Vehicular Viewing: New on Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu for August 2019
Each month, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu release a new slate of streaming movies and TV shows — and each month, I sort through them to uncover the best titles for car enthusiasts and movie buffs who appreciate auto-related eye candy. August’s crop of releases offers a little something for everyone, including a critically acclaimed new documentary, a pair of new TV series, and no shortage of car chases.
Premium Pickup: Meet the all-new 2019 GMC Sierra 1500
Netflix
American Factory (8/21)
What happens when a Chinese manufacturer of auto glass opens a factory in a closed Ohio GM plant? Cultures collide, workers and management clash, and cameras are there to catch it all in this compelling documentary.
Hyperdrive (8/21)
This 10-episode Netflix original TV series follows accomplished drivers from around the world as they race custom cars on an enormous obstacle course.
Rust Valley Restorers (8/23)
Set in the Canadian Rockies, this reality series profiles a junkyard owner and his team of “Rust Bros” as they work to restore hundreds of rusted-out cars into desirable classics.
Stylish SUV: A closer look at the 2019 Buick Envision
Amazon Prime
A Simple Favor (8/21)
In this wickedly funny thriller, two suburban moms connect despite their differences (one drives a Porsche and one drives a Subaru). Then, one of them disappears under mysterious circumstances, setting off a chain of twisted revelations. (This movie is also coming to Hulu in August.)
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (8/23)
For the latest installment in this entertaining action series, the filmmakers teamed up with BMW for a series of car and motorcycle stunts. (This movie is also coming to Hulu in August.)
The Lincoln Lawyer (8/26)
After he starred in this thriller about a Los Angeles lawyer who conducts business from the back seat of a Lincoln Town Car, Matthew McConaughey went on to become the face of the luxury brand in a series of offbeat commercials. (This movie is also coming to Hulu in August.)
Hulu
The Transporter (8/1)
Jason Statham’s character in this action thriller will transport any package — no questions asked — in his BMW 735i. But he starts having second thoughts when his latest delivery turns out to be a young woman held captive.
Captain Fantastic (8/26)
After a family tragedy, an isolationist dad (Viggo Mortensen) and his six sheltered kids leave the wilderness and hit the road in a converted blue school bus.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.