If you happen to really feel such as you’ve seen all the pieces the finest streaming companies have to supply, buckle up, as a result of you have not. August is kicking off with a wide range of new streaming releases on the 2025 TV schedule, which suggests you’ll be able to spend the weekend exploring new worlds like 18th-century Hawaii, a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and even Oxford. In different phrases, you’ll be able to watch the premieres of Anthony Mackie’s Twisted Metallic Season 2, Jason Momoa’s Chief of Battle, and the brand new Netflix romance My Oxford 12 months.
So, as we strive to determine what to look at first, here is what the critics are saying about these new initiatives.
I can not lie, 2023 was significantly the most effective 12 months for online game diversifications with hits like The Tremendous Mario Bros. Film and The Final of Us. However, we are able to’t miss Peacock’s adaptation of Twisted Metallic, which is about an amnesic milkman who’s despatched to ship a mysterious package deal throughout the post-apocalyptic Wasteland. It rocked again then, and now it is again to rock tougher with Season 2.
Whereas its first season had a fantastic opening of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, Season 2 has confirmed to be a significant success with a 92% Critics and Viewers rating. Brian Tallerico’s evaluation for Roger Ebert famous that it felt like all the pieces went up a notch, positive to offer larger satisfaction for longtime followers and new ones:
Whereas the primary season typically appeared afraid to get bizarre, the writers embrace their madness this time round, mixing playful humor into the carnage. Fascinated with it after a dozen episodes, there’s not precisely a wealth of character particulars or narrative twists, however everybody merely appears to be having extra enjoyable this 12 months, and that may be infectious. If the primary season felt like an obligation to experience a wave of online game diversifications, the second appears like an trustworthy effort to fulfill each followers of the video games and those that by no means performed them. The result’s a season that finds its tone in ways in which the primary by no means did.
Based mostly on Brian Tallerico’s claims of Season 2 having “extra motion, character, character growth, and efficient humor,” these are the elements that make an ideal sequel value watching.
You’re all the time hoping a present’s second take is prepared to take dangers and enhance on all the pieces that got here earlier than to maintain audiences hooked. CBR’s Joshua M. Patton agrees that Season 2 brings new enhancements to its characters, which helps add emotional stakes to this loopy story:
The collection succeeds in permitting viewers to seize the sensation of taking part in the sport, even those that by no means did. Nonetheless, it’s the characters who make the present work, as a result of viewers perceive why they make the alternatives they do. With out these deeply private stakes, the enjoyable, loopy motion of the event itself would really feel empty.
Certainly, you do must really feel on your characters to care about their fates. As the primary season’s finale launched the idea of the lethal event John Doe competes in, Season 2 seems to boost the stakes that the earlier season introduced.
So, you higher imagine it is value tuning into it along with your Peacock subscription.
Chief of Battle Is A Visible Spectacle With a Deep Dedication to Hawaiian Authenticity
Chief of Battle (which is streaming with an Apple TV+ subscription) takes streamers to the 18th century, the place Jason Momoa performs warrior chief Ka’iana, who’s rebelling in opposition to the unification of Hawaiʻi. Because the Aquaman actor co-created the present and integrated Pacific Islander illustration in its solid, crew, and site, Kelly Lawler’s evaluation for USA Right this moment defined how a lot she cherished the present’s use of grand storytelling scale because it shined a highlight on key moments in Hawaiian historical past:
[Chief of War] brings the size and energy of Hollywood storytelling to Hawaiian historical past and politics, the best way we have seen tales of American and European historical past for numerous collection and movies earlier than. And ‘Battle’ does this with an exhilarating tempo and excellent performances. It is the most effective sort of costly, bold streaming TV: You will binge-watch it as a result of you’ll be able to’t look away from the spectacle.
It’s about time that Hawaiian historical past bought a big-budget remedy in mainstream streaming. Clearly, Chief of Battle is a ardour undertaking for Jason Momoa, who made positive his ancestors have been portrayed in a glowing gentle. Aramide Tinubu’s evaluation for Selection praised the historic drama collection for permitting audiences to study Hawaiian historical past they’ve by no means seen on display earlier than:
‘Chief of Battle’s’ nine-episode first season is huge and filled with traditions hardly seen earlier than on tv. Staying true to historical past, the vast majority of the story’s dialogue is in Hawaiian, a now critically endangered Polynesian language. Consequently, audiences could battle to seek out their footing within the collection’ preliminary episodes. Nonetheless, these prepared to really immerse themselves on this narrative will get a hen’s-eye view of the internal conflicts and histories of the Hawaiian islands.
It’s wonderful to know that Chief of Battle makes use of character-driven narratives and grand visuals to not solely convey Hawaiian historical past to life but additionally deeply resonate with it. With slo-mo working scenes and a volcano erupting mid-shoot, we’re in for a outstanding experience with this present.
My Oxford 12 months Could Be a Blended Bag, However It Nonetheless Makes For An Entertaining Watch
The 2025 Netflix launch of My Oxford 12 months stars Sofia Carson as Anna, who experiences a life-changing journey to Oxford after assembly a captivating native there. Archi Sengupta’s evaluation for LeisureByte defined that whereas she thought the rom-com movie introduced itself with a “generic” plot, it nonetheless had a constructive takeaway that made the e-book adaptation value watching:
Good performances and a superbly shot Oxford make My Oxford 12 months a shifting, heat watch. Though we’ve seen this story a number of occasions, it’s nonetheless impactful and shifting, and the romance is relatable, supplying you with goosebumps. All in all, a great watch.
Rom-coms do are inclined to comply with acquainted plots. But when every star can convey their A-game, you’re in for a great time.
Brandon Yu wrote a harsher evaluation for The New York Occasions, calling the film “joyless,” however he nonetheless favored its unpredictability due to its plot twist:
Tailored from the novel by Julia Whelan, ‘My Oxford 12 months’ could rapidly fall prey to this lure, however it has the advantage of having a trick up its sleeve, switching from one style trope to a different midway by means of. The halfhearted execution stays, although.
Hear, it is regular for love films like this one to be a combined bag review-wise. So, you’ll be able to draw your individual conclusions about My Oxford 12 months with a Netflix subscription.
Personally, I all the time discover it refreshing when a rom-com flips the script. Audiences shall be stored on their toes, and the emotional payoff will certainly hit tougher. So, I am going to for positive be checking this movie out.
Based mostly on the critiques of every new streaming launch, it seems like I’ve a date with my sofa this weekend. Season 2 of Twisted Metallic is predicted to take me on a wild experience. Chief of Battle will time-travel me to 18th-century Hawaii. In the meantime, My Oxford 12 months ought to hit me with some romantic vibes. So, with all that thought-about, I feel I am going with Chief of Battle first since I really like historic dramas and visible masterpieces.