After what was one of the biggest months for cinema chains in recent years with the blockbuster releases of Barbie and Oppenheimer, August has been left with some pretty big footsteps to follow. July definitely had the biggest releases scheduled for the summer but hopefully August can deliver some surprising sleeper hits.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (PG)
The first film to check out in August is probably the one I am most excited for, which is the most recent adaptation of the classic comic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The film will act as a reboot for this series and is helmed by Jeff Rowe, who directed the excellent The Mitchell’s vs. the Machines a couple of years ago. The film is also produced and written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, along with their Point Grey production team – so expect plenty of laughs.
The coming-of-age tale follows the four famous turtles; Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael, as they set out to be accepted as normal teenagers by humans through acts of heroism. The brothers go after a crime syndicate, but trouble arises when an army of fellow mutants is unleashed upon them.
Joy Ride (15)
The second release in the space of a week by Point Grey is the raunchy adult comedy from Crazy Rich Asians co-writer, Adele Lim. The comedy surrounding American-Asian identity was a secret screening in the UK in July, so I managed to catch it early and it did not disappoint when it came to the comedic gags.
The film follows American-Chinese woman Audrey (Ashley Park), who goes on a business trip with her friends to Beijing. When the trip goes sideways, Audrey finds herself on a journey of self-discovery, as she tries to locate her birth mother.
The Meg 2: The Trench (12A)
August will also see the return of Jason Statham’s very own B-Movie franchise that rivals the insufferable Sharknado series. It was no surprise a sequel to The Meg was greenlight after it’s huge financial success, and Warner Bros. will be hoping the film’s tongue-in-cheek tone will get the audience flocking back for more
The outlandish sequel follows Statham’s character Jonas Taylor and his underwater research team as they encounter multiple colossal threats while exploring the ocean depths.
Haunted Mansion (12A)
This family orientated horror, is the second adaptation of the iconic Disneyland ride, following the Eddie Murphy starring romp back in 2003. This time round the film is helmed by Dear White People’s Justin Simien, who has assembled an all star cast including the likes of: LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Rosario Dawson, Dan Levy, Danny DeVito, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto.
The supernatural comedy follows a team consisting of: a paranormal tour guide (Stanfield), a priest (Wilson), a psychic (Haddish) and a historian (DeVito), as they attempt to exorcise the titular “haunted mansion” and destroy the ghosts that occupy it.
Gran Turismo (12A)
The latest from director Neill Blomkamp is not an adaptation of the famous racing video game. Instead it tells the quite unbelievable true story of Jann Mardenborough, a seasoned Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills saw him win a series of Nissan-sponsored tournaments. As a result he was sponsored by the car manufacturer to become an actual professional racing driver in the British GT Championships.
Starring Orlando Bloom and Stranger Things‘ David Harbour, Blomkamp will be hoping his latest film sees a return to form. The South African native rose to prominence in 2009 with the brilliant action sci-fi District 9, but the quality of his films has gradually dwindled over the subsequent fourteen years.
Blue Beetle (12A)
‘Blue Beetle‘ is the latest release in the long running DC Extended Universe, following on from the painfully poor The Flash in June. Production on the film faced some setbacks following the reshuffle at DC studios, which saw James Gunn appointed Co-chairman and Co-CEO.
Xolo Maridueña will be the first ever Hispanic lead in a superhero film as he plays Jaime Reyes. A college graduate from college who returns to his hometown and is chosen to become symbiotic host to the ‘scarab’, an alien relic that grants him a powerful exoskeleton armour, turning him into the titular Blue Beetle.
Strays (15)
The second adult comedy of the month, following on from Joy Ride, could not be more different. The film takes the usually family friendly genre of talking animals, seen in films like Babe and Cats & Dogs, and turns it into a rude and crude comedy.
The film follows gullible Border Terrier, Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell) after he is abandoned by his drug addicted owner Doug (Will Forte). Reduced to living on the streets, Reggie decides to team up with three other stray dogs (voiced by Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher and Randall Park ) in order to get revenge on Doug.
The Blackening (15)
The final major release of the month is comedy-horror film ‘The Blackening‘. Based on a 2018 short story by comedy troupe 3Peat, the satirical horror will be seeking to skew typical horror tropes, giving the film’s clichéd setting, as well as satirising racial stereotypes.
The film follows a group of Black American friends as they visit the typical cabin in the woods for Juneteenth. Once there, they discover a board game depicting racial caricatures of themselves and are targeted by a masked killer.
Dan Loves Film 
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