Welcome to Boom, Bust, or Meh, ladies and gentlemen! This is where we focus on five films released during the month and have some fun predicting their success! As with every BBoM article, each film receives one of the following scores from each participating GUG film critic:
Boom: A film you’ll remember for the rest of the year.
Bust: A film you’ll regret watching.
Meh: A film that entertains during the moment, but has no lasting impact.
At the end of each month, each of the films will be arbitrarily judged and the critic’s ongoing tally will be updated.
The Results
Before we get to our film predictions for August, let us take a look at the outcome of last month’s predictions!
1. Young Washington – Meh
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 61%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 92%
IMDB Score: 7.4
Box Office
Production Budget: $20 million
Worldwide: $46 million
A heartfelt and earnest production, though some felt it just didn’t have ‘that’ moment to push the storytelling over the edge from something muted to something incredibly inspiring.
2. Evil Dead Burn – Meh
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 71%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 74%
IMDB Score: 6.6
Box Office
Production Budget: $20 million
Worldwide: $66 million
A horror film that delivers on all the gore a fan could want, though the handling of the dialogue and story is about as subtle as a chainsaw.
3. Moana – Meh
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 31%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 88%
IMDB Score: 5.8
Box Office
Production Budget: $250 million
Worldwide: $262 million
Fans found this live action adaptation faithful, while critics felt it was purely underwhelming.
4. The Odyssey – BOOM!
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 94%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 97%
IMDB Score: 8.5
Box Office
Budget: $250 million
Worldwide: $922 million
While controversial, this film continues to divide opinions, though seemingly not the Rotten Tomatoes score (although some are claiming that is rigged).
5. Spider-Man: Brand New Day – BOOM!
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 90%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 98%
IMDB Score: 8.2
Box Office
Budget: $225 million
Worldwide: $1+ billion
Many were pleased with Spider-Man’s return, with the film pulling off a mature reset of the character and engaging emotional stakes.
New Releases
Each “Boom, Bust, or Meh” article will include each writer’s current record next to their name (number of correct guesses – number of incorrect guesses).
Ice Cream Man
Rating: Not rated
Release Date: August 7, 2026
Synopsis: An idyllic summer town descends into madness when an ice cream man serves kids sweet delights with horrifying results. (IMDB)
Director: Eli Roth
Starring: Eli Roth, Ari Millen, Darrin Baker
The Predictions
Juliana Purnell (234-192): Bust – When I first saw the trailer, I honestly thought it was a fan made parody or something generated by AI, not a fully-fledged Eli Roth project. This just looks bad. I’m sure it has an audience somewhere that just want a schlocky gore fest contrasted with the joy of ice cream, but honestly this is scraping the bottom of the barrel for entertainment.
The End of Oak Street
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: August 14, 2026
Synopsis: The Platt family bands together to navigate their new surroundings after a cosmic event transports their suburban neighborhood to someplace unknown. (IMDB)
Director: David Robert Mitchell
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella
The Predictions
Juliana Purnell (234-192): BOOM! – I’m predicting this will be a hit for a few reasons, though really it will all come down to whether the story sticks the landing. Firstly, people have been wanting dinosaur stories outside of the Jurassic Park franchise for a while now. Secondly, the fact that Hollywood stars Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor are attached to this means that the script must at least be somewhat decent. Thirdly, it’s directed by the same guy (David Robert Mitchell) who helmed It Follows and Under the Silver Lake; both of which are great to watch. Lastly, people just love a good mystery. Hopefully that’s a recipe for success!
The Brink of War
Rating: PG
Release Date: August 14, 2026
Synopsis: President Reagan races to save a nuclear deal with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev as pressure mounts all around him. Every word spoken could move the world closer to peace – or destruction. (IMDB)
Director: Michael Russell Gunn
Starring: Jeff Daniels, Jared Harris, J.K. Simmons
The Predictions
Juliana Purnell (234-192): Meh – Angel studios is currently pumping out these historical war dramas, and I’m not complaining! I think this will be a solid piece of cinema that will offer great insight into that time period. However, these types of films are a dime a dozen, and they have to really feature something special to get the attention of critics and those on the outskirts of their target demographic. So, I think it’ll be good and worth a watch, just not fantastic.
The Dog Stars
Rating: R
Release Date: August 28, 2026
Synopsis: In a post-apocalyptic world, a virus wipes out humanity. Survivors face roaming scavengers called Reapers. Protagonist Hig, a pilot, survived the flu but lost his wife. (IMDB)
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Jacob Elordi
The Predictions
Juliana Purnell (234-192): Meh – Honestly, I was disappointed I didn’t see more dogs in the trailer. 😛
I don’t know about this one. Watching this trailer evoked memories of so many other films. This story has been told before, so what does this have to offer? The answer is Ridley Scott as a director, and there are a few notable actors in the cast. But Ridley Scott’s had a few misses in the past as well. The August release date is also not comforting, as though the studio doesn’t have too much faith in this. I just hope I’m proven wrong and this isn’t just another run-of-the-mill post-apocalyptic zombie flick.
Coyote vs. Acme
Rating: PG
Release Date: August 28, 2026
Synopsis: A story set in the ACME warehouse, the manufacturer of anything and everything used by the Looney Tunes characters. (IMDB)
Director: Dave Green
Starring: John Cena, Lana Condor, Will Forte
The Predictions
Juliana Purnell (234-192): BOOM! – The story behind this production almost makes the film look like a documentary. Meta commentary aside, this just looks like fun. There’s so much goodwill for Looney Tunes content, mainly because they haven’t overdone it unlike some Disney products/franchises, and they had success with The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. I think audiences will go in with high spirits, and hopefully will leave the same, if not even more entertained.
Thanks for reading this month’s edition! Let us know your predictions in the comment section. Join us next month for another edition of “Boom, Bust, or Meh!”
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