Author: Ben Bowman

Looking to kick back with some movies to close out your summer? These are our picks for the best streaming options on HBO GO and HBO NOW for this August.

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)

If you love Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, you’ll be just as entertained by this topsy-turvy comedy crime story. With whip-smart dialogue, a clever plot, and plenty of surprises, “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” does something most modern movies can’t: It forces you to put down your phone and enjoy. Val Kilmer and Michelle Monaghan do great work as supporting players. The criminally underseen movie joins HBO Go and HBO NOW August 1.

Fargo (1996)

Frances McDormand’s other Oscar-winning role (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”) arrives on HBO streaming services August 1, but you’ll have more fun with this 1996 Coen Brothers classic. The film follows a police officer trying to learn why so many people are turning up dead in her small Minnesota town.

“Fargo” is funny and tragic and unexpected and heartfelt. Siskel & Ebert declared it the best movie of 1996. William H. Macy and Steve Buscemi have never been better. It’s the kind of movie you can watch every year and find something new to enjoy. “Fargo” is cinematic perfection.

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

Whether or not you’ve gotten on board with the new “Planet of the Apes” trilogy, it’s not that hard to jump in. Long story, short: A virus made apes really smart and started wiping out humans. The humans aren’t terribly happy about that, so they fight back.

This movie features two surprising performances: Woody Harrelson plays a military leader clinging to the last remnants of humanity and Andy Serkis provides another motion capture gem as Caesar, the leader of the apes. Seriously, the CGI in this film will blow you away. (Your internal dialogue during this film: “Am I looking at a CGI monkey? And why am I crying about a CGI monkey?”)

We don’t want to give too much away, but the plot twists in this movie are poetic and bold. Given today’s political climate, there’s also something stirring about seeing characters trapped in cages while others are targeting them just for who they are. This film is better than most action/sci-fi movies have a right to be.

Tremors (1990)

Imagine if “Jaws” was underground. That’s “Tremors.” Granted, “Tremors” doesn’t have the character development that “Jaws” does, but it is far better than it has any right to be.

Giant man-eating worms are swallowing up the residents of a small town, and it’s up to Kevin Bacon and his pals to find out how to survive. The script is nearly airtight: every action leads to a new problem, which leads to a new solution, which leads to a new problem. There’s not a wasted moment. And yes, it’s a stupid B-movie, but it’s a GREAT stupid B-movie. And when you see the dad from “Family Ties” and Reba McIntyre unloading thousands of rounds of ammunition into a man-eating worm thing, you will be surprised how gratifying that feels.

American Splendor (2003)

Sick of comic book movies? Try a comic book movie! Seriously. “American Splendor” is a movie about real-life artist Harvey Pekar, who writes a comic book about the frustrations of everyday life. The movie features the real Pekar, along with Paul Giamatti playing Pekar. This movie scored 90 on Metacritic because it features an amazing tonal balancing act. You’ll laugh at the absurdity of the situations, then find yourself rooting for this broken weirdo who simultaneously scoffs at life while wanting so badly to belong. This is a special movie, and one you won’t forget.

Being John Malkovich (1999)

This weird and wonderful masterpiece comes from two of the greatest cinematic minds alive: Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman. It’s pointless to explain the plot, except to say that this movie is all about longing: the desire to be someone else, dating someone else, living somewhere else. If you could escape your life to become another person, would you still be you? And if someone loved the new you, do they really love you? Or is it all an illusion? With incredible, funny performances from John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, and (of course) Malkovich himself, you are in for a magnificent ride. We wish we could scrub our brains clean and watch this again for the first time. By the time you get to the last lines of dialogue (“Look away… look away…”), you’ll feel like a new person, too.

