The most-watched movie on Netflix in the U.S.right now is about a family that's locked inside their house—which is either a stroke of marketing genius or a commentary on how a lot of Americans have spent August (or maybe a hint to get outside while the weather lasts).But if you are going to be inside for a relaxing movie this week, it doesn't have to be about being cooped up.
This week's roundup includes two recent arrivals (one with Adam Sandler's daughter and one with Liam Neeson) and three from the August 1 haul, including a baseball classic, a horror classic, and my top pick, a dark Jake Gyllenhaal thriller that isn't .5 Don’t Say Good Luck Sunny Sandler's showstopper about a family in freefall I've loved Melanie Lynskey since 1994's incredible (which you should totally see), and it's great to see her still killing it in this near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes Netflix original from Adam Sandler's Happy Madison imprint.But Lynskey isn't alone in this one.
Sunny Sandler (Adam's youngest daughter) carries as Sophie Birenbaum, a high school student who lands the lead role in her school's musical as her mom Elizabeth's (Lynskey) cancer returns.Sandler's performance is nothing short of remarkable, as we see her sweet demeanor struck by the shards of her family's lives coming apart while also going through all the coming-of-age motions of normal teenage life.It's a beautiful movie you'll need tissues for.
Don't Say Good Luck PG-13 Comedy Music Drama Release Date August 14, 2026 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming Cast Sunny Sandler, Melanie Lynskey, Jon Lovitz, Scarlett Estevez, Elyse Bell, Emma McNulty, Ethan Costanilla, Max Greenfield, Stephanie Beatriz, Bebe Neuwirth, Steve Buscemi, Jack Champion Director Julia Hart Writers Jordan Horowitz Producers Adam Sandler, Jackie Sandler, Fred Berger, Michael Roiff Main Genre Drama Executive Producer(s) Barry Weissler, Michael Roiff Powered by Expand Collapse 4 In the Land of Saints & Sinners Liam Neeson trades Taken for a Donegal Western As nice as it was to see Liam Neeson ham it up as Frank Drebin Jr.in reboot, there's nothing quite like the brooding actor when he's using his very particular set of skills.Set in Donegal, Ireland, in 1974, in Neeson embodies the role of Finbar Murphy, who retires from his life of killing for local racketeer Robert McQue (Colm Meaney) and works in a quiet bookstore.
Quiz 8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge New Netflix movies and shows in August 2026Trivia challenge From thrillers to docuseries — how much do you know about what's hitting Netflix in August 2026? DramaComedyDocumentaryThrillerSeries Begin 01 / 8 Thriller The Whisper Man is a Netflix thriller based on a bestselling novel by which author? AGillian FlynnBAlex NorthCTana FrenchDStephen King Correct! The Whisper Man is based on Alex North's chilling 2019 psychological thriller of the same name.The novel became an international bestseller, blending a haunting mystery with deeply emotional storytelling about grief and fatherhood. Not quite — the correct answer is Alex North.His 2019 novel The Whisper Man was a major bestseller that blended psychological suspense with an emotional father-son story, making it a compelling choice for a Netflix adaptation. Continue 02 / 8 Documentary Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing focuses on controversies surrounding which aircraft model at the center of fatal crashes? ABoeing 747 MaxBBoeing 737 MaxCBoeing 787 DreamlinerDBoeing 777X Correct! The Boeing 737 Max was grounded worldwide after two catastrophic crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed 346 people.
Freefall examines the corporate decisions, regulatory failures, and human cost behind one of aviation's most devastating scandals. Not quite — the Boeing 737 Max is the aircraft at the heart of the scandal.Two fatal crashes within five months of each other led to a global grounding of the jet and intense scrutiny of Boeing's safety culture and its relationship with regulators. Continue 03 / 8 Series My Life With the Walter Boys returns for its third season on Netflix.Where is the series primarily set? AMontanaBWyomingCColoradoDIdaho Correct! My Life With the Walter Boys is set on a ranch in Colorado, where city girl Jackie Howard moves in with a large, boisterous family after a personal tragedy.
