If you feel like you’ve seen everything the best streaming services have to offer, buckle up, because you haven't. August is kicking off with a variety of new streaming releases on the 2025 TV schedule, which means you can spend the weekend exploring new worlds like 18th-century Hawaii, a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and even Oxford. In other words, you can watch the premieres of Anthony Mackie's Twisted Metal Season 2, Jason Momoa's Chief of War, and the new Netflix romance My Oxford Year.
So, as we try to figure out what to watch first, here's what the critics are saying about these new projects.
Twisted Metal's Season 2 Levels Up With A 92% On Rotten Tomatoes
I can't lie, 2023 was seriously the best year for video game adaptations with hits like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Last of Us. But, we can’t leave out Peacock’s adaptation of Twisted Metal, which is about an amnesic milkman who’s sent to deliver a mysterious package across the post-apocalyptic Wasteland. It rocked back then, and now it's back to rock harder with Season 2.
While its first season had a fine opening of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, Season 2 has proven to be a major success with a 92% Critics and Audience score. Brian Tallerico’s review for Roger Ebert noted that it felt like everything went up a notch, sure to provide greater satisfaction for longtime fans and new ones:
While the first season often seemed afraid to get weird, the writers embrace their insanity this time around, mixing playful humor into the carnage. Thinking about it after a dozen episodes, there’s not exactly a wealth of character details or narrative twists, but everyone simply seems to be having more fun this year, and that can be infectious. If the first season felt like an obligation to ride a wave of video game adaptations, the second feels like an honest effort to satisfy both fans of the games and those who never played them. The result is a season that finds its tone in ways that the first never did.
Based on Brian Tallerico’s claims of Season 2 having “more action, personality, character development, and effective humor,” these are the ingredients that make a perfect sequel worth watching.
You’re always hoping a show’s second take is willing to take risks and improve on everything that came before to keep audiences hooked. CBR’s Joshua M. Patton agrees that Season 2 brings new improvements to its characters, which helps add emotional stakes to this crazy story:
The series succeeds in allowing viewers to capture the feeling of playing the game, even those who never did. Still, it’s the characters who make the show work, because viewers understand why they make the choices they do. Without these deeply personal stakes, the fun, crazy action of the tournament itself would feel empty.
Indeed, you do need to feel for your characters to care about their fates. As the first season’s finale introduced the concept of the deadly tournament John Doe competes in, Season 2 looks to raise the stakes that the previous season presented.
So, you better believe it's worth tuning into it with your Peacock subscription.
Chief of War Is A Visual Spectacle With a Deep Dedication to Hawaiian Authenticity
Chief of War (which is streaming with an Apple TV+ subscription) takes streamers to the 18th century, where Jason Momoa plays warrior chief Ka’iana, who is rebelling against the unification of Hawaiʻi. As the Aquaman actor co-created the show and incorporated Pacific Islander representation in its cast, crew, and location, Kelly Lawler’s review for USA Today explained how much she loved the show’s use of grand storytelling scale as it shined a spotlight on key moments in Hawaiian history:
[Chief of War] brings the scale and power of Hollywood storytelling to Hawaiian history and politics, the way we've seen stories of American and European history for countless series and films before. And ‘War’ does this with a thrilling pace and superb performances. It's the best kind of expensive, ambitious streaming TV: You'll binge-watch it because you can't look away from the spectacle.
It’s about time that Hawaiian history got a big-budget treatment in mainstream streaming. Clearly, Chief of War is a passion project for Jason Momoa, who made sure his ancestors were portrayed in a glowing light. Aramide Tinubu’s review for Variety praised the historical drama series for allowing audiences to learn about Hawaiian history they’ve never seen on screen before:
‘Chief of War’s’ nine-episode first season is vast and full of traditions hardly seen before on television. Staying true to history, the majority of the story’s dialogue is in Hawaiian, a now critically endangered Polynesian language. As a result, audiences may struggle to find their footing in the series’ initial episodes. However, those willing to truly immerse themselves in this narrative will get a bird’s-eye view of the inner conflicts and histories of the Hawaiian islands.
It’s amazing to know that Chief of War uses character-driven narratives and grand visuals to not only bring Hawaiian history to life but also deeply resonate with it. With slo-mo running scenes and a volcano erupting mid-shoot, we're in for a remarkable ride with this show.
My Oxford Year May Be a Mixed Bag, But It Still Makes For An Entertaining Watch
The 2025 Netflix release of My Oxford Year stars Sofia Carson as Anna, who experiences a life-changing trip to Oxford after meeting a charming local there. Archi Sengupta's review for LeisureByte explained that while she thought the rom-com film presented itself with a “generic” plot, it still had a positive takeaway that made the book adaptation worth watching:
Good performances and a beautifully shot Oxford make My Oxford Year a moving, warm watch. Although we have seen this story a few times, it’s still impactful and moving, and the romance is relatable, giving you goosebumps. All in all, a good watch.
Rom-coms do tend to follow familiar plots. But if each star can bring their A-game, you know you’re in for a good time.
Brandon Yu wrote a harsher review for The New York Times, calling the movie “joyless,” but he still liked its unpredictability thanks to its plot twist:
Adapted from the novel by Julia Whelan, 'My Oxford Year' may quickly fall prey to this trap, but it has the benefit of having a trick up its sleeve, switching from one genre trope to another halfway through. The halfhearted execution remains, though.
Listen, it's normal for romance movies like this one to be a mixed bag review-wise. So, you can draw your own conclusions about My Oxford Year with a Netflix subscription.
Personally, I always find it refreshing when a rom-com flips the script. Audiences will be kept on their toes, and the emotional payoff will surely hit harder. So, I'll for sure be checking this film out.
Based on the reviews of each new streaming release, it looks like I have a date with my couch this weekend. Season 2 of Twisted Metal is expected to take me on a wild ride. Chief of War will time-travel me to 18th-century Hawaii. Meanwhile, My Oxford Year should hit me with some romantic vibes. So, with all that considered, I think I'm going with Chief of War first since I love historical dramas and visual masterpieces.
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