September is creeping up on us in the northern hemisphere, and while I'm looking forward to seasonal viewing, I'm going to miss the summer months a lot. So, before we venture into a new month and season, allow me to share my August 2025 streaming favorites.
Over the past few weeks, I've done quite a good job at getting through new movies that have been on my radar, starting strong with the cult classic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) on Prime Video. Additionally, action blockbuster John Wick (2014) and the crime biopic Bronson (2008) all made it into my monthly favorites.
It's safe to say that I made the most of all the best streaming services this month, scouring multiple platforms including Netflix, HBO Max, and more. Though I'm not quite ready to put the summer behind me, I'm excited to see what movies September will bring me.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
Director: Stephan Elliott
Age rating: R
Runtime: 103 minutes
Where to stream: Prime Video (US); Prime Video, BBC iPlayer (UK); Prime Video, Stan (AU)
This infamous Australian comedy isn't just a cult classic; It did wonders for bringing LGBTQ+ themes to mainstream movie audiences when it was released. Despite the main cast not being queer themselves, that doesn't take away from what the movie does successfully, which is portray queer and trans people in a respectful light.
In Sydney, Australia, drag queen Anthony (Hugo Weaving) know as Mitzi is asked to perform at the Alice Springs resort. When he decides to take his show on the road, he invites fellow drag artist Adam (Guy Pearce) and his transgender friend Bernadette (Terence Stamp) to travel with him across the Australian outback in a bus they coin 'Priscilla'.
On their journey they're met with culture clashes while performing in local, narrow-minded areas, but when they arrive at their final stop, Anthony's reason for accepting the gig comes to light, shocking his travel companions.
Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Age rating: R
Runtime: 112 minutes
Where to stream: Disney+ (US); Netflix, Disney+ (UK); Foxtel Now, Stan (AU)
When I told my close friends that I'd never watched Bend It Like Beckham before, I was judged so hard to the point where I set a Netflix reminder when I saw it was coming to the platform – it's now the reason I feel like I could actually enjoy football.
In this British sports-comedy, teenager Jess (Parminder Nagra) is obsessed with football and dreams of playing professionally, but her strict and traditional family is what's holding her back - who are determined to find her a husband just like her older sister.
When she meets Jules (Kiera Knightley) she joins an all-girls football team, sneaking out to practice despite her parents' explicit disapproval. But everything takes a left-turn when her sister's wedding falls on a match day that could change her future, and Jess is forced to make a very important decision.
John Wick (2014)
Director: Chad Stahelski
Age rating: R
Runtime: 101 minutes
Where to stream: Hulu (US); Netflix, Prime Video, Stan (AU)
Despite my ill knowledge and interest in action movies, for some reason John Wick really stood out to me when I was scrolling through different services. An easy 100 minute watch, John Wick immediately become one of my favorite titles this month – I do enjoy a gripping revenge story.
Former hitman John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is grieving the sudden loss of his wife, but receives one final gift from her in the form of a small pup. However, things take a turn for the worse when his former boss' son Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) and his gang break into his house, leaving him beaten and his new pup dead.
A wrath of revenge takes over Wick, and he sets out on a revenge rampage to hunt down the men, returning to his violent way of life that helped him gain his status as one of the best assassins.
Talk to Me (2022)
Director: Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou
Age rating: R
Runtime: 95 minutes
Where to stream: Netflix, Paramount+ (US); Netflix (UK); Netflix, Stan (AU)
The way I see it, Talk to Me is up there with Barbarian (2022) and Longlegs (2024) as some of the best modern horror movies. Now that it's nearly time to welcome a new season, I couldn't resist getting a head-start on this year's spooky season viewing.
A new party craze sweeps a group of teenagers, allowing them to communicate with the dead and open the doors to a supernatural realm – all by using a mysterious embalmed hand. When best friends Mia (Sophie Wilde) and Jade (Alexandra Jensen) attend a party to witness it for themselves, Mia is left wanting more when her late mother makes an appearance, taking the game too far.
