The kids are returning to school, and it’s beginning to feel like slim pickens at your local movie theater. These are signs that summer is coming to a close, but that isn’t stopping Sony Pictures and Blumhouse from going back to one of their most popular horror franchises with the release of Insidious: Out of the Further. In all honesty, waiting to drop this film during a weaker weekend in August should prove fruitful because this IP has been known to be reliable and, without much genre competition, could turn into a moderate hit for the studio and production company.
It’s the biggest wide release this weekend, but moviegoers are also being offered Jason Statham doing what he does best, a spa weekend with the ladies, and a fantasy adventure with Andrew Garfield. As for home viewing, Pixar’s biggest franchise arrives following a massive box office run, Outer Banks says goodbye, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia continues a record-breaking run, and picking up on Lanterns following its premiere last Sunday feels like a sure thing.
What’s Opening In Theaters?
The sixth installment of the Insidious franchise hits the big screen with Insidious: Out of the Further, written and directed by Jacob Chase. Serving as a sequel to 2023’s Insidious: The Red Door, the movie follows a young woman named Gemma (Amelia Eve) who discovers she can travel into a purgatorial realm known as the Further. Her gift becomes a curse when evil forces begin coming after her, and she realizes she can pull these malevolent spirits into the real world, which could prove catastrophic as they make our mortal world their personal playground. The film also stars Brandon Perea, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, and Lin Shaye.
Despite varying degrees of quality, the Insidious franchise has been quite lucrative, pulling in over $744 million worldwide across five films, with them being made on a combined budget of roughly $60.5 million. The last film, Insidious: The Red Door, was the most successful to date, with a global tally of $186.3 million, so it comes as no surprise that they keep cranking these films out. In all fairness to this latest installment, it’s garnering surprisingly good reviews with a current Rotten Tomatoes score of 66 percent with 48 reviews counted so far. That puts it on par with the first movie, which has a criminally low 66 percent on the aggregator site, so this could be a return to form for the IP. From what I’m hearing, the film is sort of a reset that could allow the franchise to go further beyond the Lambert family, so credit to the creatives for finding a way to keep everything fresh despite the series being six films deep. Pre-sales for the film are looking good, and we haven’t had a genre film in release since Evil Dead Burn last month, so this should whet the appetite of horror fans this weekend.
This weekend offers what feels like an annual action thriller starring Jason Statham with the release of Mutiny, directed by Jean-Francois Richaet and written by Lindsay Michael and J.P. Davis. In the film, former Royal Marine/Metropolitan Police officer Cole Reed (Statham), now working as a bodyguard, is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and, in true Statham fashion, must find the people responsible while aboard a container ship. The film also stars Annabelle Wallis and Adrian Lester.
Say what you want about Statham, but his if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it approach to his career has paid off nicely for the actor. You know what you’re getting from a Statham vehicle: check-your-brain-at-the-door entertainment that typically satisfies. In all actuality, he’s one of the industry’s most bankable stars, with his films having pulled in $8.5 billion worldwide, so his popularity should not be underestimated. His last film, Shelter, which was released at the top of the year, grossed $53.9 million worldwide, while 2025’s A Working Man tallied $89 million globally on a $40 million budget. Mutiny should prove equally successful and in a similar fashion (international outgrossing the domestic take), despite mixed reviews from critics. Mutiny is currently at 50 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but Statham is critic-proof at this point. Those who go know what they’re in for, and Mutiny will be no different this weekend.
The ladies are treated to something this weekend with the release of the comedy Spa Weekend, written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. In the film, three childhood friends escape to a luxury spa retreat in Palm Springs for some relaxation and much-needed hilarity. The movie stars Isla Fisher, Leslie Mann, Anna Faris, and Michelle Buteau.
This is a smaller release from Black Bear Pictures, so the marketing hasn’t been especially robust, but the trailer, for what it’s worth, sells its concept of fun with the girls very well, and it seems like it could please the target demo who wishes to go see it. The cast is great and, for good measure, Lucas and Moore are known for the collaborative work on The Hangover, 21 & Over, and Bad Moms, so at least their pedigree for comedy is solid. However, no reviews as of this writing, so take that as you will.
Families may want to check out the fantasy adventure film The Magic Faraway Tree, based on Enid Blyton’s popular book series The Faraway Tree. Directed by Ben Gregor and written by Simon Farnaby, The Magic Faraway Tree follows three young siblings who move with their parents to the countryside, only to discover a world full of magic and wonder. The film stars Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Nonso Anozie, Nicola Coughlan, Jessica Gunning, Jennifer Saunders, and Rebecca Ferguson.
The Faraway Tree book series goes back to 1939 and concludes in 1951, so the books aren’t currently popular, but they have had continuations done by other authors that were published as recently as 2023. This is a case where the books are more well-known in the U.K. than they are here, but that hasn’t stopped filmmaker Farnaby from finding international success on the big screen. His biggest claim to fame is the Paddington franchise, and after appearing as an actor in the first film, he went on to co-write Paddington 2 with Paul King, and he also co-wrote Wonka alongside the director. Paddington 2 was a big critical darling and went on to gross $290.1 million on a $40 million budget, while Wonka was even more successful with a $634.5 million global tally on a $125 million budget. Needless to say, there is an audience for The Magic Faraway Tree, even if it won’t primarily be local. Reviews are solid at 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with 54 reviews counted, so this has an opportunity to be a sleeper hit with families.
