How are you, fellow Netflix users, finding August so far? Although there haven’t been many new Netflix releases this month, there are at least a few standouts that are worth seeing in the batch of titles that will be available next week. The biggest new releases this year range from a limited series about the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial in 2022 to new K-dramas, a wonderful new family-friendly animated adventure, and much more. We’ll examine each of these titles in more detail below.
As always, our most recent week-ahead Netflix snapshot is a component of a larger collection of Netflix coverage meant to assist you in deciding what to watch next.
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Heart of Stone: I have a feeling that this Netflix film will falter like…….
First things first: Let’s finish Heart of Stone.
Heart of Stone unfortunately fits into the first category; this space is all about the biggest and best Netflix releases each week. It is without a doubt the largest Netflix movie release this week (as of Friday), and it will undoubtedly rank among the most streamed movies over the next few days.
But no, my friends; this week’s “largest” Netflix movie release is by no means the “greatest.”
Of course, different people respond to various things. It doesn’t have to be The Godfather, and I’ve voluntarily given two hours or so of my life to stupid movies because I needed anything to pass the time. Heart of Stone, though, is… quite stupid. It’s listed here once more because Netflix is making a huge release with it. Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan are at the top of the impressive cast, but wow, is the story ridiculous in this movie.
Gadot plays secret agent Rachel Stone, and according to Netflix, “she’s not your typical operator—Stone is a member of an enigmatic and elusive squad of elite spies known as the Charter.” In the trailer, they are described as “the most highly trained agents” who “operate together to maintain peace in a volatile world.” They have no political affiliations or country allegiances. Such agents depend on a special resource called the Heart to accomplish their ambitious goals. The MI6 counterpart to Rachel Stone, Parker (Jamie Dornan), says in the teaser, “If you own the Heart, you own the world.”
Forewarned is forearmed because the film had a dismal 28% critics’ approval rating at its release on Rotten Tomatoes. Again, this is a high-profile Netflix release; yet, I wish the company always prioritized film quality (which I actually prefer to Netflix shows, given the vastly different time commitments required).
Releases of two new documentaries, including Depp v. Heard
The next week will also see the release of two new Netflix documentaries, one of which is linked to a particularly gruesome celebrity trial in 2022 and the other of which is a new episode of Netflix’s continuing Untold docuseries.
Depp v. Heard: I probably don’t need to recap the events that led to Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s defamation trial and countersuit last year. The two celebrities’ six-week trial created a revolting media frenzy, and now it has led to the inevitable conclusion of practically any significant event or important figure in the modern era: a Netflix documentary.
The goal of this limited series from director Emma Cooper appears to me to be about as doable as trying to explain the notion of infinity to a giraffe: providing a balanced perspective of the Depp v. Heard case from both inside and outside the courtroom. According to Netflix, Cooper in particular is eager to demonstrate what occurs when “the court of public opinion” “starts to dominate reality.”
Depp and Heard’s testimonies will be compared using 200 hours of live-streamed trial material from the press media and social media. I’m sure that some of you will be eager to revisit this experience. Release: August 16.
Untold: Hall of Shame: Volume 3 of Netflix’s popular Untold docuseries, which takes a closer look at the biggest doping scandal to ever shock the world of sports, is also returning this week.
BALCO Labs, (Victor) Conte’s supplement and nutrition business with headquarters in the Bay Area, has sworn for 16 years that it has never experimented with illicit, performance-enhancing chemicals. But by the year 2000, he had crossed over and was the go-to man for sportsmen looking for steroids, fame, and world records. As the narrative of one of sports’ most infamous figures continues to emerge, the movie includes interviews with a number of Conte’s renowned former collaborators, including (Tim) Montgomery and the anti-doping and IRS authorities who helped put him to prison after a 42-count indictment. Released on August 15.
more Netflix K-drama releases
The next Netflix original series, King the Land, a K-drama, is currently the most-watched Netflix program in the entire world. For more information, see this article. Korean programming is also among the most popular across the board on the streaming service. As a result, the company’s collection of Korean media is likely to grow a little this coming week with the addition of two additional titles to view:
Mask Girl is a seven-episode drama about Kim Mo-mi, a regular office worker who is self-conscious of her appearance. But at night, it’s a very different scenario.
She is a live-streamer who wears a mask and who “becomes engaged in an unforeseeable incident and suffers a dramatic turn of events,” according to the official Netflix synopsis.
Many viewers adored the original webtoon of the same name, on which the series is based, for its unexpected turns, scathing messages against lookism, and seamless fusion of suspense and black humor. Release: August 18.
Behind Your Touch: This upcoming Korean Netflix film tinkers around a little with how a romantic comedy is typically put together.
Han Ji Min plays Bong Ye Bun, a small-town veterinarian with the power to see the past of both animals and people by touching them, in the 16-episode series Behind Your Touch. A hot-tempered investigator who was exiled to the little town is with the eccentric vet. He teams up with the vet, believing that their involvement in solving crimes will enable him to return to Seoul.
A twist is introduced to the story in the form of Seon Woo, a convenience store employee who is the object of Ye Bun’s affections (played by K-pop singer Suho from the group EXO). The odd couple naturally starts to experience the spark of passion. Release: August 12.
The Monkey King is a family-friendly animated film available on Netflix.
Last but not least, this subsequent class of releases doesn’t necessarily garner the same interest as large-scale, high-profile Netflix productions like The Witcher or films like Heart of Stone. Yet, given that Netflix’s goal is to essentially replace television, a sizable chunk of its originals collection is made up of programming targeted at very specific demographics, such as families with young children who want to watch The Monkey King together.
The Monkey King, directed by Anthony Stacchi and based on “an epic Chinese tale,” is a visually spectacular, humorous, family-friendly frolic with animation that is reminiscent of Chinese brush painting (and draws on influences from the Qin and Tang dynasties). The plot centers on the adventures of a charismatic monkey equipped with a magical fighting stick as he battles demons, an odd Dragon King, and his most formidable foe of all—his own ego.
The mythical Monkey King, the first superhero, is about to appear. Prepare yourselves. Netflix gives hints. He is more powerful and audacious than any of the gods, demons, or dragons of prehistoric China. Because of his enormous ego, feel free to ask him; he’d be the first to inform you.