August unspooled: new visions on the big screen

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1 August

The mind-bending Australian supernatural psychological horror Bring Her Back follows orphaned step-siblings Andy (Billy Barratt) and Piper (Sora Wong), who are placed in the care of a foster mother (Sally Hawkins) whose grief over her own daughter’s death spirals into occult obsession.

With Hawkins delivering a chilling performance, the film has been praised for its emotional depth and disturbing imagery, cementing the Philippou brothers (Talk To Me) as rising auteurs in modern horror. Read more.

The Bad Guys 2 is a heist comedy from DreamWorks Animation that tells of reformed animal outlaws who are pulled into a globe-trotting heist by an all-female criminal crew. With stylish animation and witty writing, the film expands the franchise’s themes of redemption and identity, while celebrating teamwork and mischief.

It is directed by Pierre Perifel and co-directed by JP Sans. Based on Aaron Blabey’s children’s book series. Read more.

In The Naked Gun, Liam Neeson stars as Lt. Frank Drebin Jr., a deadpan detective with a knack for turning every investigation into a slapstick disaster. When femme fatale Pamela Anderson hires him to solve her brother’s murder, Drebin teams up with his loyal partner Capt. Ed Hocken Jr. (Paul Walter Hauser) to unravel a conspiracy that threatens the future of the Police Squad.

With its blend of physical comedy, meta jokes, and genre parody, The Naked Gun aims to revive the spirit of Leslie Nielsen’s legacy for contemporary audiences. It is directed by Akiva Schaffer (Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers). Read more.

8 August

The action-thriller Tin Soldier features Jamie Foxx as a cult-like leader who recruits war veterans into a militarised compound, and Robert De Niro as a government operative determined to dismantle the operation. Scott Eastwood plays Nash, a former disciple seeking revenge.

With themes of trauma, loyalty, and manipulation, the film blends psychological drama with explosive action and is directed by Brad Furman (The Lincoln Lawyer). Read more.

The fantasy comedy Freakier Friday is set 22 years after the original identity crisis and reunites Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan as Tess and Anna Coleman. When a mysterious fortune teller enters the picture, lightning strikes again—literally—and the body-swapping madness resumes.

It is directed by Nisha Ganatra (Late Night) and updates the body-swap formula for a multigenerational audience. Read more.

In the chilling horror Weapons, seventeen children from the same classroom vanish simultaneously at 2:17am — no struggle, no trace, just eerie footage of them walking into the night. Their teacher, Justine Gandy (Julia Garner), becomes the centre of suspicion as the community unravels in fear and confusion. As parents, investigators, and neighbours search for answers, the mystery deepens into something far darker than anyone imagined.

Directed by Zach Cregger (Barbarian), the film blends psychological horror with small-town paranoia, promising a chilling descent into the unknown. Read more.

In the fantastical family adventure Sketch, a young girl, her brother, and their widowed father must confront the monsters they never meant to unleash. Tony Hale stars as a widowed father whose daughter’s grief drawings come to life after her sketchbook falls into a magical pond. As crayon monsters wreak havoc, the family must reunite to stop the chaos. It is directed by Seth Worley in his feature debut. Read more.

15 August

Magazine Dreams is a haunting psychological drama directed by Elijah Bynum that follows Killian Maddox (Jonathan Majors), a socially isolated amateur bodybuilder whose obsessive pursuit of greatness spirals into emotional and physical collapse.

His dream of becoming a Mr. Olympia champion consumes him, pushing him into steroid abuse, violent outbursts, and emotional breakdowns.

As a Black man navigating systemic neglect and personal grief, Killian’s story echoes the alienated antiheroes of Taxi Driver and The Wrestler, but with a distinct racial and emotional lens.

Nobody 2 follows a former government assassin turned suburban dad (Bob Odenkirk), who finds himself pulled back into a violent world when a family vacation at a rundown theme park spirals into chaos. As he faces off against a corrupt sheriff and a ruthless crime boss, secrets from his wife’s past and his own resurface, threatening to tear his family apart.

Hutch must fight to protect what matters most, even if it means embracing the killer he once was. Directed by Timo Tjahjanto (The Night Comes for Us), it is the sequel to the 2021 sleeper hit Nobody. Read more.

Together is a surreal body-horror drama that follows Tim (Dave Franco) and Millie (Alison Brie), a couple whose strained relationship takes a grotesque turn after they move to a remote countryside town.

Following a mysterious encounter with an underground pool, they wake up physically fused together by a sticky, organic substance, forcing them to confront the emotional and psychological entanglements of their bond. It is Directed by Michael Shanks in his feature debut. Read more.

Grand Prix of Europe is a vibrant animated sports comedy celebrating the 50th anniversary of Germany’s Europa-Park, starring its beloved mascots Ed Euromaus and Edda Euromausi in their first cinematic adventure.

It follows Edda, a spirited young mouse who dreams of becoming a race car driver like her idol Ed. When her father’s fairground business is threatened, Edda enters the prestigious Grand Prix disguised as Ed, facing sabotage, rival racers, and her own self-doubt. With heart, humour, and high-speed thrills, Edda proves that even the smallest racer can make the biggest impact. Read more.

