Netflix has an impressive list of shows and movies available, so I often find myself wasting precious TV-watching time scrolling endlessly in search of a show or film worth watching.
Thankfully, there are a few new movies and TV shows coming to the streaming giant this month that I am genuinely excited to watch. So, if you also find yourself scrolling through Netflix this month, here are some upcoming releases to add to your watchlist that look seriously entertaining.
For HELLO!’s TV writer Abby Allen, the upcoming thriller Hostage is one to look out for. “I can’t wait to see Suranne Jones play the Prime Minister in Hostage,” she said. “This political thriller has a similar feel to the BBC’s Bodyguard, and I’m intrigued to see how she balances her husband’s abduction with her duty to her country.
“It’s also great to see My Oxford Year’s Corey Mylchreest take on something grittier. The countdown begins now!”
© Allyson Riggs / NetflixNight Always Comes
Vanessa Kirby is having a moment right now. Following her starring role in the blockbuster superhero movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the actress is back on our screens in this “urgent and visceral thriller” about one woman’s struggle to survive. She plays Lynette, an “occasionally reckless” woman who risks everything to save her family’s home before time runs out.
A synopsis (via Tudum) reads: “On a dangerous odyssey through a single night, Lynette is forced to confront her dark past in order to finally break free.”
Director Benjamin Caron said of the story: “What drew me to the film was its exploration of survival and sacrifice and the idea of quiet heroism.
“It asks the question, ‘Who gets to feel safe, and at what cost?'”
The film reunites Vanessa and Benjamin, who previously worked together on The Crown.
Night Always Comes arrives on Netflix on August 15.
© Des Willie/NetflixHostage
You know you’re in safe hands with Suranne Jones. The Vigil actress never picks a bad script, and Hostage sounds like another TV hit in the making.
The five-part series, which stars and is executive produced by Suranne, sees two political leaders forced into a fierce rivalry when the British Prime Minister’s husband is kidnapped.
“When the British Prime Minister’s husband is kidnapped and the visiting French President is blackmailed, the two political leaders both face unimaginable choices,” reads the synopsis. “Forced into a fierce rivalry where their political futures, and lives, might hang in the balance, can they work together to uncover the plot that threatens them both?”
Suranne plays Prime Minister Abigail Dalton, whilst Julie Delpy (Before Sunrise, 2 Days in Paris) portrays French President Vivienne Toussaint.
Corey Mylchreest (Queen Charlotte), Lucian Msamati (Gangs of London), Ashley Thomas (The Ipcress File), James Cosmo (Shetland, Braveheart), Martin McCann (Blue Lights), and Jehnny Beth (An Impossible Love) also star.
Hostage arrives on August 21.
© Courtesy of NetflixThe Truth About Jussie Smollett?
This one’s for true-crime fans. From the producers behind compelling documentaries, Don’t [Expletive] with Cats and Tinder Swindler, comes the “shocking true story of an allegedly fake story — one some now say might just be a true story after all”, teases Netflix.
The documentary film centres on the incident involving Empire actor Jussie Smollett, who in 2019 claimed to have been the victim of a violent hate crime in Chicago. Jussie was later accused of staging the attack.
The film features interviews with police, lawyers, journalists and investigators who claim to have “new evidence about the case”.
The Truth About Jussie Smollett? arrives on Netflix on August 22.
© Giles Keyte/NetflixThe Thursday Murder Club
Netflix’s adaptation of Richard Osman’s bestselling murder mystery novel is easily one of the most anticipated films of the year.
Not only is the film directed by Chris Columbus, who also produces alongside Steven Spielberg, but it features a seriously impressive main and supporting cast, led by Helen Mirren (The Queen, Gosford Park), Pierce Brosnan (GoldenEye, The Out-Laws), Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Three More) and Celia Imrie (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Diplomat).
Other big names include David Tennant (Doctor Who, Inside Man), Naomi Ackie (Lady Macbeth, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker), Daniel Mays (Atonement, Line of Duty), Richard E. Grant (Too Much, Saltburn), Tom Ellis (Lucifer, Players) and Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes, The Crown).
The story follows a group of four friends in a retirement home who meet up weekly to investigate unsolved murders but find themselves wrapped up in a real case.
The Thursday Murder Club comes to Netflix on August 28.
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