26th, 2017]
- High seas adventures at the Hannibal Aquatic Center - Columbia Daily Tribune - June 27th, 2017 [June 27th, 2017]
- Slovenia wins battle with Croatia over high seas access - BBC News - June 30th, 2017 [June 30th, 2017]
- Arbitration panel grants Slovenia access to high seas - Fox News - July 2nd, 2017 [July 2nd, 2017]
- High Seas Governance Must Take Account of Existing IMO Framework - Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide - July 14th, 2017 [July 14th, 2017]
- An app to track missing people on high seas - Times of India - July 14th, 2017 [July 14th, 2017]