With the arrival of August comes the return of some of our favourite shows, as well as several exciting new titles poised to no doubt become on-screen classics. First up: Season 2 of Heartstopper. Taking the Truman Grammar School students into new stages of life, love and friendship, the beloved series’ next chapter sees Nick and Charlie navigating their new relationship, as Tara and Darcy face unforeseen challenges and Tao and Elle figure out if they can ever be more than friends. It’s worth paying special attention to the season’s stellar soundtrack, filled with bedroom pop tracks from artists like mxmtoon and beabadoobee—and even a special appearance from Taylor Swift.
August is also shaping up to be an exciting month for fans of Korean titles, as new releases range from gripping thrillers to K-pop documentaries. K-drama legend Jo In-sung returns to the small screen for the first time since 2016 in Moving, a sci-fi drama set decades after South Korea’s National Security Planning Agency established a super-powered black ops team. The extraordinary individuals now live in hiding in order to protect their families—but their safety is threatened when a mysterious delivery driver begins murdering people with powers across the country.
Also on our watchlist is NCT 127: The Lost Boys, a four-part documentary that promises an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the K-pop boy group as they reach a point in their careers at which they can take a pause to look back on their growth. Full of never-seen-before footage taken across the years, the series allows each of the group’s nine members their own time in the spotlight to shine.
Below, find our full curation of shows to watch this August—all available on popular streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video.
1 / 7
Heartstopper Season 2
Following the immense success of its first season, the next chapter of Heartstopper brings our characters into new stages of life, love and friendship. As Nick and Charlie navigate their new relationship, Tara and Darcy must overcome unforeseen obstacles and Tao and Elle work to figure out if they can ever be more than friends. All this, with exams around the corner, a school trip to Paris and a prom to plan. The Truman Grammar School students certainly have their work cut out for them.
Watch Heartstopper Season 2 on Netflix now.
2 / 7
Only Murders in the Building Season 3
The last season of Only Murders in the Building closed on a show-stopping finish, as Paul Rudd’s brief cameo as the star of Oliver’s (Martin Short) new Broadway play came crashing to an abrupt halt with his character suffering a terrible death on-stage by poison. As the strange new murder case takes centre stage in Season 3, all clues seem to point toward someone in the ensemble cast. Beloved characters such as Selena Gomez’s sharp-witted Mabel Mora and Steve Martin’s eccentric Charles Haden-Savage return, as names like Meryl Streep and Ashley Park get added to the star-studded roster.
Watch Only Murders in the Building Season 3 on Hulu from from 8 August 2023.
3 / 7
NCT 127: The Lost Boys
Full of never-seen-before interviews and exclusive footage, NCT 127: The Lost Boys offers an intimate look behind the scenes as the group pauses to reflect on their career thus far. Over the span of four episodes, each of the group’s nine members get their own time in the spotlight—opening up about their childhoods across various parts of the world, years growing up in the industry and honest feelings about international success.
Watch NCT 127: The Lost Boys on Disney+ from 30 August 2023.
4 / 7
Moving
Decades after South Korea’s National Security Planning Agency created a super-powered black ops team, the extraordinary individuals live in hiding in order to protect their families from harm and exploitation. All seems well, as a trio of teenagers who have inherited their parents’ abilities find solidarity and friendship in each other at school. But when a mysterious delivery driver begins murdering people with powers across the country, they must find a way to stop him before he uncovers their secret.
Watch Moving on Disney+ from 9 August 2023.
5 / 7
Red, White & Royal Blue
Popular queer romance novel Red, White & Royal Blue’s highly-anticipated screen adaptation is finally arriving. Alex Claremont-Diaz, son of the first female President of the United States, and Prince Henry of Britain’s utter disdain for each other has never been a problem—until their long-running feud leads to a disastrous altercation that drives a potential wedge between the two countries. When their families stage a forced truce between them, a surprising friendship grows into something deeper.
Watch Red, White & Royal Blue on Prime Video from 11 August 2023.
6 / 7
Mask Girl
In Mask Girl, Ko Hyun-jung is Kim Mo-mi, an ordinary office worker whose insecurity regarding her looks leads her to become a masked personality online. When colleague and fan Joo Oh-nam (Ahn Jae-hong) discovers her identity, the duo become embroiled in an unexpected turn of events. Then Oh-nam disappears, and his mother, too, gets pulled into the case. Based on the webtoon of the same name, Mask Girl is a web of ill-fated mystery, with three lives and three murders at the centre of it all.
Watch Mask Girl on Netflix from 18 August 2023.
7 / 7
The Killing Vote
Dog Mask’s identity is unknown. When vicious criminals escape punishment from the law, he surveys the population via text message, and allows them to decide the criminal’s fate. If more than half respond in favour, Dog Mask takes things into his own hands to execute the criminal. As the stakes rise with each case and public opinion grows more and more decisive, the series invites the audience to question the true meaning of justice.
Watch The Killing Vote on Prime Video from 10 August 2023.
