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The term “dog days” is often associated with the month of August. People grow weary of the relentless summer heat and can’t wait for autumn. In past years, it also equates to bad movies being dumped into the least desirable month of the year.
This August might be different. For reasons I can’t quite figure out, next month is top-heavy with action thrillers featuring female leading characters. Based on the trailers, most of them look pretty good.
Here are some of the more interesting looking theatrical and steaming titles coming out next month. Please note: All opening dates are subject to change.
Aug. 1
‘She Rides Shotgun’
A ripped and heavily tattooed Taron Egerton stars as ex-con Nate whose desire to follow the straight and narrow is thwarted by his former cohorts. Against his best paternal wishes, Nate’s preteen daughter Polly (Ana Sophia Heger) becomes his primary source of protection. (Lionsgate)
‘The Naked Gun’
In this legacy reboot of the parody comedy crime 1980s franchise, Liam Neeson plays the son of bumbling detective Frank Drebin (the late Leslie Nielsen). The supporting cast includes Danny Huston, Paul Walter Hauser, and Pamela Anderson as the love interest. (Paramount)
‘My Oxford Year’
Billed as a comedy, this England-based production instead looks more like a complicated, wannabe romantic drama. Visiting American Oxford student Anna (Sofia Carson, “Carry-On,” “The Life List”) falls in love with a professor (Corey Mylchreest) who may be a serial philanderer. (Netflix)
Aug. 8
‘My Mother’s Wedding’
First-time feature director Kristin Scott Thomas (“The English Patient”) stars in this comedic drama about a twice-widowed woman (Thomas) on the eve of her third wedding. Daughters of the bride are played by Scarlett Johansson, Emily Beecham, and Sienna Miller. (Vertical)
Aug. 15
‘Nobody 2’
The follow-up to the bonkers 2021 original finds Bob Odenkirk as Hutch, a former secret agent trying to live a normal, boring suburban life. Pinching a lot from the original “National Lampoon’s Vacation” (1983), including the Lindsey Buckingham theme song, Hutch is pulled into action while trying to get some much needed downtime. (Universal)
‘Americana’
Described by some as a Quentin Tarantino neo-Western, this long delayed crime thriller stars Sydney Sweeney and Paul Walter Hauser as an unlikely couple who find themselves in the middle of a vicious tug-of-war over a mystical stolen Native American “ghost shirt.” (Lionsgate)
Aug. 22
‘Eden’
Directed by Ron Howard, this fact-based 1920s-era survival action thriller stars Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Kirby, and Daniel Brühl. German expatriates looking to start over on the Galapagos Island of Floreana must deal with the brutal elements and each other. (Vertical)
‘Splitsville’
This comedy from director Michael Angelo Covino and his co-writer Kyle Marvin (“The Climb”) explores what can and will likely go wrong when a divorcing couple interacts with another in an “open marriage.” Marvin and Covino play the husbands with Adria Arjona (“Hit Man”) and Dakota Johnson co-starring as the wives. (Neon)
‘Trust’
This psychological thriller stars Sophie Turner (“Game of Thrones,” two “X-Men” flicks) as an actress who wants to “get away from it all” in the wake of a scandal. This doesn’t sit well with her Svengali-type manager (Billy Campbell), who does all he can to get under her skin. (Republic Features)
‘Eenie Meanie’
In what sounds like a riff on “Baby Driver,” Samara Weaving stars as Edie, a former teen getaway driver in this heist crime thriller. In an effort to save the hide of her ne’er-do-well boyfriend, Edie reluctantly comes out of retirement. The cast also includes Andy Garcia and Randall Park. (20th Century)
‘Highest 2 Lowest’
This remake of the 1963 Akira Kurosawa film “High and Low” marks the fifth collaboration between Denzel Washington and director Spike Lee. Also recalling “Ransom,” Washington stars as a veteran record executive who must decide how to deal with his son’s kidnappers. (Apple/A24)
Aug. 28
‘The Thursday Murder Club’
In comedic mystery, Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and Celia Imrie play amateur senior British sleuths who solve cold murder cases. They get an unexpected jolt when a new killing close to home challenges their skills and allegiances. (Netflix)
Aug. 29
‘Caught Stealing’
The latest from director Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan,” “The Whale”) is a thriller starring Austin Butler as a former MLB player getting mixed up in the 1990s New York crime scene. The killer supporting cast includes Zoe Kravitz, Vincent D’Onofrio, Liev Schreiber, Regina King, and Carol Kane. (Columbia)
‘The Roses’
Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman replicate the roles of Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner from the 1989 scorching dark comedy, “The War of the Roses.” A nasty impending divorce drives a wealthy couple to commit increasingly embarrassing and dangerous acts. (Searchlight)
What to Watch for
I’m particularly looking forward to “She Rides Shotgun,” “Americana,” “Splitsville,” and “The Roses.”
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