What Films to See in August 2023

Check out our picks for nostalgic and classic movie showings around the DMV. 

August is a strange time for movies. The month typically marks the end of the summer blockbuster and brings a slight lull before all the Oscar-bait releases arrive in late fall and early winter. Luckily, the D.C. area has no shortage of theaters offering doses of nostalgia in the form of classic showings. Celebrate films of yesteryear this month while we wait for the dramatic, occasionally self-serious award season fodder. 

8.8

“Rear Window” at Landmark E Street Cinema
Let’s travel back to a time when horror movies were devoid of gore for gore’s sake and operated with the intention of scaring the audience through a patient, unsettling story. Arguably Alfred Hitchcock’s most suspenseful triumph, the plot follows a stationary man spying on his neighbors’ day-to-day lives until a chain of events unravel, which leads to an ultimately eerie conclusion. You may scoff at the 1954 release date, but this film will have no trouble holding your attention with its twists, turns and frequent misdirection. $7. 4 p.m. + 7 p.m. 555 11th St. NW, DC; landmarktheatres.com // @estreetcinema

8.12-8.13

“2001: A Space Odyssey” at AFI Silver Spring
As a person whose first viewing of this Stanley Kubrick masterpiece took place at the AFI Silver Spring, I offer only one word of advice: “Go.” One of the most ahead-of-its-time films, Kubrick displayed masterful directing as he engrossed audiences with both a breathtaking galactic visual experience and a moody, introspective, self-contained story, which grapples with the very basic questions confronting humanity. Bonus: This particular showing has an intermission, which will undoubtedly have you asking yourself: “Why don’t all films have these?” $13. 1 p.m. on Saturday; 7 p.m. on Sunday. 8633 Colesville Rd. Silver Spring, MD; afisilver.afi.com // @afisilvertheatre

8.13 + 8.16 

“Enter the Dragon” at AMC Hoffman
Bruce Lee’s posthumous legacy is one of Hollywood’s most celebrated. The martial artist turned stuntman turned actor is largely credited for bringing combat-centric films to the Western mainstream and “Enter the Dragon” was intended to represent his coronation as a Hollywood star. Unfortunately, Lee died one month before the film’s release. The film achieved monumental success, and now on its 50th anniversary, it is often lauded as the greatest martial arts film ever made. With a genre-bending plot, incorporating both Blaxploitation and spy elements throughout, the film is unanimously admired by cinephiles and action junkies alike. $15.50. 4 p.m. + 7 p.m. on Sunday; 7 p.m. on Wednesday. 206 Hoffman St. Alexandria, VA; amctheatres.com // @amctheatres

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Trent Johnson