August is here, and that means summer is almost two-thirds over. But to horror fans, the arrival of August means the spooky season is gearing up and that, in and of itself, is cause for celebration.
With the dawning of a new month comes a new lineup of genre offerings from streaming giant Netflix. Because we care and because we want to make life a little easier for our readers, we have sorted through what’s hitting the platform over the next month and break it down to what we think will be of greatest interest to our audience. Check out what we are most excited about directly below. Or scroll to the bottom of the post for the entire August lineup.
Killer Book Club
Although this upcoming horror thriller relies on some well-worn genre tropes, that doesn’t dampen my enthusiasm in the slightest. So many of my favorite horror films follow the aftermath of a prank gone horribly wrong. So, I’m anxious to see what director Carlos Alonso Ojea will do with the premise. This Spanish-language horror film follows a group of friends that harbor a dark secret related to an ill-fated practical joke. Following the inciting event, the friends are tormented by a clown that threatens to publish a novel about their misdeeds. Each chapter of the tome will see one member of the core group dying. And if you die in the book…. Check it out on Netflix beginning August 25th.
River Wild
I am excited about this reboot. I thought the ‘90s Meryl Streep film, The River Wild came dangerously close to being a good movie. It was derailed by obnoxious supporting characters and a variety of other issues. But I find the premise of a thriller set against the backdrop of whitewater rafting inherently promising. While I haven’t seen the reboot yet, I do know that it’s a loose reimagining that will change up the proceedings a bit. This time around, the actions are centered around a brother and sister (instead of a mother, father, and child). And the protagonists are facing off against an unhinged childhood friend (rather than a couple of strangers). I’m optimistic that the reimagining will tap into the terror inherent to the premise more successfully than its 1994 predecessor did. But you’ll be able to make up your own mind on how effective this reboot is starting August 1st.
Zombieverse
I’m not the biggest connoisseur of reality programming. But the idea of a horror-themed reality series certainly has my curiosity piqued. The program is slated to hit Netflix August 8th and will see contestants tasked with facing off against zombies, following an outbreak in Seoul, South Korea. I think there’s a lot that can be done with that basic setup. It will be interesting to see what kind of challenges the contestants face. There’s a lot of potential for creativity with the premise. I hope it’s put to good use here.
The Last Hours of Mario Biondo
Netflix has become something of a hub for true crime enthusiasts of late, and for good reason. The streamer has been behind some truly groundbreaking programming over the past several years. And I am quite intrigued by the upcoming docu-series, The Last Hours of Mario Biondo, which lands on the platform August 3rd. As the title implies, the program will look at the final hours of Biondo’s life. While his death initially appeared to be a suicide, authorities ultimately came to suspect foul play. Over the course of its four-episode run, the docu-series promises to uncover new details regarding Biondo’s untimely death.
Pending Train
I love films and series that play with the idea of time travel and time loops, especially when there is an element of mystery. So, I am especially excited about Pending Train. The Japanese series will follow the passengers of a train that leaves the present time and winds up in a dystopian future where things we take for granted, like food and water, are in short supply. You can check the show out on Netflix beginning August 11th.
Check out the full August lineup below.
August 1
Fatale
Terminator: Genisys
River Wild
August 2
Soulcatcher
August 3
The Last Hours of Mario Biondo
Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
August 8
The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh Part 2
Zombieverse
August 10
Marry My Dead Body
August 11
Pending Train
August 15
Eye of the Storm
August 23
Destined with You
August 25
Killer Book Club
Tags: Netflix
Categorized: Editorials News
:quality(85):upscale()/2023/05/11/976/n/1922564/782262e2645d6b967847b4.74342194_.png)
