The Best New Movies And TV Shows To Watch On Netflix In August 2020

It's that time once again — time to round up all of the significant comings and goings for the month on everybody's favorite streamer, Netflix. August 2020 is going to see slightly more of those comings and goings than usual — and while a lot of great stuff will be departing, it's more than made up for by the fact that the crop of new additions to the Netflix library will be voluminous.

Fans of sci-fi and action in particular are going to have a very good month, as Netflix will be adding two awesome sequels to one of the best heist flicks in its catalog – not to mention the first three entries in a storied sci-fi franchise, and a couple scintillating originals as well. Plenty of excellent new dramas and documentaries are also on tap, plus a wealth of new comedy features and stand-up specials to bring the funny during this, the summer of the well-worn couch. 

Let's take a look at all the best stuff coming to Netflix in August 2020.

Netflix is bringing some huge tentpole films into the fold in August 2020. 

First and foremost: Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and Jurassic Park III will all be hitting the streamer next month, so if it's been awhile since you've taken in those classics, you're in luck. Also, Ocean's Twelve and Ocean's Thirteen will be making appearances; Ocean's Eleven has been available on Netflix U.S. for some time now, but subscribers outside the States can stream it in August as well. At last, fans of the franchise will be able to binge the adventures of Danny Ocean (George Clooney), Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), and their ever-expanding crew without ponying up for rentals. 

The first two Daniel Craig-era James Bond flicks, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, will also be hitting the streamer in August 2020 — albeit not until the last day of the month. Among the other interesting selections you'll want to check out: the Heath Ledger-starring exercise in medieval musical craziness A Knight's Tale, the first-person actioner Hardcore Henry, George Miller's original 1979 film Mad Max, and the classic heartstring-tugger The NeverEnding Story and its sequel. Netflix will also be unleashing its original action flicks Project Power and The Sleepover during the month of August.

August 1

A Knight's Tale

Acts of Violence

Elizabeth Harvest

Hardcore Henry

Jurassic Park

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park III

Mad Max

Ocean's Twelve

Ocean's Thirteen

The NeverEnding Story

The NeverEnding Story 2: The Next Chapter

August 14

Project Power (Netflix Original)

August 21

The Sleepover (Netflix Original)

August 27

The Frozen Ground

August 31

Casino Royale

Quantum of Solace

Unfortunately, horror fans don't have a ton new to look forward to on Netflix in August 2020. In fact, only three new fright flicks will be hitting the streamer during the month — but while that quantity is admittedly lacking, the quality of the new selections is on point.

First up is What Keeps You Alive, in which married couple Jackie (Dark Phoenix actress Hannah Emily Anderson) and Jules (The Boys' Brittany Allen) head off to a remote cabin in the woods to celebrate their first anniversary. When a mysterious "friend" shows up — one who addresses Jackie by a different name — Emily quickly begins to suspect that all is not as it appears. Of course, she couldn't be more right ... and her romantic getaway suddenly takes a potentially deadly turn.

Next, we have We Summon the Darkness, which stars Alexandria Daddario (We Have Always Lived in the Castle) as a young heavy metal fan in the '80s on her way to a concert with two friends. When the trio meet up with three boys looking for a good time, it's revealed that the girls have a much different type of good time in mind — one that doesn't so much involve head-banging and hooking up as it does ritualistic murder.

Finally, 1 BR stars up-and-coming actress Nicole Brydon Bloom as Sarah, a new arrival to Los Angeles who lucks into the apartment of her dreams on the cheap. Unfortunately, it soon turns out that her ultra-friendly, helpful neighbors have some sinister ulterior motives — and that her dream abode is quickly turning into a nightmare.

August 1

What Keeps You Alive

August 8

We Summon the Darkness

August 23

1 BR

When it comes to comedies, the new additions to Netflix in August 2020 are a lovely mix of the screwball and the highbrow. 

In the former category, you have fare like Rowan Atkinson's 2003 James Bond spoof Johnny English, the 2002 Adam Sandler-Winona Ryder starrer Mr. Deeds, and Scary Movie 5, the final entry in one of the goofiest series of all time. 

In the latter, you have a couple of flicks that are simply required viewing for, well, anyone. The first of the month will see the Netflix catalog graced by Being John Malkovich, the first collaboration between director Spike Jonze and the singularly weird and amazing screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. It stars John Cusack as a man who discovers in his new office a portal inside the mind of the titular actor, who also stars in the film. Mid-month will bring us Safety Not Guaranteed, a film that truly fits the description "time-travel rom-com." Starring the always-awesome Aubrey Plaza and Jake Johnson, Safety Not Guaranteed was the last film helmed by director Colin Trevorrow before he took the reins of the Jurassic World franchise. 

Also worth a look in August 2020 is the Netflix original Work It, which features The Hate U Give actress Sabrina Carpenter and The Flash actor Keiyan Lonsdale, and which was produced by the great songstress Alicia Keys.

August 1

The Addams Family

Being John Malkovich

Death at a Funeral

Dennis the Menace

Mr. Deeds

August 7

Work It (Netflix Original)

August 12

Scary Movie 5

August 13

Safety Not Guaranteed

August 16

Johnny English

August 17

Drunk Parents

Who doesn't love a bit of drama? In August 2020, Netflix is adding some new highlights to its formidable film archive. Make sure to check out Michel Gondry's heartbreaking and mind-bending relationship film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, starring Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey. The movie was an instant classic when it released in 2004 and has aged better than most of its era. Just don't watch it on date night! It drops on August 1, along with the Diane Lane and Richard Gere romance Nights in Rodanthe and the horse-racing flick Seabiscuit.

