13 Films To See In August

One of the hottest summers on record in the U.S. is nearing its end, but of course, it being August, there’s still plenty of sweating to do. There’s no better time to slip into a dark, air-conditioned movie theater and enjoy a movie or two. Undoubtedly, you’ll have plenty of intriguing options, even if there’s been a long-held stigma that this month is pretty much dumping ground for weaker studio efforts. Sometimes, that notion holds true (as some of our picks below look like they could be exactly that kind of thing) and other times films have led to many, many millions of box office dollars (see: “Guardians of the Galaxy” just last year).

The blockbuster choices become more slim this time of year, all the better to make room for smaller, off-the-beaten path films for you to seek out in theaters or via VOD. It’s curious how the marketing machine really slows down in August, we noticed a decline in reviews for many of our choices this month. The lack of reviews is its own type of a...