Movies to watch in August, from 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem' to 'Blue Beetle'

To those who finally returned to theaters for the first time in forever thanks to "Barbenheimer," welcome back! Movies are pretty cool, huh? Unfortunately, the summer movie season has likely peaked with the dual release of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer." But there are still plenty of intriguing new releases in August, from a reboot of a beloved '80s property to a pair of raunchy comedies that could make for your next great double feature.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" (Aug. 2)

Cowabunga! The ninja turtles are back for their first animated movie in more than 15 years, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," following two live-action Michael Bay films. "After years of being sheltered from the human world," the turtles set out to "win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts," per Paramount. Seth Rogen worked on the screenplay and voices Bebop, and the rest of the voice cast includes John Cena as Rocksteady, Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman, Ayo Edebiri as April O'Neil, and Jackie Chan as Splinter. The turtles also have a new look, as the film's art style is reminiscent of "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." With great turtle power comes great turtle responsibility.

"Meg 2: The Trench" (Aug. 4)

What better way to close out the summer than with a big, dumb shark movie? Jason Statham returns in this sequel to "The Meg," the 2018 surprise hit that saw him gloriously face off against a megalodon shark. This time, he and Wu Jing "lead a daring research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean," which "spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival," per Warner Bros. It's based on the follow-up to the original novel, and the screenwriters from the first movie are back, though there's a new director: Ben Wheatley, the filmmaker known for disturbing horror movies like "Kill List." Hopefully, the sequel hasn't bitten off more than it can chew.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"Shortcomings" (Aug. 4)

Randall Park has long been a delightful on-screen presence, but he's now ready to get behind the camera. Variety described Park's new dramedy "Shortcomings" as a "fresh-faced, funny directorial debut" for the "Fresh Off the Boat" star. From Sony Pictures Classics, the movie follows a struggling filmmaker, Ben (Justin H. Min), and his girlfriend Miko (Ally Maki), who works for an Asian American film festival. "When Miko moves to New York for an internship, Ben is left to his own devices, and begins to explore what he thinks he might want," the synopsis says. Sherry Cola stars as Ben's best friend Alice. Sony also described Ben as a man who "spends his time obsessing over unavailable blonde women" and "watching Criterion Collection DVDs." Wait, is this play about us?

"Heart of Stone" (Aug. 11)

Gal Gadot's future as Wonder Woman may be in doubt, but if that gig falls through, at least she's got a home in the Netflix ecosystem. After starring in the streamer's "Red Notice," Gadot returns for another Netflix original film that she also produced, the spy thriller "Heart of Stone," in which she plays secret agent Rachel Stone. She's the "only intelligence operative who stands between her global, peace-keeping organization and the loss of its most valuable — and dangerous — asset, codenamed: The Heart," per Netflix. Jamie Dornan also stars. Director Tom Harper told Entertainment Weekly the aim is for the film to spawn a new female-led action series like James Bond. In its attempt to craft more original franchises, Netflix is leaving no stone unturned.

"The Last Voyage of the Demeter" (Aug. 11)

If "Renfield" got you in the mood for more Dracula on the big screen, Universal has another movie for you. From "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" director André Øvredal, "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" is based on a chapter from the original Bram Stoker "Dracula" novel, "The Captain's Log," in which Dracula travels on board a merchant ship and things don't end well for those aboard. "Strange events befall the doomed crew as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage, stalked each night by a merciless presence onboard the ship," per Universal. Think of it as "Alien," but on a boat and with Dracula instead of a Xenomorph. Corey Hawkins and Liam Cunningham star, and Javier Botet plays Dracula. With their help, for now, the Universal monsters franchise is alive.

"Gran Turismo" (Aug. 11)

The race to find the next great video game movie is shifting gears with "Gran Turismo." David Harbour and Orlando Bloom star in this film based on the popular racing video games, though it's not a direct adaptation of them. Instead, it's inspired by the true story of Jann Mardenborough, who became an actual race car driver after playing the video game competitively. The stakes are high for director Neill Blomkamp, who has struggled to follow up his critically-acclaimed debut film, 2009's "District 9;" his last two movies, "Chappie" and "Demonic," were both widely panned. Can bringing a racing game to the big screen get his career back on track?

"Blue Beetle" (Aug. 18)

The end of the DC universe as we know it is in sight, but it's not quite over yet. The DC Extended Universe still has two more films left before new boss James Gunn reboots the franchise. First up is "Blue Beetle," in which a young college graduate, played by Xolo Maridueña, "unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab," which "chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host," leading him to become the superhero Blue Beetle, per Warner Bros. Gunn described Blue Beetle as the first character of the new DC universe, suggesting he could stick around even after the upcoming reboot. But that likely depends on how well this film performs, as if it's another DC bomb, expect the character to be tossed aside as quickly as Ezra Miller's Flash.

"Strays" (Aug. 18)

In June, Jennifer Lawrence did her part to keep comedies alive in theaters with "No Hard Feelings," and "Strays" is now picking up the torch. This new comedy produced by "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller has a unique hook: it's a filthy, R-rated film starring a bunch of talking dogs. The pups "hatch a plan and embark on an epic adventure to help Reggie," a Border Terrier voiced by Will Ferrell, "find his way home" and make his "lowlife owner" pay for abandoning him. Jamie Foxx and Will Forte also flesh out the voice cast, and Dennis Quaid appears in the movie as himself. Will this barking dog comedy have bite?

"Bottoms" (Aug. 25)

Two of the biggest rising stars in Hollywood today are Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri, but fans introduced to them though "Shiva Baby" and "The Bear" may not realize the two collaborated in 2020 on the digital shorts "Ayo and Rachel Are Single." Three years later, they're teaming back up for the raunchy sex comedy "Bottoms," in which two girls "start a fight club as a way to lose their virginities to cheerleaders," per MGM. Emma Seligman directed the film in her follow-up to "Shiva Baby," and Sennott co-wrote it with Seligman. Marshawn Lynch also stars. The movie earned near universal acclaim at South by Southwest, with Mashable's Kristy Puchko calling it a "ruthless and hysterical parody of the teen sex comedy." This is one fight club everyone will be talking about.

"Retribution" (Aug. 25)

We've got five words for you: "Speed," but with Liam Neeson. If you're not already on board, you should be. The actor leads this new action-thriller in which a man receives a call from a mysterious person who tells him there's a bomb under his car seat. The caller demands he "complete a specific series of tasks," and with "his kids trapped in the back seat and a bomb that will explode if they get out of the car, a normal commute becomes a twisted game of life or death," per Lionsgate. Nimród Antal, the filmmaker behind 2010's "Predators," directs, and Jack Champion and Matthew Modine also star. Following new blockbusters starring Tom Cruise and Harrison Ford, it's the perfect conclusion to the summer of aging action stars proving they've still got it.