Netflix’s August Release Slate: Magnolia, The Edge of Seventeen, and He’s All That

The highlights of Netflix’s August release slate include Magnolia, The Edge of Seventeen, and possibly — hopefully — He’s All That. August on Netflix tends to be a lot like August at the movies: A sweaty grab bag of fluff, comfort food, leftovers, and “that could be interesting” question marks. Netflix Original “He’s All That” certainly falls into the first category, though we’re crossing our fingers that Mark Waters’ dubious sequel to a teen movie classic is more than just another example of a streamer exhuming whatever IP it can (that Rachael Leigh Cook is returning bodes well, but Freddie Prinze Jr.’s absence has us nervous about the film’s commitment to hacky sack-related performance art).

So far as still-unseen Netflix Originals go, August’s most promising new title is Ferdinando Cito Filomarino’s “Beckett,” which stars John David Washington as an American tourist who’s framed for a crime while on vacation in Greece. That will premiere in Locarno early in the month, though Netflix — returning to the fall festival circuit after sitting things out last year — is saving most of its heavy hitters for awards season. Highlights from the month’s library titles include recurring Netflix staples like “Magnolia” and “Inception,” while Kelly Fremon Craig’s magnificent “The Edge of Seventeen” is making its way to the streamer just in time to get teenagers extra-hyped for the new school year (no hooking up with your best friend’s brother unless you’re both vaccinated!).

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What Is One Of The Best Sci-Fi Movies Of All Time?

Who doesn’t love a good shark movie in August? Last month brought Terminator 2 and Star Trek back to Netflix, two all-time greats when it comes to futuristic sci-fi, and this August, Deep Blue Sea is one of several gems swimming up to your queue. Even worse, it all unfolds during a storm, I won’t spoiler the shocking moment here, but if you like schlocky horror movies that toe the line between thrilling and absurd then Deep Blue Sea is worth the watch — at least until this particular moment.

Warner Bros. Pictures Only visionary filmmaker Christopher Nolan could pull off a bizarre, cerebral premise like Inception (2010), a heist-based action movie that takes place almost entirely within dreams. Bond films don’t deal with hard sci-fi concepts all that often, but much of the science is still totally fictional. Casino Royale leaves Netflix on August 30.

(Hint: It’s Earth!) Here, they participate directly in the ongoing war for the Allspark. “Like in all good fugitive movies, not everything goes to plan,” writes Inverse’s Dais Johnston in a recent retrospective, “but the ending is heartbreaking, satisfying, and has a glorious sci-fi twist that evokes old utopian stories.”

(The sequel’s opening sequence cost as much to make as the entire original film.) Star Trek’s core cast is impeccable. The four space cowboys.

That’s ostensibly what’s going on in Space Cowboys. Space Cowboys rides onto Netflix on August 1. Anybody who’s really into science fiction is bound to be fascinated by the very concept of alien life elsewhere in the universe.

Seasons 4 and 5 are not so great, but 6 rebounds quite a bit.