PETALING JAYA: 2026 may be more than halfway over, but the movie marathon is far from done. From sharks and dinosaurs to supernatural scares and action-packed showdowns, August is bringing chaos to cinemas – in the best way possible.
Here are eight films to keep on your radar this month.
‘Above & Below’ (Aug 6)
The month kicks off with an intense, claustrophobic survival thriller set underwater. Five friends on a dream diving holiday off Mexico discover a stash of cartel cocaine, only to be captured by armed criminals and forced into a shark cage to retrieve it from the ocean floor.
Starring Antonio Banderas and Laura Marano, this high-stakes, ticking-clock thriller may leave you wondering which is more terrifying: ruthless cartel members or giant sharks with razor-sharp teeth?
‘The End of Oak Street’ (Aug 13)
After “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “The Odyssey”, Anne Hathaway returns to the big screen once more – this time with dinosaurs.
Directed by David Robert Mitchell (“It Follows”), Hathaway and Ewan McGregor star as the Platt family, whose ordinary lives take a wild turn when their neighbourhood is mysteriously transported into a prehistoric world.
With roaming dinosaurs and a fight for survival, “Oak Street” will take audiences somewhere the “Jurassic” franchise has never gone before: suburbia!
‘Hi’ (Aug 14)
This Tamil-language romantic drama features Nayanthara alongside fast-rising actor Kavin in what looks to be a light-hearted family entertainer.
Here, she stars opposite a younger male lead – a refreshing reversal in an industry often criticised for pairing older heroes with much younger actresses.
“Hi” also marks the directorial debut of Vishnu Edavan, a longtime collaborator of popular filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj.
‘Vishwanath & Sons’ (Aug 14)
Fresh off the blockbuster success of “Karrupu”, Suriya returns in a very different role, playing a 42-year-old international pistol-shooting champion whose orderly life is turned upside down after meeting a spirited 22-year-old woman (Mamitha Baiju).
Directed by Venky Atluri, the age-gap romance explores family expectations and societal judgement. There’s not much buzz surrounding it yet, but it could end up being one of the month’s quiet surprises.
‘Insidious: Out of the Further’ (Aug 20)
The red door has opened once again in the sixth theatrical instalment of the hugely successful horror franchise created by James Wan and Leigh Whannell.
Directed by Jacob Chase, the supernatural flick follows a young mother who unknowingly unlocks the ability to enter “The Further”, the terrifying astral realm of tortured spirits.
The ghosts, however, discover they can follow her back, turning her into a gateway to Earth. Lin Shaye reprises her role as psychic medium Elise Rainier, because “Insidious” wouldn’t be as insidious without her, kan?
‘Mutiny’ (Aug 21)
Jason Statham’s movies are practically a genre of their own. IMDb has even introduced a dedicated “Jason Statham Action” subcategory, recognising the unmistakable formula his films have become known for!
Here, Statham plays an ex-special forces operative framed for his billionaire employer’s murder. Forced into hiding aboard a massive cargo ship, he uncovers an international conspiracy and, naturally, punches, shoots and fights his way through wave after wave of heavily armed enemies.
This film is directed by Jean-François Richet, who previously helmed Gerard Butler’s “Plane”. They should have called this one “Ship”.
‘The Dog Stars’ (Aug 27)
Based on Peter Heller’s novel and directed by Ridley Scott, this post-apocalyptic drama boasts an impressive cast including Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce and Allison Janney.
The film follows Hig (Elordi), a lonely pilot sharing an abandoned airplane hangar with his dog and an ex-Marine, after a deadly flu pandemic wipes out most of humanity.
Hig’s isolated existence changes when a mysterious voice crackles through his radio – leading him to risk everything in search of signs of civilisation.
‘Coyote vs Acme’ (Aug 27)
This one will take you straight back to your childhood! Long before “Peppa Pig” and “PAW Patrol”, there was “Looney Tunes” – and few rivalries are as iconic as Wile E Coyote versus the Road Runner.
This live-action and animation hybrid comedy follows Wile E Coyote after years of failed attempts to catch the Road Runner using gadgets from the Acme Corporation.
(Speaking of years of failed attempts, it’s taken eight years for this movie to finally be released, from its announcement in 2018 to its shelving in 2023 as a tax write-off for Warner Bros, before being saved following intense public and industry backlash. But anyway.)
Tired of being injured by the company’s malfunctioning products, the frustrated coyote sues Acme for product liability. John Cena plays the company’s high-powered corporate defence lawyer determined to protect its reputation.
