As we enter the final month of what we generally consider the summer movie season, it’s clear that the pickings are a little slimmer than usual (and that may continue into September). That said, there are still plenty of movies to be excited about, depending on your tastes. As usual, we polled the Rotten Tomatoes audience on all of our social media platforms to find out what films everyone was looking forward to the most this month, and perhaps because of the sparse release calendar, the results featured a surprise or two. Read on for the most anticipated movies of August 2022!
Bullet Train (2022)
#1 on Facebook and Twitter, #2 on Instagram
In theaters on August 5
The top spot in this month’s poll was a close race between two films, but the eventual winner was the cheeky big-screen action-comedy starring Brad Pitt surrounded by a host of other big names. Based on a Japanese novel, Bullet Train stars Pitt as a weary assassin who wants to retire from the business but is tasked with one last mission — to steal a briefcase on a Japanese bullet train (of course) — only to discover he isn’t the only deadly passenger onboard. This is arguably the most high-profile film of the month, so it’s no surprise to see it at the top, though it wasn’t the runaway winner…
Prey (2022)
#1 on Instagram, #2 on Facebook and Twitter
Streaming on Hulu on August 5
The film that gave Bullet Train a run for its money was, surprisingly enough, this streaming-only offering on Hulu. The Predator franchise has certainly seen its share of ups and downs, including most recently 2018’s The Predator, which didn’t impress a whole lot of folks. This prequel takes the story back to the 1700s, when a Comanche warrior played by Amber Midthunder takes on an early visitor from space. Despite the series’ dwindling popularity, this looks like a return to its roots, and fans voted it nearly to the top of all of our polls.
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
#3 on Instagram, #4 on Facebook and Twitter
In theaters on August 5
Next up, we have the latest genre offering from A24, a studio that has become known for its critically acclaimed hits, including a number of horror gems. Amandla Stenberg headlines this thriller/dark comedy about a group of friends who get together for a party, play a murder mystery game, and then find that one of them has actually been killed. The critics have so far given the film glowing reviews, and A24 has something of a built-in fanbase, so it makes sense to see it on this month’s list.
Samaritan (2022)
#3 on Facebook and Twitter
In theaters and streaming on Amazon Prime Video on August 26
Sylvester Stallone stars in this superhero movie as the titular hero, who went missing after a big battle 25 years ago and lives a quiet life as a garbage man until a young boy susses out his identity. We didn’t know much else about the film for a long while, and we only got a trailer for it just recently, but it managed to intrigue enough fans to climb to No. 4 on our list.
Orphan: First Kill (2022)
#4 on Instagram, #5 on Twitter
In theaters and streaming on Paramount+ on August 19
Finally, we have a rather unlikely horror sequel rounding out our list. Back in 2009, the twisty thriller Orphan impressed just enough critics and made just enough money on its modest budget that, 13 years later, someone thought it made sense to give audiences another chapter in the story. Isabelle Fuhrman returns in First Kill, which takes place before the original film and chronicles the character’s escape from Estonia and her first run-in with a family grieving their missing daughter. The first film became something of a cult favorite, and we’re sure fans of that film will be on board for this prequel.
Thumbnail by ©Sony Pictures Entertainment
