August 2019 Movies to See

I often find myself saying “this” is the time of year to go to the movies. In the winter, it’s because it’s too cold to do anything outside. Then there’s Spring Break and the kids are out of school so it’s a perfect idea for quality family time together. Then there’s Memorial Day when a bunch of movies come out and summer, of course, is when you’re seeking ideas to keep the kids from driving each other crazy. Then I heard the lineup of upcoming Marvel content announced at San Diego Comic-Con and I realized that movies are simply awesome all year long. You can look for something familiar like a sequel, a specific genre or stars a favorite actor. But you should also step out of your comfort zone and find feature films that you wouldn’t normally think to watch. Perhaps ones that aren’t getting top billing or tons of media footage. As an example, I was totally surprised when I saw Book Club movie with my mom. It had a rock star lineup, but wasn’t one we heard people pining to see. Yet it was a fantastic film filled with plenty of laughs. Last week we saw Yesterday and discovered an unexpected pearl lost in a sea of blockbuster movies such as The Lion King, Toy Story 4 and Spider-Man: Far From Home. So as you review the list of movies released in July (and prior months) and peruse this list of upcoming titles, keep in mind those hidden gems. If you’re not sure you want to shell out the price of a regular admission, there are discount days at the theater. Go watch some you wouldn’t have otherwise considered.

The list of movies releasing nationwide in August is pretty extensive. You’ll find titles from Universal Pictures, Lionsgate, Warner Bros. Pictures, Fox Searchlight, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Entertainment Studios, Walt Disney Studios, Bleeker Street, STX Films and Amazon Studios.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

Release date: August 2, 2019
Genre: Action-Adventure
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Helen Mirren
Studio: Universal Pictures
Official Website: Hobbs & Shaw movie
Follow on social: #HobbsAndShaw

Ever since hulking lawman Hobbs (Johnson), a loyal agent of America’s Diplomatic Security Service, and lawless outcast Shaw (Statham), a former British military elite operative, first faced off in 2015’s Furious 7, the duo have swapped smack talk and body blows as they’ve tried to take each other down. But when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton (Idris Elba) gains control of an insidious bio-threat that could alter humanity forever — and bests a brilliant and fearless rogue MI6 agent (The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby), who just happens to be Shaw’s sister — these two sworn enemies will have to partner up to bring down the only guy who might be badder than themselves. Hobbs & Shaw blasts open a new door in the Fast universe as it hurtles action across the globe, from Los Angeles to London and from the toxic wasteland of Chernobyl to the lush beauty of Samoa.

Dora And The Lost City of Gold

Release date: August 9, 2019
Genre: Family
Cast: Isabela Moner, Eugenio Derbez, Michael Peña, Eva Longoria, Adriana Barraza, Temuera Morrison, Jeff Wahlberg, Nicholas Coombe, Madeleine Madden, and Danny Trejo
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Official Website: Dora movie
Follow on social: #DoraMovie

Having spent most of her life exploring the jungle with her parents, nothing could prepare Dora (Isabela Moner) for her most dangerous adventure ever – High School. Always the explorer, Dora quickly finds herself leading Boots (her best friend, a monkey), Diego (Jeffrey Wahlberg), a mysterious jungle inhabitant (Eugenio Derbez), and a rag tag group of teens on a live-action adventure to save her parents (Eva Longoria, Michael Peña) and solve the impossible mystery behind a lost city of gold.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Release date: August 9, 2019
Genre: Horror
Cast: Zoe Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Abrams, Dean Norris, Gil Belllows, Lorraine Toussaint, Austin Zajur and Natalie Ganzhorn
Studio: CBS Films
Official Website: Scary Stories movie
Follow on social: #ScaryStoriesMovie

It’s 1968 in America. Change is blowing in the wind…but seemingly far removed from the unrest in the cities is the small town of Mill Valley where for generations, the shadow of the Bellows family has loomed large. It is in their mansion on the edge of town that Sarah, a young girl with horrible secrets, turned her tortured life into a series of scary stories, written in a book that has transcended time—stories that have a way of becoming all too real for a group of teenagers who discover Sarah’s terrifying home.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

Release date: August 9, 2019
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Cast: Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried, Gary Cole, Kathy Baker, Ryan Keira Armstrong, Martin Donovan and the voice of Kevin Costner
Studio: 20th Century FOX
Official Website: The Art of Racing in the Rain movie
Follow on social: #ArtOfRacing

Through his bond with his owner, Denny Swift (Milo Ventimiglia), an aspiring Formula One race car driver, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition and understands that the techniques needed on the racetrack can also be used to successfully navigate the journey of life. The film follows Denny and the loves of his life – his wife, Eve (Amanda Seyfried), their young daughter Zoe (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), and ultimately, his true best friend, Enzo.

The Kitchen

Release date: August 9, 2019
Genre: Drama
Cast: Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, and Elisabeth Moss, Domhnall Gleeson, James Badge Dale, Brian d’Arcy James, Margo Martindale, Common, and Bill Camp (“Vice”)
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Official Website: The Kitchen movie
Follow on social: #TheKitchenMovie

New York City, 1978. The 20 blocks of pawnshops, porn palaces and dive bars between 8th Avenue and the Hudson River owned by the Irish mafia and known as Hell’s Kitchen was never the easiest place to live. Or the safest. But for mob wives Kathy, Ruby and Claire–played by Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, and Elisabeth Moss–things are about to take a radical, dramatic turn. When their husbands are sent to prison by the FBI the women take business into their own hands, running the rackets and taking out the competition…literally. Now they own the neighborhood.

Brian Banks

Release date: August 9, 2019
Genre: Docu-drama
Cast: Aldis Hodge, Greg Kinnear and Sherri Shepherd
Studio: Bleeker Street
Official Website: Brian Banks movie
Follow on social: #BrianBanksMovie

The inspirational true story of Brian Banks (Aldis Hodge), an All-American high school football star committed to USC who finds his life upended when he is wrongly convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. Despite lack of evidence, Banks is railroaded through a broken justice system and sentenced to a decade of prison and probation. Years later, with the support of Justin Brooks (Greg Kinnear) and the California Innocence Project, Banks fights to reclaim his life and fulfill his dreams of playing in the NFL.

Angry Birds Movie 2

Release date: August 14, 2019
Genre: Animation
Cast: Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Leslie Jones, Bill Hader, Rachel Bloom, Awkwafina, Sterling K. Brown, Eugenio Derbez, Danny McBride, Peter Dinklage, Pete Davidson, Zach Woods, Dove Cameron, Lil Rel Howery, Nicki Minaj, Beck Bennett and Brooklynn Prince
Studio: Sony Pictures Animation
Official Website: Angry Birds 2 movie
Follow on social: #AngryBirdsMovie2

The flightless angry birds and the scheming green piggies take their beef to the next level in The Angry Birds Movie 2! When a new threat emerges that puts both Bird and Pig Island in danger, Red (Jason Sudeikis), Chuck (Josh Gad), Bomb (Danny McBride), and Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage) recruit Chuck’s sister Silver (Rachel Bloom) and team up with pigs Leonard (Bill Hader), his assistant Courtney (Awkwafina), and techpig Garry (Sterling K. Brown) to forge an unsteady truce and form an unlikely superteam to save their homes.

Blinded By the Light

Release date: August 14, 2019
Genre: Biography, Drama
Cast: Viveik Kalra, Hayley Atwell, Rob Brydon, Kulvinder Ghir, Nell Williams, Dean-Charles Chapman, and Aaron Phagura
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures / New Line Cinema
Official Website: Blinded By The Light movie
Follow on social: #BlindedByTheLightMovie

“Blinded by the Light” tells the story of Javed (Viveik Kalra) a British teen of Pakistani descent, growing up in the town of Luton, England, in 1987. Amidst the racial and economic turmoil of the times, he writes poetry as a means to escape the intolerance of his hometown and the inflexibility of his traditional father. But when a classmate introduces him to the music of “the Boss,” Javed sees parallels to his working-class life in Springsteen’s powerful lyrics. As Javed discovers a cathartic outlet for his own pent-up dreams, he also begins to find the courage to express himself in his own unique voice.

47 Meters Down Uncaged

Release date: August 16, 2019
Genre: Horror
Cast: Sophie Nélisse, Corinne Foxx, Brianne Tju, Sistine Stallone, Brec Bassinger, Nia Long and John Corbett
Studio: Entertainment Studios
Official Website: 47 Meters Down Uncaged movie
Follow on social: #SharkBait

Four teen girls diving in a ruined underwater city quickly find themselves in a watery hell as their fun outing turns into heart-stopping fear when they learn they are not alone in the submerged caves. As they swim deeper into the claustrophobic labyrinth of caves they enter the territory of the deadliest shark species in the ocean.

Where’d You Go Bernadette

Release date: March 22, 2019 August 16, 2019
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Billy Crudup, Kristen Wiig, Emma Nelson, James Urbaniak, Judy Greer, Troian Bellisario, Zoe Chao, and Laurence Fishburne
Studio: Annapurna Pictures
Official Website: Where’d You Go, Bernadette
Follow on social: #FindBernadette

Where’d You Go, Bernadette is based on the runaway bestseller about Bernadette Fox, a Seattle woman who had it all – a loving husband and a brilliant daughter. When she unexpectedly disappears, her family sets off on an exciting adventure to solve the mystery of where she might have gone.

Good Boys

Release date: August 16, 2019
Genre: Comedy, Adventure
Cast: Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, Brady Noon, Molly Gordon, Lil Rel Howery, Will Forte, and Midori Francis
Studio: Universal Pictures
Official Website: Good Boys movie
Follow on social: #GoodBoysMovie

After being invited to his first kissing party, 12-year-old Max (Room’s Jacob Tremblay) is panicking because he doesn’t know how to kiss. Eager for some pointers, Max and his best friends Thor and Lucas decide to use Max’s dad’s drone – which Max is forbidden to touch – to spy (they think) on a teenage couple making out next door. But when things go ridiculously wrong, the drone is destroyed. Desperate to replace it before Max’s dad gets home, the boys skip school and set off on an odyssey of epically bad decisions involving some accidentally stolen drugs, frat-house paintball, and running from both the cops and terrifying teenage girls

Ready or Not

Release date: August 21, 2019
Genre: Horror
Cast: Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O’Brien, with Henry Czerny and Andie MacDowell
Studio: Fox Searchlight
Follow on social: #ReadyOrNotMovie

READY OR NOT follows a young bride (Samara Weaving) as she joins her new husband’s (Mark O’Brien) rich, eccentric family (Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell) in a time-honored tradition that turns into a lethal game with everyone fighting for their survival.

Angel Has Fallen

Release date: August 23, 2019
Genre: Action
Cast: Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lance Reddick, Tim Blake Nelson, Piper Perabo, Nick Nolte and Danny Huston
Studio: Lionsgate
Official Website: Angel Has Fallen movie
Follow on social: #AngelHasFallen

When there is an assassination attempt on U.S. President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman), his trusted confidant, Secret Service Agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), is wrongfully accused and taken into custody. After escaping from capture, he becomes a man on the run and must evade his own agency and outsmart the FBI in order to find the real threat to the President. Desperate to uncover the truth, Banning turns to unlikely allies to help clear his name, keep his family from harm and save the country from imminent danger.

Overcomer

Release date: August 23, 2019
Genre: Drama
Cast: Alex Kendrick, Priscilla C. Shirer, Aryn Wright-Thompson, Shari Rigby, Cameron Arnett and Ben Davies
Studio: Sony Pictures
Official Website: Overcomer movie
Follow on social: #OvercomerMovie

Life changes overnight for coach John Harrison when his high school basketball team and state championship dreams are crushed under the weight of unexpected news. When the largest manufacturing plant shuts down and hundreds of families leave their town, John questions how he and his family will face an uncertain future. After reluctantly agreeing to coach cross-country, John and his wife, Amy, meet an aspiring athlete who’s pushing her limits on a journey toward discovery. Inspired by the words and prayers of a new-found friend, John becomes the least likely coach helping the least likely runner attempt the impossible in the biggest race of the year.

Brittany Runs a Marathon

Release date: August 23, 2019
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Cast: Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, Micah Stock and Alice Lee
Studio: Amazon Studios
Official Website: Brittany Runs A Marathon movie
Follow on social: #BrittanyRunsAMarathon

Hilarious, outgoing and always up for a good time, New Yorker Brittany Forgler is everybody’s best friend ― except maybe her own. At 27, her hard-partying ways, chronic underemployment and toxic relationships are catching up with her, but when she stops by a new doctor’s office to try to score some Adderall, she gets slapped with a prescription she never wanted: Get healthy. Too broke for a gym and too proud to ask for help, Brit is at a loss, until her seemingly together neighbor Catherine pushes her to lace up her Converse sneakers and run one sweaty block. The next day, she runs two. And soon, after finishing her first mile, she sets an almost unthinkable goal: running in the New York City Marathon. Award-winning playwright Paul Downs Colaizzo makes his directorial debut with Brittany Runs a Marathon, an uproarious, irreverent and surprisingly emotional comedy inspired by real events. The irresistible cast, led by Jillian Bell, lends heart and soul to this inspirational story of a party girl who finally finds real friends — and dignity — by taking control of her future, one city block at a time.

Playmobil: The Movie

Release date: August 30, 2019
Genre: Animation, Family
Cast: Anya- Taylor Joy, Jim Gaffigan, Gabriel Bateman, Adam Lambert, Kenan Thompson, Meghan Trainor and Daniel Radcliffe
Studio: STX Entertainment
Official Website: Playmobil: The Movie
Follow on social: #PlaymobilTheMovie

When her younger brother Charlie suddenly disappears into the magical, animated universe of PLAYMOBIL®, Marla embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to bring him home. Setting off on an incredible journey through new and exciting themed worlds, Marla teams up with various strange and heroic companions, including: Del, a crazed food truck driver; Rex Dasher, a suave and fearless secret agent; a loyal and endearing robot; a hilarious fairy-godmother, and many others!

Don’t Let Go

Release date: August 30, 2019
Genre: Horror
Cast: David Oyelowo, Mykelti Williamson and Storm Reid
Studio: Briarcliff Entertainment
Official Website: Don’t Let Go movie
Follow on social: #DontLetGo

In DON’T LET GO, detective Jack Radcliff (David Oyelowo) gets a shocking phone call from his recently murdered niece Ashley (Storm Reid). Working together across time, they race to solve her murder before it can happen. A classic thriller with a supernatural twist, DON’T LET GO is the newest release from BLUMHOUSE, the producers of GET OUT.

Wow. Just wow. There are so many great movies in August that it will be a challenge to fit all of them into the schedule! I cannot wait to try though!

Which (unplanned) movie will you take a chance on and see?