It's the last full week of August, meaning the streamers are running out of time to add new movies to their respective services before the calendar turns to September. The highlight of this week is a crime thriller with a trio of terrific actors, including Robert De Niro. That movie, our top pick in this article, will be on Netflix by the end of the week.
As for more new releases, Prime Video releases a young adult adaptation of a beloved novel. Other movies to spotlight this week include a fascinating football documentary, a campy horror comedy, and an action epic. All five movies can be streamed in the United States.
I've missed plenty of movies on the release calendar. Sometimes, the studio buries it there so no one will see it. How many of you know the movie Desert Warrior? On paper, you would think an Anthony Mackie-led project directed by Rupert Wyatt, who helmed Rise of the Planet of the Apes, could appeal and secure a substantial audience. Yet this movie was released in April 2026 with little or no promotion.
The Saudi-backed project stars Mackie as Hanzala, a bandit who teams with Princess Hind (Aiysha Hart) after the latter refuses to be a concubine for Emperor Kisra (Ben Kingsley). The ensuing rebellion is the basis of this sword-and-sandal epic, which could find a new life on streaming after flopping at the box office.
Desert Warrior streams on Hulu on August 28.
Do not let the failure of M3GAN 2.0 cloud your judgment of M3GAN. The campy sci-fi horror is an absolute blast from start to finish, and it's a prime example of how marketing can propel a movie to nearly $200 million worldwide. Following the death of her parents, Cady (Violet McGraw) must move in with her aunt Gemma, who is probably ill-suited to take care of a child.
Thankfully, Gemma is a genius at robotics, so she designs a humanoid robot, M3GAN, to become Gemma's best friend. The initial results are positive, but M3GAN eventually targets those adversaries that she views as threats. Kudos to M3GAN for embracing its campy tone. However, doing the M3GAN dance is not required while watching the movie.
Former Texas quarterback Vince Young is one of those rare football players who left you speechless. With the combination of size, speed, and creativity, Young became one of the best quarterbacks in the country. If you were around to witness his play, you saw a gifted athlete doing things no one has ever done. In 2006, Young gave the greatest performance I've ever seen from a college quarterback as he carried the Texas Longhorns to a victory over USC at the Rose Bowl to secure the national championship.
The new documentary in Netflix's Untold series, The Testimony of Vince Young, is an important reminder of how great Young once was. That makes watching Young's fall in the NFL that much more painful.
Untold: The Testimony of Vince Young streams on Netflix on August 25.
I used to think Prime Video's most popular genre was action due to the success of Reacher and The Boys. Has Prime Video's young adult content now surpassed its action content? It’s certainly a closer argument than it used to be. The Summer I Turned Pretty, Off Campus, and Sterling Point have made a significant impact on pop culture, especially with Gen Z. The Last Sunrise is another YA adaptation looking to boost the streamer's strong young adult reputation.
Based on Anna Todd's novel of the same name, The Last Sunrise chronicles the adventures of Ry (Maia Reficco), who joins her mother (Eva Longoria) in Mallorca in the summer. Ry, who suffers from health challenges, falls for a boy, Julián (Fernando Lindez), whose family's fishing business clashes with the real estate plans for Ry's mother. It has all the young adult cheat codes—an attractive cast, a beautiful location, and a steamy romance—that fans will love and appreciate.
The Last Sunrise streams on Prime Video on August 26.
For me, it's still jarring to see Robert De Niro as a streaming star. However, he's clearly adapting to today's landscape by appearing in streaming projects like Zero Day and now The Whisper Man. Tom (Adam Scott) experiences one of the worst feelings a parent can experience: his young son Jake (Acston Luca Porto) has been abducted.
The Whisper Man streams on Netflix on August 28.