The stunning Rocky Mountain scenery has become one of the show's signature visual elements. Not quite — the show is set in Colorado.Jackie Howard's journey from New York City to a sprawling Colorado ranch forms the backdrop of the series, which is based on Ali Novak's popular Wattpad novel of the same name. Continue 04 / 8 Comedy Ricky Gervais: Alley Cats marks which milestone for Gervais as a Netflix stand-up special? AHis first ever stand-up special on any platformBHis return to stand-up after a ten-year breakCHis sixth Netflix stand-up specialDHis first stand-up special filmed outside the UK Correct! Alley Cats is Ricky Gervais's sixth Netflix stand-up special, continuing his long and successful partnership with the platform.Previous specials include SuperNature, SuperMassive, and Humanity, all of which sparked significant cultural conversation. Not quite — Alley Cats is Gervais's sixth Netflix stand-up special.
He has built an extensive library of comedy content on Netflix, with specials that have consistently generated both laughs and controversy in equal measure. Continue 05 / 8 Series Outer Banks: Season 5 follows the cast in their ongoing adventures.What is the name of the central friend group the show follows? AThe KooksBThe PoguesCThe BanditsDThe Tidal Crew Correct! The Pogues are the scrappy group of working-class teens at the heart of Outer Banks, named after the poorer side of the fictional OBX island they call home.Their rivalry with the wealthy Kooks has driven much of the show's dramatic tension across all five seasons. Not quite — the group is called the Pogues.
The name refers to their social status on the island, as the working-class residents are nicknamed Pogues while the wealthy class are called Kooks.This class divide is a central theme of the entire series. Continue 06 / 8 Documentary Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy examines the rise of which fast food chain that became a cultural phenomenon? APopeyesBRaising Cane'sCChick-fil-ADNone, it explores the whole chicken industry Correct! Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy doesn't take aim at any one chicken restaurant; it is instead an examination of the broader global fried chicken industry. Not quite — the documentary focuses on the broader global fried chicken industry as its host eats nothing but fried chicken for 28 days. Continue 07 / 8 Drama The Last House, arriving on Netflix in August 2026, falls into which primary genre? ARomantic comedyBSupernatural horrorCPsychological thrillerDHistorical drama Correct! The Last House is a psychological thriller that builds tension through atmosphere and character rather than relying purely on shock-value horror.The genre has proven hugely popular on Netflix, with audiences gravitating toward suspenseful, character-driven storytelling. Not quite — The Last House is a psychological thriller.
Netflix has invested heavily in the genre given its strong performance with subscribers, and The Last House follows in the tradition of slow-burn, tension-filled narratives the platform has successfully championed. Continue 08 / 8 Sports The Netflix documentary Mourinho profiles one of football's most controversial managers.Which club did José Mourinho famously describe himself as a 'Special One' upon joining? AReal MadridBInter MilanCChelseaDManchester United Correct! Mourinho made his iconic 'Special One' declaration at his very first Chelsea press conference in 2004, after arriving from Porto where he had just won the UEFA Champions League.The phrase instantly became one of football's most memorable quotes and defined his larger-than-life persona. Not quite — Mourinho made his famous 'Special One' declaration when he arrived at Chelsea in 2004.
He had just led Porto to Champions League glory and arrived in the Premier League with supreme confidence, a quote that would follow him throughout his entire career. See My Score Challenge Complete Your Score / 8 Thanks for playing! Try Again Of course, though, Murphy sees red when a cell of IRA terrorists uses his sleepy town to hide out after a bombing gone wrong, and worse, one of them is abusing a village child.Neeson is brilliantly Neeson in this 83% fresh film, but stay for the performance of Game of Thrones' Jack Gleeson, who's incredibly non-Joffrey as Murphy's soft-spoken replacement, Kevin.In the Land of Saints and Sinners R Action Thriller Release Date March 29, 2024 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming RENT BUY Cast Liam Neeson, Kerry Condon, Ciarán Hinds, Jack Gleeson, Colm Meaney, Sarah Greene, Desmond Eastwood, Conor MacNeill, Seamus O'Hara, Niamh Cusack, Mark O'Regan, Anne Brogan, Conor Hamill, Laura Hughes, Michelle Gleeson, Bernadette Carty, Joe Gallagher, Tim Landers, James Sadat Runtime 106 minutes Director Robert Lorenz Writers Terry Loane, Mark Michael McNally Producers Bonnie Timmermann, Geraldine Hughes, Philip Lee, Terry Loane, Markus Barmettler, Hubert Toint Main Genre Thriller Studio(s) Facing East, RagBag Pictures, Prodigal Films Limited Distributor(s) Netflix Where To Stream Netflix Executive Producer(s) Danny Dimbort, Ehud Bleiberg, Victor Hadida, Kieran Corrigan Powered by Expand Collapse 3 Field of Dreams Kevin Costner's baseball classic emerges from the cornfield If you watched Netflix’s recent live stream of the game, filmed on a new ballpark just a few hundred meters from the movie's original diamond in Dyersville, Iowa, the timing on this one is hard to beat.
