Crossing the Streams is a series of columns spotlighting all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month. This time we’re checking out the new Netflix arrivals for August 2022. They include a new slice of South Korean action in Carter, the premiere of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, and more!
Netflix Pick of the Month for August 2022
You can’t help but get excited when a new film from the writer/director of The Villainess (2017) and Confession of Murder (2012) arrives, so yeah, our pick of the month is one to be excited about. Jung Byung-gil’s Carter (premieres August 5th) features a familiar enough plot about a man with no memory forced to fight his way to the truth, but with Jung, it’s all about the execution. His films always deliver the goods on the action front, and they typically do so with style, creativity, and energy. Some may temper their anticipation at the realization that this is a Netflix Original, but while the streamer has released some big-budget action duds over the years (The Grey Man, innocent), their smaller, international Originals have been pretty damn reliable.
New Netflix Originals for August 2022
Neil Gaiman has already seen more than a few of his creations hit the small screen, but his latest might just be the most anticipated by fans. (And by fans, I mean fans, not the assholes whining online about the casting.) The Sandman (premieres August 5th) adapts Gaiman’s popular graphic novel series about a character named Dream, “the personification of dreams,” who seeks all of the belongings he lost while imprisoned by a mad wizard. Tom Sturridge takes the lead role and is joined by Boyd Holbrook, Jenna Coleman, Gwendoline Christie, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Patton Oswalt, David Thewlis, Charles Dance, Joely Richardson, Stephen Fry, and more.
Action/comedies are always welcome in this house, and that’s all the more true when they add a dash of horror into the mix. Day Shift (premieres August 12th) looks to check off all three of those genre boxes with its story of a pool cleaner (Jamie Foxx) whose actual job is as a vampire killer. The cast is an eclectic one, with Scott Adkins, Dave Franco, Meagan Good, and Snoop Dogg all joining Foxx for the California-set fun. Director J.J. Perry is making his feature debut here after handling 2nd unit directing duties on numerous action hits, so here’s hoping he pulls it off.
It might sometimes seem that I’m only about the genre fare hitting the various streamers, but my tastes are legion, friends. Case in point? The third season of Never Have I Ever (premieres August 12th) continues with more of the best thing Mindy Kaling has ever been a part of (outside of The Office, obviously). She’s a co-creator/producer here and doesn’t star as instead, it follows the ups and downs in the life of an Indian-American teenager balancing family, school, and romance. It’s a funny sitcom, narrated inexplicably but hilariously by John McEnroe — as himself! — that stays true to itself while racking up some fun times.
Babak Anvari’s Under the Shadow (2016) remains one hell of a feature debut, and while his follow-up film (2019’s disappointing Wounds) was a stumble he’s still a talent worth watching. His latest film is a Netflix Original thriller called I Came By (premieres August 31st), and it follows two young adults whose love for hijinks and graffiti lands them in real trouble. No, not with the law, but with a powerful man who’ll do anything to protect the dirty little secret they discovered. Solid enough setup, and it’s bolstered by a cast that includes George MacKay, Kelly Macdonald, and Hugh Bonneville.
Seen That Blockbuster? Now Watch These!
Sometimes you watch a big blockbuster and walk out wondering, “hey, what else has this director or actor been in that I can watch on Netflix?” If this happened to you after finishing this year’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, well, director Sam Raimi’s first big stab at comic book movies is now available on the streamer! His Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007) is regarded by some to be the best of the big-screen superhero movies, and now you can either judge for yourself or nod in agreement with a rewatch.
While The Gray Man is far from a traditional blockbuster, it was a big release for Netflix last month (whether you like it or not). Ryan Gosling plays a killer with a flippant but dry sense of humor, and its tone reminds many of Shane Black’s The Nice Guys (2016, premieres August 9th). That film didn’t quite set the box office on fire, but its fans are numerous and vocal. I prefer Black’s superior 2005 buddy-action/comedy effort, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang — which also tanked in theaters — but you can’t go wrong with The Nice Guys. Gosling and Russell Crowe are wildly entertaining as a mismatched pair of private dicks, and if you’ve got a couple of hours to spare, it’s well worth your time.
The Oldest New Arrival to Netflix for August 2022
One of the ongoing complaints against Netflix is its prioritizing of recent films/shows and focus on new content at the expense of older movies. To that end, I like to highlight the oldest new arrival each month, and August’s winner is 1986’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. It’s the oldest arrival by a wide margin as the next oldest films are from the 90s, and while it’s not underseen it is a comedy classic. As with many movies more a generation old, John Hughes’ masterful ode to chaos and irresponsibility has been targeted by newer viewers as “not good, actually,” but fuck ’em, it’s still a masterful look at the idea we all have to say goodbye to our youth at some point.
