What to Stream: August 28–September 3, 2026

The short answer: Dark Matter Season 2 is the week's returning sci-fi event, with Season 1 already sitting at 81% from critics and 80% from audiences, while The Whisper Man is the clearest one-sitting movie bet if a father-son crime thriller is the mood. Chad Powers Season 2 and The Gentlemen Season 2 are the full-season weekend plans. Desert Warrior is the Skip It call, with a 26% Tomatometer and an earlier streaming history before Hulu.

The week at a glance

This guide covers US arrivals from August 28 through September 3, 2026. The list mixes first-run premieres, returning seasons, and titles arriving on a new service; the distinction matters when a Rotten Tomatoes score already reflects an earlier release. Rotten Tomatoes figures are a snapshot checked August 27, 2026. A missing percentage means the relevant page did not expose one at that check, not a zero score.

Title	Service and timing	Format / time commitment	Rotten Tomatoes	Verdict
Dark Matter S2	Apple TV+, Aug. 28	Season 2 premiere; 10 weekly episodes	Season 2 not yet scored; Season 1: 81% critics (59 reviews); 80% audience (1,000+ ratings) 1 2	Watch It if Season 1 worked for you
The Whisper Man	Netflix, Aug. 28	Film; 1h 54m	Not yet scored; 0 critic reviews; 0 audience ratings 3	Watch It for a one-sitting thriller
The Gentlemen S2	Netflix, Sep. 3	Eight-episode season	Season 2 not yet scored; Season 1: 75% critics (71 reviews); 84% audience (1,000+ ratings) 4 5	Binge-Worthy for crime-comedy fans
Chad Powers S2	Hulu, Sep. 3	Six episodes; all available at once	Season 2 not yet scored; Season 1: 60% critics (52 reviews); 84% audience (500+ ratings) 6 7	Binge-Worthy for sports-comedy fans
Desert Warrior	Hulu, Aug. 28	Film; 2h 6m; earlier streaming May 26	26% critics (23 reviews); 60% audience (250+ verified ratings) 8	Skip It unless desert-epic spectacle is enough
The Producer	HBO Max, Aug. 28	Season 1; 12 weekly episodes	Not yet scored; 0 reviews 9	Watch It for Mandopop-industry drama
Smile 2	Netflix, Sep. 3	Film; 2h 7m; library arrival	86% critics (212 reviews); 81% audience (2,500+ verified ratings) 10	Watch It for a score-backed horror night

Apple TV+: the multiverse family thriller returns

Dark Matter Season 2 — Aug. 28

Jennifer Connelly and Joel Edgerton facing each other in a kitchen in Dark Matter Season 2

Jennifer Connelly and Joel Edgerton in Apple TV+'s Dark Matter Season 2. Image: Apple TV Press.

Season 2 picks up with the Dessens trying to settle into a quiet life in a world that finally looks safe, until they have to run again. Jason's obsession with the Box deepens, Daniela grows more paranoid, Amanda and Ryan try to find their way home, and Blair works to stop Leighton from chasing a perfect world. Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, Jimmi Simpson, Dayo Okeniyi, Oakes Fegley, and Amanda Brugel return. Blake Crouch created the series from his novel. 11 12

Apple is releasing 10 episodes weekly: Episode 1 on August 28, then Fridays through October 30. Season 2 itself has no Tomatometer or Popcornmeter percentage yet. Season 1 still carries an 81% critic score from 59 reviews and an 80% audience score from more than 1,000 ratings. 2 13

Verdict: Watch It. One new episode is a low weekend commitment, and the Season 1 scores give the return a usable quality floor. Skip the premiere only if the first season's identity swaps and corridor chases already felt like enough.

Netflix: a De Niro thriller, a Guy Ritchie return, and a scored horror arrival

The Whisper Man — Aug. 28

Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, and Michelle Monaghan in a tense hallway scene from The Whisper Man

Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, and Michelle Monaghan in The Whisper Man. Image: Netflix Tudum.

When his eight-year-old son is abducted, a widowed crime writer turns to his estranged father, a retired detective, and finds a link to a decades-old serial killer known as the Whisper Man. Robert De Niro plays Pete Willis, Adam Scott plays Tom Kennedy, and Michelle Monaghan plays Amanda Beck, with Hamish Linklater, Owen Teague, and Acston Luca Porto also in the cast. James Ashcroft directs the Alex North adaptation for Netflix and AGBO. The film runs 1 hour 54 minutes and is rated R. 14 15

Rotten Tomatoes had exposed no critic reviews and no audience ratings at this check. 3

Verdict: Watch It. The cast, the novel adaptation, and the one-sitting runtime make this the week's cleanest movie plan even without a live score. Viewers who need review confirmation first can wait a few days after August 28.

