Top 10 August Movies Ranked By Excitement
The last month of Summer movie season is here!
And, while MOST of the biggest blockbusters have already hit theaters, there’s still tons of great looking flicks to check out in August!
August brings us a wide swath of flicks from low budget comedies, to a couple of Crime Dramas, and a bazaar Fantasy Romance from legendary Director George Miller.
So, let’s take a look at my Top 10 August Movies Ranked By Excitement!
— #10 — August Movies — Mack & Rita —
In at Number 10 is Mack & Rita, a Millennial Comedy about a 30 year old with an old soul, magically having her outsides match her insides.
‘Welcome! Think about who you want to be. I’m a 70 year old woman, trapped, who just needs a minute! Oh my God!’
30 year old Mack, played by Elizabeth Rail, climbs into a magical tanning bed, and turns into her 70 year old self, played by Diane Keaton.
Quickly, Mack realizes she’s stuck as her older self for a while, so she starts going as her Aunt ‘Rita’. And, Rita find out she can have a lot of fun with women her OWN age!
‘How often do you ladies meet for your wine club? Every day! Sometimes we spend the weekend. **Laughing**’
Clearly, ‘Mack And Rita’ is heavily influenced by the Tom Hanks classic ‘Big’, but with a more West Coast, female, and Millenial twist.
I don’t think Mack & Rita will turn into an all time classic like Big, but it does look like a fun flick appreciating what you have, when you have it.
‘Everything that’s happening for you right now… Is because you’re showing the world who you are. We’re getting some interesting offers for Rita.’
Mack & Rita hits theaters August 12.
— #9 — August Movies — Summering —
In at Number 9 is Summering, another 80's-influenced adaptation, with a female bend. This coming-of-age almost-teenage drama looks like a girls-version of ‘Stand By Me’.
‘I’m 11, a number that looks like two people standing next to each other. This is our last weekend before Middle School. I want to go backwards, not forward.’
A group of four friends from Elementary School reflect on growing up, growing older, and even life and death.
‘That can’t be real. Of course, it’s real. He’s… Dead.’
Lia Barnett, Sanai Victoria, Madalen Mills, and Eden Grace Redfield play our foursome of Daisy, Lola, Dina, and Mari… Trying to manage those complicated waters of not being a kid anymore, but not being anywhere close to being an adult yet, either.
Much like Stand By Me, they find a dead body, and go on one last adventure before Summer ends. Summering looks like it can be a meaningful film for the right audience
‘Those are some tough years. It can be so hard to know what’s right. You remember when it used to be better to be older? Well, it doesn’t seem all that great.’
Summering comes out August 12.
— — #8 — August Movies — The Invitation —
In at Number 8 is The Invitation, a horror flick about long lost families, starring Fast & Furious actress Nathalie Emmanuel.
‘I got a Cousin! That is the whitest man I’ve ever seen! Cousin Avery! It sounds so Jane Austin when you say it. There’s a wedding coming up. Come on! Everyone is DYING to meet you.’
As if the invitation from someone you’ve NEVER met to a mansion in the woods isn’t enough… You’d think the creepy guy eyeing you up and down would be enough of a tip off to say ‘NO’!
But, apparently Evie doesn’t realize she’s inside of a horror film, and the rich people in the woods are full on CRAZY!!!
‘Walter DeVille. Uh. Hi. Hiii. What are you doing down there? You should return to your room.’
This looks like a ton of horror flicks we’ve seen many times before, but the whole ’23 and Me’ genetic testing thing has me intrigued. Did they rig the test? Where did their family get their money?
And, what’s the deal with all the wedding talk??!! But still, this looks like a freaky, fun, horror flick!
‘Where are the bride and groom? **slashing** Our new bride! **laughing**’
The Invitation hits theaters August 26.
— — #7 — August Movies — Day Shift — —
In at Number 7 is Jamie Foxx’ latest vampire killing Comedy, ‘Day Shift’. Foxx plays Bud Jablonski, a guy killing vampires any way possible, just to put food on the table.
‘What are you doing in my room? **Gunshot, Crash** Hunting Vampires. **Crunching, Gunshots, Killing**’
Vampire hunting in Day Shift is a blue collar, Union gig. Kill Vamps for cash, and keep a roof over your head for you and yours.
Snoop Dogg plays Big John Elliot, Jablonski’s former co-worker, trying to get him back in the Union’s good graces.
