It’s been a long, hot summer — really, really hot. We find ourselves entering August, maybe standing not quite so tall as we did back in June, maybe slipping and sliding a little, in our own personal pools of sweat, onto the next page of the calendar. But you know what? We may be exhausted, but we’re not defeated. No, the blazing sun and rising temps may be doing their worst, but we’re stronger than we ever knew. And the best way to honor that truth (and also to hide inside with the AC blasting) is to take in a heat-wave stream.  

So call up a summer classic that will speak straight to your hazy brain, a steamy supernatural origin story, or a sizzling reality competition that really turns up the heat. There’s no better way to keep things cool this August weekend. 

But first, what’s new on Netflix?

Love across the pond. Iain Morris’s new rom-com, My Oxford Year, inspired by Julia Whelan’s novel, depicts the romance of an American (Sofia Carson) who meets a charming Brit (Corey Mylchreest) when she goes to study at Oxford. Not registering for that? Tune into The Son of Sam Tapes, director Joe Berlinger’s latest entry in the Conversations with a Killer collection of true crime docuseries, each examining the case of a notorious serial killer. Not a conversation you’re into? Call up Leanne, the new sitcom co-created (with Chuck Lorre and Susan McMartin) by and starring Leanne Morgan. The comedian plays a Southern matriarch who finds herself starting over, with the help of her wacky family, when her husband of 33 years leaves her. 

If you have just a night … 

Stay classy. If the heat has you feeling loopy, turn to Adam McKay’s absurd Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, which operates on a similar level of fever-dream logic. Will Ferrell stars as Ron Burgundy, a local news anchor in 1970s San Diego whose life and career are disrupted by a more competent new colleague (Christina Applegate). Released in the summer of 2004 (meaning it recently turned 21 — someone pour it a scotchy scotch scotch), the now-iconic film is a quintessential summer comedy and the ideal heat wave stream. Just remember, as you gather your viewing refreshments: When it’s this damn hot, milk is a bad choice. 

If you have a whole day … 

Sink your teeth into Interview with the Vampire. Anne Rice’s gothic horror series The Vampire Chronicles hit the small screen in 2022, developed by Rolin Jones, and was brought back to life with the fresh blood of Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid as the vampires Louis de Pointe du Lac and Lestat de Lioncourt, respectively. Cold-blooded though they are, these immortals serve up hot drama in the series’ acclaimed first season, throughout which Louis tells a journalist (Eric Bogosian) the story of his (undead) life, all against the backdrop of sultry New Orleans. Go ahead, take a bite. 

If you have the entire weekend … 

Test your spice tolerance. Over six seasons, the dating reality competition series Too Hot to Handle brings together a group of commitment-resistant sexy singles and puts them through various exercises to facilitate authentic connections. They’re all competing for a big cash prize, but the total diminishes every time someone breaks the one big house rule: Sexual contact or gratification of any kind is strictly forbidden. Can you handle the heat? 

Don’t forget, you have one last chance … 

To check in with the Kyles. Damon Wayans stars as Michael Kyle, Sr, a Connecticut dad trying to cling to some semblance of control over his three children, in the early-aughts sitcom My Wife and Kids, which was co-created by Wayans and Don Reo and ran for five seasons from 2000–2005. In a few days, husband, wife, and kids will all pack up and leave.