Regular moviegoers know that August has historically been regarded as a so-called “dump month,” one of just a handful on the calendar when typically forgettable or low-stakes feature films make their way to theaters. That doesn’t mean, however, that there isn’t anything good to watch at your local cinema right now. On the contrary: “Barbenheimer,” for example, is still drawing crowds, while other top movie releases in recent days have turned out to be quite satisfying crowd-pleasers.
Here’s a quick rundown of the buzziest movies at the moment — dominating both the big screen, as well as streaming platforms like Netflix — as ranked by Rotten Tomatoes. You can read more about the selections right here, but in the meantime take a look at our snapshot of the top movies that are especially hot right now:
#1: Blue Beetle
Stars: Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, Damián Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo
Directed by: Angel Manuel Soto
Official synopsis: “Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab.
“When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the super Hero Blue Beetle.”
#2: Strays
Voice cast includes: Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Will Forte, Isla Fisher
Directed by: Josh Greenbaum
Official synopsis: “When Reggie (Will Ferrell), a naive, relentlessly optimistic Border Terrier, is abandoned on the mean city streets by his lowlife owner, Doug (Will Forte), Reggie is certain that his beloved owner would never leave him on purpose.
“But once Reggie falls in with a fast-talking, foul-mouthed Boston Terrier named Bug (Jamie Foxx), a stray who loves his freedom and believes that owners are for suckers, Reggie finally realizes he was in a toxic relationship and begins to see Doug for the heartless sleazeball that he is.”
#3: Heart of Stone
Stars: Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan, Alia Bhatt, Sophie Okonedo
Directed by: Tom Harper
Official synopsis: “An intelligence operative for a shadowy global peacekeeping agency races to stop a hacker from stealing its most valuable — and dangerous — weapon.”
#4: Oppenheimer
Stars: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Official synopsis: “During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. appoints physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer and a team of scientists spend years developing and designing the atomic bomb. Their work comes to fruition on July 16, 1945, as they witness the world’s first nuclear explosion, forever changing the course of history.”
#5: Barbie
Stars: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon
Directed by: Greta Gerwig
Official synopsis: “To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.