17 Really Good Movies Released in the August Dump
M. Night Shyamalan’s career began in August. At least that’s when the world took notice: his supernatural thriller The Sixth Sense was poorly released in August 1999 and went on to become a critical and box office success. This was contrary to expectations for the hottest month of the year: the month was perceived then, as it often is today, as something of a dumping ground for films saddled with low expectations.
August is often reserved for films that Hollywood doesn’t know what to do with. Perhaps the test screenings were unsuccessful, or the unsuccessful production created the impression of failure. When kids go back to school, it’s generally not the best place to release a future blockbuster, so why not fill the schedule with inappropriate films that will at least attract an audience looking for two hours of guaranteed air conditioning?
Still, the eighth month has produced some pretty great films over the years. Shyamalan even returned to his usual spot on the schedule this year with The Entrapment , and even if the patently silly thriller isn’t The Sixth Sense , it’s still a lot of fun . In that spirit, here are the August 17 releases that exceeded expectations, either because they sold a lot of tickets or were just plain damn good.
Dirty Dancing (August 21, 1987)
This inexpensive musical romance was hardly expected to become a blockbuster, but that didn’t stop 1987 audiences from having a great time (sorry). Jennifer Gray and Patrick Swayze have absolutely explosive chemistry as they play Houseman’s increasingly frustrating daddy’s daughter Baby and dance instructor Johnny Castle, respectively, as their two worlds collide at the Borscht Belt resort. Not only was the film a hit, but its soundtrack spawned two multi-platinum albums with multiple singles each (not to mention winning an Oscar for Best Original Song). It was a real cultural phenomenon.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Babe (4 August 1995)
When George Miller wasn’t knee-deep in Mad Max films, he was exploring some fascinating spinoffs, including this rather sweet story about a farm pig who would rather be a sheepdog. Miller produced and co-wrote the screenplay for the unlikely box office champion, which ultimately received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. August films typically slot between the summer blockbuster seasons and awards seasons precisely because they’re not expected to do well with either, but here’s a rare case of a film that cleverly finds that sweet spot.
Where to watch: Max , digital rental
Emma (2 August 1996)
Although she had a memorable role in Seven the year before, Gwyneth Paltrow made a name for herself as the lead actress in this buoyant Jane Austen adaptation, just two years before she won an Oscar for Shakespeare in Love “ . This is how the Gupa Empire was created. The film is fast-paced and playful, and the casting of Paltrow at the head of a cast that includes Toni Collette, Alan Cumming and Ewan McGregor is a revelation. It wasn’t a blockbuster by any means, but it did very well, considering…
Where to watch: MGM+, Paramount+ , digital rental.
Halloween H20 (August 5, 1998)
When Jamie Lee Curtis first returned to the franchise she helped create after 1981’s Halloween 2 (also from director Steve Miner), H20 borrowed some of the self-aware teen slasher fare from the Scream franchise. It’s not as deep and dark as the 2018 reboot, but it’s great to see Curtis fighting Michael again. Until that happens. And three more times after that. After a pair of low-grossing sequels and diminishing returns, the film became one of the highest-grossing films in the entire series and became a fan favorite.
Where to watch: digital rental.
Blade (August 21, 1998)
The film that could have started the Marvel Cinematic Universe instead started a trilogy that, like many movie franchises, kind of flopped by the end. However, Wesley Snipes is perfect for the role of a human-vampire hybrid, a guy who can go out during the day and hunt bloodsuckers at night. Critical reviews have been mixed, but some people just don’t know how to have fun. The film’s combination of stylish, bloody action and swagger is so memorable that Snipes returned to the role in one superhero blockbuster released this year (no spoilers!).
Where to watch: digital rental.
The Iron Giant (August 6, 1999)
The studio may have thought in early August that kids would get to see it before school went back, but August seems to have doomed this gorgeous, heartbreaking classic to box office obscurity (it didn’t come close to recouping its budget). There were other marketing failures, but luckily they were too good to forget and found an audience on home video. However, back-to-school season seems like a really bad time to release a family movie that might otherwise do well.
Where to watch: digital rental
The Sixth Sense (August 6, 1999)
One of the clearest examples of how the August release bucked this trend, as the film exceeded both critical and box office expectations. It’s the film that introduced the world to director M. Night Shyamalan, one of our most interesting and inconsistent directors, but when the dust settled, it was second only to The Phantom Menace as the top box office movie of the year. Perhaps there’s a place for horror films in August, when a certain type of moviegoer (me) is just beginning to anticipate the joys of the spooky season.
Where to watch: Max , digital rental
Others (10 August 2001)
As I said. I’m sure the Dimension films expected Alejandro Amenábar’s gothic ghost story to get decent reviews and perhaps be a moderate success at the box office, but during the Scream era there wasn’t much of a market for haunted house-style horror films. I don’t think anyone had any idea that this gritty period piece would be a very impressive success (on a very small budget) and would become an instant macabre classic.
