The Best Movies and Shows on HBO and HBO Max in August

The best movies and shows to watch on HBO and HBO Max are hotter than the heat wave that's currently gluing my shirt to my back. Halfway through the month, there's still plenty to get excited for, including Hugh Jackman's sci-fi film Reminiscence, the second season of the awesome comedy The Other Two, and one of best best -- and maddening -- coronavirus documentaries yet. 

Our list of suggestions for the best shows and movies on HBO and HBO Max in August is below.

The Best TV Shows and Movies on HBO and HBO Max in August

Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump
Aug. 2 on HBO Max
Two movies from the master of weirdo Americana, Christopher Guest, hit HBO Max at the top of the month: A Mighty Wind and Best in Show. But if you thirst for more of that in an unscripted setting, check out this adorable docuseries about a small news station in Nevada that's full of odd and charming characters all working together to bring you a working news broadcast. 

Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union
Aug. 3 on HBO, HBO Max
The coolest thing about being president is the library. The second coolest thing is the biography you get, and HBO's Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union is the most definitive portrait of #44 yet. The three-episode docuseries tracks Obama's life from childhood to becoming one of the country's most respected presidents during one of the country's most tumultuous eras. Stay tuned for Trump: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Cheeseburger. I kid, I kid!

The Suicide Squad
Aug. 5 on HBO Max (also in theaters)
Soon, every single movie released will be a superhero movie, and we'll sit there slack-jawed and drooling just taking it in as the movie studio machine injects a constant stream of them into our eyeballs. Well, here's another. You might be thinking that you've already seen The Suicide Squad when what you really saw was 2016's Suicide Squad (no "The"), the dark and violent David Ayer outing that just about disappointed everyone. This time, James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) takes over behind the camera, allegedly adding more irreverent humor and over-the-top violence that fits the franchise, and with a cast that includes Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, and Viola Davis, maybe it won't suck!  

Hard Knocks '21: Dallas Cowboys
Aug. 10 on HBO, HBO Max
The best way to screw up your fantasy football team is to watch HBO's Hard Knocks, one of the best sports docuseries ever made, and make assumptions about the featured players and use those dumb assumptions during your draft. Seriously, it will burn you every time. Thankfully, Hard Knocks is also the best way to get an in-depth look at what goes into fielding a pro sports team, following the battles for roster spots, the preparation that the stars go through, and how the coach deals with all the combatting personalities. This year follows the Dallas Cowboys, so you know it's gonna be messy. 

In the Same Breath
Aug. 18 on HBO, HBO Max
The second wave of coronavirus brings with it the second wave of coronavirus documentaries, and Nanfu Wang's In the Same Breath is one of the best yet. Wang, who made the award-winning One Child Nation (now streaming on Amazon Prime Video) about China's one-child policy, adds a personal touch to her investigative doc as she was in Wuhan with her family during the initial outbreak in China and back in America as the virus spread through the country. The film is unique in that it covers the onset of coronavirus in China, the government's propaganda about the virus in order to not admit the dire situation, and the pressure of its citizens to protect China or face repercussions, as well as the outbreak in America where Wang never expected the same government misinformation or that Americans would ignore correct information. Wang's interviews with frontline workers and footage from inside the hospitals of both countries show just how mishandled everything was and gives you a look at the pandemic from the ground, something we still don't see enough of. 

Reminiscence
Aug. 20 on HBO Max (also in theaters)
In this near-future sci-fi extravaganza (that's hype speak for "movie"), Hugh Jackman plays a man who has some sort of doodad that allows people to relive any memory they desire. Hughie takes on a new mysterious client (Rebecca Ferguson) and they begin a passionate relationship, but things go topsy-turvy when another client of his relives a memory of Hugh's new squeeze committing a murder. That'll complicate a relationship. This hits HBO Max the same day it's in theaters.

The Other Two
Aug. 26 on HBO Max
It seems like it was a pandemic and a half ago when The Other Two became our favorite new comedy. The Comedy Central series about two older siblings -- an aspiring actor (Drew Tarver) and a former dancer (Heléne York) -- of a teenage YouTube superstar premiered in January 2019 and then just sort of disappeared. But Season 2 is finally here, with a move over to HBO Max where it can really fly and say a few bad words. 

Looking for more recommendations of what to watch next? We have a ton of them! And if you're looking for more hand-picked recommendations based on TV shows you love, we have those too.