U.S. Release Date: 2015-08-26
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Disturbing Images, Profanity)
Genre: Thriller
Director: John Erick Dowdle
Cast: Owen Wilson, Lake Bell, Pierce Brosnan, Sterling Jerins, Claire Geare, Sahajak Boonthanakit
"No Escape" is a throwback to an era when thriller were defined by suspense and tension rather than overblown action and special effects-enhanced stunts.
U.S. Release Date: 2015-08-21
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Disturbing Images, Profanity)
Genre: Horror
Director: Ciaran Foy
Cast: James Ransone, Shannyn Sossamon, Robert Daniel Sloan, Dartanian Sloan, Lea Coco
More like an unnecessary retread than an organic extension of the original.
U.S. Release Date: 2015-08-21
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Profanity)
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Aleksander Bach
Cast: Rupert Friend, Hannah Ware, Zachary Quinto, Ciaran Hinds
More interested in providing brief distractions than a full-bodied experience.
U.S. Release Date: 2015-08-21
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Profanity, Drugs)
Genre: Thriller/Comedy
Director: Nima Nourizadeh
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg, Topher Grace, Connie Britton, John Leguizamo, Bill Pullman, Walton Goggins
The movie is replete with bloody encounters, sly asides, and one-liners, but the tone is awkward and uneven.
U.S. Release Date: 2015-08-14
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Sexual Content, Brief Nudity)
Genre: Thriller
Director: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Luca Calvani, Hugh Grant
Guy Ritchie directs with a deft touch, allowing things to move at a rapid clip while maintaining a light, sometimes humorous tone.
U.S. Release Date: 2015-08-07
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity, Violence, Sexual Content)
Genre: Thriller
Director: Joel Edgerton
Cast: Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton
The psychological thriller "The Gift" subverts the "Fatal Attraction" genre by sprinkling it with a little "Usual Suspects" flavoring.
U.S. Release Date: 2015-08-07
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Profanity)
Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: Josh Trank
Cast: Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbell, Reg E. Cathey
As a superhero movie, it falls into the "adequate" range of the spectrum - neither memorable nor forgettable.
U.S. Release Date: 2015-08-07
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Profanity, Sexual Content, Drugs)
Genre: Drama
Director: Jonathan Demme
Cast: Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Maime Gummer, Rick Springfield, Sebastian Stan, Nick Westrate, Audra McDonald
An entertaining diversion - a good way to pass a couple of hours as late summer evenings lengthen - but not much more.
U.S. Release Date: 2015-07-31
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Profanity)
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Cast: Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy Renner, Alec Baldwin, Ving Rhames, Sean Harris
The film offers everything one could ask for from popcorn entertainment and its brand of action feels fresh and freewheeling.
U.S. Release Date: 2015-07-29
MPAA Rating: "R" (Profanity, Sexual Content)
Genre: Comedy
Director: Jonathan M. Goldstein & John Francis Daley
Cast: Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Skyler Gisondo, Steel Stebbins, Leslie Mann, Chris Hemsworth, Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Catherine Missal, Charlie Day
As with all episodic comedies, this one is hit-and-miss but there are enough "hits" to keep most viewers entertained.