Much like July, August marks the release of some really promising films. With the exception of two films on this list, which are Warner Bros. films that will get the simultaneous HBO Max release, the other movies are going to be cinema-only experiences. This is subject to change of course, since we still live in volatile times, but if you are still hesitant to make the trip to the cinema, there are other noteworthy films on streaming services that are worth checking out. One such example is Amazon’s Annette, starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard.
Without further ado, here are the biggest new movies of August 2021.
August 2021 New Movies
1. The Suicide Squad | August 6th, 2021
The early reviews for Suicide Squad are in, and it’s looking like DC has themselves a winner. Maybe I shouldn’t speak too soon, since Wonder Woman 1984 started out certified fresh, but then a whole second wave of reviews hit, and now the film stands at 59% on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, the odds are pretty good, with a 96% rating for The Suicide Squad, a score built on the basis of 92 reviews at the time of this writing.
Most of the reviews are praising James Gunn’s madcap vision, which suits the zany and vicious world of Suicide Squad. Gunn, whose previous work includes the two Guardians of the Galaxy films, knows how to deal with characters who are misfits, and doesn’t hold back in this very R-rated display of anti-heroes. Familiar faces like Rick Flag, Harley Quinn, Amanda Waller will return, with new faces like Peacemaker, Bloodsport and so on – you won’t be able to keep track of them all, so do take notes — or not, since most of them are going to go boom anyway.
Check this one out in the cinema if you prefer your superhero movies to have a little more chaos.
2. Free Guy | August 13th, 2021
It seems like we’ve been waiting for Free Guy for ages now. I even thought it might get sold to a streaming platform or something. But nope, it’s August 2021 and Free Guy is getting a theatrical release. The stacked cast is certainly reason to see it, with the likes of Ryan Reynold, Jodie Comer, Joe Keery and Taika Waititi.
In the film, a bank teller called Guy (hence the title) discovers he is actually a background player in an open world video game, and so he decides to become the hero of his own story, one he rewrites himself. Now in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way. Kind of sounds like a mash-up of Ready Player One and The Lego Movie.
Will it be awesome? It’s hard to tell with video game films, but Reynolds did star in Detective Pikachu, which was a successful one, so maybe Free Guy will join its ranks too.
3. Don’t Breathe 2 | August 13th, 2021
Has there ever been a film as twisty as Don’t Breathe? What began as a simple breaking and entering turns into a whole other level of horror. I won’t spoil the film for you, in case you haven’t watched it and plan to do so before the sequel rolls into cinemas.
Stephen Lang, who played Norman Nordstrom in the first film, is returning for the sequel. This second film takes place a few years after the first, and the home invasion premise is once again in play.
Based on the trailer, it does seem that Norman undergoes a bit of a character shift, which is certainly conflicting. It also seems to give the ending away. However, considering the twists the first film had in store for its audience, maybe the trailer is building our expectations, only to deliver something else. I guess we’ll find out when Don’t Breathe 2 hits cinemas.
4. Reminiscence | August 20th, 2021
Hugh Jackman plays Nick Bannister, a private investigator of the mind who navigates the darkly alluring world of the past by helping his clients access lost memories. His life is forever changed when he takes on a new client, Mae (Rebecca Ferguson), who disappears. As Bannister fights to find the truth about Mae’s disappearance, he uncovers a violent conspiracy.
The most interesting fact here is that the film’s writer and director is Lisa Joy, wife of Jonathan Nolan, and the pair created HBO series Westworld together. It makes complete sense, since the film definitely draws inspiration from that, as well as Christopher Nolan’s Inception, with the incredible world-building, and its exploration of themes like memory and loss. Of all the films on this list, this is the one I’m most excited about, I guess because I know next to nothing about it (the trailer doesn’t reveal much).
With all the franchise films, as well as remakes/reboots that have littered our screens of late, it’s nice to see a blockbuster film that isn’t a part of that. Let’s hope Reminiscence delivers.
5. Candyman | August 27th, 2021
The film follows visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his girlfriend, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris), who move into a luxury loft condo in Cabrini. With Anthony’s painting career on the brink of stalling, a chance encounter with a former Cabrini resident (Colman Domingo) exposes Anthony to the tragically horrific nature of the true story behind Candyman. Anthony begins to explore these macabre details in his studio as a way to get more material for his paintings, which of course just leads to bad things.
This version of Candyman is a ‘spiritual sequel’ to the 1992 original movie, and will seemingly ignore the events of the previous two sequels (Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh and Candyman: Day of the Dead). Candyman is produced by Jordan Peele, with Nia DaCosta in the director’s chair. DaCosta directed the fantastic Little Woods, which starred Tessa Thompson and Lily James (truly one of the underrated films of 2019, though it began the film festival circuit in 2018). Both Peele and DaCosta, along with Win Rosenfield, penned the script for the film.
The film was supposed to be released in June of 2020, but was delayed because of the pandemic. We’ve been waiting for a long time to see it, so let’s hope things stay status quo till then.
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