The 5 best thrillers to watch on Netflix this August

polygon.com:

Happy August, Polygon readers.

We’re getting close to the end of summer (and summer movies), but that also means we’re getting close to the end of the post-Barbenheimer drought at the box office. But there’s no drought at home, with plenty of fun movies to choose from, all from the comfort of your couch.

Each month, we highlight five great thrillers you can watch right now on Netflix. This month, we have a new Netflix original, a movie recently added to Netflix, a movie relevant to multiple upcoming releases, and some under-the-radar picks to help fill out your queue.

Here are our five selections this month. Enjoy!

Year: 2023Run time: 2h 2mDirector: Tom HarperCast: Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan, Alia Bhatt

It’d be understandable if you entered Netflix’s latest action blockbuster with some skepticism. The big-budget offerings Red Notice and The Gray Man were absolute slogs, and star Gal Gadot has been in a rut, with Wonder Woman 1984 and Red Notice both taking away much of the shine from the first Wonder Woman.

But Heart of Stone is actually a pretty fun, globe-trotting spy thriller! It’s Gadot’s best performance since Wonder Woman, as the movie’s premise plays into her strengths. Gadot is Rachel Stone, a highly skilled special agent posing as the quiet tech specialist for an MI6 team. The role allows Gadot to shy away from the banter-heavy scripts she’s been tasked with recently, and leans on her skills as a screen fighter.

It’s the action that really makes Heart of Stone a fun spy thriller. The movie opted for more grounded, reality-based action instead of over-the-top CG spectacle, and it really works. The stunts are big, the explosions are plentiful (and impactful), and it has one of the best car chase scenes of the year.