Summer is drawing to a close, that vacation feeling is slowly slipping away—but your August streaming schedule doesn’t need to lose steam. This month, take a trip around the globe through your screens. England brings us a powerful romance between a Bridgerton leading man and his American protégée, as well as a gripping political thriller. Korea, as always, delivers on the entertainment front, this time through a charming legal drama and myth-inspired action fantasy series. And though you might have trouble finding it on a map, our favourite child of woe is returning to haunt the halls of Nevermore Academy.
Read on to find the best of what streaming has to offer in August.
Wednesday, Season 2
Our favourite goth girl is back and eerier than ever. Nearly three years after the show’s premiere in 2022, Wednesday returns for season two, promising razor-sharp humour with a “darker and more complex” twist. Jenna Ortega reprises her role as the titular child of woe, alongside a host of gruesomely intriguing new cast members. British icon Joanna Lumley will play Wednesday’s beloved grandmother, while Steve Buscemi is Nevermore’s enthusiastic new head teacher. Perhaps most exciting, though, is the promise of Lady Gaga as legendary teacher Rosaline Rotwood. Get ready to dance with your hands above your head this August.
Part 1 of Wednesday, Season 2 premieres on Netflix on 6 August.
Beyond The Bar
A brilliant but unconventional young rookie lawyer meets a grizzly, seasoned veteran mentor. We can’t wait to see the electric clash of personalities, humour, and heart that Beyond the Bar promises to bring us this month. Lee Jin-wook takes on the mantle of the cold but experienced mentor, in a far cry from his warm, nurturing role in Squid Game, and Jung Chae-yeon stars as the fiercely intelligent but socially awkward Hyo-min. We’re willing to bet the boss’s icy exterior will melt in due time, but you’ll have to tune in to find out.
Beyond The Bar premieres on Netflix on 2 August, with new episodes every Saturday and Sunday.
Twelve
In Disney’s new action fantasy series, Park Hyung-sik steps out of the cold and bureaucratic worlds of Buried Hearts and Happiness into a realm of angels and demons. In Twelve, the myths and legends of old are very real, and they’re working for a paycheck just like the rest of us. Don Lee (Train to Busan) brings his characteristic gruff charm as the leader of a group of zodiac-inspired angels, and Park stars opposite him as a convincingly villainous evil spirit, charismatic enough to draw the best of us to the dark side. Twelve is sure to appeal to K-drama fans and superhero fanatics alike, blending East Asian mythology with everyday grittiness and flippant humour.
Twelve premieres on Disney+ on 23 August.
Hostage
Nobody does a political thriller mini-series quite like the British. In Hostage, an embattled British Prime Minister (Suranne Jones) is forced to work with her quasi-rival, the French President (Julie Delpy), as they navigate abductions, blackmail, and more. Expect five tight episodes packed with intrigue and action—we plan to set aside a dedicated binge-watching weekend for this sure-to-be riveting mini-series. Suranne Jones’s performance has been described as unmissable, and Julie Delpy’s acting chops promise to deliver.
Hostage premieres on Netflix on 21 August.
My Oxford Year
Starring Netflix romance veteran Sofia Carson and Bridgerton’s very own King George, My Oxford Year is sure to take us on a whirlwind of an emotional journey. The film follows a young American’s first year at Oxford University. Enamoured by the history in its storied halls, she soon meets an elusively charming match in one of her tutors, played by Corey Mylchreest—but their entanglement is far from simple. If the trailer is any clue, you might need a spare box of tissues on hand for this tear-jerker. But we’re ready: bring on the heartache, laughter, and whatever else the Netflix gods have in store for us.
My Oxford Year premieres on Netflix on 1 August.
Boys II Planet
Many a K-pop fan is aware of the gruelling journeys their favourite idols undergo to reach fame and success. Idol sweepstakes are no joke, but this reality show injects them with just enough optimism to create an instant hit. Two groups of 80 boys are pitted against each other in weekly performance challenges and graded on a scale of ‘All Star’ to ‘No Star’, all in the hopes of forming a real-life K-pop group. No spoilers here—with the first few episodes already streaming on Viu, stay tuned to find out which lucky and talented few will make it to debut.
Boys II Planet is streaming now on Viu.
Aema
“Now is the time to bare everything and sock it to the man”, or so states the boldly provocative trailer of Aema. The series takes us back to the gritty glamour of the Korean film industry in the 1980s, and behind the scenes of the controversial Madame Aema, one of the first erotic films ever released in South Korea. The provocative new series stars actress and beauty queen Lee Ha-nee as the fiery Jung Hee-ran, a veteran of the industry, and relative newcomer Bang Hyo-rin as her younger counterpart. We can’t help but notice that the real-life resumes of the two lead actresses mirror those of their characters, making this bold look back at Korean cinematic history all the more intriguing.
Aema premieres on Netflix on 22 August.
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