The 5 new Netflix releases that’ll be on my watch list next week | TechVerse Hub

August is a little bit of a dry month so far as new Netflix releases go — however thankfully, the batch of recent movies and TV shows coming to the streaming giant subsequent week consists of a minimum of a handful of high-profile, worthwhile, and thrilling new titles to take a look at. New releases price including to your watch checklist embody every little thing from a drama concerning the opioid disaster from a producer of Netflix’s Narcos to a brand new spy drama starring Gal Gadot, new documentary releases, and far more — all of which we’ll take a better take a look at on this submit.

As all the time, our newest week-ahead Netflix snapshot is a part of a broader mixture of Netflix protection that’s supposed that can assist you determine what to watch subsequent, different examples of which embody:

Gal Gadot is a globe-trotting spy within the splashy Coronary heart of Stone

First up is the aforementioned Gal Gadot thriller Coronary heart of Stone, and I’ll be trustworthy — the one purpose I’m marginally optimistic about this star-studded Netflix launch is that Tom Harper is its director (he additionally directed the primary season of Peaky Blinders).

Gadot performs Rachel Stone, who’s purported to be some sort of superspy in addition to a member of a shadowy group of elite spies known as The Constitution (on second thought, perhaps they need to have simply let Jerry Bruckheimer direct this).

The brokers who belong to the constitution don’t have any political leanings or nationwide allegiance. They solely wish to keep peace on the planet. And … it will get sillier from there. To do their job, the brokers depend on a super-duper asset known as the Coronary heart. “When you personal the Coronary heart,” Rachel Stone’s MI6 colleague Parker (Jamie Dornan) explains, “you personal the world.”

I’m all the time a sucker for something spy-related, and since I additionally favor motion pictures to TV exhibits nowadays, on condition that movies require a lot much less of a time dedication, I’m going into Coronary heart of Stone hoping it finally ends up being a type of dumb-but-still-entertaining releases that comprise a lot of Netflix’s library. Right here’s hoping. Launch date: Aug. 11.

A Netflix launch dramatizing the story of the opioid epidemic

One other of subsequent week’s large new Netflix releases, in the meantime, is Painkiller, a 6-episode dramatization of the opioid epidemic from director Pete Berg and government producer Eric Newman.

Netflix first introduced this sequence again in early 2020, simply earlier than the beginning of the pandemic. Newman’s participation right here is particularly attention-grabbing to me, as a result of he’s beforehand labored because the showrunner behind Netflix’s Narcos and Narcos: Mexico franchises (in addition to being a producer for the upcoming sequence Griselda, a few cocaine trafficker starring Sofía Vergara) — which is to say, with Painkiller he’s now concerned in dramatizing the opposite facet of the drug commerce.

Whenever you add Berg (who developed and directed NBC’s Friday Night time Lights) to the combination, it says to me that this new sequence has all of the makings of a top-notch Netflix authentic.

Different contributors price noting embody Alex Gibney — one among my favourite documentary producers, who’s one other government producer behind Painkiller. Moreover, the supply materials that underpins the sequence comes from Patrick Radden Keefe’s New Yorker piece “The Household That Constructed an Empire of Ache,” in addition to Barry Meier’s book “Ache Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic” (each Patrick and Barry additionally consulted on the sequence).

The story right here focuses on the real-life Richard Sackler (Matthew Broderick), a scion of the billionaire Sackler household who’s additionally a senior government at Purdue Pharma. Uzo Aduba performs Edie Flowers — an investigator for the US Legal professional’s workplace who launches a probe of Purdue Pharma’s new drug, OxyContin. The opposite key figures embody Purdue gross sales reps Shannon Schaeffer and Britt Hufford (performed by West Duchovny and Dina Shihabi, respectively), and Glen Kryger (Taylor Kitsch), a household man who suffers a horrible damage and desires the reduction promised by OxyContin.

“The opioid epidemic for me was this horrible contradictory thought,” Newman stated in a promotional interview with Netflix.

“These items have been killing simply as many individuals and wrecking simply as many lives, and the gamers have been simply as nefarious. However as a result of it was authorized, it was only a healthcare disaster. In contrast to drug traffickers, who’re by no means dishonest about who they’re and what they do, this group pretends to care concerning the welfare of human beings. They’re docs. I feel it’s truly the best betrayal of public belief in historical past.” Launch date: Aug. 10.

Two new Netflix documentary releases

So far as what different Netflix releases will probably be obtainable and price your whereas to stream subsequent week, the streamer’s documentary slate retains including new titles on a regular basis — with two of the latest set to concentrate on music and soccer.

Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop: On this 4-episode Netflix docuseries, viewers will get a captivating take a look at the robust and iconic ladies who’ve develop into hip-hop stars over time — together with the likes of everybody from Queen Latifah to MC Lyte, Saweetie and lots of extra. This Netflix launch covers the style’s 50 years of historical past, contextualizing it towards the backdrop of social, racial, and political change that the style developed alongside. Launch date: Aug. 9.

Untold: Johnny Football: Netflix’s four-week-long summer season “Untold” docuseries can be again, this time with a brand new story a few soccer star.

“In 2012,” Netflix’s synopsis explains, “the brightest star in all of sports activities was an undersized freshman quarterback at unheralded Texas A&M, whose fervor on the sector was rivaled solely by his hard-partying methods off it. Dubbed ‘Johnny Soccer,’ the magnetic soccer participant captured the nation’s consideration and initially relished his alter ego … However as the cash rolled in, the scrutiny heightened, and (Johnny) Manziel rejected his newfound fame and instantly misplaced his approach.”

This Untold launch consists of interviews with Manziel in addition to relations, coaches, his former finest buddy, and his agent, all of whom speak about what occurred because the scandals piled up — earlier than Manizel finally discovered interior peace and happiness. Launch date: Aug. 8.

A Korean actuality present by which Seoul is overtaken by zombies? Sure, please!

Final however not least, Netflix’s new actuality sequence Zombieverse takes its unscripted Korean releases to a complete new degree.

A gaggle of 10 contestants signed up pondering they have been participating in a actuality courting present (presumably, they weren’t given the precise identify of the present, Zombieverse, from the outset). “Belief us — you’ve by no means seen a actuality present like this,” Netflix teases. “A gaggle of unwitting contestants collect to participate in a actuality courting present, however issues take a terrifying flip after they discover themselves in the midst of Seoul overrun by zombies. Collectively, they have to escape the town and outrun the strolling lifeless, or danger turning into zombies themselves.”

There’s a panel of judges who will little question present hilarious commentary because the motion unfolds. Group up, don’t get “bitten,” and have some enjoyable within the course of? Seems like a successful formulation to me. Launch date: Aug. 8.