Reel Deal: The most anticipated movies released this August

As we inch closer to the scorching month of August 2023, the silver screen is set to dazzle with a lineup of unmissable cinematic wonders. This article is your ultimate guide to the must-see upcoming movies in August 2023, packed with excitement, drama, and thrills. Whether you’re a fan of mind-bending sci-fi, heartwarming romances, or close-to-death adventures, we have handpicked the most anticipated films that will keep you glued to your seat.

Meg 2: The Trench

In this science-fiction thriller, we have Jason Statham, Wu Jing and their team take on an underwater research expedition that becomes more dangerous than they expected it to be as they have to overcome the challenges exerted by their adversaries, a mining corporation and multiple large-sized Megs (megalodon sharks) that are all putting their life at stake. Meg 2: The Trench is certainly a nerve-racking thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Release Date: August 3
Language: English
Where to watch: Theatres

Mamamoo: My Con

Following the success of two K-pop documentaries based on BTS members Suga (Min Yoongi) and J-Hope (Jung Hoseok), Trafalgar is releasing another limited-period screening project in the shape of Mamamoo: My Con that will only run in theatres for two days. The documentary follows the four-member girl group as they prepare and perform on their first global tour. It is an excellent opportunity for fans (MooMoos) to see their favourite idols’ scintillating stage performances on the big screens while also getting to know all the behind-the-scene activities.

Screening Dates: August 9 and 12
Language: Korean with English subtitles
Where to watch: Theatres

Red, White and Royal Blue

If you are a fan of star-crossed romance, then you should add this new romantic comedy that narrates the tale of the son of the US President and the Prince of England who fall in love with each other against all odds with the unusual circumstances of the romance forcing them to keep their relationship a secret. This enemy-turned-lover romance flick, based on a novel by the same name, is a must-see swoon-worthy LGBT rom-com.

Release Date: August 11
Language: English
Where to watch: Amazon Prime

Depp v. Heard

Based on the infamous Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial last year is this three-part documentary that telecasts the entire case. Rather than focusing only on the court arguments, the documentary goes beyond the courtroom. It addresses how the outside world, particularly social media, had an effect during and after the trial. Taking an objective stance on the popular libel suit is Depp v. Heard, which will interest fans of the documentary and legal drama genres.

Release Date: August 16
Language: English
Where to watch: Netflix

Blue Beetle

This upcoming DC movie marks the big-screen debut of Blue Beetle, a superhero, the franchise initially introduced in their comics back in 1939. Starring Cobra Kai’s Xolo Maridueña as the titular character Blue Beetle, Maridueña plays Jaime Reyes, a university graduate who stumbles upon a device called Scarab that turns him into the superhero, Blue Beetle, who possesses many superpowers. Blue Beetle is an exciting action-packed adventure that depicts the turn of events that occur following this incident.

Release Date: August 17
Language: English
Where to watch: Theatres

Concrete Utopia

Post a huge earthquake, the entire world has crumbled into pieces except for one apartment in Seoul, so when more people start moving into the building for survival, it becomes a fight for resources between the tenants and the newcomers. Fans of the survival genre who enjoy a good apocalypse movie can certainly look forward to this South Korean adventure film Concrete Utopia starring Park Seo Joon and Park Bo Young in the lead.

Release Date: August 17
Language: Korean with English and Chinese subtitles
Where to watch: Theatres

Everyphone Everywhere

When three former classmates – Chit, Ana and Raymond – have a reunion after 25 years, they discuss how their lives turned out in comparison to the plans and desires they had in the past. With this as the primary plot of the movie, audiences are introduced to more storylines that take us into some of the memorable incidents that have occurred in each main character’s life, and in every story, a mobile phone turns out to be the focal object. Set in Hong Kong, Everyphone Everywhere is a nice feel-good movie with a mix of nostalgia, comic relief and other heartfelt emotions.