‘Your record is chalked full of incidents. He’s a new man! Final warning!’
Director J.J. Perry did stunts on both John Wick and the Fast & Furious franchise, and now brings that action pedigree to this Netflix Action Comedy.
Joining him are Snoop, Meagan Good, Shameless’ Steve Howey, and Dave Franco.
‘Somebody help me! **Beheading** Vampires just tried to kill me! Everybody pisses themselves the first time. Did you? Well, no. I didn’t.’
Day Shift streams on Netflix August 12.
— — #6 — August Movies — Spin Me Round — —
In at Number 6 is Spin Me Round, with Mad Men’s Alison Brie playing a hard working restaurant manager who gets rewarded with an all expenses paid work trip.
‘They take all of the top managers to Italy! Pack your bags. WHAT? Nick Martucci! Ciao, amichis! I’m excited to get to know you better.’
Alessandro Nivola joins an all star cast as the C.E.O. of the Olive Garden-esque restaurant chain.
Fred Armisen, Molly Shannon, Lil Rel Howery also star; along with Aubrey Plaza as the not-so-easily impressed personal assistant.
‘I can’t afford this. It’s Nick’s treat. Hire a prostitute-a…. What??!!’
Spin Me Round looks like a fun and quirky look inside the ranks of the food service industry.
Speaking of ‘quirky’, Zach Woods from The Office also joins the cast of this Rom Com from IFC Films. And, he brings his signature paranoia and freak outs with him.
‘Listen, I think something really weird might be going on. This program sucks! Lighten up a little bit, please!’
Spin Me Round releases August 19
— — #5 — August Movies — Emily The Criminal — —
In at Number 5 is another Aubrey Plaza movie, but this time she’s on the wrong side of the law in ‘Emily The Criminal’.
‘In the next hour, you will make $200 cash, but you have to do something illegal. Yo, you going to pay for that? Oh my god, sorry man.’
Plaza plays the titular ‘Emily’, a thirty-something in Los Angeles in debt up to her eye balls.
Emily needs to make some quick cash, and appears to be good at petty crime. And, she seems to want to step up to the bigger scores.
‘You could show me how to do it. None of this is safe. But, if you listen to exactly what I say, you’ll be fine.’
Emily The Criminal appears to be a fascinating, fast-paced drama; with lots to say about the dangers of mounting debt.
Army Of The Dead’s Theo Rossi also stars in this cautionary tale that premiered at Sundance Film Festival this past January.
‘I want my cut. Princess wants everything! L.A.P.D.! People just keep taking from you until you make the rules yourself! WAIT!’
Emily The Criminal hits theaters August 12.
— — #4 — August Movies — Easter Sunday — —
In at Number 4 is Standup Comedienne Jo Koy’s look at his Filipino Family and culture in Easter Sunday.
‘Like a T.V. show. Ah, you’re playing a pilot on the T.V. SHOW… No, a LAWYER! You could’ve been a lawyer if you ONLY applied yourself.’
Super Troopers Director Jay Chandrasekhar helms this look at a successful standup comedian returning home to spend Easter Sunday with his family.
Like many recent immigrant families, cultural differences pop up between those born in the old country, and those that grew up here in the States. And, Easter Sunday looks like a fun look at how some of those cultural differences pop up.
‘We’re sending gifts to our families in the Philippines! If it makes your hair look like THAT, I wouldn’t send it. How dare you! We should put them both in the box and ship it!’
Lydia Gaston, Tia Carrere, Jimmy O. Yang, and Tiffany Haddish also star in what looks to be a feel-good family comedy.
Easter Sunday looks like it celebrates everything Filipino, including the only Boxer turned Politician I’ve personally ever heard of.
‘My PIN Number is 12–17. Ooo, also, is mine. Me too! Why do you all have the same PIN Number? It’s Manny Pacquiao’s Birthday!’
Easter Sunday hits theaters August 5.
— — #3 — August Movies — Bodies Bodies Bodies — —
In at Number 3 is the latest Black Comedy Horror flick from A24, poking fun of wealthy Gen-Z stereotypes in Bodies Bodies Bodies.
‘Who wants to play Bodies Bodies Bodies? I get so stressed out everytime we play this. Somebody always ends up crying. **Slap, slap** **Crying** So, how do you play?’
A group of wealthy twenty-somethings, led by Amanda Stenberg as ‘Sophie’ and SNL’s Pete Davidson as ‘David’; decide to ride out a hurricane in a mansion, and play some games along the way.
