The best thing about the streaming revolution is that there’s no dearth of movies and shows to stream on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hotstar. The worst thing is that you can’t keep track of the barrage of new shows and films coming out on these platforms every month and often end up missing out or being too late and catching spoilers. So, to keep you updated for your weekend binge, here’s what’s new on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hotstar this August.
Upcoming releases
Dear White People season 3
When: August 2
Where: Netflix
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Dear White People’s brilliance lies in how well-rounded it is. From the brilliant idea of having the show pick up from where the film left off to a unique ensemble format where stories of different characters playing out simultaneously intersect, the show is the definition of binge-worthy. Despite being set on one college campus, Dear White People creates a great microcosm of race and gender relations in the uppermost echelons of American society. The genius and sophistication of the show lies in the incredibly clever writing as it weaves the hard-hitting discourse on privilege with great wit and humour. If you haven’t seen the first two seasons, watch them now. If you have, you know how awesome things are going to get after that season 2 cliffhanger finale. This is truly one of the best shows to stream on Netflix.
GLOW season 3
When: August 9
Where: Netflix
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GLOW is one of the best examples of how shows with almost an entirely female cast can still be incredibly successful. If you want to watch a show that’s funny and unabashedly feminist or a show that’s at once a parody of the times it’s set in as well as a commentary, GLOW is the show for you. With universally positive reviews across the board, GLOW blends meta-humour with progressive storytelling and encourages being ‘unconventional’. Catch up now if you haven’t seen the first two seasons.
Sacred Games season 2
When: August 15
Where: Netflix
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Last year, Sacred Games set the Indian Internet abuzz. It was the first major Indian web series that had international appeal. It was a great portrait of Indian society, politics, and the underworld with a structure that turned virtually every episode into a cliffhanger. Some terrific performances made even supporting characters unforgettable (we’re looking at you, Katekar). If you want to watch good content rooted in India in a thrilling format, you do not want to miss the second season of Sacred Games. I guess we all know what we’re doing this Independence Day.
Carnival Row season 1
When: August 30
Where: Amazon Prime
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If you loved Game of Thrones right till the end and were sad to see your favourite fantasy show end, the TV gods were clearly watching you. Carnival Row is an Amazon Prime original fantasy show starring Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevingne. The official synopsis says that the show is about “mythical creatures who have fled their war-torn homeland and gathered in the city as tensions are simmering between citizens and the growing immigrant population. At the centre of the drama is the investigation into a string of unsolved murders, which are eating away at whatever uneasy peace still exists.” Do you need more to get hooked?
Jett season 1
When: New episodes on Saturdays
Where: Hotstar
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Carla Gugino stars in this action crime drama created by Sebastian Gutierrez of Gothika fame. Gugino plays a world-class thief who’s just out of prison but forced to do what she does best. The show also features Giancarlo Esposito, who you might remember as Gus from Breaking Bad. The show is slick and extremely stylised and has rave reviews. The last two episodes of the first season release on August 3 and 10, so you can binge-watch the first seven this weekend.
In case you missed it
The Great Hack
When: Released July 24
Where: Netflix
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We live in an age where data, and not money, is everything. Every search, every swipe, every click means that our data is being collected by giant web companies. What happens to this data is where things get murky. This documentary looks at the Cambridge Analytica scandal in which many people’s Facebook data was collected without their consent and used for the Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016. If you’re interested in documentaries, it doesn’t get more topical than The Great Hack.
Orange is the New Black season 7
When: Released July 26
Where: Netflix
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Possibly the greatest show of the 2010s and one of the best ever made, Orange is the New Black made us laugh, made us cry, and made us angry over six gripping, whirlwind seasons. And now, the final season is streaming on Netflix. If you haven’t got around to watching it yet, we recommend that you make it a priority. If you haven’t watched the show, then we’re a little jealous of you because you get to watch the whole thing from the beginning for the first time.
The Red Sea Diving Resort
When: Released July 31
Where: Netflix
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Starring Chris Evans and Ben Kingsley, The Red Sea Diving Resort focuses on a group of Mossad (Israeli intelligence) agents who used an abandoned resort in the Sudan to help smuggle many Jewish-Ethiopian refugees from Ethiopia to Israel in 1984. If you want to see Captain America in a radically different avatar, this is your chance.
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