August may have proven to be one of the most successful months of the year so far when it came to anticipated releases, with a good mixture of blockbuster titles, prestige horror releases and returning iconic IPs all arriving on the big screen throughout the month. One film that performed particularly well at the box office, despite its high age restriction, was Zach Cregger‘s horror-mystery “Weapons”, which has topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic for most of the month.
The month wasn’t without a few clangers though, as I also managed to watch arguably the two weakest films of the year so far, the modern re-imagination of H. G Wells‘ “War of the Worlds” starring Ice Cube, and Netflix’s shoddy romantic drama “My Oxford Year”.
It was an incredibly busy month for new releases, plus I was able to catch up on some titles released earlier in the year that I missed, including “Dangerous Animals” and the highest grossing film of the year, “Ne Zha 2”.
Thoughts and Reviews in August:
War of the Worlds (2025)
Dir: Rich Lee
Cast: Ice Cube, Eva Longoria, Clark Gregg, Iman Benson, Henry Hunter Hall, Devon Bostick, Michael O’Neill, Andrea Savage
This painful Amazon advertisement turned modern retelling of the classic H. G. Wells story takes all the action and excitement one would expect from an alien invasion flick, and restricts them to low resolution images on Ice Cube’s laptop.
Dangerous Animals (2025)
Dir: Sean Byrne
Cast: Hassie Harrison, Josh Heuston, Rob Carlton, Ella Newton, Liam Greinke, Jai Courtney
Synopsis: A shark-obsessed serial killer holds Zephyr, a rebellious surfer, captive on his boat. Racing against time, she must figure out a way to escape before he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks below.
Review: While predictable, there was plenty of chills and shocks, as well as a scene-chewing Jai Courtney to make this arguably the second greatest Shark related movie of all time.
The Naked Gun (2025)
Dir: Akiva Schaffer
Cast: Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand
Synopsis: Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr becomes a police officer like his legendary father and must save the police department from shutting down by solving a case.
Review: With a gravelly-voiced Liam Neeson taking over from the iconic, and similarly named Leslie Nielsen, this hilarious and fittingly silly “Naked Gun” reboot may help revive the long dormant spoof subgenre.
My Oxford Year (2025)
Dir: Iain Morris
Cast: Sofia Carson, Corey Mylchreest, Dougray Scott, Catherine McCormack
Synopsis: An ambitious American student travels to Oxford in England to fulfill her dream, but encounters a charming local who changes both their lives.
Review: One of the most heartless, emotionless and cliched romance films you ever see. Netflix have really outdone themself with this mess of a Hallmark-esque movie.
Together (2025)
Dir: Michael Shanks
Cast: Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Damon Herriman
Synopsis: Years into their relationship, Tim and Millie find themselves at a crossroads when they move to the countryside, abandoning all that is familiar in their lives except each other. With tensions already flaring, a nightmarish encounter with a mysterious, unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love, and their flesh.
Review: Alison Brie and Dave Franco deliver career-best performances as a co-dependent couple in this gnarly body horror that is both darkly comedic and memorably unsettling.
Sorry, Baby (2025)
Dir: Eva Victor
Cast: Eva Victor, Naomi Ackie, Louis Cancelmi, Kelly McCormack, Hettienne Park, E. R. Fightmaster, Lucas Hedges, John Carrol Lynch
Synopsis: Something terrible happened to Agnes. But life goes on for everyone else. When a friend visits on the brink of an important milestone, Agnes realizes how stuck she’s been, in this bittersweet story of finding your way after your world comes crashing down.
Review: Writer-Director Eva Victor thoughtfully explores a challenging subject in this black comedy that cleverly balances sombre post-traumatic drama with quirky indie satire.
Fixed (2025)
Dir: Genndy Tartakovsky
Cast: Adam DeVine, Idris Elba, Kathryn Han, Fred Armisen, Beck Bennett, Bobby Moynihan
Synopsis: Bull, an average, all-around good dog who discovers he’s going to be neutered in the morning! As the gravity of this life-altering event sets in, Bull realizes he needs one last adventure with his pack of best friends as these are the last 24 hours with his balls!
Review: This adult animation has genuinely clever premise, but by failing to meet the levels of humour required to justify its crude and hypersexual nature, it instead disgusts and grosses out in all the wrong ways.
Weapons (2025)
Dir: Zach Cregger
Cast: Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan
Synopsis: When all but one child from the same classroom mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.
Review: Weapons tantalises its audience, weaving a Rashomon-inspired structure that pulls you headfirst into Zach Cregger’s wild labyrinth of mystery and comical horror.
Freakier Friday (2025)
Dir: Nisha Ganatra
Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Manny Jacinto, Mark Harmon
Synopsis: Tess and Anna discover that lightning may indeed strike twice as they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge.
Review: While the jokes and story stumble in this legacy sequel, Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis shine, effortlessly stepping back into the roles they reversed more than twenty years ago.
Eddington (2025)
Dir: Ari Aster
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes, Deidre O’Connell, Michael Ward, Austin Butler, Emma Stone
Synopsis: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a standoff between a small-town sheriff and mayor sparks a powder keg as neighbour is pitted against neighbour in Eddington, N.M.
Review: Stellar performances and Aster’s fearless direction pull you into this powder keg of a town, but by juggling too many sensitive topics, the films feels as subtle as a knife to the head.
Ne Zha 2 (2025)
Dir: Jiaozi
Cast: Lu Yanting, Han Mo, Lu Qi, Zhang Jiaming, Wand Deshun, Zhuo Yongxi
Synopsis: A rebellious young boy, Ne Zha, is feared by the gods and born to mortal parents with wild, uncontrolled powers. Now that he’s faced with an ancient force intent on destroying humanity, he must grow up to become the hero the world needs.
Review: The story may be convoluted, but there is no denying that this record-shattering Chinese phenomenon stands one of the most visually stunning and culturally vibrant animated films in recent memory.
The Life of Chuck (2024)
Dir: Mike Flanagan
Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mia Sara, Carl Lumbly, Benjamin Pajak, Jacob Tremblay, Mark Hamill
Synopsis: From childhood to adulthood, Charles “Chuck” Krantz experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us.
Review: I found myself surprisingly unmoved by Mike Flanagan’s TIFF winner, A hollow experience that tries to disguise its narrative void with a shallow meditation on life and death.
“The Life of Chuck” Review Here
The Toxic Avenger (2023)
Dir: Macon Blair
Cast: Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Page, Julia Davis, Jonny Coyne, Elijah Wood, Kevin Bacon
Synopsis: A janitor becomes a social outcast when a freak accident at a chemical factory turns him into a mutant. However, he soon uses his newfound superhuman strength to battle slimy criminals and a corrupt CEO.
Review: This bold reimagining of the cult classic superhero plunges with reckless joy into an oozing pool of wild absurdity, gratuitous violence, and gleeful chaos that have been Troma’s signature for years.
The Thursday Murder Club (2025)
Dir: Chris Columbus
Cast: Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, Celia Imrie, David Tennant, Jonathan Pryce, Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Richard E. Grant
Synopsis: Four retirees spend their time solving cold case murders for fun, but their casual sleuthing takes a thrilling turn when they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands.
Review: It offers little beyond its family-friendly murder mystery, but this trimmed adaptation of Richard Osman’s bestseller makes for a charming and easy-going afternoon watch.
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