Every week, Netflix drops a bunch of new content for viewers to stream from TV and movie studios all over the world. Watching all of it would take you a ton of time, so I decided to start my Friday by recommending three top picks for the weekend and week to come. Schedule your viewing around these shows and movies, and I’ll be watching along with you. A new month begins, and one of the streamer’s most popular shows in Wednesday returns, along with a pile of new movies on the first of the month and more.
This Week on Netflix: PCMag’s Picks
Jurassic Park Trilogy (Aug. 1)
The first three Jurassic Park movies all hit Netflix in August, so you can see why this franchise was such a big deal before the interminable sequels. The first flick holds up incredibly well, with cutting-edge 90s CGI used sparingly and effectively and some great performances. The second one, The Lost World, looks better but doesn’t have the same sizzle, and 2001 sees Joe Johnston take over for Jurassic Park III, which is darker and dumber but still pretty fun.
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Directors: Steven Spielberg, Joe Johnston
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Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum
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Genre: Action
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Rating: PG-13
Freelance (July 25)
There’s nothing ground-breaking about Freelance, but summer movie season is the perfect time to turn your brain off and watch some John Cena jungle shenanigans. The retiring wrestler plays an ex-Special Forces operative who takes a gig escorting a journalist into the jungles of South America to interview a dictator. Needless to say, things quickly go south in more ways than one.
Wednesday: Season 2 Part 1 (Aug. 6)
Jenna Ortega’s profile has skyrocketed since the first season of Wednesday, and we’re expecting her return to be a blast. After exposing the wicked Ms. Thornhill as the murderous Laurel Gates, the school closed down for the rest of the semester. Season two starts a new term at Nevermore Academy, with new tormentors and mysteries to solve, along with Wednesday’s werewolf friend Enid taking a bigger role.
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Director: Tim Burton, others
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Cast: Jenna Ortega, Hunter Doohan, Emma Myers
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Genre: Fantasy
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Rating: TV-14
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IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
Netflix New TV Series and Show Releases This Week
August 1
Fire Country – Season 2
Pawn Stars – Season 16
Perfect Match – Season 3
August 2
Beyond the Bar
August 4
Closet Battle – Season 1
August 5
Love Life – Seasons 1-2
SEC Football: Any Given Saturday
Titans: The Rise of Hollywood – Season 1
August 6
Wednesday – Season 2 Part 1
Recommended by Our Editors
Netflix New Movie Releases This Week
August 1
American Pie
American Pie 2
Anaconda
Clueless
Dazed and Confused
The Departed
Despicable Me
Despicable Me 2
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Groundhog Day
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Jurassic Park
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park III
Megamind
Minions
My Oxford Year
Rush Hour
Rush Hour 2
Rush Hour 3
Thirteen
Weird Science
Wet Hot American Summer
Wyatt Earp
August 2
Freelance
Netflix: What’s Leaving Soon
August 1
Conan the Destroyer
The Birds
The Breakfast Club
Dawn of the Dead
Dunkirk
Everest
Field of Dreams
For Love of the Game
Hitchcock
Holey Moley: Seasons 1-4
The Lego Movie
Lucy
Matilda
Mid90s
Psycho
Smokey and the Bandit
Smokey and the Bandit II
Sniper
Sniper: Ghost Shooter
Spanglish
The Town
The Wedding Planner
Ugly Betty: Seasons 1-4
Uncle Buck
August 5
My Wife and Kids: Seasons 1-5
Watch: ‘Until Dawn’ movie’s first look has landed
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About K. Thor Jensen
Contributing Writer
