Netflix's biggest new release this week is 'The Last House,' a sci-fi thriller starring Greta Lee and Wagner Moura as parents whose home becomes sealed off after a storm creates a watery barrier, trapping the family with dwindling supplies as an unknown presence lurks outside. The streamer also added 'Spoiler Alert,' a bittersweet romantic drama starring Jim Parsons based on TV journalist Michael Ausiello's memoir, following his relationship with photographer Kit (Ben Aldridge), who is diagnosed with a rare neuroendocrine cancer. Other new-to-Netflix picks include the coming-of-age comedy-drama 'Eighth Grade' (99% on Rotten Tomatoes), the video-game sequel 'Five Nights at Freddy's 2,' and thriller classics 'Nightcrawler,' 'Speed,' and 'Zero Dark Thirty,' plus season 3 of 'My Life With the Walter Boys.'
Prime Video added a large batch of titles, including 51 new movies on Aug. 1 alone. Highlights include Pharrell Williams' Lego-animated biopic 'Piece by Piece,' which traces his rise with the Neptunes and features five original songs written for the film; the raunchy comedy 'Joy Ride,' starring Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu; and Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Licorice Pizza,' starring Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim, which holds a 90% Rotten Tomatoes score. On the TV side, Prime Video's new original drama 'Sterling Point' debuted with a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score and follows a young woman (Ella Rubin) who inherits a mysterious island from an estranged grandfather. The platform also picked up 'Lioness' season 1 from Paramount+, and premiered the docuseries 'The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls' on Aug. 9.
Hulu saw Ti West's entire horror trilogy — 'X,' 'Pearl' and 'MaXXXine' — land this week, with 'Pearl,' starring Mia Goth and Tandi Wright, singled out as a standout psychological horror film. Hulu also added the true-crime docuseries 'Betrayal: Dirty Secrets' season 4, covering the story of Karoline Borega and a Colorado Springs police officer who abused his power; Ryan Murphy's teen thriller 'The Shards,' based on Bret Easton Ellis' fictionalized memoir and starring Igby Rigney; and the animated spinoff 'Star Wars: Visions Presents — The Ninth Jedi,' whose full eight-episode first season is now streaming. Season 14 of 'Futurama' also premiered on Hulu.
Paramount+ brought back Taylor Sheridan's spy thriller 'Lioness' for a third season, with Zoe Saldaña reprising her role as CIA operative Joe McNamara. The platform also added the 20-episode docuseries 'Special Ops: True,' examining secretive U.S. military missions from Somalia to Afghanistan, and premiered 'The Challenge: Cutthroat' season 42, which moved from MTV to Paramount+ and features 24 competitors vying for $500,000 in Thailand.
Elsewhere, horror fans could rent or buy 'Evil Dead Burn' on PVOD platforms like Apple and Amazon; the sixth installment in the franchise stars Souheila Yacoub as a widow whose family reunion turns deadly after the Necronomicon reappears. On the TV front, Apple TV premiered 'Ted Lasso' season 4, which follows Ted (Jason Sudeikis) coaching a women's soccer team, while HBO Max aired the season 3 finale of 'House of the Dragon' on Sunday, Aug. 9, promising a major confrontation between the show's warring royal factions.