Later in the month, you can hear the people singing a song of angry men in Tom Hooper's 2012 version of Les Misérables, featuring Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway (in her Oscar-winning role). If you're in the mood for something a little more contemporary, try out the Argentinian crime drama Crímenes de familia, otherwise known as The Crimes That Bind. The Netflix original film centers on a mother attempting to keep her son out of prison after he's accused of the attempted murder of his ex-wife.

August 1

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Nights in Rodanthe

Seabiscuit

August 16

Les Misérables (2012)

August 19

Crímenes de familia/The Crimes That Bind

We hope you're ready to laugh and learn, because Netflix is releasing a bevy of documentaries and original stand-up specials in August 2020.

Starting with the funny, you definitely won't want to miss the first one-hour Netflix special from comedian and Saturday Night Live writer Sam Jay, titled Sam Jay: 3 in the Morning. Based on the trailer, in which Jay deadpans a story about letting a very dudish bro at the airport carry her and her girlfriend's bags, the special looks set to bring some fresh perspectives on contemporary social issues.

Netflix is also posed to stretch your mind in other ways with some new documentary offerings. August 2 sees the release of Connected, a new docuseries exploring the often-unseen ways in which everything in our world is related. That's followed by an in-depth look at the current state of America's immigration system in the limited docuseries Immigration Nation, which drops August 3.

Later in the month, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for (Un)Well, an expose on the wellness industry, and High Score, which takes a look back at the early heydays of video games.

August 2

Connected

August 3

Immigration Nation

August 4

Sam Jay: 3 in the Morning

August 5

World's Most Wanted

August 11

Rob Schneider: Asian Momma, Mexican Kids

August 12

(Un)Well

August 19

High Score

August 28

I AM A KILLER: Released

Netflix's TV and original series schedule for August 2020 is stacked with binge-able shows — and, as usual, the streamer's got a little something for everyone.

Looking for a reality show to invest in? Keep an eye out for new seasons of ¡Nailed It! México, Selling Sunset, Rust Valley Restorers, and Glow Up. Are you a fan of anime-inspired sci-fi cartoons? All four seasons of Nickelodeon's The Legend of Korra are arriving on August 14.

Lovers of international TV will be facing an embarrassment of riches on Netflix next month. Dystopian sci-fi thrillers The Rain and 3%, from Denmark and Brazil, are both getting new seasons in August 2020. Viewers can also catch up on the latest antics of an odd-ball school teacher when the Danish comedy Rita launches its fifth season on August 15, the same day as the release of season 2 of the South Korean crime thriller Stranger.

In the latter half of the month, the fifth (but not final) season of Lucifer drops the first half of its episodes on August 21. Additionally, starting on August 28, nostalgia addicts who didn't want to sign up for YouTube Premium can now finally catch up on the first two seasons of the Karate Kid spin-off Cobra Kai ahead of the announced third season.

August 6

The Rain: Season 3

August 7

¡Nailed It! México: Season 2

Selling Sunset: Season 3

August 14

3%: Season 4

Glow Up: Season 2

The Legend of Korra: Book One: Air

The Legend of Korra: Book Two: Spirits

The Legend of Korra: Book Three: Change

The Legend of Korra: Book Four: Balance

August 15

Rita: Season 5

Stranger: Season 2

August 21

Lucifer: Season 5

Rust Valley Restorers: Season 3

August 28

Cobra Kai: Seasons 1-2

Now that all the good news is out of the way, time to get to the tough part. For all the fantastic additions Netflix is making in August 2020, the streamer is also losing quite a few TV shows and movies from its lineup throughout the month. There are a handful you'll want to catch before they depart.

If you're a fan of gritty teen dramedies, don't wait a second longer to binge the seminal British series Skins before it leaves Netflix on August 1. On August 3, we'll also be losing two seasons of Paranormal Survivor, the docuseries about folks who have experienced the supernatural and lived to tell the tales.

August 31 is set to be a total movie bloodbath on Netflix. '90s classics like Clueless, Jerry Maguire, Groundhog Day, and Candyman are all going back into the vault, along with The Karate Kid, The Karate Kid Part II, and The Karate Kid Part III. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence's iconoclast action film Bad Boys and its sequel, Bad Boys II, are both signing off as well.

Other notable departures include the beloved '80s comedy Tootsie, the '00s rom-coms Failure to Launch and He's Just Not That Into You, the Russell-Brand-and-Jonah-Hill-starring flick Get Him to the Greek, and the political thriller V for Vendetta.

Thankfully, there's still plenty of time to squeeze these movies and shows in before they say goodbye at the end of August 2020.

Leaving August 1

Skins: Vol. 1-7

Leaving August 3

Love

Paranormal Survivor: Seasons 1-2

Leaving August 7

6 Days

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer

St. Agatha

Leaving August 14

Adventures in Public School

Being AP

Goon

Leaving August 18

The Incident

Leaving August 19

Some Kind of Beautiful

Leaving August 20

Bad Rap

Leaving August 21

Just Go With It

Leaving August 23

Fanatic

Leaving August 25

Blue Is the Warmest Color

Leaving August 28

Bring It On: Worldwide Showdown

The Wicker Man

Leaving August 31

Bad Boys

Bad Boys II

Candyman

Child's Play

Clueless

Failure to Launch

Get Him to the Greek

Groundhog Day

He's Just Not That Into You

Jerry Maguire

The Karate Kid

The Karate Kid Part II

The Karate Kid Part III

The Lake House

Life as We Know It

Murder Party

Observe and Report

One Day

Public Enemies

Rugrats Go Wild

School Daze

Tootsie

United 93

V for Vendetta

Valentine's Day