Flickreel’s Five Films You Can’t Miss in August 2017

With the award’s season behind us, and the festival season still to get into its stride, the summer months can suffer in limbo, with blockbusters littering the release schedule, and sadly, not a lot else to report. But this August has plenty to offer, and we’re running through the five films you simply don’t want to miss out on.

A Ghost Story

Coming from the creative imagination of filmmaker David Lowery, the indie auteur goes back to his roots following a mainstream endeavour with Pete’s Dragon, to present the evocative, ineffably compelling drama A Ghost Story. Starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, this resourceful piece of cinema makes for a unique cinematic experience. Without any palpable linearity or conventional structure, instead Lowery’s film is all about what you feel, as opposed to what you see, both dark and enchanting with it.

The Dark Tower

Based on the popular series of novels by Stephen King, A Royal Affair helmer Nikolaj Arcel finally brings these tales to life, and he’s got quite the cast to do it. With Matthew McConaughey playing the Man in Black and Idris Elba The Gunslinger, we delve into an eternal battle between the two – as good and evil collide in emphatic fashion.

American Made

Tom Cruise has been flexing his actual muscles in several action films of late, but rarely do we have the chance to see him flex his acting muscles. But in Doug Liman’s American Made, he’ll be doing just that, in what is a more character driven piece where he plays a pilot who works for the CIA, and as a drug runner. Set in the 1980s, the film also stars Domhnall Gleeson – which of late, generally seems to allude to this being a rather good piece of cinema.

Detroit

Kathryn Bigelow has presented a drama here that will make you incredibly angry. While that may not sound particularly appealing, Detroit is essential viewing, depicting the tragic, real life events that took place in 1967 on a fateful night where three black men were killed at the hands of the police. With the likes of Jason Mitchell and Anthony Mackie on board, it’s the Brits who do this American tale justice – with remarkable turns from the likes of John Boyega, Will Poulter and Hannah Murray.

Logan Lucky

Steven Soderbergh seems to retire after every passing movie. Thankfully, he seems to keep coming out of retirement for ‘one last’ film – which, as far as we’re concerned, is nothing but great news. His latest is heist comedy Logan Lucky, about two brothers, played by Channing Tatum and Adam Driver, who attempt to pull off an ambitious robbery during a NASCAR race. Though billed as a comedy, where this talented filmmaker is concerned, there’s bound to be an undercurrent of pathos to proceedings. That, however, is unlikely to come from Daniel Craig, who is almost unrecognisable as the villainous Joe Bang, proving there’s still a lot more to the actor than 007.