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Marvel's The Defenders, Death Note, Icarus, and More on Netflix in August

Marvel's The Defenders, Death Note, Icarus, and More on Netflix in August

By Akhil Arora | Updated: 31 July 2017 10:40 IST

(Clockwise from left) Icarus, Marvel's The Defenders, and Death Note

Highlights

Marvel's The Defenders premieres August 18
Death Note arrives August 25
Icarus is about the Russian doping scandal

For fans of Netflix’s original series programming, July was a quiet and disappointing month. Though Castlevania holds promise, it provided only four episodes, running around 100 minutes in total. Friends from College was a complete misfire, and the Jason Bateman-starrer Ozark failed to make anything new out of the ‘white anti-hero does bad things to save his family’ trope. In fact, the original documentaries – on the effect of climate change on coral reefs in Chasing Coral, and the lives of disadvantaged young Indians striving to better their lives in Daughters of Destiny – were better made, and also tackled important topics.

In August, the biggest name on the original series front by far is Marvel’s The Defenders, an eight-episode crossover featuring the four street-level heroes – Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist – all of whom got their individual shows prior to this. On the other end of the spectrum is David Wain’s return to his cult film Wet Hot American Summer with a sequel set in 1991. Chris Pine, Amy Poehler, and Kristen Wiig are part of the returning cast. There’s comedy series Atypical as well, which follows a boy with autism trying to find love, and pot comedy Disjointed starring Kathy Bates.

The original film roster has a prominent name too: Death Note. Ever since the release of its first teaser, Death Note has been courting controversy for adapting the Japanese manga with an American cast, and fans have accused it of whitewashing. A producer’s defence rests on that it has been reinterpreted for a “different culture”, and that people should see the movie first before criticising. There’s also Naked, which takes the Groundhog Day formula and applies it to a man’s wedding day, which begins with him completely naked in an elevator.

The August line-up of original Netflix documentaries consists of just one entry – Icarus – though it’s been building up buzz ever since its $5-million (Rs. 32 crores) deal at Sundance earlier this year. The documentary uncovers Russia’s state-sponsored doping programme, which made use of the country’s top scientists to help its athletes evade detection at the Olympics.

Closing out the originals are stand-up comedy specials, from the likes of Maz Jobrani, Brad Paisley, Lynne Koplitz, and Ryan Hamilton. With that, here are our four picks for August 2017 that you should watch out for, and the full list of movies and TV shows coming to Netflix India after that.

The Matrix (1999) / August 1
Considered as one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time, The Matrix’s success has threatened to overshadow the filmography of the Wachowskis, who struggled to replicate the winning formula with its two sequels. That hasn’t affected the film’s strong effect on Hollywood, be it the increased use of wire fu, slow-motion camerawork, and the bullet time effect that it popularised.

By itself, The Matrix gave us stellar work from Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Laurence Fishburne, powered by a story that only becomes more resonant every year. You can’t hear Elon Musk’s words without harkening back to the film’s ideas.

Marvel’s The Defenders / August 18
The Marvel-Netflix collaboration that began in 2015 has come to its intended culmination after five seasons and 65 episodes. In this mini-series, Matt Murdock, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Danny Rand come together to fight a common enemy – The Hand – and a new villainous character played by Sigourney Weaver. We got an early look at the first half of the show’s eight episodes, and weren’t all that impressed.

Archer: Season 8 / August 1
The comedy its creator describes as James Bond meets Arrested Development aired its eighth season earlier this year, set in the noir world of 1947 Los Angeles. Each character of the ensemble cast donned a new role as part of the formula change, though they retained their quirks and idiosyncrasies, of course.

Icarus / August 4
Instead of finding an athlete who would be willing to speak up, director Bryan Fogel – an amateur bike racer – began his investigation into sport doping by doping himself, which got him into a meeting with Russian scientist Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov. Fogel then uncovered a state-sponsored anti-doping programme that touched the highest levels of Russian government, and uncovered the biggest international sports scandal in the process.

Here's a full list of all the new content coming to Netflix India in August 2017:

Drama
Los Herederos (2015) / August 12
Pray for Rain (2017) / August 12
Heaven Is for Real (2014) / August 20
Buster's Mal Heart (2016) / August 26

Comedy
The Love Punch (2013) / August 1
Opening Night (2016) / August 1
The Romantics (2010) / August 1
Tie the Knot (2016) / August 1
Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later (2017) / August 4
Mirror Mirror (2012) / August 2
Atypical: Season 1 (2017) / August 11
Naked (2017) / August 11
The Outcasts (2017) / August 14
We're No Animals (2013) / August 15
Vacation (2015) / August 21
Disjointed: Season 1 (2017) / August 25

Action
Boyka: Undisputed (2016) / August 1
Man of Steel (2013) / August 1
The Matrix (1999) / August 1
The Matrix Reloaded (2003) / August 1
The Matrix Revolutions (2003) / August 1
Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments: Season 2 (2016 – Present) / August 1, weekly
The Base (1999) / August 9
Marvel's The Defenders: Season 1 (2017) / August 18
Death Note (2017) / August 25

Crime
Animal Kingdom: Season 2 (2016 – Present) / August 2, weekly
How to Get Away with Murder: Season 3 (2014 – Present) / August 23

Horror
The Black Room (2016) / August 7
Hide and Seek (2005) / August 19

Thriller
Locust: Season 1 (2014) / August 1
The Invisible Guardian (2017) / August 3

Fantasy
Kiss & Cry (2011) / August 31

Family
Bruno & Boots: Go Jump in the Pool (2016) / August 1
Princess and the Pony (2011) / August 1

Animation
Archer: Season 8 (2009 – Present) / August 1
Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015) / August 1

Documentary
Awake, a Dream from Standing Rock (2017) / August 1
The Beginning and End of the Universe: Season 1 (2016) / August 1
The Bomb (2015) / August 1
Copwatchers (2016) / August 1
Dark Net: Season 1 (2016 – Present) / August 1
Empire of the Tsars: Romanov Russia with Lucy Worsley (2016) / August 1
Everyday Miracles: The Genius of Sofas, Stockings and Scanners: Season 1 (2014) / August 1
Genius of the Modern World: Season 1 (2016) / August 1
Nurses Who Kill: Season 1 (2016) / August 1
The Royal House of Windsor: Season 1 (2017) / August 1
The Truth About Alcohol (2016) / August 1
The Women Who Kill Lions (2016) / August 1
World War II in Colour (2009) / August 1
Icarus (2017) / August 4
Mission Control: The Unsung Heroes of Apollo (2017) / August 13
Barbecue (2017) / August 15
Houston, We Have a Problem (2017) / August 20
Bad Rap (2016) / August 21
Unacknowledged (2017) / August 21
Feel Rich: Health Is the New Wealth (2017) / August 23
Commandos: Season 1 (2015) / August 25
Saving Sirga: Journey into the Heart of a Lion: Season 1 (2013 – 2016) / August 25

Stand-up comedy
Maz Jobrani: Immigrant (2017) / August 1
Brad Paisley’s Comedy Rodeo (2017) / August 15
Lynne Koplitz: Hormonal Beast (2017) / August 22
Ryan Hamilton: Happy Face (2017) / August 29

From India
Anarkali of Aarah (2017) / August 1
Chuttalabbayi (2016) / August 1
Naruda Donaruda (2016) / August 1
Right Right (2016) / August 1
Jab We Met (2007) / August 2
Oraalppokkam (2014) / August 15
Ozhivudivasathe Kali (2015) / August 15

From Taiwan
Close Your Eyes Before It's Dark: Season 1 (2016) / August 1
Have You Ever Fallen in Love, Miss Jiang?: Season 1 (2017) / August 1
Life Plan A and B: Season 1 (2016) / August 1
Love Storm: Season 1 (2003) / August 20

From Spain
Velvet: Season 3 (2013 – 2016) / August 1
Velvet: Season 4 (2013 – 2016) / August 2

From Brazil
Diário de um Exorcista - Zero (2016) / August 10

From Chile
The Blind Christ (2016) / August 1

From Korea
Madre (2009) / August 26

From Malaysia
Entangled: Season 1 (2014) / August 1

From Russia
Fartsa: Season 1 (2015) / August 1

From Singapore
Bountiful Blessings: Season 1 (2011) / August 1

Talk show
Chelsea: Season 2 (2017) / August 12

Reality TV
Heavy Rescue: 401: Season 1 (2016 – Present) / August 1
Under Arrest: Season 6 (2015 – Present) / August 1

Note: All titles and dates are subject to change.

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