11 Best New Movies on Netflix: August 2020’s Freshest Films to Watch

The first of two Charlie Kaufman-written films on this list, Being John Malkovich stars John Cusack as an unemployed puppeteer who finds a portal into the mind of famed actor John Malkovich. The bizarre comedy was a box office hit and went on to earn three Academy Award nominations: Best Director for Spike Jonze, Best Original Screenplay for Kaufman, and Best Supporting Actress for Catherine Keener.

Where to stream Being John Malkovich

Film students everywhere will now be able to enjoy Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on Netflix. The nonlinear sci-fi romance tells the story of estranged lovers who have erased each other from their minds. But when Joel (Carrey) and Clementine (Winslet) meet by chance on the train, they instantly hit it off, prompting questions about enduring love and the true nature of our memories.

Where to stream Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

This month, Netflix is treating fans to not one, not two, but three Jurassic Park films. Just a few weeks after the first three Jurassic Park movies debuted on Peacock, they will be leaving NBCUniversal’s platform for Netflix’s greener pastures. But don’t expect them to last long: typically, they cycle in and out in a few months, so make sure you queue up your Jurassic Park marathon sooner rather than later.

Where to stream Jurassic Park

Between The Meyerowitz Stories, Murder Mystery, and now Mr. Deeds, you should have no problem setting up a Sandman movie marathon this month. The only non-Netflix Original of the bunch, Mr. Deeds stars Adam Sandler as a pizzeria owner who finds himself at the center of a media company takeover. Part Succession, part Billy Madison, the delightful Mr. Deeds is definitely worth adding to your queue in August.

Where to stream Mr. Deeds

Du-du-du-du. Long before MGM turned The Addams Family into an animated movie, Paramount got in on the fun with a live-action adaptation of the beloved 1960s TV series. The 1991 Addams Family film stars Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia as Morticia and Gomez Addams, members of a macabre aristocratic family, and their children, Wednesday and Pugsley. Who says you can’t celebrate Halloween in August?

Where to stream The Addams Family

If Step Up and Bring It On had a lovechild, that movie would be Work It, a new Netflix Original. Sabrina Carpenter stars as Quinn, a high school senior who learns that her chances of getting into her dream college rely on her performance in a dance competition. The only issue? Quinn doesn’t actually know how to dance. Watch her sashay her way to college in this romantic dramedy, co-starring Jordan Fisher, Liza Koshy, Michelle Buteau, and more.

Where to stream Work It

There’s thrillers, and then there’s Nightcrawler, which takes the genre to new heights. The 2014 film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Lou Bloom, a stringer, or freelance journalist, who records violent events and sells the footage to local news outlets. Already living on the boundary of morality, Lou easily adapts to the world of unethical journalism and problematic consumer demand.

Where to stream Nightcrawler

At this rate, Netflix seems to be releasing one action blockbuster a month. After The Old Guard dominated July, August will deliver the debut of Project Power, starring Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a former soldier and New Orleans cop, respectively, who team up to curb the spread of a mysterious drug. Expect plenty of explosions, badass chase scenes, and the cutting quips that Netflix moviegoers have come to love.

Where to stream Project Power

Inject some musical mayhem into your queue this month with the 2012 remake of Les Misérables, starring Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, and more top talent. For those who prefer to stay away from Broadway, the beloved musical takes place in France ahead of the June 1832 Rebellion against the monarchy, a particularly tumultuous time in the country’s history. The film adaptation went on to win over critics, and later won three Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actress for Hathaway.

Where to stream Les Misérables

The shortest film on this list, John Was Trying to Contact Aliens charts one man’s quest to, well, contact aliens. The documentary, which won the Short Film Jury Award for nonfiction at the Sundance Film Festival over the winter, follows an electronics wizard who begins broadcasting radio signals into the skies in an attempt to reach out to alien civilizations. John Was Trying to Contact Aliens is the last of three short films that Netflix will release this summer, so set aside 15 minutes of time and check it out.

Where to stream John Was Trying to Contact Aliens

Daniel Craig’s first stint as 007 is one for the books. 2006 drama Casino Royale sees Craig’s James Bond in a more vulnerable light, as the young MI6 agent is just learning the ropes of the profession. While on a mission to bankrupt a terrorist financier in a poker game in Montenegro, Bond falls in love with a femme fatale (shocker), kicking off a high-stakes story of lust, greed, and, of course, violence.

Where to stream Casino Royale