The pace of the streaming world is sometimes something to behold. While the rest of us hunker down for yet another heatwave here in the UK, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video presumably sniff another opportunity to own our eyes and attention spans. If you're wondering what that means for you, the answer is more movies and shows coming to the best streaming platforms.
I've gone through the whole list of what's coming to both Netflix and Prime Video this week (and it's a long list), to pick out three total highlights for you. These new arrivals are the ones I think you'll want to know about, and all of them might make for a lovely bit of mid-week watching in the August heat.
Reacher Season 4
- Streaming on: Prime Video from 12 August
While it might not be the single biggest one in terms of budget or numbers, I do think that Reacher might nonetheless be Amazon's best original show ever. That's because it's incredibly true to the source material that it's adapting, giving us an on-screen version of Jack Reacher who really feels like a proper fit (as opposed to Tom Cruise, about a foot too short).
This time around he's going to find himself embroiled in quite a conspiracy, all kicked off when he tries to be a good samaritan after spotting a woman in distress on the subway. When she dies dramatically, he's unable to let sleeping dogs lie, and starts digging into the circumstances she found herself in. You won't believe this, but it won't take long until he's beating people up – hallelujah!
My Brilliant Career
- Streaming on: Netflix from 13 August
This looks like a really spirited new show for Netflix, adapting a beloved Autralian novel that might not be quite as well-known on other shores. It tells the story of Sybylla, a young woman in search of a direction for her life, at a time when the standard solution would be to simply get married. She decides instead to pursue her gift for writing, and to see the world.
Little does she know, though, that her attempts to get out and about will put her in the path of more than one suitor, meaning we're going to get plenty of steamy romance from My Brilliant Career despite Sybylla's apparent feminism. That's a great setup, and the costuming and performances seem top-notch. Could this be a new Bridgerton-level hit?
Don't Say Good Luck
- Streaming on: Netflix from 14 August
For a more traditional coming-of-age story, this movie starring Adam Sandler's daughter Sunny seems like it's going to be heartwarming and potentially tearjerking in equal measure. Sandler plays Sophie Birenbaum, who is desperate to make it in her high school's musical for the year, with all the social benefits it would bring.
That aim seems to become a little more modest when her home life starts to deteriorate thanks to her mother getting sick – throwing her own desires into perspective. It's a classic recipe for some life lessons, and the movie seems to be nice and sympathetic to how teenagers can be battered by these emotional situations. It looks charming, and comes out at the end of the week.
