What's coming to Netflix this August - the highlights

Another month, another mix up to your favourite shows and titles. Clear your calendars, because August is shaping up to be a good month to pop up your screens.

The Defenders

Okay, this one goes without saying. Ever since we've binge watched Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Dare Devil and Luke Cage over and over, we've been dying to see what's going to happen when the gang team up. Thankfully, the wait is almost over, and they'll be back on our screens on August 18th, ready and waiting to save New York City (why is it always New York?!) Star Sigourney Weaver has signed up to play the season's big bad, and we can hardly wait to binge all eight episodes - probably in one night - no judgement... - as Netflix are dropping the whole season in one go, bless them.

The Mist

With The Dark Tower getting a cinematic release on the 18th, Stephen King's novella The Mist is coming to the small screen just a few days earlier, on August 15th. It's already been airing in the US, so it's about time for us Brits to get on that hype!

It's already gone down well in America, where they've watched as the residents of a small town battle against a mysterious mist, hoping to keep their sanity in the process. (We don't know if we can handle so much horror in one month... we might be watching it from behind the sofa...)

Blackadder (Season 3 + 4)

Thankfully, ready and lined up after our horror trip, Blackadder will be added to our list, ready to laugh away the horror blues. It's added on the same day as The Mist, but only season 3 and four (boo!) will be available. Season 3, otherwise known as Blackadder The Third, is set in the Regency Era, where Rowan Atkinson serves as a Butlet to the Prince. What's not to love about that?!
Season 4, stylised as Blackadder Goes Fouth (they're seriously inventive with these names), is set slap bang in the middle of World War One, where hilarity ensues.  If you've never seen this gem before, you're in for a treat. 

Fantastic Four

No, not the old one (you know, the one where Jessica Alba lost all of her clothes and Chris Evans played a superhero other than Captain America), but the new(ish) 2015 version of the superrhero clan. While it got a dismal 9% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it'll still be perfect for getting your superhero fix after you've binged The Defenders, as it comes a week and a half later on August 29th. It's a complete reboot of the franchise, so don't worry about dusting up on your Mr. Fantastic knowledge; this one eases you in gently. Perfect for sticking on in the background on a rainy Saturday night.

Dallas Buyers Club

Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto - winning Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor respectively - will kick off your month with an uplifting picture that critics raved about. When Ron Woodruff (McConaughey) is told he has AIDs and only 30 days to live, he seeks out alternative forms of treatment - even if that means smuggling in unapproved drugs into the United States. In the process he distributes them to fellow AIDs sufferers, thus creating the 'Dallas Buyers Club'. The biographical film, based on Woodroof's true story, is sure to tug on the heart strings, as it shows the plights of those affected by the disease in a time where sufferers were shunned and misunderstood. 

Death Note

This one is a bit... controversial. The hit anime Death Note is getting a live-action remake! Yay? It follows a high school student who discovers a deathly notebook that allows him to kill anybody he knows. Creepy.
Anime to live-action transitions usually don't go down too well - let's not even mention The Last Airbender, we'll pretend that never happened - but we shall see if Death Note hits the right spot. After all, it is a Netflix Original, so our hopes are slightly higher than they would be otherwise. We'll cast our judgement on it on August 25th. 

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

Idris Elba plays Nelson Mandela, the first president of South Africa. Based on the 1995 autobiographical book of the same name, this biopic follows the icon from his humble beginnings. It outlines Mandela's imprisonment, showing how he rose from the ashes to become the face of a democracy - the first of its kind in South Africa.  The struggle of Mandela facing against tyranny are sure to stay with you days after your watch, so be sure to check out the tale of this remarkable revolutionary. You can follow Mandela's journey on how he became a global world icon despite all the odds on August 28th. 

 So much to watch, such little time! Those are just seven highlights out of a huge number of titles being added to Netflix this month, with many, many more TV shows and films coming to grace your screens over the next 31 days. Our 'Watch Again' section isn't gonna know what hit it.

What do you think? Are you excited for the new additions? Did we miss anything you think will be a highight this month? Let us know in the comments below!