New on HBO Max in August 2021: All the new movies and shows

Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn in The Suicide Squad
(Image credit: Warner Bros./DC)

August is on the horizon, which means a whole load of new movies and TV shows are about to hit HBO Max. This month brings two simultaneous streaming and theatrical releases, with James Gunn's take on Task Force X in The Suicide Squad arriving imminently, and the Hugh Jackman-starring Reminiscence following shortly afterward. 

That's not all this month has to offer, though. Issa Rae's Sweet Life: Los Angeles reality show lands in August, as do the finales of Gossip Girl season 1 part 1 and The White Lotus. And then there are classics like The Shawshank Redemption, Inception, and You've Got Mail all landing this month, too. 

We've rounded up every single new addition to HBO Max this August – and noted whether something is a Max Original – so you can get started on planning those binge-watches. Plus, we've also picked out our top three choices of the month to make it even easier to get streaming some excellent films and TV shows. 

The Suicide Squad – August 5

Harley Quinn in The Suicide Squad

(Image credit: Warner Bros./DC)

James Gunn's take on Task Force X arrives to HBO Max and theaters simultaneously this August 5. The movie follows the titular group of villains/anti-heroes on a mission to the fictional island of Corto Maltese, where they'll go up against Starro, a giant alien starfish with the power to control minds. The massive cast includes Viola Davis, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, and Jai Courtney reprising their roles from 2016's Suicide Squad, with new additions including Idris Elba, John Cena, Peter Capaldi, and Sylvester Stallone. 

Titans season 3 – August 12

Titans season 3

(Image credit: HBO Max/DC)

If The Suicide Squad isn't bringing enough DC superheroes into your life, the good news is Titans returns this month. The new season sees the return of the titular group of heroes, and will introduce Savannah Welch as Barbara Gordon, Damaris Lewis as Starfire's sister Blackfire, and Vincent Kartheiser as Scarecrow. It will also see the transformation of Curran Walters' Jason Todd from Robin into Red Hood, and we'll see more of Brenton Thwaites' Nightwing in action after his transformation in the season 2 finale. 

Reminiscence – August 20

Hugh Jackman in Reminiscence

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Another simultaneous theatrical and HBO Max release, this time-bending movie stars Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, and Thandiwe Newton. Reminiscence sees a private detective in a nostalgia-obsessed society attempting to find his lost love, with technology that allows you to re-experience your past and lost memories. However, all is not as it seems, and things get dangerous in the detective's pursuit. Westworld's Lisa Joy writes and directs. 

Everything new on HBO Max in August 2021

New on HBO Max: August 1

  • 2 Days in the Valley (HBO)
  • 9/11: Fifteen Years Later
  • A Mighty Wind (HBO)
  • A Walk Among the Tombstones (HBO)
  • The Accidental Spy (HBO)
  • The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl (HBO)
  • Americano (HBO)
  • Anna to the Infinite Power (HBO)
  • Backtrack (HBO)
  • Basic Instinct (HBO)
  • Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction (HBO) (Extended Version)
  • Best in Show (HBO)
  • Betrayal at Attica
  • The Betrayed (HBO)
  • The Birdcage (HBO)
  • Black Death (HBO)
  • Blue Ruin (HBO)
  • Brown Sugar (HBO)
  • Changeling (HBO)
  • Chasing Mavericks (HBO)
  • Collateral (HBO)
  • Constantine
  • Deep Cover (HBO)
  • The Devil's Double (HBO)
  • Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (HBO)
  • Dolphin Tale (HBO)
  • The Double (HBO)
  • Empire of the Sun
  • The End (HBO)
  • Envy (HBO)
  • Epic (HBO)
  • Extranjero (aka Foreigner) (HBO)
  • For Your Consideration (HBO)
  • Freejack (HBO)
  • The Fugitive
  • Ghosts of Mississippi
  • The Great Gatsby (HBO)
  • The Great Gatsby (HBO)
  • Gun Shy (HBO)
  • Hangman (HBO)
  • Heaven Can Wait (HBO)
  • Hitchcock (HBO)
  • Horror of Dracula
  • How to Deal (HBO)
  • Hudson Hawk
  • Humpday (HBO)
  • Imperium (HBO)
  • Inception
  • Joe (HBO)
  • Johnny English Reborn (HBO)
  • Julia (HBO)
  • Last Action Hero
  • The Lincoln Lawyer
  • Malcolm X
  • Man Down (HBO)
  • The Man in the Iron Mask (HBO)
  • Mean Streets
  • Mr. Soul!
  • New in Town (HBO)
  • Nobody Walks (HBO)
  • Nurse 3D (HBO)
  • One Hour Photo (HBO)
  • The Out-of-Towners (HBO)
  • Popeye (HBO)
  • The Pope of Greenwich Village (HBO)
  • The Prince (HBO)
  • The Reader (HBO)
  • Red (HBO)
  • Red Riding Hood
  • Requiem for a Dream
  • Scary Movie
  • The Score (HBO)
  • Sex and the City
  • Sex and the City 2
  • The Shawshank Redemption
  • Spawn
  • The Spirit (HBO)
  • The Square (HBO)
  • Stand and Deliver (HBO)
  • Tango & Cash
  • Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo
  • Thirteen Ghosts
  • Vice (HBO)
  • War (HBO)
  • Woodstock (Director's Cut)
  • You've Got Mail

New on HBO Max: August 2

  • Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump finale (HBO)

New on HBO Max: August 3

  • Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
  • Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union premiere (HBO)

New on HBO Max: August 5

  • Furry Friends Forever: Elmo Gets A Puppy (Max Original)
  • The Suicide Squad (HBO Max/theatrical release)

New on HBO Max: August 6

  • Sin Aliento (aka Breathless) (HBO)

New on HBO Max: August 7

  • All My Life (HBO)

New on HBO Max: August 8

  • A Different World

New on HBO Max: August 10

  • Hard Knocks '21: Dallas Cowboys (HBO) 

New on HBO Max: August 12

  • FBOY Island season finale (Max Original)
  • Gossip Girl, season 1 part 1 finale (Max Original)
  • The Hype series premiere (Max Original)
  • Titans season 3 premiere (Max Original)

New on HBO Max: August 14

  • Jurassic Park (HBO)
  • The Lost World: Jurassic Park (HBO)
  • Jurassic Park III (HBO)

New on HBO Max: August 15

  • The White Lotus finale (HBO)

New on HBO Max: August 16

  • Hard season 3 premiere (HBO)
  • Top Gear season 29 

New on HBO Max: August 17

  • Godzilla vs. Kong

New on HBO Max: August 19

  • Eyes on the Prize: Hallowed Ground (Max Original)
  • Looney Tunes Cartoons Back to School Special (Max Original)
  • Marlon Wayans: You Know What It Is (Max Original)
  • Sweet Life: Los Angeles series premiere (Max Original)

New on HBO Max: August 20

  • Half Brothers (HBO)
  • Reefa (HBO)
  • Reminiscence (HBO Max/theatrical release)

New on HBO Max: August 22

  • 100 Foot Wave finale (HBO)
  • San Andreas

New on HBO Max: August 24

  • Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (HBO)
  • Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy

New on HBO Max: August 25

  • Lincoln: Divided We Stand

New on HBO Max: August 26

  • The Other Two season 2 premiere (Max Original)

New on HBO Max: August 28

  • Magic Mike XXL (HBO)
Molly Edwards
Entertainment Writer

I'm an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.