Now that Barbenheimer is safely in our rearview mirror, it’s time to find the next big thing for us to obsess over. This month, a number of our favourite franchises are making a comeback—from Netflix’s rom-com Heartstopper to Disney+ Hotstar’s Only Murders In The Building—and they’re all going straight to our carefully curated Watchlist. Here’s what to watch in August 2023.
Physical (Season 3)
Premieres 2nd August on Apple TV+
Big hair, neon spandex, and ankle warmers. The 80s is back in full swing with the third and final season of Physical and we are here for it. The 10-episode dramedy sees Rose Byrne delivering yet another masterful performance as aerobics celebrity Sheila Rubin whose fitness empire hangs in the balance with fierce new competitors coming out of the woodwork.
Watch the trailer here.
Heartstopper (Season 2)
Premieres 3rd August on Netflix
What better way to spend your Thursday night than watching two boys falling in love? Amid a school trip to Paris, a prom, and A-level exams, Nick and Charlie navigate their blossoming relationship, which may or may not be thwarted by the daunting expectation of “coming out”. But whatever the endgame might be, we’re resuscitating #CoupleGoals.
Watch the trailer here.
Only Murders in the Building (Season 3)
Premieres 8th August on Disney+ Hotstar
Our favourite podcasters are returning to solve another mystery. This time around, Charles, Oliver, and Mabel take on a case that revolves around Oliver’s leading man who drops dead during the opening night of his Broadway show. The trio promptly turn their gaze to the cast members, which include Loretta Durkin, played by the incomparable Meryl Streep.
Watch the trailer here.
Heart of Stone
Premieres 11th August on Netflix
If there is one action thriller that you must stream this month, it’s Heart of Stone. Gal Gadot plays an intelligence agent for an elusive peacekeeping operation called the Charter who races to stop a hacker from stealing the agency’s most valuable and dangerous weapon. Will she give us another “I need you to give me the stone!” camp classic? Here’s hoping.
Watch the trailer here.
Blue Beetle
Premieres 11th August in Cinemas
Superhero fatigue? We don’t know her. The latest to join the DC Extended Universe is Blue Beetle. The story follows college grad Jaime Reyes who comes across an ancient relic of alien biotechnology called the Scarab. Before he knows it, he is clad in an extraordinary suit of armour capable of incredible but unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny.
Watch the trailer here.
Invasion (Season 2)
Premieres 23rd August on Apple TV+
A good, thrilling sci-fi always gets a “yes” from us. This month, the Golshifteh Farahani-led Invasion returns to the small screen and picks up just months after the initial alien attack. With the extraterrestrial creatures escalating the war against civilisation, humankind finds itself in a dystopian world and is forced to come together to fight a common enemy.
Watch the trailer here.
Sometime, Sometime
Premieres 24th August in Cinemas
A tender domestic drama Sometime, Sometime is headed for the big screen this month. Propped by intuitive performances from Tan Chui Mui and Jacky Yeap, the film explores a complex mother-son relationship as Zi Kien finds out about his mother’s new boyfriend. Eager to grow up, he starts imitating the adults around him by copying their way of talking and dressing, and smoking.
Watch the trailer here.
Gran Turismo
Premieres 24th August in Cinemas
From the director of District 9 and Elysium comes another heart-racing tale about ambition, sacrifice, and finding one’s place in the world. Gran Turismo is based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions, in becoming an actual professional racecar driver.
Watch the trailer here.
NCT 127: The Lost Boys
Premieres 30th August on Disney+ Hotstar
Fans of NCT 127, rejoice! Get up close and personal with members Taeil, Johnny, Taeyong, Yuta, Doyoung, Jaehyun, Jungwoo, Mark, and Haechan with NCT 127: The Lost Boys. The four-part series sees the K-Pop idols opening up about their experiences of growing up in various cities around the world and ruminating on their international success and the challenges that come with it.
Watch the trailer here.
The Equalizer 3
Premieres 31st August in Cinemas
Denzel Washington is back in action, reprising his role as Robert McCall in The Equalizer 3. Haunted by his past as a government assassin, he finds purpose in seeking justice for the oppressed. So, when he learns that his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses, he comes to their aid in the only way he knows how—by taking on the mafia himself.
Watch the trailer here.