The Silwerskermfees: 20 – 23 August

“The Silwerskermfees brings thinkers, doers, creators and dreamers together across generations and from all provinces in the name of film,” says Waldimar Pelser.

This year, the festival takes place from Wednesday to Saturday, 20 to 23 August, at the Bay Hotel and Theatre on the Bay in Camps Bay. After the festival, all films will be broadcast on kykNET and will later be available on the streaming service Showmax. All short films will be aired on Saturdays at 20:00 from 7 September, while the short documentaries will be shown on Sundays at 20:00 from 8 September.

These will also be available on DStv Stream and Catch Up after their broadcast. For the full Silwerskerm Festival programme, visit the festival’s website.

22 August

The Myth of Maracuda is a family-friendly animated tale set in a Stone Age Forest, where young Maracuda, the son of a tribal chief, struggles to prove himself as a warrior. After a failed hunt, he meets Tink, a magical bird who grants him the ability to understand animals. Together with a rabbit named Stomp, Maracuda embarks on a journey of self-discovery and courage.
But when tradition demands Tink’s sacrifice, Maracuda must choose between loyalty to his tribe and protecting his friend, ultimately redefining what it means to be a leader. Read more.

The post-apocalyptic sci-fi action film Afterburn follows Jake (Dave Bautista), a rugged ex-soldier turned treasure hunter, as he teams up with freedom fighter Drea (Olga Kurylenko) to recover the Mona Lisa before a warlord gets there first.

With Samuel L. Jackson as Valentine and Kristofer Hivju in a supporting role, the film blends high-octane action with comic-book flair. It is directed by J.J. Perry, a seasoned stunt coordinator turned director, who has helmed a few action-packed features including Dayshift and The Killer’s Game. Read more.

In the psychological thriller Relay, Riz Ahmed stars as Tom, a secretive “fixer” who brokers payoffs between corrupt corporations and whistleblowers. When Sarah (Lily James), a potential client, seeks protection to stay alive, Tom’s rigid rules begin to unravel.

With Sam Worthington and Willa Fitzgerald rounding out the cast, Relay unfolds as a taut, cerebral drama set in a sleek, paranoid New York. It is directed by David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water), offering an emotionally charged modern noir. Read more.

Hunting of Jessica Brock is a South African survival action thriller directed by Alastair Orr and co-written with David D. Jones and Garth McCarthy.

Danica De La Rey Jones stars as Jessica Brock, a retired special forces operative forced back into combat when a vengeful psychopath kidnaps her daughter and releases her into the wild to be hunted for sport.

Set against the brutal beauty of the African wilderness, the film combines visceral action with psychological depth, offering a distinctly African take on vengeance cinema. Read more.

29 August

In the satirical black comedy The Roses, Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman star as a picture-perfect couple whose marriage implodes spectacularly when Theo’s career collapses and Ivy’s ambitions soar.

Directed by Jay Roach (Bombshell), it is based on Warren Adler’s novel The War of the Roses and reimagines the classic 1989 film for a new generation. With supporting turns from Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, and Allison Janney, the film skewers domestic bliss with screwball chaos and emotional carnage. Read more.

Caught Stealing is a crime thriller directed by Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) and adapted by Charlie Huston from his own novel. Austin Butler stars as Hank Thompson, a washed-up baseball prodigy turned bartender who’s pulled into a violent underworld after agreeing to cat-sit for his punk neighbour (Matt Smith).

With Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Liev Schreiber, and Bad Bunny in the ensemble, the film unfolds in 1990s New York, blending noir grit with absurdist humour.

Caught Stealing marks a genre-shifting turn for Aronofsky that’s both stylish and chaotic. Read more

Steven Spielberg’s Jaws

Roy Scheider stars as Chief Brody, who teams up with marine biologist Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw) to stop a great white terrorising Amity Island. Read more.

In The Toxic Avenger, downtrodden janitor Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage) is diagnosed with a terminal illness and denied treatment by his corrupt employer. In a desperate act, he attempts to rob the company but falls into a vat of toxic waste—transforming into the grotesque but powerful mutant vigilante known as Toxie.

Armed with a glowing mop and superhuman strength, he battles freaks, gangsters, and corrupt CEOs while trying to protect his son Wade (Jacob Tremblay) and reclaim his dignity. It is written and directed by Macon Blair, blending superhero black comedy with splatter horror. Read more.

It began with a bicycle, a rugby post, and a mother’s unforgettable exclamation — “My f*k, Marelize!” — echoing across South African screens in 2019. But what started as a viral laugh has now evolved into a poignant feature film that reframes internet fame through the lens of family, resilience, and cultural pride.

Directed by Zandré Coetzer and written by Brett Michael Innes, the film blends humour with emotional depth, offering a love letter to Namibian and South African life — and to the quiet courage behind every public stumble.

Marelize Horn, played by Je-ani Swiegelaar, is an accident-prone young woman whose infamous bicycle crash into a rugby post made her an internet sensation. But beneath the meme lies a story of resilience and aspiration: Marelize dreams of becoming an au pair in the Netherlands, a goal that requires her to confront her fear of cycling. Read more.

Read more about the latest and upcoming South African films.