The summer season is winding down and August typically isn’t the best month for movies. That being said, there are a handful of films — led by Logan Lucky and The Hitman’s Bodyguard — we’re looking forward to with plenty of films we’ll probably see even though there isn’t much desire to actually do so. Here’s the August release calendar and their trailers, ranked in order of anticipation:
1. Logan Lucky (August 18)
Logan Lucky features an amazing cast and is directed by Steven Soderbergh who is “coming out of retirement” after taking a 4 year hiatus from filmmaking. The premise is novel. A family of siblings plan a robbery to occur during the Coca-Cola 600, a NASCAR event.
2. The Hitman’s Bodyguard (August 18)
Featuring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, this film has the funniest trailer of the summer. We’ll see if it can wrestle the crown away from Girls Trip to become the funniest movie of the summer.
3. The Dark Tower (August 4)
Remember when it seemed like there was a new movie based on the works of Stephen King almost every month? Well, with The Dark Tower in August and It in September, we’re about to get that feeling again. With Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey as the headliners, the King connection only adds more reason to see it and is not the main reason.
4. The Glass Castle (August 11)
The Glass Castle feels a lot like last year’s Captain Fantastic. With Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson and Naomi Watts, this based on a true story adaptation of the memoir of the same name looks like a winner.
5. Detroit (August 4)
Director Kathryn Bigelow’s latest is about the Detroit riots of 1967. Her last two feature films were The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty which earned her a Best Director Oscar and a nomination respectively. While I’m not sure Detroit will do the same, it does boast a very good cast with John Boyega, Will Poulter, Jacob Latimore, Anthony Mackie, Jack Reynor and John Krasinski all involved. It also has an 89% Tomatometer coming out of the gate.
6. Patti Cake$ (August 18)
A plus-sized white girl from Bergen County, New Jersey wants to be a rapper. That’s the premise. Tell me you aren’t intrigued. I don’t believe you.
7. Ingrid Goes West (August 11)
Another Aubrey Plaza flick that looks completely off the rails. The Wilmington, Delaware native continues to show up in films that feature ridiculous plots and usually has Plaza playing a character that appears to be a little unhinged. Ingrid Goes West is no exception.
8. Birth of the Dragon (August 25)
Blumhouse Tilt and WWE Studios tell you one thing about Birth of the Dragon: Low budget! This martial arts flick has Bruce Lee as a central character although there’s accusations of whitewashing since the plot also features a white character, Lee’s friend Steve McKee, rather heavily. Lee’s daughter has also distanced herself from the film saying it does not capture his philosophies or artistry.
9. Wind River (August 4)
I doubt director Taylor Sheridan will make the splash he made last year with Hell or High Water here but there’s some pretty strong, positive buzz for Wind River. Let’s hope Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner are as strong in the lead roles as the cast of Hell or High Water was in theirs.
10. Columbus (August 4)
The son of an renowned architecture scholar is stranded in Columbus, Ohio when his father falls ill. He makes friends with an architecture enthusiast who works at a local library and they explore the town and their emotions together. I’m trusting the early critical buzz on this one.
11. Good Time (August 11)
A barely recognizable Robert Pattinson is in the lead role. A24 is the production company. It doesn’t matter what it is about, I’m game.
12. Crown Heights (August 25)
A black man in Brooklyn is wrongfully convicted of murder and his best friend spends decades trying to prove his innocence.
13. Kidnap (August 4)
The Halle Berry thriller has finally locked in a release date as August 4 is actually the 5th different release date the film has secured since 2015. That should make anyone nervous.
14. Tulip Fever (August 25)
Like Kidnap, Tulip Fever has also bounced around the schedule and even previously appeared on an “anticpated releases” list as this is its 3rd release date in 13 months. Again, be nervous.
15. Gook (August 18)
A story of two Korean brothers who own a shoe store in South Central Los Angeles and befriend an 11-year old black girl with the 1992 Rodney King riots as the backdrop.
16. Lemon (August 18)
Brett Gelman plays Isaac Lachmann, a dud of a human being whose life is falling apart.
17. Some Freaks (August 4)
A one-eyed high school senior falls in love with a 250-lb. classmate but when she moves across country and loses 50 pounds, their relationship is put to the test.
18. Beach Rats (August 25)
An aimless Brooklyn teen struggles to escape his home life by spending time with his girlfriend, his friends and chatting with older men online.
19. Leap! (August 25)
Not the least anticipated animated film of August.
20. The Only Living Boy in New York (August 11)
The son of a publisher finds out his father is having an affair and is determined to break up the relationship. In his effort to break up the affair, he sleeps with his father’s mistress launching a series of events that changes everything he knows about himself and his family. Maybe this should be higher on the list but I really hate the title.
21. The Trip to Spain (August 11)
I guess this is a sequel to two movies — The Trip and The Trip to Italy — I’ve never seen. I hear they’re funny. I’m still not all that interested.
22. All Saints (August 25)
Faith-based film expecting a wide release starring John Corbett. There’s enough coming out this month that this will likely miss my calendar.
23. The Ghoul (August 4)
A homicide detective goes undercover as a patient to investigate a psychotherapist he believes is linked to a double murder.
24. Lycan (August 4)
One of a trio of August horror releases I’d rather sit out.
25. Annabelle: Creation (August 11)
The second of the trio of August horror releases and the one I have the best chance of seeing since it will be in wide release.
26. Bedeviled (August 11)
The only reason this isn’t last is because it looks so awful, it might be entertaining.
27. The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature (August 11)
It’s one thing to be nervous when a film is moved around the calendar, it’s another when it’s a sequel. This is the 4th release date for The Nut Job 2 which doesn’t bode well for the sequel to 2014’s The Nut Job which pulled in $64 million domestically.