The second of Kevin Costner's back-to-back baseball movies— came just a year earlier— is a bucket-list watch for any movie fan.Adapted from W.P.Kinsella's novel Shoeless Joe, Costner stars as Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella, who hears a voice in his cornfield and gambles the family farm to plow a ballpark into the middle of it.
Once it's finished, the banished ghosts of the 1919 Black Sox scandal walk out of the stalks, disgraced White Sox outfielder Joseph "Shoeless Joe" Jackson (Ray Liotta) among them.Following where the voice leads, Ray discovers that the players' unfinished business may be a cover for his own.2 Cult of Chucky The killer doll's smartest and strangest installment yet "Hi, I'm Chucky! Wanna play?!" That defining line from the 1988 original Child's Play killer doll extravaganza still rings in my ears, even as the franchise reached its seventh and best-reviewed installment (at 81%), 2017's Horror fans know just how fun and over-the-top this franchise is, and this one delivers more than most.
Fiona Dourif returns as Nica Pierce (fun fact: her father, Brad, has done the voice of the killer doll since the beginning), who's been locked in a psych ward for four years, where her corrupt therapist, Dr.Foley (Michael Therriault), has her convinced that she invented Chucky to cope with the fact that killed her whole family.In a deluded attempt to help Nica confront her fears, Foley brings in a Good Guy doll as a therapy tool.
You can imagine what happens next.All but the original movie are currently streaming on Netflix in the U.S.Cult of Chucky R Horror Fantasy Comedy Release Date October 3, 2017 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming RENT BUY Cast Alex Vincent, Fiona Dourif, Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly Runtime 91 minutes Director Don Mancini Writers Don Mancini Prequel(s) Curse of Chucky, Child's Play 2, Child's Play 3, Seed of Chucky, Bride of Chucky Franchise(s) Child's Play Budget $5 million Studio(s) Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Powered by Expand Collapse 1 Nightcrawler Jake Gyllenhaal's most unnerving performance since Donnie Darko My top pick for this week is also one of my favorite Jake Gyllenhaal movies of all time: writer-director Dan Gilroy's (who also directed Jake in V) psychological thriller, .
If you thought Donnie Darko was a twisted character, Gyllenhaal transformed himself mentally and physically (losing roughly 30 pounds) for the role of Lou Bloom, an unemployed drifter and sociopath who roams around Los Angeles chasing crime scenes and crash sites at night so he can sell the grisly footage to Nina (Rene Russo), a morning news director at KWLA 6.Gyllenhaal is haunting as Lou spirals and slowly devolves into manic territory, following his motto: "If you want to win the lottery, you have to make the money to buy a ticket." And making that money increasingly starts to involve moving bodies around at car crash sites, even causing one himself, and worse.Nightcrawler R Crime Drama Thriller Release Date October 23, 2014 Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming RENT BUY Cast Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, Bill Paxton, Kevin Rahm, Michael Hyatt, Price Carson, Ann Cusack, Kent Shocknek, Sharon Tay, Carolyn Gilroy, Marco Rodríguez, Michael Papajohn, Jonny Coyne, Rick Chambers, Pat Harvey, Rick Garcia, James Huang, Leah Fredkin, Bill Seward, Holly Hannula, Nick Chacon, Kevin Dunigan, Alex Ortiz, Eric Lange Runtime 118 minutes Director Dan Gilroy Writers Dan Gilroy Producers David Lancaster, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jennifer Fox, Tony Gilroy, Michel Litvak Budget $8.5 Million Studio(s) Bold Films Distributor(s) Open Road Films Main Genre Crime Executive Producer(s) Gary Michael Walters, Betsy Danbury Powered by Expand Collapse Now the hard part: choosing Movie nights are sacred—carve out a couple of hours, put your phone in the other room, and let one of these five titles take you away.
And when you're done, make sure to come back to How-To Geek's streaming section for more ideas for what to watch, whether you're into documentaries, thrillers, comedies, or whatever.Netflix Subscription with ads Yes, $8/month Simultaneous streams Two or four Live TV No Price Starting at $8/month Visit Netflix Expand Collapse
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