August’s movie lineup embraces a quieter summer blowout with twisted tales, contemporary romances, and underground franchise releases.
Whether you are intrigued to see the latest M. Night Shyamalan twist or how Nick Jonas operates in an indie romance, there are lots of hidden gems this month to uncover if you’re craving a trip to the cinema.
In order of premiere date, here are our top picks for movies releasing in August:
1. Trap — In Theaters, August 2
What starts as a fun play on Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour phenomenon with a man taking his daughter to see her pop idol turns sinister and dark. The concert is set up to catch a serial killer — complicating things for the father, who also happens to moonlight as the infamous killer the authorities are pursuing.
Of course, if you know M. Night Shyamalan, Trap has more than just this one twist up its sleeve, and nothing about this premise is likely what it seems.
Film Synopsis: A father and his teen daughter attend a pop concert only to realize they’ve entered the center of a dark and sinister event.
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Hayley Mills, Alison Pill
Trailer:
2. It Ends with Us — In Theaters, August 9
Based on the hit novel of the same name, It Ends with Us has received a lot of buzz going into its premiere this month — some good and some not so great.
Regardless, actor and the film’s director Justin Baldoni is determined to deliver a memorable romance flick in which Lily Bloom escapes a traumatic past to find a career and true love in Boston. But when her past comes back to haunt her, Lily will have to find the strength to fight for the future she deserves, not the past she is fleeing.
Film Synopsis: The first Colleen Hoover novel adapted for the big screen, tells the story of Lily Bloom, a woman who overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life in Boston and chase a lifelong dream of opening her own business. A chance meeting with charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid sparks an intense connection, but as the two fall deeply in love, Lily begins to see sides of Ryle that remind her of her parents’ relationship. When Lily’s first love, Atlas Corrigan, suddenly reenters her life, her relationship with Ryle is upended, and Lily realizes she must learn to rely on her own strength to make an impossible choice for her future.
Cast: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Brandon Sklenar, Alex Neustaedter, Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj
Trailer:
3. Borderlands — In Theaters, August 9
This underground action blockbuster boasts an impressive ensemble of actors in prosthetics. We’ve got Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Jamie Lee Curtis (just to name a few).
Thrown together as a ragtag group of ravagers and treasure hunters in a dystopian wasteland, Blanchett’s Lilith must find the missing daughter of Atlas while keeping the alliance between this group of misfits functioning long enough to survive the deadly Borderlands.
Film Synopsis: Lilith, an infamous treasure hunter with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home planet of Pandora to find the missing daughter of Atlas, the universe’s most powerful S.O.B. She forms an unexpected alliance with a ragtag team of misfits — Roland, once a highly respected soldier, but now desperate for redemption; Tiny Tina, a feral pre-teen demolitionist; Krieg , Tina’s musclebound, rhetorically challenged protector; Tannis, the scientist who’s seen it all; and Claptrap, a persistently wiseass robot.
These unlikely heroes must battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find and protect the missing girl, who may hold the key to unimaginable power. The fate of the universe could be in their hands — but they’ll be fighting for something more: each other. Based on one of the best-selling videogame franchises of all time, welcome to Borderlands.
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, Gina Gershon, Edgar Ramirez, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu
Trailer:
4. The Good Half — In Theaters, August 16
A hidden gem from the film festival circuit last year, The Good Half is finally entering mainstream media with performances from Nick Jonas, Brittany Snow, and David Arquette.
When Jonas’ Renn returns home for a funeral, he must reevaluate his relationship with his family now that their mother is gone. He will have to navigate the conflict of grief while exploring the joys of forging new relationships.
Film Synopsis: Renn Wheeland returns home to Cleveland for his mother’s funeral. Once there, he forges new relationships while healing old ones, before confronting his problems and trying to face his grief.
Cast: Nick Jonas, Brittany Snow, David Arquette, Alexandra Shipp, Matt Walsh,
Trailer:
5. The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat, Streaming on Disney+
A story of lifelong support and friendship, this film follows Odette, Barbara Jean, and Clarice, a.k.a. “The Supremes,” as they grow older and meet challenges head-on while enjoying food in their favorite diner booth together.
New illnesses and heartbreak will test the bond of sisterhood in new ways, however, as the women look back at their past in a new light.
Film Synopsis: The movie follows lifelong best friends Odette, Barbara Jean, and Clarice known as “The Supremes”, who share the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood from decades of weathering life’s storms. Through the joys and sorrows of life, marriage and children, happiness and blues, love and loss, new shades of heartbreak and illness threaten to stir up the past when the trio sees their bond put to the test as they face their most challenging times yet.
Cast: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Sanaa Lathan, Uzo Aduba
Trailer:
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What movies will you be watching this July? Share your picks in the comments below! And catch up with our July movie picks right here.
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Alicia Gilstorf
Alicia is a writer from Canada. She credits her passion for TV and film to superheroes, workplace comedies, cheesy holiday movies, and coming-of-age stories.
