The Best Movies of August 2018

In recent years, August has been a wasteland of sorts, caving in on itself after a plethora of blockbusters have sopped all of the money available in the summer movie season up to that point. But then there’s those brave studios that place a well-produced product into August, and they dominate for weeks as movie-starved patrons run to their local theaters. Crazy Rich Asians, along with a few other films, proved that August is an underserved timeframe at the theaters, and people are always dying for great content.

Here are MovieBabble’s choices for the best movies of August 2018:

#3: Crazy Rich Asians

Considering how few movies we get that share some semblance of the Asian experience (even if it’s broad and not exactly relatable), Crazy Rich Asians deserves credit for its sheer construction. But the entertainment value of Crazy Rich Asians goes way beyond diversity — some people are even so focused on its diversity that they forget just how entertaining and smart this movie is.

I love that the romance at the center of Crazy Rich Asians is unwaveringly perfect. It’s two gorgeous human beings who talk through their issues like normal people. How great is that!?

Instead, the movie is about the outside pressures on their love from the overly harsh and lecherous people that surround the fictional Young family. The climax builds to an intelligent yet fierce conversation — a third act conclusion that focuses on character. You don’t get much better than that in a broad romantic comedy.

*To read the site’s review for Crazy Rich Asians, please click here.

image via Variety

#2: Searching

Searching is showing that the computer screen sub-sub-sub-genre is less of a fad and more of movement. It’s the first film of this ilk to have serious talent behind it (John Cho and Debra Messing), and they’re more than game to dig deep into this movie conventions, especially Cho who offers arguably one of the best performances of his career.

Searching is just one of those movies you have to see with a crowd — it’s much more fun that way!

*To read the site’s review of Searching, please click here.

image via The Verge

#1: BlacKkKlansman

So Spike Lee has never been one for subtlety. He wears his beliefs proudly for everyone to see, and they become obvious (sometimes to a painful degree) in all of his films.

With BlacKkKlansman‘s makeup as a piece of forthrightly political art, groups of people will immediately not be interested in what it has to say, which is understandable. A film that is trying this hard to make its point isn’t trying to make everyone feel happy or to get everyone to forget their problems.

Within an amazingly entertaining story led by John David Washington and his gorgeously quaffed afro, BlacKkKlansman hits you with a massive sucker punch that is one of the most damning call-outs I’ve seen in film in quite some time. It doesn’t care about your feelings.

To put it as bluntly as Spike Lee makes the themes of this movie, BlacKkKlansman has serious balls.

*To read the site’s review of BlacKkKlansman, please click here.

image via Roger Ebert

In Case You (Or I) Missed It

This may be a shock to you, but there were more than three good films in the entire month of August:

Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich

For fans of this franchise, The Littlest Reich is everything you could ever ask for, doubling down on the gore and practical effects for a devilishly good time. Plus, Thomas Lennon shows himself as more than just a funny man.

A Prayer Before Dawn

It might be pretty familiar in the way it tells its story, but still, A Prayer Before Dawn is one helluva harrowing tale. Powered by Joe Cole committed performance, the movie moves beyond the tropes of the genre with a stark sense of realism. Shooting the movie in an actual prison in Thailand certainly helps that cause!

image via The Daily Beast

Papillon

So I as stated in my own review of this film, I can’t really speak to whether or not Papillon is necessary considering I still haven’t seen the original. At least this version of the classic tale is a miraculous visual treat — every frame is full of sun-drenched skies.

All you have to do is sit back and let this movie wash over you. It’ll easily do so!

Thank you for reading! What are you thoughts on the best movies of August 2018? Did we miss any? Comment down below!

If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to MovieBabble via email to stay up to date on the latest content.

Join MovieBabble on Patreon so that new content will always be possible.

What movie topic should I discuss next? Whether it be old or new, the choice is up to you!