It’s the last full week of August, meaning the streamers are running out of time to add new movies to their respective services before the calendar turns to September. The highlight of this week is a crime thriller with a trio of terrific actors, including Robert De Niro. That movie, our top pick in this article, will be on Netflix by the end of the week.
As for more new releases, Prime Video releases a young adult adaptation of a beloved novel. Other movies to spotlight this week include a fascinating football documentary, a campy horror comedy, and an action epic. All five movies can be streamed in the United States.
5
Desert Warrior
A sword-and-sandal epic
I’ve missed plenty of movies on the release calendar. Sometimes, the studio buries it there so no one will see it. How many of you know the movie Desert Warrior? On paper, you would think an Anthony Mackie-led project directed by Rupert Wyatt, who helmed Rise of the Planet of the Apes, could appeal and secure a substantial audience. Yet this movie was released in April 2026 with little or no promotion.
The Saudi-backed project stars Mackie as Hanzala, a bandit who teams with Princess Hind (Aiysha Hart) after the latter refuses to be a concubine for Emperor Kisra (Ben Kingsley). The ensuing rebellion is the basis of this sword-and-sandal epic, which could find a new life on streaming after flopping at the box office.
Desert Warrior streams on Hulu on August 28.
4
M3GAN
The aggressive robot with an attitude
Do not let the failure of M3GAN 2.0 cloud your judgment of M3GAN. The campy sci-fi horror is an absolute blast from start to finish, and it’s a prime example of how marketing can propel a movie to nearly $200 million worldwide. Following the death of her parents, Cady (Violet McGraw) must move in with her aunt Gemma, who is probably ill-suited to take care of a child.
Quiz
8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge
Name that Netflix sci-fi movie
Trivia challenge
From clones to comets — how well do you know Netflix’s biggest sci-fi films?
Sci-FiNetflixMoviesCharactersPlot Twists
Begin
In The Adam Project, who does time-traveling pilot Adam Reed team up with to save
the future?
AHis future wife LauraBHis younger selfCHis deceased motherDA rogue AI named Atlas
Correct! Adult Adam, played by Ryan Reynolds, teams up with his
12-year-old self in this 2022 time-travel adventure. The dynamic between the two versions of Adam is the
emotional core of the film.
Not quite. The answer is his younger self. Ryan Reynolds plays the adult
Adam who travels back in time and ends up partnering with his 12-year-old self, played by Walker
Scobell, to fix a fractured timeline.
Continue
In Don’t Look Up, what is the central threat that astronomers Kate Dibiasky and
Randall Mindy discover?
AA rogue black hole approaching EarthBAn alien signal from deep spaceCA planet-killing comet on a collision course with EarthDA deadly solar flare set to wipe out all electronics
Correct! Kate and Randall discover a massive comet that will destroy
Earth in roughly six months. The 2021 film uses this premise as a sharp satire of media sensationalism
and political inaction.
Not quite. The threat is a planet-killing comet. Adam McKay’s 2021
satire follows two astronomers who struggle to get anyone to take seriously the very literal end of the
world heading straight for Earth.
Continue
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, currently in production for Netflix, stars which
actor in the role of the creature?
AOscar IsaacBAndrew GarfieldCJacob ElordiDTimothée Chalamet
Correct! Jacob Elordi, known for Saltburn and Priscilla, is set to play
Frankenstein’s creature in del Toro’s long-awaited adaptation. Oscar Isaac is also attached to the
project, playing Victor Frankenstein.
Not quite. Jacob Elordi is cast as the creature. The film also stars
Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein, making it one of the most anticipated Netflix productions from
visionary director Guillermo del Toro.
Continue
In They Cloned Tyrone, in what fictional community does most of the story take
place?
AComptonBThe GlenCHarlemDEast Point
Correct! The 2023 film is set in The Glen, a fictional low-income
neighborhood where Fontaine, Slick Charles, and Yo-Yo uncover a sinister government conspiracy operating
right beneath their streets.
Not quite. The setting is The Glen, a fictional community inspired by
real American inner-city neighborhoods. The location is integral to the film’s themes about systemic
racism and government exploitation of Black communities.
Continue
In Spiderhead, what do the drugs administered by Jeff Abnesti primarily affect in
the prisoners who volunteer for testing?
APhysical strength and enduranceBMemory formation and recallCEmotions and behaviorDPain tolerance and hunger
Correct! The experimental drugs in Spiderhead manipulate the prisoners’
emotions and behavior — from inducing intense love to uncontrollable laughter to fear. The 2022 film is
based on George Saunders’ short story Escape from Spiderhead.
Not quite. The drugs control emotions and behavior. Spiderhead explores
what happens when human feelings can be chemically switched on and off, raising dark ethical questions
about free will and consent in a near-future prison facility.
Continue
The Cloverfield Paradox serves as a prequel of sorts to the Cloverfield franchise.
What does the Shepherd space station attempt to do that triggers the film’s chaos?
