All the AMC shows coming to Netflix in August worth watching

Netflix has a lot of offerings this month but a huge one is that the streamer will be taking on a score of programs from AMC all releasing on Aug. 19. So which are the best to check out?

For years, AMC has been known for its terrific original series, from Mad Men to Breaking Bad, many of which are Emmy-winning hits. The network runs a nice gamut from drama to more action-oriented and thanks to a new deal with Netflix, nearly a dozen of their shows are hitting the streamer. Some may be good watches if a bit uneven (Mayfair Witches) and others not quite as well known.

However, there are some great shows to check out, and these half-dozen series are all worth checking out to show how this AMC roster on Netflix enhances the streamer. 

Interview with the Vampire

Anne Rice’s most famous work has been adapted before such as the 1994 movie with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. AMC gives it the chance to truly shine is more faithful to the book’s themes. The show slightly updates the story as rather than taking place the 1790s, it’s set in 1910 when young Louis (Jacob Anderson) meets seductive vampire Lestat (Sam Reid) who turns him into a vampire. The whole thing is told by Louis in the 1970s to a reporter (Eric Bogosian) who is fascinated by his tale.

The series retains the novel’s dark and gritty tones as well as the unlikely romantic bond of the two leads. There’s also Claudia (Bailey Bass), a young vampire older than she looks. The gothic setting and wonderful production aid the show and make this a fantastic adaptation that is well worth checking out for both Rice fans and newcomers. 

Dark Winds

After years of attempts, Tony Hillerman’s best-selling novels come to life in this show. It centers on his two most popular characters, Navajo Tribal Police officers Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) and Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon). The pair work together in the 1970s Southwest on what looks like a standard robbery case, only for it to transform into a strange affair with multiple twists and turns. 

Season 2 becomes the hunt for a serial killer, and the show uses the period setting well. It addresses topics of Native American culture, bigotry and some borderline supernatural elements with the two leads terrific in their parts. Each season is only six episodes so it makes for a fast binge and doesn’t drag the storyline out too far, making it more captivating. A third season has been ordered, so it’s a great time to hook onto this underrated, gripping crime show. 

Fear The Walking Dead

The best of the various TWD spinoffs begins by showing what the main series doesn’t, the beginning of the zombie outbreak. A dysfunctional blended family has to escape a Los Angeles overrun by Walkers and fight to survive. From there, the series continues to up the stakes every year and while the Walkers are a threat, the real push of the show is watching civilization collapse under the weight of the undead.

The show gets more exciting, including a few TWD characters popping up like Lennie James as Morgan. The cast is excellent, with Kim Dickens, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Frank Dillane, Colman Domingo, and more. However, just like the regular TWD series, don’t get too attached, as shocking character deaths are a regular thing. The expansion into the TWD world is well done, and it is worth checking out the full eight season run that reminds you why this franchise has done so well. 

Kevin Can F— Himself

Every now and then, a TV show dares to break the rules as an experiment. This remarkable series begins with Kevin (Eric Petersen), a guy so self-involved that he sees the world like a network sitcom where he’s the bumbling but loveable husband to suffering wife Allison (Annie Murphy). It looks like it’s on CBS with a studio audience and silly jokes. But whenever Kevin isn’t on screen, the show becomes a darker single-camera drama of Allison handling life with this selfish jerk.

The series works on many levels from a deconstruction of sitcom tropes (turns out it’s not all laughs married to a guy blowing money on get rich quick scams) to a meta discussion of the medium. Murphy’s performance is remarkable as we see how the other characters get into some crazy affairs while the shifting between “shows” is well done. Best of all, at only two seasons, the concept doesn’t run into the ground, so it stands as a unique series to check out. 

Gangs of London

This gripping British drama is one of the boldest crime shows in a long time. When a long-standing icon of the London underworld is murdered, his son steps up to take over the family business. But rival gangs smell blood in the water and a new battle for control of the underworld is underway that turns bloody. It’s all seen through the eyes of one crook who just happens to be an undercover cop. 

The show rests on the action, which is straight out of a movie, with brutal fights and double-crossing abounding. No one can be trusted as the stakes amp up and our “hero” is soon drawn into a darker world. It’s a crazy show yet also amazingly captivating and its two seasons pack in more crime action than a half dozen series put together to be an incredible watch. 

Monsieur Spade

The original tough-guy private eye, Sam Spade has been a fan-favorite character for producers for decades. Clive Owen becomes the latest actor to play the role in a unique new take. Set in the 1960s, Spade has finally retired after his rough life and settled into the south of France. His quiet retirement is spoiled when six nuns are brutally murdered and Spade is soon helping on the case.

Owen does a fine job as a more world-weary Spade, with the irony that he feels more alive than ever in this case. It’s a darker take with a mystery that has possible supernatural elements and yet is as grounded as any classic Spade tale. For fans old and new, it’s a reminder how great Spade can be.