The first weekend of August is here and summer is still in full sway. Monsoons have arrived here in the mountains. Last night, we had one of the most spectacular lightning storms I’ve ever seen—a strong contender for best viewing experience this weekend. But there are others!

Read on to see all the hot new streaming options out this weekend on Netflix, Hulu and all the myriad other apps and websites out there. Truly, we are spoiled for choice—though our wallets may pay the price.

1. Trap

Trap is a suspenseful thriller written, directed and produced by M. Night Shyamalan. The film stars Josh Hartnett as a serial killer who, while attending a concert with his daughter, finds himself evading the police. As the night unfolds, the tension escalates, blending a high-stakes chase with the challenges of fatherhood, all under the pulsating lights of a live show.

2. The Instigators

When a robbery goes hilariously wrong, two clueless thieves find themselves on the run—and they’re not alone. They’ve dragged along a therapist for the chaotic ride. The Ben Affleck-produced comedy stars Matt Damon and Casey Affleck (also producers on the film).


3. Harold and the Purple Crayon

Based on the 1955 childrens’ book, this story is all about a young boy who goes on a wild nighttime adventure with his trusty magic purple crayon. Whatever he doodles comes to life, turning his dreams into epic, imaginative escapades.



4. Unstable

Meet the quirky biotech mastermind and his pragmatic son. One is a visionary, the other a realist—and they're both navigating the tricky waters of family dynamics while trying to save their legacy. Can they overcome their differences to keep the family business afloat? It's a classic tale of genius and grit, with a dash of family drama starring Rob Lowe and his son John Owen Lowe.



5. Batman: Caped Crusader (Prime Video)

The latest animated Batman series landed on Amazon Prime Video this weekend and I’ve only watched a couple episodes so far, but it’s really excellent with incredible animation that feels both new and vintage, excellent acting from its entire cast, but special props must go to Midnight Mass’s Hamish Linklater who takes over the voice of Batman / Bruce Wayne, filling the mighty big shoes of Kevin Conroy. All episodes are streaming now. The series has a 98% RT critic score and 71% with audiences



6. Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes (Hulu)

I really enjoyed Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes when I saw it in theaters, and now you can watch it as part of your Hulu subscription. The movie takes place a long time after the events of the original trilogy, in a time when the Apes are dominant and humans—and the wreckage of their civilization—are in tatters. There are some fun twists and turns, a great cast of new characters, and the film sets up the sequels in a way that has me itching for more.



7. Rebel Moon Parts 1 & 2 Snyder Cuts (Netflix)

With the 2024 Paris Olympics in full swing, it seems only right to watch Simone Biles’s new heartfelt docuseries, Simone Biles Rising. Watch as the award-winning gymnast prepares to reclaim her spot at the top at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games following her brief departure from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The first two episodes are streaming right now on Netflix.



8. Cowboy Cartel (Apple TV+)

For documentary and true crime lovers, Cowboy Cartel is about “the extraordinary story of a rookie FBI agent who cracked the case of one of Mexico’s most ruthless cartels, Los Zetas, and the multimillion-dollar money laundering operation they ran through the heart of the American Quarter Horse racing industry.” Sounds pretty interesting!

9. Time Bandits (Apple TV+)

I still haven’t pulled the trigger on Time Bandits, the Taika Waititi reboot of the classic Terry Gilliam film of the same name. The Apple TV+ version is a series, and I hadn’t even realized this came out recently. It’s the story of a group of burglars who can travel through time and carry out heists. When eleven-year-old Kevin joins the group, he’s off on a great adventure. I suspect that fans of Waititi’s other works—like This Flag Means Death and What We Do In The Shadows—will find much to enjoy here, including Jemaine Clement, but it does look like a pretty radical departure from the original film. 80% with critics at RT; 53% with audiences.

10. Troppo (Prime Video)

Troppo is an Australian mystery series based on the book ‘Crimson Lake’ by Candice Fox. It follows an eccentric P.I. and the disgraced ex-cop she recruits to help solve the mysterious disappearance of a Korean tech pioneer. I’ve never heard of this one until I saw it browsing Prime Video last night but it looks really good, and has a 100% critic score and 83% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes

11. Influenced

Join top content creators Achieng Agutu, Eyal Booker, Tefi Pessoa, Taryn Delanie Smith and Cyrus Veyssi as they dive into all the hottest social media buzz. From trying out the latest trends and sharing epic life hacks to chatting with your fave celebs, they’re serving up the content.



8. Simone Biles Rising

With the 2024 Paris Olympics in full swing, it seems only right to watch Simone Biles’s new heartfelt docuseries, Simone Biles Rising. Watch as the award-winning gymnast prepares to reclaim her spot at the top at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games following her brief departure from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The first two episodes are streaming right now on Netflix.

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