In case you haven’t been paying much attention, the summer 2017 season has been a rather strong one. Sure, we still had to content with the poorly conceived sequel here and there, but despite “The Emoji Movie” dealing such a ridiculous blow to a slate that, up until this point, had been impressive, ultimately, there were more than enough quality films to find. From “Spider-Man: Homecoming” to “A Ghost Story” to “Wonder Woman,” “War for the Planet of the Apes,” “Baby Driver” and “Dunkirk,” the summer has been one to clamor to the theaters for. Despite this, we’re nearing the ending of the season and, along with the lowering of our electric bills as the AC is turned off more frequently, comes the announcements of festival lineups and the sense that Oscar season is right around the corner (just kidding, it began at Sundance).
Before all of that however, there’s still the month of August and with it comes some equally intriguing titles.
“Detroit”
Synopsis: “Detroit” tells the gripping story of one of the darkest moments during the civil unrest that rocked Detroit in the summer of ’67 at the Algiers Motel.
What You Need To Know: Her first feature film since “Zero Dark Thirty,” any film by master filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow is a must watch. That “Detroit” tackles such weighty subject matter only makes it all the more important and timely in our current political climate. Our critic notes the “sheer visceral power of Bigelow’s direction is worth championing.” John Boyega and Will Poulter deliver two polar opposite but equally stunning performances in this taught, stressful and infuriating film.
Release Date: August 4th
“The Dark Tower”
Synopsis: The last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain (Idris Elba), has been locked in an eternal battle with Walter O’Dim, also known as the Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey), determined to prevent him from toppling the Dark Tower that holds the universe together. With the fate of the worlds at stake, good and evil will collide in the ultimate battle as only Roland can defend the Tower from the Man in Black.
What You Need To Know: Of the two Stephen King adaptations coming out in 2017, (not including the TV series “The Mist” which you might have already forgotten about) favor seems to lean heavily into the trauma-inducing “It” out this September. Not much is known about how this adaptation is going to turn out, beyond the excitement regarding the inspired casting of Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba in the lead roles. Hopefully the artists involved will prove that there can be two good King adaptations in one year.
Release Date: August 4th
“Columbus”
Synopsis: When a renowned architecture scholar suddenly falls ill during a speaking tour, his son Jin (John Cho) finds himself stranded in Columbus, Indiana — a small Midwestern city celebrated for its many significant modernist buildings. Jin strikes up a friendship with Casey (Haley Lu Richardson), a young architecture enthusiast who works at the local library.
What You Need To Know: We’ve long sung the praises of John Cho, an actor who has actively deserved more than what Hollywood has offered him in the past. Time and time again he’s proved himself a wonderfully soulful actor, and “Columbus” directed by Kogonada and co-starring up-and-comer Haley Lu Richardson, seems to hit all of the enriching, indie beats that only the best of the medium can achieve. Our critic said the film is, “a gentle but sharply defined story, brimming with grace, compassion and performances of perfect naturalism, it is unashamedly intellectual yet deeply human.”
Release Date: August 4th
“Wind River”
Synopsis: A thriller that follows a rookie FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) who teams up with a local game tracker with deep community ties and a haunted past (Jeremy Renner) to investigate the murder of a local girl on a remote Native American Reservation in the hopes of solving her mysterious death.
What You Need To Know: If you think that you’ve heard the name Taylor Sheridan in the past few years, you probably have, and for good reason. As the mind behind the scripts for films such as “Hell or High Water” and “Sicario,” he’s quietly made a name for himself as a mindful and gripping screenwriter and in January, he debuted his first directorial debut at the Sundance Film Festival. The film was met with enthusiasm, including our critic who said it’s “… a movie that comes off sometimes as slight, but which ultimately delivers the goods for those who like smart takes on life-or-death macho adventure.” Allowing Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen the chance to act opposite one another sans superhero suits, the film is completely immersive in terms of mood and atmosphere.
Release Date: August 4th