4 best new Netflix movies to watch (and 2 to skip) in August 2024

The last full and official month of summer has arrived, and that means there are only so many more movie nights left until school is back in session and the days get shorter. To make sure we see summer off with bang, Netflix has August stocked with plenty of new movies. There's something of every genre and something for every taste.

Action and adventure meet in Zack Snyder's larger than life world in the double feature of Rebel Moon director's cuts, while Bikini Bottom needs a new hero in the brand new spinoff movie Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie. Beyond those adventurous titles, there's also a movie star team-up, a dog documentary, a teen party comedy, and a supernatural horror film.

Wondering which of the new Netflix movies coming in August 2024 are worth watching and which might be best skipped? Here are six of the month's best new movies and our recommendation!

The Union

Watch! How can you pass up two major movie stars in an action comedy?! Mark Wahlberg and Academy Award winner Halle Berry co-headline The Union, which finds them starring as high school sweethearts reunited for a mission with US intelligence. Berry's the spy and Wahlberg's the average guy from Jersey receiving a culture shock. There's so much star power in this movie, it's almost unbelievable. Look for it to shoot straight to the peak of the top 10 when it's released on Aug. 16 and make sure to give it a watch for movie night!

Rebel Moon (Director's Cuts)

Skip! On Aug. 2, Netflix will release Rebel Moon — Chapter One: Chalice of Blood and Rebel Moon – Chapter Two: Curse of Forgiveness, Zack Snyder's R-rated director's cuts of his two Rebel Moon movies released last December and earlier this spring. If you have been jonesing for a rewatch or missed the movies the first time around, give them a watch. However, you have to be a pretty huge Snyder and/or Rebel Moon fan to watch the nearly six-and-a-half-hour spectacle. In that case, skip these and check something else out instead.

Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie

Watch! We're headed back to Bikini Bottom, and it's the perfect time considering the big anniversaries SpongeBob SquarePants is celebrating in 2024. Not only has it been 25 years since the series' premiere on Nickelodeon in 1999, but it's also been 20 years since the first movie hit theaters in 2004. Now it's time for Sandy Cheeks to have her moment in Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, which finds SpongeBob's squirrel bestie helping saving their underwater home when its residents are transported to Texas. Don't miss the new movie on Aug. 2!

Inside the Mind of a Dog

Watch! Unstable star Rob Lowe releases his second title on Netflix in August with the new documentary Inside the Mind of a Dog, which the actor narrates. The documentary premieres on Aug. 8 and takes a deep dive, well, inside the mind of a dog. Owners are frequently wondering what's going on inside the head of their beloved pet, and the doc seeks to unearth some of the answers about what our pups are thinking, what's behind their behaviors, and even their levels of love. If you're a dog lover and a dog owner, this documentary is a definite must-watch.

Incoming

Skip! It's a coming-of-age comedy for the new generation! And... that's why some of us will probably be better off skipping Incoming on Aug. 16. The teen comedy finds four high school freshman looking to embark on a new adventure at their first party. From the description, it sounds a lot like teen party movies from the past, like Superbad, Can't Hardly Wait, Project X, and Booksmart. The new entry in the teen party movie canon is rated R and likely not for those of us who were teens when Superbad came out. Watch if you're a fan of the genre, but just know it might make you feel ancient.

The Deliverance

Watch! The month isn't over for Netflix new releases until the chilling new original horror movie The Deliverance drops on Aug. 30. Between the true story, the excellent cast, and the Oscar nominated director, this is one movie that's not to be skipped. Andra Day, Glenn Close, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Mo’Nique, and Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin star in the new movie from director Lee Daniels about strange happenings in a single mother's new home that threaten her family's future. You might want to watch this one with the lights on!