Going wide this weekend after a limited run in the previous frame is The Rivals of Amziah King, a neo-Western crime thriller written and directed by Andrew Patterson. In the film, Amziah King (Matthew McConaughey) is a beekeeper, musician, and anchor of his community who reunites with his foster daughter after years of separation, all while fending off threats to his honey business. The film also stars Angelina LookingGlass, Scott Shepherd, Rob Morgan, Tony Revolori, and Kurt Russell.
The Rivals of Amziah King premiered at the 2025 South by Southwest Film & TV Festival in 2025 and garnered solid reviews at the event before being acquired by Black Bear Pictures, which also has Spa Weekend opening among the other openers. The film is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes at 89 percent, with many critics saying the movie successfully balances various genre styles while being anchored by a stellar performance from McConaughey and a noteworthy film debut from Angelina LookingGlass. Seeing a lot of positive notices popping up on social media since its limited release, so should this one be playing in your area, it seems like it’s worth a look.
What To Watch At Home
Home viewing is primarily on the television side of things this week as Netflix says goodbye to Outer Banks after five seasons, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia returns for Season 18, and Lanterns embarks on its second episode after its premiere receives mostly top notch responses from fans. Movies aren’t totally off the table however as Woody and Buzz Lightyear head home for their fifth adventure.
Toy Story 5 heads home on digital while still in the top ten at the box office following a stellar run this summer. Directed by Andrew Stanton and from a screenplay he co-wrote with Kenna Harris, Toy Story 5 is set two years after Toy Story 4 and sees Jessie, Woody, Buzz, and their fellow toys having to deal with their biggest challenge yet: Tech! Bonnie (Scarlett Spears) has a new tablet named Lilypad (Greta Lee), and it threatens to take her away from playing with toys and focus on screens.
The Toy Story franchise remains the most consistent franchise out there. With its fifth outing, the IP sits at 93 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and it became one of the biggest hits of the summer, grossing $476.3 million domestically and $1.1 billion worldwide (and counting). That just goes to show you how consistent this IP is, as it could’ve ended perfectly with Toy Story 3 and has continued with two extra entries that aren’t creatively bankrupt in the slightest. It’s a franchise loved by all ages and that will continue at home and to infinity and beyond.
It’s time for fans to say goodbye to the “Pogues” as the action-adventure teen drama Outer Banks ends its run after five seasons on Netflix. Created by Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, and Shannon Burke, Outer Banks is set in the coastal town of the same name in North Carolina, where there is a stark social divide between the working-class locals and the wealthy seasonal residents. The series follows a specific set of Pogue teenagers, called that because they fall into the working class, who live at The Cut and are determined to find out what fate befell the father of the group’s ringleader, John B. (Chase Stokes), along with discovering a treasure tied to his missing father. The series also stars Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, Rudy Pankow, Austin North, Charles Esten, and Drew Starkey.
Outer Banks became addicting COVID television watching when it premiered in April 2020 and has maintained that level of interest throughout its entire run. It’s highly entertaining, features a talented and good-looking cast, and is a nice mix of Dawson’s Creek melodrama with National Treasure intrigue. The ten-episode final season picks up after the events of the Season 4 finale and finds the Pogues at their lowest after the tragic loss of JJ in Morocco. Won’t give away much more as all ten episodes are ready to binge on Netflix, but don’t fret, Pogue fans. Rumor has it that Netflix is working on a prequel series, so this may not be the last we see of this universe.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia returns for Season 18, continuing its run as the longest-running American live-action sitcom in terms of total seasons. Created by Rob McElhenney, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia follows the hilarious exploits of a group of friends who run an Irish dive bar in South Philadelphia, but rather than simply running the bar, they’re also doing a lot of drinking, scheming, and fighting along the way, either for financial gain or pure boredom. It’s a narcissistic and sociopathic bunch, but at least they provide plenty of laughs in the process. The series stars McElhenney, Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is the best kind of comfort food. It’s consistently funny, and since the cast has a great understanding of each other (Howerton and McElhenney developed the show together, while the latter is married to Olson), there is a comedic chemistry that simply can’t be beat. Everything feels natural, and the fact that it embraces its dark humor and satire, alongside not forcing anyone to be particularly likable, makes the series truly stand out from its counterparts. Season 18 consists of 10 episodes, and the new batch has scored with critics, registering a 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes as the show continues to see the gang pursue more personal schemes and cultural shifts. At 180 episodes ahead of this season, for this show to still be as relevant as it is is a feat in and of itself. The first two episodes of Season 18 premiered on August 17, while subsequent episodes will air weekly through October. The series airs live on FX, or you can catch episodes on Hulu and Disney+.
Lanterns premiered its debut episode on Aug. 16, and it has already garnered considerable praise from critics and fans alike (although there have been some polarizing responses to certain plot points, but that’s the DCU for ya). Created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof, and Tom King, Lanterns is part of the DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, and it’s based on the DC Comics Green Lantern characters Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). The series follows the more experienced Lantern Jordan and new recruit Stewart as they investigate a murder on Earth that has much wider implications and could lead to a much bigger mystery. The series also stars Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, and Nathan Fillion.
Following a ho-hum response to Supergirl this summer, Lanterns is a much-needed win for James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU/DC Studios as the series has received great reviews (it’s currently 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes with an 83 percent audience score). Chandler and Pierre are getting raves for their performances, with the former especially reminding everyone why he’s one of the best to do it (he was the beating heart of Friday Night Lights). It’s a different approach to the Green Lantern mythos, which is exciting some and making others nervous, but that’s what keeps things interesting because who wants more of the same? Lanterns will consist of eight episodes, with Episode 2 dropping Sunday on HBO Max and the series running through Oct. 4.
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