The heat continues to rise as we move into August, a month full of off-kilter selections. Horror, comedy and thrillers take up most of the month, so grab a pal and head to your nearest theater.
Starting the month off a little weird, we have Cuckoo. Gretchen (Hunter Schafer, Euphoria) travels to her father’s home in Germany, where she meets his immediately off-putting boss Mr. Konig (Dan Stevens, Downton Abbey). The trailer shows her working a front desk – but after hours, things start to get a little spooky. Strange noises, bloody images and everyone around her acting particularly nonchalant about the whole thing makes Gretchen realize she’s in for more than she bargained for. It hits theaters on Aug. 2.
If you want comedy, music and a little bit of Irish flare, look no further than Kneecap. Set in West Belfast, the film follows the rise of hip-hop trio Kneecap, a group that sings politically charged lyrics in both English and Irish. The actual band members will portray themselves, with supporting roles from Michael Fassbender and Simone Kirby (His Dark Materials). It was the first Irish language film to premiere at Sundance and looks to tell a fun story with light drama when it comes stateside on Aug. 2.
For a crime thriller with some big names, don’t miss The Instigators. Starring Casey Affleck and Matt Damon, the story concerns two bank robbers who must go on the run after a robbery goes awry – only they also drag their therapist (Hong Chau, Downsizing) along for the ride. Directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity), who is well known for his action flicks, this has good potential for excellent late summer fare. The cast also includes Paul Walter Hauser (I, Tonya), Michael Stuhlbarg (Call Me By Your Name), Ving Rhames (Mission: Impossible) and Alfred Molina (Frida). It has a limited release on Aug. 2 followed by a streaming release to Apple TV+ on Aug. 9.
If you’re looking for a “could be good, could be awful” adventure, I suggest Trap. Starring Josh Hartnett as Cooper, a serial killer dubbed “The Butcher,” the plot shows him attending a concert with his daughter – only to discover the entire thing might be a trap set just to catch him. Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, the movie seems to have a lot going for it. However, as we’ve seen in the past, Shyamalan has a knack for blowing a great premise. Hopefully it will do better than his daughter’s film The Watchers, which was a bomb critically and financially, when it comes out on Aug. 9.
Lastly, another entry in a long running franchise hits theaters with Alien: Romulus. Set between the events of Alien and Aliens – creative names here – the story follows a group of fresh faced space colonists who come in contact with a deadly xenomorph. The trailer has plenty of chest-exploding alien attacks and will almost assuredly result with all but one human dead. Cailee Spaeny (Civil War) leads the cast directed by Fede Alvarez (Don’t Breathe) in what looks to be a fun entry to the sci-fi genre. It releases on Aug. 16.
