Screen Time - August 2025

The summer is often the busiest season of the year when it comes to film and television, and this August is doing nothing but proving that with great effect. We have a whopper of a {Screen Time} in store for you today, featuring appointment-viewing theatrical options and a multitude of streamer-exclusive alternatives too.

Before we do begin, a quick word of warning. We've based our choices on a UK release calendar, so be sure to check locally for accurate dates and listings.

The Naked Gun - August 1

Kicking off the month is the reboot of one of the most famous comedy franchises of all-time. Seth MacFarlane and Akiva Schaffer have teamed up to bring back {The Naked Gun}, with a brand new project that stars Liam Neeson in the lead as the detective son of Leslie Neilsen's Frank Drebin. It's traditional {Naked Gun} that we'll be in store for, as slapstick comedy and pure witty genius are looking to elevate this comedy flick above the rest.

The Bad Guys 2 - August 1

Next up is the animated sequel to {The Bad Guys}. Building on the well-received original, this film will see the all-star cast reuniting and led by Sam Rockwell's {Mr. Wolf}, all to see how the former crooks adapt to life as {Good Guys}, a change in lifestyle that is seriously tested when they are tasked with returning to a life of crime to appease the whims of an all-female criminal crew.

Chief of War [Apple TV+] - August 1

{Apple TV+}'s big project of the month sees Jason Momoa taking centre stage and serving up a historical drama that documents the unification and colonisation of Hawaii. {Chief of War} is a very unique project in that it features a mostly Polynesian cast with dialogue generally communicated in native tongues too. Combining this with a broad scope and vision that is reminiscent of {Shogun}, {Chief of War} is looking to be a must-watch for {Apple} subscribers.

Twisted Metal [Paramount+] - August 1

The number of video game adaptations has significantly slowed down compared to earlier this year, but there are still a handful to look forward to. This includes the second season of {Twisted Metal}, which will see Anthony Mackie back as {John Doe}, a skilled post-apocalyptic delivery driver who has teamed up with Stephanie Beatriz's {Quiet} to survive in a harsh world populated by creeps like the deadly {Sweet Tooth}.

Eyes of Wakanda [Disney+] - August 1

{The Fantastic Four: First Steps} has just premiered but already it's time for the next part of the {Marvel Cinematic Universe}. Granted, this will be a smaller scale animated adventure that offers an anthological tale set throughout the history of Wakanda. Telling the stories of different warriors throughout time, the theme is finding and recovering dangerous Vibranium artifacts that have been stolen from within their borders.

Wednesday: Season 2 [Netflix] - August 6

In many ways, behind {Squid Game}, this could be the most anticipated TV series of the year, as the massively popular {Wednesday} is still a record-holder in many respects on Netflix. This next chapter of the show will be looking to capture the same lightning in a bottle effect, by serving up more supernatural stories from {Nevermore Academy} and revolving around the charismatic Addams family crew.

The Pickup [Prime Video] - August 6

One of a handful of {Prime Video} additions worthy of note this August, {The Pickup} is an action-comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson as armored truck drivers who find themselves in danger after being ambushed by expert criminals led by Keke Palmer. Needless to say, expect outrageous action and humour in this anticipated flick.

Platonic: Season 2 [Apple TV+] - August 6

The second and other notable addition to {Apple TV+} in August, {Platonic} will be back for an additional round of episodes that sees Seth Rogen's Will and Rose Bryne's Sylvia getting wrapped up in all manner of crazy and hilarious hijinks as they continue to work through life as adult best friends. However, this time strain is placed on their relationship when Will's partner begins to find his friendship with Sylvia to be threatening.

Weapons - August 8

Coming from Zach Cregger, the talented director behind the frighteningly shocking {Barbarian}, it's not a huge surprise that the star-studded {Weapons} is being lauded as one of the most terrifying films of the year so far. This movie explores how a small town adapts to a mystery that has seen a host of children exit their homes and run off into the night at the exact same time on the exact same day. Clearly there's something sinister going on here...

Freakier Friday - August 8

While {Weapons} will look to scare the soul out of your body, Disney has a much freakier option to look forward to. Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis are teaming back up for a sequel to the beloved {Freaky Friday}, all for a follow-up that ropes two additional young ladies into the madness for a complicated series of body-swapping chaos.

