August is here. You’ve finished watching Stranger Things and you’re five seasons deep into Gilmore Girls. What should you do? Keep watching Netflix, obviously. There are dozens of shows, films and documentaries dropping in August – here are our faves.
1. Appropriate Behaviour
If you haven’t already seen this, you should. It’s written and directed by Desiree Akhavan, and she’s the lead too (some people have too much talent). We’re not the only ones who are excited about Appropriate Behaviour: Lena Dunham described this movie as 'audacious, funny and unique.' It’s all about cultural identity, sexuality, family feuds, and getting over that crappy ex. It’s heartfelt, it’s funny, it’s warm and it’s profound. Plus it has the backdrop of trendy Brooklyn – which is really making us want to jump on a place and go to New York.
2. Brooklyn
This will make you cry – okay now you’ve been warned. This is set in 1950s, where the gorgeous Saoirse Ronan plays an Irish immigrant in New York. It’s adapted from the awesome novel by Colm Tóibín and the screenplay was written by Nick Hornby (the man behind About a Boy). We can’t keep our eyes off the story, the fashion, the background, the people: it’s all great.
3. Don’t Trust The B**ch In Apartment 23
Before she was Jessica Jones, Krysten Ritter was Chloe, a New York party girl and housemate from hell. This series is one of our faves, full of funny interactions with her helpless roommate June (Dreama Walker). As the two become friends, hilarity ensues...
4. The Get Down
It’s by Baz Luhrmann, so it’s gonna be good. The Get Down is all about a group of teenagers in 1970s The Bronx. It’s set to be gritty, with loads of incredible original music and starring the likes of Jaden Smith. The only downside is there’s no Leo. Read more about why we’re so excited about it here.
5. The Lifeguard
Kristen Bell plays a successful reporter living in NYC, who quits her job, moves back in with her parents to, erm, go back to her former Saturday job as a lifeguard. The Veronica Mars star does more than just reek up havoc with some local teenagers, though: The Lifeguard is darker and more emotional than the trailer suggests. Anyone who feels on the verge of a quarter-life crisis will be able to relate to this dramedy.
6. The Way He Looks
What a better time to check out Brazilian cinema than right now? Shot in stunning Sao Paolo, this is a charming LGBT-themed love story about a blind teenager. It’s a moving coming-of-age tale that’s hard not to love. Plus, you’ll seem super cultured for watching a film with subtitles. Win, win.
7. Mother’s Day
Never has there been more of our fave ladies all in the same place at the same time (except for maybe in Love Actually). Speaking of which, Mother’s Day reminds us of the Richard Curtis flick. From the mastermind of the late Garry Marshall, it’s got loads of crossing story lines. Leading the film are Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Jason Sudeikis and Julia Roberts, with supporting roles from Jennifer Garner, Shay Mitchell, Jack Whitehall and Sarah Clarke. More star-studded than a Hollywood party.
8. XOXO
Netflix are really spoiling us this month with yet another original. Starring Modern Family’s Sarah Hyland and The Good Wife’s Graham Phillips, XOXO follows six strangers who all meet at a huge EDM festival. With a soundtrack compiled by Radio 1's Pete Tong, it's set to be romantic and frenetic and drops on August 26th.
9. Donald’s Trump’s: The Art of The Deal: The Movie
So, unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last year you’ll be aware that it’s a couple of months until the American Presidential election and a certain well-known businessman is running. Funny or Die (the people behind that Obama and Zach Galifianakis interview) presents a satirical version of Trump’s 1987 book The Art of the Deal.
It’s essentially 50 minutes of taking the mick out of The Donald (who’s played by Johnny Depp). With titles like 'Chapter 1: The Art of Intimidating Rent Controlled Tenants' and 'Chapter 5: The Art of Marrying a Gorgeous Immigrant'. We definitely approve.
10. Wolf Hall
Oh BBC Two, how we love you. In case you missed it last summer, this show stars national treasure Damien Lewis as Henry VIII (in his younger, more handsome years). The mini-series won plenty of awards, including some TV BAFTAs and Golden Globes, and with it's arrival on Netflix, you really have no excuse to not watch it.
11. Green Wing
We still love Green Wing as much now as when it aired in 2004 (yep, that was 12 years ago. Feel old yet?). If you’ve somehow missed the quirky hospital-drama all these years, there’s no time like the present to have a laugh with Olivia Coleman, Stephen Magnan and Tasmin Greig.
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