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August
Metascore
39 out of 100

Generally unfavorable - based on 10 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 10
  3. Negative: 4 out of 10
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    91
    Anyone who thinks that Josh Hartnett isn't a true movie star should see his riveting, high-wire performance in August.
  2. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    75
    Stylish, well acted drama.
  3. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    60
    There's not much to it, but Austin Chick's hyper-focused indie does serve as a nicely assured showcase for lead Josh Hartnett.
  4. Variety
    Reviewed by: Dennis Harvey
    50
    This middling drama has no glaring faults, but simply lacks the intended urgency.
  5. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Nathan Rabin
    42
    Chick's underwhelming exploration of post-millennial angst is as empty and vacant as its protagonist's inexpressive peepers.
  6. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Justin Lowe
    40
    Another among this year's crop of features that demonstrates that having a cast with indie cred can sometimes do little to buoy a film's miscalculated execution.
  7. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Jeannette Catsoulis
    30
    The movie's amoral momentum is fatally slowed by an acronym-heavy script and flimsy characterizations that offer fine actors -- including Rip Torn as Tom's contemptuous father and Naomie Harris as his missed opportunity -- little to play.
  8. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Don R. Lewis
    20
    Tedious and ultimately pointless film.
  9. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Nick Pinkerton
    20
    August seems to be missing something essential--a prologue? Or maybe it's not what's missing that's the problem, but what's here.
  10. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    12
    As usual, Hartnett exhibits the acting ability of linoleum; his performance would not be measurably changed if he lapsed into a coma halfway through. Only an amusing cameo by David Bowie enlivens things, but he's onscreen for just about two minutes at the end.
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User Reviews

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User Score
6.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. SeanF.
    8
    I enjoyed this movie quite a bit, I even thought that it flowed like poetry (the pieces all fit together very well). Possibly Josh Hartnett's best performance yet, it seemed like the movie must have been written for him to play the lead role. Overall, the film does a good job of capturing the e-commerce, irrational exuberance of the early 2000's, late 1990's.… Full Review »
  2. KeithJ
    7
    Don't trust movie critics (generally smart people who majored in English and are annoyed they were left out of the tech boom) to rate this movie accurately. Some get it right, but many downplay it because it isn't a topic of interest to them. If you were touched by the dot-com bubble - for example, if you lost half your net worth when the NASDAQ collapsed, or especially if you worked in the dot-com industry back then - you will find this movie hard to stop watching. It's not perfect. Some dialogue is leaden, and there are subplots that get too much screen time. But worth watching if the subject matter is of interest.… Full Review »
  3. EmilS.
    8
    Much better than the ratings & reviews indicate. This is the first film I've seen that effectively captures that unbearable e-snottiness that flooded America during the dotcom craze. The story is set in August 2001, which perhaps is still too recent in the public consciousness to be fairly objective. The cast is superb, including David Bowie who delivers a briliant albeit brief scene towards the end. Plus, there's no trace of those all to familiar "indie" film clichés that compel you to hit Eject (except for the score perhaps, which I found somewhat relentless.) Deserves to be re-evaluated, once we all grow up a little.… Full Review »
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