Alien: Earth [Disney+] - August 13

After the epic {Alien: Romulus}, we have been longing for more Xenomorphs in our lives, but perhaps not in a way so close to home! Yep, the most terrifying lifeform in the universe has made its way to our shores, bringing with it a true and horrifying sense of extinction. This is precisely what {Alien: Earth} looks to explore, as Noah Hawley's series documents how humanity grapples with a Xeno crash-landing on our planet and proceeding to cause all manner of gruesome havoc.

Materialists - August 15

There has already been a good amount of comedy this August, but soon A24 will be looking to build on that further with a rom-com option. {Materialists} will bring together Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal for a story that revolves around a New York matchmaker who becomes trapped in a love triangle with her perfect match and her imperfect ex.

Nobody 2 - August 15

The one-man army subgenre surged back into relevance thanks to Keanu Reeves and {John Wick}, but one of the better recent examples of this type of film featured Bob Odenkirk as a retired assassin who found himself in danger after his identity was revealed to the wider world. Now, Odenkirk is back in {Nobody 2}, a sequel that sees him once again dealing with a spree of attackers all to protect his family from threats from his past.

Night Always Comes [Netflix] - August 15

Hot off the back of {Fantastic Four}, Vanessa Kirby's next effort trades the {Baxter Building} for crack dens. Yep, {Sue Storm} will next be appearing in a Netflix crime drama that revolves around a woman who goes on a crime bender throughout Portland's twisted underbelly in a bid to acquire the necessary cash to prevent her family from being evicted.

Eddington - August 22

Yep, he's truly in everything these days. Fresh off the back of {Fantastic Four} and {Materialists}, Pedro Pascal will also play a leading role in Ari Aster's next effort, the contemporary western, {Eddington}. Appearing alongside Joaquin Phoenix and an all-star cast of supporting stars like Emma Stone and Austin Butler, this film chronicles how a small American town spirals out of control amid a political tug-of-war during the pandemic.

Americana - August 22

In a similar vein to {Eddington}, {Americana} is a story that takes us into small-town and rural territory in the United States, for an intimate story about how a series of outsiders violently clash while on the hunt for a rare {Lakota Ghost} shirt. Featuring an interesting cast headlined by Sydney Sweeney and supported by Paul Walter Hauser and Halsey, this movie will feature an explosive conclusion.

Peacemaker: Season 2 [HBO Max] - August 22

{Superman} has been and gone and now all eyes are on the next chapter in the {DC Universe}. This will actually be the second season of James Gunn's {Peacemaker}, the series that is based on John Cena's violent anti-hero. This next round of episodes will look to explain how the {DC Universe} is separating itself from past events, all while serving as a sequel of sorts to the heroic theatrical film that has defined July.

The Terminal List: Dark Wolf [Prime Video] - August 27

The second project of note coming to {Prime Video} this August, {The Terminal List: Dark Wolf} is a prequel series that revolves around Taylor Kitsch's Ben Edwards and chronicles how he transitioned from {Navy Seal} to CIA operative. It's a show that will unpack events that occurred before the main series that featured Chris Pratt, who will also cameo in this spinoff ahead of eventually returning for Season 2 of {The Terminal List} in the future.

The Thursday Murder Club [Netflix] - August 28

Another interesting addition coming to Netflix this August. The famed whodunnit novel series by Richard Osman is being adapted into a live-action film that features a stacked cast of elderly stars, including Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie, all of whom will be teaming up to solve a cold case with the aid of local authorities.

Caught Stealing - August 29

Darren Aronofsky is returning to the director's chair this August to take fans on a wild ride into New York City's criminal underbelly in the 1990s. {Caught Stealing} is a movie that chronicles how an ex-baseball player becomes wrapped up in a dangerous turn of events after an old friend comes back into his life. With Austin Butler in the lead, this film also features Zoe Kravitz, Vincent D'Onofrio, Liev Schreiber, Matt Smith, Regina King, and more.

The Toxic Avenger - August 29

The summer of superheroes continues, although perhaps not in the way that many expect. The complex {The Toxic Avenger} is being remade with Peter Dinklage in the lead role of the gruesome and disgusting mop-wielding hero, {Winston Gooze}, who looks to protect those in need by putting his particular and strange set of skills to the test.

And that does it. Be sure to return in a month's time to see what September 2025 has in store for cinemagoers and streaming service users.