Release Date: August 17
Language: Cantonese with English and Chinese subtitles
Where to watch: Theatres

Strays

Forgotten on the streets by its careless owner, a border terrier named Reggie waits hopefully to return home, only to be completely abandoned and left to struggle in the streets by his owner, Doug. Angered and disappointed by Doug’s actions, Reggie is resolute on taking revenge with the help of his newly-found four-legged friends Bug, Maggie and Hunter. Strays swings away from the ‘dog is a man’s best friend’ concept and is a fun live-action comedy guaranteed to make you laugh your socks off.

Release Date: August 24
Language: English
Where to watch: Theatres

Streaming TV: In the battle for screen supremacy, it’s stream team all the way

Gone are the days of “Event TV” when whole families gathered around the telly to witness historic happenings – moon landings or CCP Committee Meetings – or the much-anticipated denouements of popular dramas. Instead, we live in an age of Events TV, a time when different family members experience wholly separate programming strands, frequently on a wide variety of devices and platforms. The living room TV is dead, long live the tablet, the smartphone and any other digital device capable of remotely accessing video content.

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While the digital hardware that makes this possible is all too familiar, less apparent are the vast arrays of global content producers that have sprung up, many of them eschewing traditional broadcast channels in favour of delivering bespoke, on-command net-based dramas, sporting events and movie premieres, all available when you want it and via whichever screened gadget has won your favour.

The superstars of this new era are the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Now and Hulu – content producers and distributors with deep pockets, wide reaches and surprisingly high quality thresholds. Arguably, this sudden surge in quality is down to one very real change in the business model of video content distributors.

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While programming was once doomed to be bland, middle-of-the-road and inoffensive in order to win favour with the mighty advertisers who booked the commercial breaks and funded all non-state-run broadcasters, now it has to be engaging, original and controversial. Quite simply, the ad men are no longer calling the shots, with snaring the viewer via extended subscriptions now what’s keeping the lights on for content producers. It may have taken more than 90 years to happen, but finally the viewer is king.

This transformation of the sector, of course, has not been universally welcomed. While many existing terrestrial broadcasters / content producers initially welcomed the arrival of streaming services, seeing them as channels for rescreening their existing productions, such warmth quickly dissipated once these upstarts began generating their own programmes. Overnight, they ceased being complementary and became simply competitors.

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This simmering resentment went suddenly public last year when Okja, a Netflix-produced action movie, was roundly booed by conventional filmmakers during the Cannes Film Festival. The negative audience response had been preceded by weeks of wrangling as to whether original streaming content was even eligible to be screened at the event, with Cannes long seen as the global shop-window for theatrically-released movies. Ultimately, it was decreed that such content would never again be screened at the event.

If such a decision does stem from petulance on the part of established cinematic auteurs, it could be a reaction they could come to regret. For many cultural and technological commentators, streaming is not a passing fad, a brief digital dalliance likely to be soon discarded, with normal services resumed soon after. Instead, it is a new reality that meets both the requirements of time-starved tellywatchers and a new generation of content producers.

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Indeed, freed of the shackles of getting the nod from big budget advertisers, streaming channels can be bolder and far less restricted when it comes to commissioning content. This has seen some long-gestating properties, many of which were denied a slot by conventional broadcasters, finally get made, frequently going on to secure both record viewing figures and industry accolades.

A prime example here is The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. When Tina Fey, the US comedienne and star of the long-running hit 30 Rock, wanted backing for a new, somewhat edgy comedy, she found few takers. Given that the series revolved around a woman being held hostage by a religious fanatic, even NBC – the network that had made megabucks from her previous show – politely demurred, deeming it to be just too controversial. Netflix, however, had few such scruples and the show is now one of the streaming service’s most popular original series. Tellingly, it has also been nominated for 18 Primetime Emmy Awards.

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Reflecting on her experience with this new medium, Fey now says: “With broadcast, when you’re going into people’s homes, you have to be a little more polite. On streaming services, however, you can get into far more dangerous territory largely because you don’t have to worry about advertisers.”

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay