Ranking the Biggest Movies Coming to Theaters in August
August tends to be a mixed bag for theaters, but this year, studios are still throwing real contenders onto screens. Several sequels, a few oddball indies, and a couple of left-field plays all aim to grab attention during the final weeks of summer break.
If you’re scanning schedules for what might actually be worth your time, here are the most notable theatrical releases landing in August.
Freakier Friday
Credit: IMDb
Disney brings back Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan for Freakier Friday, a sequel to the 2003 hit. The film skips the reboot route and continues the story, this time with both characters dealing with adulthood, parenting, and a second unexpected body switch that causes disruption.
Caught Stealing
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This film arrives during a traditionally quiet box office stretch—but that could work in its favor. Caught Stealing, by Darren Aronofsky, marks a noticeable departure from his usual cerebral dramas. Instead of psychological intensity or existential dread, he goes for fast-paced chaos.
Sketch
Credit: IMDb
In Sketch, a young girl’s artwork begins to affect the world around her in unexpected ways. The Angel Studios release blends fantasy with grounded emotion, focusing on imagination, grief, and family ties. It’s positioned for audiences who want a story that’s both visually inventive and accessible to all ages.
The Roses
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Searchlight’s The Roses reimagines The War of the Roses for a modern audience. Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch lead as a couple unraveling during a contentious divorce. Jay Roach directs with a script by Tony McNamara and keeps the comedy sharp and intentionally uncomfortable.
The Short Game
Credit: Youtube
For those who gravitate toward sports dramas built on emotional resilience and personal growth, The Short Game might land well. It follows a teenage golf prodigy navigating private grief just as he prepares for a high-stakes state championship. The movie combines on-course intensity with quiet moments of self-doubt and offers more than a typical underdog plot.
Nobody 2
Credit: IMDb
Bob Odenkirk returns in Nobody 2, which picks up with Hutch Mansell trying—and failing—to stay off the radar. The sequel adds Sharon Stone and director Timo Tjahjanto, known for stylized, kinetic violence. The first film slowly built its audience, mostly after leaving theaters. This follow-up could bring that momentum back if the pacing and tone hit just right.
Afterburn
Credit: IMDb
Audiences drawn to explosive action with a sci-fi backdrop will likely gravitate toward Afterburn. It stars Dave Bautista as a hardened mercenary hired to recover priceless artifacts after solar flares devastate Earth. Meanwhile, Samuel L. Jackson plays a former military leader with conflicting motives.
Honey Don’t!
Credit: IMDb
Reviews for Honey Don’t! have been mixed, but the strange premise and cast could still attract a specific kind of viewer. Aubrey Plaza, Margaret Qualley, and Chris Evans lead this offbeat road movie, which follows up Drive-Away Dolls as part of Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke’s loosely connected trilogy. It fully embraces low-budget aesthetics and deliberate B-movie tropes.
Highest 2 Lowest
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This work by Spike Lee stands out as one of the rare mid-budget, adult-targeted dramas hitting theaters this August. Highest 2 Lowest features Denzel Washington as a former cop drawn into a sweeping city conspiracy. It emphasizes strong performances and sharp, deliberate dialogue over visual spectacle.
Ne Zha II
Credit: IMDb
After strong box office momentum overseas, Ne Zha II opens in U.S. theaters on August 22 with expectations of expanding its reach. The sequel builds on the first film’s mythological world and spotlights its defiant young hero through fantasy battles and moral tests. Themes of identity, family, and fate run beneath the action-heavy plot.
Trust
Credit: Youtube
Sophie Turner headlines Trust, a survival thriller centered on a disgraced actress retreating to a remote cabin after a public scandal. What begins as self-imposed isolation quickly unravels into something far more dangerous. It is a distinct, character-focused thriller in a month packed with louder, franchise-driven titles.
Red Sonja
Credit: IMDb
Millennium Media is releasing Red Sonja in U.S. theaters with a traditional rollout aimed at fantasy-action fans. Still, the character’s legacy and updated tone may appeal to viewers who grew up with pulp heroes or sword-and-sorcery epics. Matilda Lutz takes on the title role to lead a brutal rebellion in a mythic world ruled by violence and magic.
Girl Climber
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Emily Harrington’s record-setting attempt to free climb Yosemite’s El Capitan within 24 hours forms the heart of Girl Climber, a documentary-drama that’s getting a limited theatrical release. IMAX will host a special one-night screening on August 24 to give audiences an exclusive big-screen experience of one of climbing’s most challenging feats.
Shaman
Credit: IMDb
Tensions between cultural beliefs and spiritual survival shape the core of Shaman, a supernatural thriller releasing in select theaters. After a missionary’s son enters a sacred cave in Ecuador, he returns possessed by a force the local shamans recognize as ancient and dangerous. Sarah Canning plays the boy’s mother, who turns to Catholic exorcism for help.
Jaws
Credit: IMDb
Jaws returns to theaters in IMAX and premium formats as part of its 50th-anniversary celebration. Steven Spielberg’s 1975 thriller still holds power with its iconic score, methodical pacing, and the mounting dread of something just beneath the surface. The reissue gives new audiences a rare chance to see it on the big screen, while longtime fans can revisit what helped define the summer blockbuster.