Bronson (2008)
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Age rating: R
Runtime: 92 minutes
Where to stream: Prime Video (US); Disney+, Prime Video, ITVX (UK)
In my Letterboxd review of Bronson, I described it as "if Wes Anderson did a crime biopic", and I stand by that. With elements of dead-pan comedy and symmetrical shots, Bronson is definitely one of the more interesting biopics I've watched, and Tom Hardy is just a gem.
Refn's crime movie gives an insight to one of Britain's most notorious and violent criminals, Michael Peterson (Hardy), but more famously known as Charles Bronson. In 1974 at age 19, Bronson goes down for seven years after a botched post office robbery, but his behavior in prison results in the continuous extension of his sentence – and he ends up spending three decades in solitary confinement at some of Britain's highest security psychiatrist institutions.
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Director: Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris
Age rating: R
Runtime: 102 minutes
Where to stream: Hulu (US); Disney+ (UK & AU)
I went into watching Little Miss Sunshine expecting a wholesome, friendly experience. While some of my expectations were met, I was not anticipating it to touch on dark themes, which only helps to add substance to its commentary on beauty standards and winning versus losing.
Aspiring beauty queen Olive (Abigail Breslin) qualifies for the the Little Miss Sunshine pageant, which takes her on a family road trip from Albuquerque to California. This includes her frazzled mother (Toni Collette), failing motivational speaker father (Greg Kinnear), drug addict grandfather (Alan Arkin), depressed uncle (Steve Carrell), and silent brother (Paul Dano).
But, of course, their road trip doesn't turn out to be the journey they'd all hoped for. From car break downs to suffering sudden grief, the family are forced to navigate unexpected obstacles to get Olive one step closer to achieving her dream.
The Parent Trap (1998)
Director: Nancy Meyers
Age rating: PG
Runtime: 128 minutes
Where to stream: Disney+ (US, UK & AU)
While I was waiting for the anticipated release of Freakier Friday – a sequel I've been longing for – I naturally revisited some of Lindsey Lohan's best work, and that of course included The Parent Trap. My rewatch ignited the exact sense of comfort and nostalgia I was after, which made my Freakier Friday cinema trip even better.
Two young girls Hallie and Annie (Lohan) are from opposite sides of the world, but when they meet at a summer camp they realize that they're identical twins, who were separated at a young age due to their parents' divorce. Before they leave camp, they come up with a plan to swap identities.
When Hallie travels to England to meet her estranged mother Elizabeth (Natasha Richardson), and Annie goes to California to meet her father Nick (Dennis Quaid), they hatch another plan to reunite their parents in hopes that they will remarry.
Finding Nemo (2003)
Director: Andrew Stanton
Age rating: PG-13
Runtime: 100 minutes
Where to stream: Disney+ (US, UK & AU)
The need to rewatch Finding Nemo came to me one Sunday afternoon and seeing it for the umpteenth time, it reminded me of why it's one of many people's favorite childhood movies – and one of the best Pixar movies.
In the Great Barrier Reef, clownfish Marlin (Albert Brooks) is over-protective of his son Nemo (Alexander Gould), constantly warning him about the dangers of the ocean. When Nemo is captured by divers and winds up in the fish tank of a dentist's office in Sydney, Marlin embarks on a journey to rescue his son, meeting blue reef fish Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) on the way.
Together, they encounter a series of different sea creatures from sharks, jellyfish, and turtles, but while they make their way to Sydney Harbour, Nemo devises his own plan to escape the tank.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Director: Johnathan Demme
Age rating: R
Runtime: 118 minutes
Where to stream: HBO Max (US); BBC iPlayer (UK); Stan(AU)
After streaming Talk to Me (2022), I was hungry for another movie that would continue my smooth transition into autumnal viewing, so you can imagine how excited I was when I found of The Silence of the Lambs was available to stream again.
FBI student and aspiring agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is brought in to assist with the case of serial killer Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), who kidnaps young women and skins them. She's approached by Special Agent Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn), who sends her to interview serial killer and former psychiatrist Dr Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), in hope that he can give an insight to Buffalo Bill's motives and help the authorities locate him.
Clarice races to track down Buffalo Bill before he murders his next victim, but Lecter won't give information for nothing, meaning she will really have to earn his trust if she wants answers.
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