The Gentlemen Season 2 — Sep. 3

Season 2 picks up one year later, with Eddie Horniman expanding the criminal empire alongside Susie Glass and her incarcerated father, Bobby. The story moves from the Halstead cannabis farm into Italy, where Eddie and Susie face Marco Moretti and fixer Cico Maldini. Theo James, Kaya Scodelario, Ray Winstone, Giancarlo Esposito, and Vinnie Jones return; Hugh Bonneville, Sergio Castellitto, and Michele Morrone join. Guy Ritchie created the series. Softonic reports an eight-episode run arriving September 3. 16 17 18

Season 2 has no current Tomatometer or Popcornmeter percentage. Season 1 still sits at 75% from 71 critic reviews and 84% from more than 1,000 audience ratings. 4 5

Verdict: Binge-Worthy. Eight episodes and a Season 1 audience score that outran the critics make this the week's strongest crime-comedy commitment. Choose it when stylish gangster banter is the goal; skip it if the first season's swagger already wore thin.

Smile 2 — Sep. 3

Pop star Skye Riley begins experiencing terrifying events while preparing a world tour and has to confront her past before the curse takes over. Naomi Scott stars. The film runs 2 hours 7 minutes and arrives on Netflix as a library title on September 3. 10 18

Rotten Tomatoes currently shows 86% from 212 critic reviews and 81% from more than 2,500 verified audience ratings. That makes Smile 2 the week's only score-backed horror option.

Verdict: Watch It. The reception is settled, the runtime is clear, and the premise is specific enough to separate it from generic jump-scare filler. Skip it only if the first Smile already closed the book on the curse format for you.

Hulu: a full football comedy season and a weak desert epic arrival

Chad Powers Season 2 — Sep. 3

After Ricky uncovered Russ Holliday's identity at the end of Season 1, Season 2 follows Russ as he tries to protect the lie with help from Danny and, reluctantly, Ricky, while Coach Hudson grows suspicious. Glen Powell returns as Russ / Chad Powers, with Perry Mattfeld, Steve Zahn, Frankie Rodriguez, Wynn Everett, and Quentin Plair. All six episodes arrive together on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ on September 3. 19 20

Season 2 has no current Rotten Tomatoes percentage. Season 1 finished at 60% from 52 critics and 84% from more than 500 audience ratings. 6 7

Verdict: Binge-Worthy. The full six-episode drop gives the comedy a clean weekend shape, and the Season 1 audience score is the signal that matters for this premise. Choose it if prosthetic-face football farce still sounds fun; skip it if the first season's critic split already felt like a ceiling.

Desert Warrior — Aug. 28

Anthony Mackie plays Hanzala, a desert rogue who helps a fugitive king and princess and makes an enemy of Emperor Kisra. Aiysha Hart, Sami Bouajila, Sharlto Copley, and Lamis Ammar also star; Rupert Wyatt directs. The film runs 2 hours 6 minutes. Hulu Press lists the August 28 arrival, while Rotten Tomatoes records an earlier May 26 streaming date after an April 24 theatrical release, so this is a Hulu catalog add rather than a first-run premiere. 8 21 22

The current Rotten Tomatoes snapshot is harsh: 26% from 23 critic reviews and 60% from more than 250 verified audience ratings.

Verdict: Skip It. The critic score is low enough to make a two-hour commitment a poor default, even with Mackie in the lead. Keep it on the list only if desert-war spectacle matters more than review consensus.

HBO Max: a Taiwanese music-industry drama opens weekly

The Producer Season 1 — Aug. 28

Aspiring music creator Liao Miao-jun becomes production assistant to celebrated producer Wu Pei-zu. Despite clashing personalities, the two try to climb Taiwan's Mandopop scene together. Yo Yang plays Wu Pei-zu and 9m88 plays Liao Miao-jun, with Ma Nien-hsien, Edward Chen, Pets Tseng, Rhydian Vaughan, and a guest appearance by Wakin Chau. Television Asia Plus describes a 12-episode HBO Original that debuts August 28 on HBO Max, with new episodes on subsequent Fridays. 23 24 25

Rotten Tomatoes currently shows no Tomatometer or Popcornmeter percentage for the series. 9

Verdict: Watch It. A weekly Mandopop workplace drama is a specific lane, and the first episode keeps the commitment small. Viewers who need an English-language binge or a live reception score should look elsewhere this week.

Bottom line

For returning sci-fi: Dark Matter Season 2 — one episode August 28, with Season 1 already at 81% critics / 80% audience.
For a one-sitting thriller: The Whisper Man — 1 hour 54 minutes, De Niro and Adam Scott, no RT score yet.
For a crime-comedy binge: The Gentlemen Season 2 — eight episodes from September 3, with Season 1 at 75% / 84%.
For a sports-comedy binge: Chad Powers Season 2 — all six episodes land together on Hulu.
For scored horror: Smile 2 — 86% critics / 81% audience on a 2-hour-7-minute Netflix arrival.
For Mandopop drama: The Producer — Episode 1 August 28, then weekly.
Clear pass: Desert Warrior — 26% Tomatometer and an earlier streaming date before Hulu.

Platform schedules can change. The dates above use the platform calendar or official platform announcement for US availability; the Rotten Tomatoes figures are the August 27 snapshot and may move as more reviews and audience ratings arrive.