End-of-Summer Movies: What to Watch as the Season Winds Down

Are people coming back to theaters? The signs look good.

After a few choppy years, moviegoing is finding its rhythm again. Surveys and industry reports point to a clear rebound. Roughly seven in ten Americans went to a movie in 2023 and 2024, a big jump from the early post-pandemic period. The share of frequent moviegoers has about doubled since 2021, and most people say they plan to go as often or more this year. Premium formats are booming, with IMAX reporting record box office this summer and strong year-over-year growth. Forecasts for 2025 call for another step up in global box office, with the U.S. tracking higher than last year. Canada is seeing the same energy, with about six in ten people saying they saw at least one film in theaters in 2024 and the strongest turnout among under-35s. Theater subscriptions are growing, too. AMC’s A-List is approaching the one million member mark, a good signal that regular moviegoing is back in the routine.

Bottom line. People are putting the big screen back into their week and they are choosing higher quality screens, better sound, and reserved seats when they do. That makes late summer a great time to pick an End of Summer Movie (or two) and make a night of it.

End of Summer Movies to put on your list:

Splitsville (Comedy)
A friendship between two couples gets messy when a newly separated friend tests the boundaries of his pals’ open marriage. Starring Dakota Johnson, Adria Arjona, Kyle Marvin, and Michael Angelo Covino, Splitsville  opened in limited release in late August and expands wider in early September.

The Conjuring: Last Rites (Horror)
The mainline Conjuring saga reaches its finale. If you want a packed house and jump-out-of-your-seat energy, opening-weekend horror delivers. U.S. release is early September.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (Drama)
The Crawleys return for a final big-screen chapter set in the early 1930s. Expect elegant scandal, shifting fortunes, and a graceful goodbye for a beloved ensemble. In theaters mid-September.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (Comedy and Music)
The loudest band returns for one last concert documentary that promises familiar mayhem, new riffs, and plenty of deadpan. Theatrical release is mid-September.

The Long Walk (Thriller and Horror)
Francis Lawrence adapts Stephen King’s dystopian gauntlet about a deadly endurance contest. Lean, tense, and tailor made for post-summer chills. In theaters mid-September.

Him (Sports Horror)
From Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw, a young football phenom trains with a legendary quarterback and finds something much darker under the surface. U.S. release is late September.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (Romance and Fantasy)
Kogonada pairs Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell in a tender, high-concept story about second chances and the paths we do not take. In theaters late September.

Holdovers worth catching
If you missed the late August openers, Darren Aronofsky’s New York crime caper Caught Stealing and Jay Roach’s marital melee The Roses are still playing and make a sharp double-feature.