August might not be a traditionally scary month. It may be the middle of summer for those in the Northern Hemisphere, but if you’re after some macabre offerings, there’s some great titles hitting the best streaming services.
Look, you can admit it, sometimes you just want to block out all the sunlight, cosy up, and watch one of the best horror movies that gets under your skin. If an evening of horror goodness is on the cards, look no further, because we’ve got a line-up of seven great movies that are arriving throughout August.
Whether you want creepy dolls, even creepier smiles or Mia Goth’s delightfully unhinged acting, it’s all here. Read on to see which new movies in the horror genre are hitting the small screen this month.
Child’s Play 2 (1990)
When: August 1
Where to stream it: Netflix (US), Tubi (UK)
Set two-years after Chucky’s death, the filmmakers of this classic horror found a clever way to resurrect him for a sequel. Obviously, his manufacturers weren’t too thrilled by the fact their doll turned out to be a psychopath, and they attempt to repair their reputation by reassembling the doll to prove to investors that he’s harmless. Come to think of it, maybe that was a stupid idea.
It’s a worthy sequel and those hungry for more Chucky-flavored chaos are in for a real treat. The fun doesn’t stop here, of course, as there’s six more movies in the Child’s Play franchise. Not sure where to start? Here’s our ranking of every Chucky movie rated from best to worst.
Suitable Flesh (2023)
When: August 3
Where to stream it: Shudder (US, UK, AU)
Anything based around H. P. Lovecraft immediately gets my attention, and Suitable Flesh seems like one to watch. It’s also got horror icon Barbara Crampton in it, so that already ticks two boxes when it comes to choosing a movie to watch.
In Suitable Flesh, a psychiatrist becomes obsessed with one of her young patients, who she later discovers is linked to an ancient curse. It takes its inspiration from Lovecraft’s The Thing on the Doorstep, and it looks like a bloody good time. Pun absolutely intended.
Pearl (2022)
When: August 1
Where to stream it: Netflix (US, AU), NOW TV (UK)
Please, she’s a star! That statement is certainly true for lead actress Mia Goth, who shines in the leading role. She’s concluding Ty West’s X trilogy too with her appearance in MaXXXine, which was one of our highly anticipated A24 movies for 2024.
Pearl’s arrival on Netflix has come at a great time if you want to refresh yourself on this iconic movie trilogy. The second movie follows Pearl, who is trapped on a rural farm where she longs for stardom. Her dreams of escaping farm life soon turns into a dangerous and deadly obsession.
Hell Hole (2024)
When: August 23
Where to stream it: Shudder (US, AUS, UK)
In this new movie, an American-led fracking crew uncovers a dormant parasitic monster entombed deep in the frozen rock. Now awakened, it tears through the mining facility in search of the perfect host. This is bad news considering they’re all very worthy candidates. Well, rather them than me.
This is a Shudder Original and is making its debut on the streamer across multiple territories, so if you’ve got a subscription to the horror service definitely get this one added to your watchlist as it has the potential to be one of the best Shudder movies yet.
Immaculate (2024)
When: August 16
Where to stream it: Hulu (US)
Immaculate sees Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney, who leads the cast as a devout nun who comes to an illustrious convent after surviving a near-death experience. She believes God saved her for a purpose, and chooses a life of celibacy and devotion to her faith.
It’s curious, then, when she learns she’s pregnant despite not having a sexual partner, and this is where things get really weird. She is given special privileges and is hailed as a miracle, but there’s a real creeping sense of dread throughout as the truth is slowly revealed. This is one of my favourite horrors of 2024, so don’t miss it!
Smile (2022)
When: August 15
Where to stream it: Paramount Plus (US, UK, AUS), Prime Video (US), Netflix (UK, AU)
Oh great, now smiling is terrifying. Of all things! Based on the short film Laura Hasn’t Slept, the feature-length adaptation by director Parker Finn follows a therapist called Rose whose patient tells her she’s being terrorized by an invisible entity that appears as various smiling people and has foretold her death.
This sets off a terrifying chain of events as Rose sets out to find out what’s going on here. It’s a pretty wild film which is no bad thing in my opinion. If you’re after dread, jump scares, and horrible visuals, it’s all here. There’s also a sequel, Smile 2, coming out later this year.
In The Mouth of Madness (1994)
When: August 1
Where to stream it: Shudder (US)
We’re ending this month’s round-up with a John Carpenter movie. Much like Suitable Flesh, this one also pays tribute to H. P. Lovecraft so it seems August is full of Lovecraftian goodness, which is certainly not something to complain about.
In this movie, a horror novelist goes missing, so insurance investigator John Trent (Sam Neill) scrutinizes the claim made by his publisher, Jackson Harglow (Charlton Heston), and endeavors to retrieve a yet-to-be-released manuscript and find out where the writer has gone. Which proves to be a mistake, surprise surprise.