ADestroy an incoming asteroidBSolve Earth’s energy crisis using a particle acceleratorCEstablish first contact with an alien civilizationDTest a warp drive for interstellar travel
Correct! The crew of the Shepherd fires a particle accelerator to solve
Earth’s catastrophic energy shortage, accidentally ripping a hole in spacetime and unleashing
interdimensional horrors. The 2018 film was famously dropped on Netflix right after the Super Bowl.
Not quite. They’re trying to solve Earth’s energy crisis with a particle
accelerator. When the experiment goes wrong, it tears open dimensions and sets the events of the entire
Cloverfield universe in motion — at a very steep cost.
Continue
Rebel Moon was directed by Zack Snyder and drew heavy comparisons to which classic
sci-fi film franchise?
AThe MatrixBStar TrekCStar WarsDDune
Correct! Rebel Moon was widely compared to Star Wars, and for good
reason — Snyder originally pitched the concept as a Star Wars story before developing it independently
with Netflix. It features a ragtag group of warriors defending a peaceful colony from a tyrannical
empire.
Not quite. The comparisons were overwhelmingly to Star Wars. Zack Snyder
actually conceived Rebel Moon as a potential Star Wars project years before it became a standalone
Netflix film, which explains the many familiar beats and archetypes.
Continue
In Atlas, Jennifer Lopez plays a data analyst named Atlas Shepherd who is hunting a
rogue AI. What is the name of that villainous AI?
AHarlanBCASCACSilasDNexus
Correct! The rogue AI antagonist in Atlas is named Harlan, a terrorist
android who escapes Earth and plans to wipe out humanity. The 2024 Netflix film follows Atlas as she
reluctantly partners with a mech suit AI to take him down.
Not quite. The villain is Harlan. In the 2024 Netflix film, Harlan is a
rogue AI who was once created to help humanity but turned against it, forcing Atlas Shepherd on a
dangerous mission across the galaxy to stop his genocidal plan.
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Thankfully, Gemma is a genius at robotics, so she designs a humanoid robot, M3GAN, to become Gemma’s best friend. The initial results are positive, but M3GAN eventually targets those adversaries that she views as threats. Kudos to M3GAN for embracing its campy tone. However, doing the M3GAN dance is not required while watching the movie.
M3GAN is now streaming on Netflix.
3
Untold: The Testimony of Vince Young
The rise and fall of a legendary quarterback
Former Texas quarterback Vince Young is one of those rare football players who left you speechless. With the combination of size, speed, and creativity, Young became one of the best quarterbacks in the country. If you were around to witness his play, you saw a gifted athlete doing things no one has ever done. In 2006, Young gave the greatest performance I’ve ever seen from a college quarterback as he carried the Texas Longhorns to a victory over USC at the Rose Bowl to secure the national championship.
The new documentary in Netflix’s Untold series, The Testimony of Vince Young, is an important reminder of how great Young once was. That makes watching Young’s fall in the NFL that much more painful.
Untold: The Testimony of Vince Young streams on Netflix on August 25.
Subscription with ads
Yes, $8/month
Simultaneous streams
Two or four
2
The Last Sunrise
Summer romance in Mallorca
I used to think Prime Video’s most popular genre was action due to the success of Reacher and The Boys. Has Prime Video’s young adult content now surpassed its action content? It’s certainly a closer argument than it used to be. The Summer I Turned Pretty, Off Campus, and Sterling Point have made a significant impact on pop culture, especially with Gen Z. The Last Sunrise is another YA adaptation looking to boost the streamer’s strong young adult reputation.
Based on Anna Todd’s novel of the same name, The Last Sunrise chronicles the adventures of Ry (Maia Reficco), who joins her mother (Eva Longoria) in Mallorca in the summer. Ry, who suffers from health challenges, falls for a boy, Julián (Fernando Lindez), whose family’s fishing business clashes with the real estate plans for Ry’s mother. It has all the young adult cheat codes—an attractive cast, a beautiful location, and a steamy romance—that fans will love and appreciate.
The Last Sunrise streams on Prime Video on August 26.
The Last Sunrise
Release Date
August 26, 2026
Runtime
106 Minutes
Director
Carlson Young
1
The Whisper Man
The race to find a missing son
For me, it’s still jarring to see Robert De Niro as a streaming star. However, he’s clearly adapting to today’s landscape by appearing in streaming projects like Zero Day and now The Whisper Man. Tom (Adam Scott) experiences one of the worst feelings a parent can experience: his young son Jake (Acston Luca Porto) has been abducted.
The kidnapper is believed to be the notorious Whisper Man serial killer. There is only one problem: Tom’s estranged father, Peter (De Niro), is a retired detective who caught the Whisper Man and sent him to jail. Is this killer a new Whisper Man, or is the original one still calling the shots? Either way, Peter and Tom will need to put aside their differences if they want to save Jake. Crime stories usually find an audience on Netflix, so I’m expecting many subscribers to check out The Whisper Man.
The Whisper Man streams on Netflix on August 28.
The Whisper Man
Release Date
August 28, 2026
Runtime
106 minutes
Director
James Ashcroft
More movies and shows to check out
After checking out The Whisper Man, stay within the thriller genre and check out movies like 1917 and The Shallows. Elsewhere, sci-fi fans should head to Apple TV for genre-bending stories like Severance and Silo.