AUGUST FILMS AND STREAMS
By Lori Vernon
It’ s Never Over, Jeff Buckley
A
ugust, traditionally a strong month at the box office, closes out the summer film season with some anticipated new releases. Comedy is king as Liam Neeson, best known for his serious action films, showcases his comedic chops in the reboot of Naked Gun. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan debut the follow-up to Freaky Friday, and the animated sequel to The Bad Guys 2 hit the big screen. Here are our picks for your end-of-summer viewing options.
The Naked Gun
Directed by Akiva Schaffer Rated PG-13 • August 1- In Theaters
Only one man has the particular set of skills... to lead Police Squad and save the world! Lt. Frank Drebin Jr.( Liam Neeson) follows in his father ' s footsteps in this hilarious reboot. Joining the cast are Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, CCH Pounder, Kevin Durand, Cody Rhodes, Liza Koshy, Eddie Yu, and Danny Huston.
Weapons
Directed by Zach Cregger Rated R • August 8- In Theaters
From Zach Cregger, the wholly original mind behind Barbarian, comes a new horror / thriller. When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance. The film stars Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, with Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan.
It’ s Never Over, Jeff Buckley
Directed by Amy Berg Rated NYR • August8-In Theaters
Jeff Buckley, a rising star with an otherworldly voice, left the ' 90s music world reeling when he died suddenly after the release of his debut album. In a tragic accident, Buckley drowned in the Wolf River in Memphis in 1997, leaving behind an unfinished second album and a legion of devastated family, friends, and fans. Told through never-before-seen footage from Buckley ' s archives and intimate accounts from family, friends, and luminaries like Ben Harper and Aimee Mann, Amy Berg crafts an illuminating portrait of one of modern music ' s most influential and enigmatic figures.
Americana
Directed by Tony Post Rated R • August 15- In Theaters
A gallery of dynamic characters clash over the possession of a rare Native American artifact in this modern-day western. After the artifact falls onto the black market, a shy waitress with big dreams( Sydney Sweeney) teams up with a lovelorn military veteran( Paul Walter Hauser) to gain possession of it, putting them in the crosshairs of a ruthless criminal( Eric Dane) working on behalf of a Western antiquities dealer( Simon Rex). Bloodshed ensues when others join the battle, including the leader of an indigenous group( Zahn McClarnon) and a desperate woman fleeing her mysterious past( Halsey).
Nobody 2
Directed by Timo Tjahjanto Rated R • August 15- In Theaters
Four years after he inadvertently took on the Russian mob, Hutch Mansell( Bob Odenkirk) is working off his debt with an unending string of hits. Hutch and his wife Becca( Connie Nielsen) find themselves overworked and drifting apart, so they decide to take their kids and Hutch’ s dad( Christopher Lloyd) to Wild Bill’ s Majestic Midway and Waterpark, the one and only place where Hutch and his brother Harry( RZA) vacationed as kids. But a minor encounter with some town bullies puts the family into the crosshairs of a corrupt theme-park operator( John Ortiz) and his shady sheriff( Colin Hanks), Hutch finds himself the focus of the most unhinged, blood-thirsty crime boss he( or anyone) has ever encountered.
Highest 2 Lowest
Directed by Spike Lee RatedR • August15-InTheaters
When a titan music mogul( Denzel Washington), widely known as having the“ best ears in the business”, is targeted with a ransom plot, he is jammed up in a life-or-death moral dilemma. The film is a reinterpretation of the great filmmaker
12 illinoisentertainer. com august 2025