The end of the summer is bringing with it a number of highly anticipated 2021 releases, especially in the science fiction and fantasy genres. As movies return to theaters, films that have been delayed for months are finally releasing alongside stories imagined and crafted during the pandemic itself. Running the gamut from comedy to horror, goofy to grimdark, there are a lot of movies to look forward to this month.
Here are the science fiction and fantasy movies that fans should be on the lookout for in August 2021.
The Suicide Squad
Fans of superhero and comic book movies have been waiting for The Suicide Squad since its 2016 predecessor. James Gunn’s action-heavy comedy follows the DC Extended Universe’s criminals on a mission to reduce their prison sentences by taking on tasks with a low likelihood of survival. With the return of beloved characters like Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and soon-to-be fan-favorites like John Cena’s Peacemaker, the movie promises big-budget action with a super-powered twist.
The Suicide Squad arrives both in theaters and on HBO Max Aug. 6.
Infinitum: Subject Unknown
Infinitum: Subject Unknown follows Jane, a woman stuck in a one-day time-loop as part of a seemingly vicious experiment. Each morning, Jane finds herself bound to a chair, and each day she escapes her imprisonment and inches closer to her freedom, as well as the end of the experiment.
Time travel movies are nothing new, but the iPhone-shot film about repetition and confinement resonates even more after months of quarantining during the pandemic. Coupled with the gravitas of guest star Ian McKellen, whose voice can make even the most tenuous sci-fi premise sound compelling, Infinitum: Subject Unknown is worth a watch.
From director Matthew Butler-Hart, Infinitum: Subject Unknown stars Tori Butler-Hart. The film will be released in theaters and as a VOD on Aug. 6.
Rising Wolf
Originally called Ascendant, Rising Wolf is a wild swing at the genre mashup of YA-fantasy and confinement-horror. The story centers on a heroine trapped in an elevator by evil forces, holding her prisoner to extract information from her father. While held captive, however, she realizes that she possesses superhuman powers, allowing her to escape and take action against those who imprisoned her.
While Rising Wolf‘s initial limited release was a box-office disappointment, reviews have applauded Charlotte Best’s performance as the chosen heroine. Beyond its actors, Rising Wolf is still worth a view for genre fans looking for unique mashups and for anyone looking for a fun fantasy story.
Directed by Antaine Furlong, Rising Wolf also stars Jonny Pasvolsky, Susan Prior and Karelina Clarke. The movie hits theaters and VOD Aug. 10.
Free Guy
After a number of delays, Free Guy is finally hitting theaters this month. In a fictional video game called Free City, an NPC becomes aware that he’s in a video game and tries to make himself the hero. Brought to life by action comedy darling Ryan Reynolds, the NPC rebels against his programming to fight back against players and give his open-world action game someone good to root for.
Free Guy is an action comedy at its heart, but provides a nice lens for looking at the absurd violence most games ask their players to commit. It’s a funny movie because of the mirror it holds up, made slightly less believable by asking the world to ever think that Reynolds isn’t the protagonist.
Directed by Shawn Levy from a script by Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn, Free Guy also stars Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Taika Waititi. The film arrives in theaters Aug. 13.
Reminiscence
In a dystopian future plagued by rising seas and wars, Reminiscence follows a haunted man who offers people a chance to escape into their past. While peddling nostalgia as a drug, he falls for a client and must work to untangle her truth and determine her involvement in a series of violent crimes.
Reminiscence is the big-name, grimdark sci-fi movie that 2021 has been waiting for, ready to take viewers into the hopeless future and remind them that even memories can be weaponized and monetized. With Hugh Jackman and Thandiwe Newton at the helm, Reminiscence promises to deliver the sci-fi hits.
Directed by Lisa Joy, Reminiscence also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Cliff Curtis, Marina de Tavira, Daniel Wu, Mojean Aria, Brett Cullen, Natalie Martinez and Angela Sarafyan. It premieres in theaters and on HBO Max Aug. 20.
Risen
Risen presents an apocalyptic meteor strike in upstate New York that kills all residents and renders the area uninhabitable. But the movie goes beyond the sci-fi meteor event — instead, Risen asks what happens if a meteor brings antagonistic alien life to earth. The dead residents become new homes to these life forms, creating an alien type of zombie that puts a whole new sci-fi spin on the horror genre.
Written and directed by Eddie Arya, Risen stars Nicole Schalmo, Jack Campbell, Dominic Stone and Kenneth Trujillo. It arrives in theaters and on VOD on Aug. 20.
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf brings fans back into The Witcher universe, this time through a 2-D animated story from Netflix Anime. The story follows Vesemir, the mentor of Henry Cavill’s Geralt of Rivia, through his monster-hunting exploits. The new style promises to uphold many of the tenets of The Witcher franchise, including a bathing witcher, but heightened through the anime style.
Directed by Kwang Il Han, The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf stars Theo James, Lara Pulver, Graham McTavish and Mary McDonnell. It arrives on Netflix on Aug. 23.
The Colony
Taking inspiration from Children of Men, The Colony, also known as Tides, looks into a future where humans have become unable to reproduce. The film follows one astronaut returning to Earth in the hope of finding a solution to the continuation of the human species on the human home world, only to find a child and evidence that some survivors on earth have found a way to continue on. Part sci-fi dystopia, part survival horror, The Colony examines what humanity might look like from the outside looking in.
Directed and written by Tim Fehlbaum, The Colony stars Nora Arnezeder, Iain Glen, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina and Joel Basman and will be released Aug. 27.
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