Where to watch: digital rental
The 40 Year Old Virgin (August 19, 2005)
Judd Apatow had never directed a feature film before this sweet rom-com, and Steve Carrell wasn’t a household name. Avoiding many of the pitfalls of a typical sex comedy by highlighting the overall likability of The Office star, the film became a hit among the demographic, combining some risqué comedy with sweetness. This gave the parents a fairly good rest after dropping the kids off at school.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Superbad (August 17, 2007)
This sexy coming-of-age comedy was also produced by Judd Apatow, and it works like his best films: it’s a little raunchy, but never mean-spirited. Jonah Hill and Michael Cera play a couple of high school students who just want to get laid before graduation. Silly, crude, and far less problematic than its premise might suggest, it was a success with audiences and critics alike, even if it’s not the kind of film that gets nominated for an Oscar.
Where to watch: digital rental
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (August 13, 2010)
Another Michael Cera film in August, this time a rather dismal failure, at least at the box office. Edgar Wright’s adaptation of a series of manga-style graphic novels about a slacker hoping to land a record deal while battling his new girlfriend’s seven evil exes is colorful, fast-paced and generally just a great time at the movies. It’s a shame no one saw it in the cinema. Luckily, that didn’t stop the film from becoming a cult classic (and inspiring Netflix to create an animated remake more than a decade later).
Where to watch: Max , digital rental
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (August 5, 2011)
It was here that the rise of an unlikely mega-franchise began with the reboot of a classic sci-fi series. Andy Serkis plays the super-intelligent ape Caesar, a brilliant technical innovation and revolutionary character literally in our modern era of four-quadrant superhero blockbusters. While the films of the Marvel/Disney empire preach the virtues of stardom, Caesar reminds us that sometimes change is worth fighting for.
Where to watch: Hulu , digital rental.
ParaNorman (August 17, 2012)
Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee) can talk to the dead and prefers their company to that of the living. I’m not sure I blame him. When his city is threatened by a centuries-old curse, he is the only one who can help. If he is brave and compassionate enough and willing to set aside the judgment of his neighbors. Smart, funny, and superbly animated, the film was a decent success, but suffered from the month of its release as well as the general buzz around acknowledging the existence of gay people. No compensation was offered to anyone whose child left the theater with homosexuality.
Where to watch: digital rental
Guardians of the Galaxy (August 1, 2014)
Axing it at the beginning of the month was probably a smart way to make sure they could keep as many kids busy as possible before school, but Guardians was an unknown quantity when it was released, and it was probably Marvel’s biggest gamble since then since they launched the whole project. MCU with Iron Man . Despite starring the unloved Hollywood Chris (then best known as the sitcom sidekick) and a cast of heroes slightly obscure even among comic book fans, the film turned out to be one of Marvel’s best, showcasing a heart and a sense of humor often absent. from his more calculated joints.
Where to watch: Disney+ , digital rental.
Annabelle: Creation (August 11, 2017)
Most of The Conjuring spin-offs are cheap, efficient, and forgettable thrillers. The first Annabelle, which opened on Halloween in October, cost about $7 million, and more than recouped that meager investment, despite some pretty bad reviews. I’m sure the studio expected a similar result, so the August release was an easy one. However, this sequel/prequel features director David F. Sandberg, who, before his directorial career ran aground with the Shazam films, was best known for the string of no-budget horror shorts that led to the feature Lights Out . Sandberg adds some panache to the old-school scares for which the series earned its reputation, resulting in The Conjuring being one of the best-reviewed and highest-grossing films ever.
Where to watch: digital rental
BlacKkKlansman (August 10, 2018)
Spike Lee’s satirical true story is an adaptation of the memoirs of Ron Stallworth (superbly played by John David Washington), a black Colorado detective who set out to infiltrate and expose the KKK in the 1970s. The film’s release coincided with the anniversary of the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, which brought together “very good people” to support an arsenal of American white supremacist groups, including the Klan. The timing didn’t seem to hurt the box office: It became one of Lee’s highest-grossing films and earned him an Academy Award.
Where to watch: digital rental
The Personal History of David Copperfield (August 28, 2020)
Charles Dickens stars as Vice President creator Armando Iannucci, and Personal History stars Dev Patel as the titular character. This is a rather brilliant re-imagining of the novel on which it is based, staying true to Dickens while enhancing the satirical aspects. Eschewing the trappings of fussy adaptations of the past, this version is a reminder that the author was as much a social critic as a playwright – it’s stylish and funny, somehow fresh without being sacrilegious. August 2020 wasn’t the best time for any film’s box office (there’s a bit of a pandemic going on, you see), so they went downhill pretty quickly. Shame, really.
Where to watch: digital rental