7 of the best movies streaming on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon in August

7 of the best movies streaming on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon in August

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STREAMTOWN — The heat is on and the air is smokey due to all the recent wildfires plaguing the West.

It’s a good time to stay inside and stream some movies! Luckily for you, Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime have some great titles to choose from this month.

Here are seven of the best movies you can stream on all three platforms this month.

Netflix

“Million Dollar Baby” (2004)

Clint Eastwood’s boxing drama garnered him a Best Director Academy Award, as well as a Best Actress Oscar for Hilary Swank and a Best Supporting Actor award for Morgan Freeman.

The film also won the Best Picture award at the Oscars ceremony in 2005.

Eastwood stars in the film as an elderly boxing trainer who helps Swank’s character train to become a professional boxer.

“The Aviator” (2004)

Following 2002’s “Gangs of New York,” the second collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio features the latter as eccentric pilot/business mogul Howard Hughes.

If you’re a DiCaprio fan, you’re in for a treat because you get to watch him in a committed performance as Hughes for nearly three hours. Hughes suffered from severe Obsessive-compulsive disorder, and DiCaprio does an incredible job playing such a complicated character.

The movie also features a star-studded cast that includes Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Alan Alda, Jude Law and Adam Scott.

“No Country For Old Men” (2007)

The Coen Brothers’s dark, Western epic, based on the book of the same name by Cormac McCarthy, is heralded as a masterpiece by many.

“No Country” earned Joel and Ethan Coen an Academy Award for Best Director. The film also won Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Javier Bardem as the chilling villain, Anton Chigurh.

The film also features Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones and Woody Harrelson.

“No Country For Old Men” is rated R for strong graphic violence and some language.

Hulu

“Hoosiers” (1986)

Until “Stranger Things,” this movie was probably the most famous on-screen representation of my home state, Indiana. The classic sports movie tells the story of an underdog Indiana high school basketball team that competes for a state championship.

Gene Hackman plays the coach of the Hickory Huskers, which are loosely based on the 1954 championship-winning basketball team from Milan High School in Indiana. Hackman’s Coach Dale pairs up with the local alcoholic, “Shooter” Flatch, played by Dennis Hopper, to coach the team.

It’s a true Cinderella story. “Hoosiers” will give nostalgia enthusiasts the fix they need, and sports fans will love the inspirational tale.

“Babe” (1995)

If you’re searching for a wholesome film to watch with the whole family, coming across “Babe” on Hulu will surely make you say “that’ll do.”

The 1995 drama features the titular talking pig, who wishes to herd sheep like a sheepdog. His keeper, Farmer Hoggett, helps him out, but Babe’s skills will be put to the test in a local sheepherding competition.

OK, so the plot is rather silly, and “Babe” might feel a little dated more than 20 years after it was made, especially with the use of a campy narrator.

But audiences back in 1995 sure seemed to love the film, which grossed over $250 million at the box office worldwide. It also earned seven Academy Award nominations, winning just one for Best Visual Effects.

Amazon Prime

“Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams” (2002)

The “Spy Kids” premise might not sound like a great movie idea on paper, but the zany kid caper movies were a hit for critics and audiences when they debuted in the early 2000s.

Don’t worry — you’re no loon if you still have a soft spot for these silly movies almost two decades later.

While not considered as fresh as the original, Robert Rodriguez’s sequel features smart pacing to keep the kids engaged and a stellar cast to pique the interest of the adults.

In addition to the lead siblings, played by Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara, the film features Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Mike Judge, Ricardo Montalbán, Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin and Steve Buscemi in a surprisingly philosophical performance.

“The Elephant Man” (1980)

Two of the most highly regarded actors of the 20th century teamed up with an eccentric director to bring you a bizarre, yet touching, story of a horribly disfigured man in "The Elephant Man."

Joseph Merrick, who is referred to as John in the film, is a man who lived in the late 1800s in England who suffered from severe facial and body deformities.

John Hurt plays Merrick with humility and tenderness. Anthony Hopkins plays Frederick Treves, a doctor who takes interest in Merrick’s condition, but doesn’t forget to care for the person underneath.

Director David Lynch, who is known for his surrealist work such as “Mulholland Drive” and “Twin Peaks,” goes for a more straightforward approach here, focusing on the two men and how they come to learn more about one another.

Keep a box of tissues nearby, as this story of compassion and love might have you wondering who’s cutting onions by the time it ends.

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