Netflix loves to bring some of the highest-rated movies and shows to its library each month, and this August we can’t wait to stream these five new titles with an over 90% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In spite of my excitement to stream new the Netflix show Wednesday season 2, I’ve picked out another equally exciting series for you to watch. I’ve also found four new movies that are just as thrilling, including high school comedy Dazed and Confused, and of course, Jurassic Park.
If you’re yet to see all the new titles coming to Netflix in August, make sure to make that that your next stop once you’re done adding the following picks to your watchlist. We wouldn’t want you to miss out on anything.
Dazed and Confused (1993)
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RT Score: 94%
Age rating: R
Runtime: 102 minutes
Director: Richard Linklater
Arriving on: August 1
Set in a small Texas town in 1976, Dazed and Confused follows a group of high school students as they celebrate the last academic day before the summer break.
As well as skipping classes and getting high, all the students can think about is Kevin Pickford’s (Shawn Andrews) huge keg party, which goes awry. But for star football player Randall “Pink” Floyd (Jason London), he finds himself having to make an important decision whether to return in top form for the championship season, or to let loose and have fun.
Meanwhile, the last day of school also marks the annual hazing day, where the older students set out to traumatize the next group of freshmen – and they’ve got young student Mitch Kramer (Wiley Wiggins) as their prime target.
The Departed (2006)
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RT Score: 91%
Age rating: R
Runtime: 151 minutes
Director: Martin Scorsese
Arriving on: August 1
Scorsese’s crime thriller centers on two cops, but on different sides of the law. In the 1980s, the South Boston state police is investigating an Irish-American organized crime syndicate.
The police force sends undercover cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) to infiltrate a mob run by crime boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). At the same time, mob criminal Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) goes undercover in the police force as Costello’s paid informant, rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit.
Immersed in their secret double lives, the two undercover men gather important information about each side’s plans and operations, but when it’s revealed that an imposter lurks within each organization, they race to uncover the identity of the other man without being caught themselves.
Groundhog Day (1993)
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RT Score: 93%
Age rating: PG
Length: 102 minutes
Director: Harold Ramis
Arriving on: August 1
In this iconic ’90s comedy flick, Bill Murray stars as narcissistic and cynical weather broadcaster Phil Connors who’s sent out to cover the annual Groundhog Day festival in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
Being his fourth consecutive year covering the event, Connors can’t hide his annoyance and acts out on his production crew. But when a blizzard – he predicted – blows over the festival and hits the town, he finds himself stuck in a time loop, reliving the same day over and over again.
Jurassic Park (1993)
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RT Score: 91%
Age rating: PG-13
Length: 127 minutes
Director: Steven Spielberg
Arriving on: August 1
Praised for its achievements in special effects and sound design, Spielberg’s sci-fi action blockbuster has done more than stand the test of time – there’s a reason why Netflix constantly acquires it.
Paleontologists Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) are among a selected experts chosen by billionaire and industrialist John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) to visit his remote island theme park. When they arrive, they’re amazed to find that the island is populated with dinosaurs cloned using prehistoric DNA.
But their excitement turns into sheer fright when a power outage hits the theme park disabling all security measures, resulting in the dinosaurs escaping and hunting for fresh meat.
Outlander season 7 part 1
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RT Score: 90%
Age rating: TV-MA
Episode runtime: ~ 53 minutes
Developed by: Ronald D. Moore
Arriving on: August 11
Although Outlander was developed by the streaming platform Starz, its first six seasons will be available to stream on Netflix in August, which is ideal if you don’t have an account for the network’s streaming service.
Based on Diana Gabaldon’s book series of the same name the TV adaptation centers on Claire Randall (Caitríona Balfe), a World War II nurse on a honeymoon with her husband. Her romantic getaway doesn’t go as planned, and she mysteriously travels back in time to 1743 Scotland, where her life is suddenly threatened.
There she meets Scottish warrior James Fraser (Sam Heughan) to whom she’s forced to marry for her own safety, but a passionate relationship between them forms, and Randall finds herself torn between two men from two conflicting lives.