‘What is that? Xanax, do you want one? Yes! So, if you could just not escalate the situation, that’d be great! I’m not escalating! You’re the one holding a knife and moving your hands while you talk!’
Needless to say, when the power goes out, people start to lose it!
Bodies Bodies Bodies looks like it plays with cultural and generational stereotypes, and even with Pete Davidson’s real life wildman persona.
‘I just look like I f — -. You know what I mean? And, that’s the vibe that I like to put out there. Yeah…’
Bodies Bodies Bodies hits theaters August 5.
— — Honorable Mention — August Movies — Beast — -
‘Go back to the girls. Dad, please! **Running, crashing sounds.**’
Idris Elba tries to take his daughters on a back-to-nature get-a-way, but runs into some man-eating-lions in ‘Beast’.
Iyana Halley and Leah Jeffries star as Elba’s daughters, and Sharlto Copley plays the hard luck game warden in this Survival Thriller. Beast hits theaters August 19.
— — Honorable Mention — August Movies — They/Them — —
‘Good Morning, Ladies and Gentlemen. You’re not happy, maybe you don’t fit in. I can’t make you straight. Give us this week. And, we might be able to help.’
Kevin Bacon stars as a camp counselor in a ‘pray-the-gay-away’ style religious camp in ‘They-slash-Them’.
Some of the campers start to turn up dead, and must defend themselves against a killer, as well as the conversion counselors, in this Blumhouse Production.
Anna Chlumsky, Theo Germaine, and Quei Tann also star. They-Slash-Them hits theaters August 5.
— — Honorable Mention — August Movies — Fall— —
‘The B-67 T.V. Tower. If you don’t confront your fears, you are always going to be afraid. Trust me **screeching** Hunter! **screaming**’
Grace Caroline Curry and Virginia Gardner try to climb a 2000-foot tall radio tower in ‘Fall’.
In what looks like a girl-power version of Sylverstallone’s ‘Cliffhanger’, Director Scott Mann plays with peoples’ inherit Acro-Phobia, or fear of heights.
This trailer has got me holding the armrests on my couch pretty tightly, so my guess is the effect will be much greater when seeing it on the big screen.
Fall hits theaters August 12.
— — #2 — August Movies — Bullet Train— —
In at Number 2 is Bullet Train, an Action/Comedy/Thriller with trained killers fighting over a briefcase, speeding across Japan.
‘You are getting the new and improved me. I think you’re forgetting what you do for a living. **guns clicking** Hey this is nice!’
Brad Pitt stars as ‘Lady Bug’, a trained killer trying to leave his life of murder behind.
His handler, played by Sandra Bullock, sends him on one last job; that ends up being way more complicated than he bargained for.
‘You said you wanted ‘simple’ for your first job back. Doesn’t get ‘simpler’! **Bell ding** You stabbed me? **Screaming**’
Based off a 2010 Japanese novel, Bullet Train brings an international all-star cast competing against each other; trying to steal each other’s briefcases.
Joey King, Kick Ass’ Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, and Japanese legend Hiroyuki Sanada also star
‘**Bell dinging** Do you want anything? Anything sparkling? Domo arigato. Sure you don’t want to talk this out? **Bottle bonks head**’
Bullet Train hits theaters August 5.
— — #1 — August Movies — Three Thousand Years Of Longing — —
In at Number 1 is Three Thousand Years Of Longing — Legendary Director George Miller’s take on the Genie and The Lamp.
‘In the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, I chose a momento. I’m sure it has an interesting story. **Whoosh** What will you wish for? What is your heart’s desire?’
Tilda Swinton stars as the hapless soul who stumbles upon the Genie, or Djinn, who grants her three wishes.
Idris Elba plays the ageless Djinn, guiding our lonely scholar through the wish making process, and the potential pitfalls that those wishes can bring.
‘There is NO story about Wishing that is NOT a cautionary tale. We all have desires. But, it is your story, and I can not wait to see where it goes!’
Mad Max Director George Miller brings his signature visual style to this timeless tale.
Longing is listed as a Drama/Fantasy/Romance, but it also looks like there’s a fair bit of Comedy in the movie, too.
‘Hello… He’ll be staying for a while. I’m beginning to wish we’d never met! **Smash** Don’t say that! **Wooshing**’
Three Thousand Years Of Longing hits theaters August 31.