Get Out

One of the most important movies of 2017 is a must-watch if you haven’t seen it already. And it’s worth another watch even if you have. Jordan Peele asks us to consider modern race relations with a “Twilight Zone”-level twist. As the Oscar Winner for Best Original Screenplay, you know you’re in for a treat. “Get Out” is a horror movie and a comedy and a social commentary all wrapped up into one. And it follows the most important rule of all drama: Unleash hell on your protagonist. The more Daniel Kaluuya’s Chris gets tangled up in this nightmare, the more we want him to fight back. This movie is an incredible, unique treat.

Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind (2018)

Oh, Robin Williams. We miss you, man. This documentary tracks his life with some wonderful interviews with friends and family. Billy Crystal shares some answering machine recordings from the late comedian, Pam Dawber remembers their early days on “Mork & Mindy,” and Williams’ son shares memories of his famous father. This movie could have been three times as long and it would still be riveting. We lost something special in 2014. This movie helps us remember a bright light.

Shattered Glass

Let’s talk about Hayden Christensen. Sure, you might laugh that we’re recommending a movie starring Mannequin Skywalker, but we swear, this one is really good! Christensen stars as real-life reporter Stephen Glass, who has an uncanny knack for uncovering amazing stories. It seems too good to be true. And it is. Glass made everything up. In an era of “fake news,” this movie couldn’t be more timely. You’ll marvel as Glass’ coworkers fall in love with his crazy articles and you’ll cringe as Glass tries to cover for himself as he cements his awful legacy. This surprisingly solid film shows the power of truth and the lure of lies. It’s smart and unflinching. And yes, Hayden Christensen is really damn good.

Andre the Giant (2018)

This documentary about the human marvel is already the most-watched documentary in HBO Sports history with nearly 7 million viewers. The film does a great job balancing the fun, the fame, the fear, and the frailty of this wrestling legend. Even if you’re not a fan of pro wrestling, you’ll still appreciate the story of a man born too big for the world, making a living in one of the few places where his liability was an asset. A great documentary helps you walk a mile in another person’s shoes, even if those shoes could fit a small village. This film manages to pull that off.

“Star Wars” fans everywhere were crushed when Carrie Fisher died in 2016. Imagine our surprise, then, when Lucasfilm announced their cast for Episode IX and it included everybody’s favorite princess-turned-general. Yes, Leia Organa will be back in action when the “Star Wars” saga returns.

But how?

According to Episode IX director J.J. Abrams, you’re going to get the real Carrie Fisher. “We were never going to recast, or use a CG character,” Abrams said. “With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie’s legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII.”

That’s a relief, since the last time we saw a CG Leia, it didn’t exactly go well.

The “Star Wars” franchise painted itself into a corner with its legends. In “The Force Awakens,” Han Solo was killed. In “The Last Jedi,” Luke died. So Leia was the last of the Big 3 whose story hadn’t concluded. Presumably, Fisher’s death blew up whatever was planned for the series finale.

To recap, the last time we saw Leia, she was flying away from Crait with the remnants of the Resistance after Luke’s sacrifice allowed them to escape. A disheartened Rey asks Leia, “How do we build a Rebellion from this?” Leia holds her hand and says, “We have everything we need.”

Given that Episode VII was about Ben Solo’s relationship with this father (Han), and Episode VIII was about his relationship with his Uncle Luke, it stands to reason that Episode IX was supposed to be about his relationship with his mother. Do they really have enough unreleased footage to tie up that loose end? Will they kill off Leia’s character? Given that Leia’s frozen corpse literally came back to life and flew through space after her ship was attacked, it’s hard to imagine a plausible death by conventional lasers or whatnot.

In any case, today’s cast announcement also confirms the rumor that Billy Dee Williams will return as Lando Calrissian. Will he end up with Chewie and the Falcon after all is said and done?

And there was another surprise: Mark Hamill will be back. Fans likely guessed that Luke’s Force ghost would reappear to guide Rey (or haunt Ben), and this announcement pretty much seals the deal.

Lucasfilm confirms that the returning cast includes Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd.

The final film in the “Star Wars” saga will also feature newcomers Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. Filming begins August 1, 2018. The final chapter will blast its way into theaters on December 20, 2019.