The Complete Netflix List for August 2022
Release Date | Title | Note |
---|---|---|
8/1 | 8 Mile (2002) | |
28 Days (2000) | ||
Above the Rim (1994) | ||
The Age of Adaline (2015) | ||
Battle: Los Angeles (2011) | ||
Big Tree Family | Netflix Family | |
Bridget Jones' Diary (2001) | ||
Bridget Jones' Baby (2016) | ||
Constantine (2005) | ||
Dinner for Schmucks (2010) | ||
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) | ||
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) | ||
Footloose (2011) | ||
Hardcore Henry (2015) | ||
Legends of the Fall (1994) | ||
Love & Basketball (2000) | ||
Made of Honor (2008) | ||
Men in Black (1997) | ||
Men in Black II (2002) | ||
Men in Black 3 (2012) | ||
Miss Congeniality (2000) | ||
Monster-in-Law (2005) | ||
No Strings Attached (2011) | ||
Pawn Stars - Season 13 | ||
Polly Pocket - Season 4, Part 2 | ||
She's Funny That Way (2014) | ||
Space Jam (1996) | ||
Spider-Man (2002) | ||
Spider-Man 2 (2004) | ||
Spider-Man 3 (2007) | ||
Top Gear - Seasons 29-30 | ||
The Town (2010) | ||
Woman in Gold (2015) | ||
8/2 | Flight (2012) | |
Ricardo Quevedo: Tomorrow Will Be Worse | Netflix Comedy | |
8/3 | Buba | Netflix Film |
Don't Blame Karma! | Netflix Film | |
Good Morning, Veronica - Season 2 | Netflix Series | |
Trainwreck: Woodstock '99 | Netflix Documentary | |
8/4 | Kakegurui Twin | Netflix Anime |
Lady Tamara | Netflix Series | |
Super Giant Robot Brothers | Netflix Family | |
Wedding Season | Netflix Film | |
8/5 | Carter | Netflix Film |
Darlings | Netflix Film | |
The Informer (2019) | ||
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie | Netflix Film | |
The Sandman | Netflix Series | |
Skyfall (2012) | ||
8/6 | Reclaim | Netflix Film |
8/7 | Riverdale - Season 6 | |
8/8 | Code Name: Emperor | Netflix Film |
Team Zenko Go - Season 2 | Netflix Family | |
8/9 | I Just Killed My Dad | Netflix Documentary |
The Nice Guys (2016) | ||
8/10 | Bank Robbers: the Last Great Heist | Netflix Documentary |
Heartsong | Netflix Film | |
Indian Matchmaking - Season 2 | Netflix Series | |
Instant Dream Home | Netflix Series | |
Iron Chef Brazil | Netflix Series | |
Locke & Key - Season 3 | Netflix Series | |
School Tales: The Series | Netflix Series | |
8/11 | Dope (2015) | |
DOTA: Dragon's Blood - Book 3 | Netflix Anime | |
Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story | Netflix Documentary | |
8/12 | 13: The Musical | Netflix Film |
Day Shift | Netflix Film | |
A Model Family | Netflix Series | |
Never Have I Ever - Season 3 | Netflix Series | |
8/15 | Ancient Aliens - Season 4 | |
Deepa & Anoop | Netflix Family | |
Learn to Swim (2021) | ||
8/16 | Untold - Volume 2 | Netflix Documentary |
8/17 | High Heat | Netflix Series |
Junior Baking Show - Season 6 | Netflix Series | |
Look Both Ways | Netflix Film | |
Royalteen | Netflix Film | |
Unsuspicious | Netflix Series | |
8/18 | He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - Season 3 | Netflix Family |
Inside the Mind of a Cat | Netflix Documentary | |
Tekken: Bloodline | Netflix Anime | |
8/19 | The Cuphead Show! - Part 2 | Netflix Family |
Echoes | Netflix Series | |
The Girl in the Mirror | Netflix Series | |
Glow Up - Season 4 | Netflix Series | |
Kleo | Netflix Series | |
The Next 365 Days | Netflix Film | |
8/20 | Fullmetal Alchemist: The Revenge of Scar | Netflix Film |
8/21 | A Cowgirl's Song (2022) | |
8/23 | Chad and JT Go Deep | Netflix Series |
8/24 | Lost Ollie | Netflix Series |
Mo | Netflix Series | |
Queer Eye: Brazil | Netflix Series | |
Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee | Netflix Documentary | |
Selling the OC | Netflix Series | |
Under Fire | Netflix Series | |
Watch Out, We're Mad | Netflix Film | |
8/25 | Angry Birds: Summer Madness - Season 3 | Netflix Family |
History 101 - Season 2 | Netflix Documentary | |
Rilakkuma's Theme Park Adventure | Netflix Anime | |
That's Amor | Netflix Film | |
8/26 | Disobedience (2017) | |
Drive Hard: The Maloof Way | Netflix Series | |
Loving Adults | Netflix Film | |
Ludik | Netflix Series | |
Me Time | Netflix Film | |
Seoul Vibe | Netflix Film | |
8/29 | Mighty Express - Season 7 | Netflix Family |
Under Her Control | Netflix Film | |
8/30 | I Am a Killer - Season 3 | Netflix Documentary |
8/31 | Club América vs Club América | Netflix Documentary |
Family Secrets | Netflix Series | |
I Came By | Netflix Film |
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Related Topics: Crossing the Streams, Netflix