August Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A loud guy tries desperately to keep his internet company alive in the month before something big happens, but honestly, nobody’s sure what his company even *does*.

🍿 August: Detailed Plot Synopsis

The Dot-Com Bubble Bursts

Set in August 2001, the film follows brothers Tom and Josh Sterling, who co-founded the tech startup Landshark. The company initially went public with success, but by the summer of 2001, it faces severe financial difficulties as the dot-com market experiences a significant downturn. Landshark is running out of cash, its main client is hesitant, and its share value is plummeting.

Tom’s Struggle to Save Landshark

Tom Sterling, the confident and abrasive CEO, handles the business side and attempts to maintain the appearance of success despite the crisis. He desperately seeks new investors to secure funding, but this comes with the risk of losing control and potential future wealth. Meanwhile, his brother Josh, the technical genius, focuses on the product.

Personal and Professional Pressures

Alongside the financial turmoil, Tom faces personal challenges. An old flame, Sarrah, returns to the city, adding complexity to his life. The film explores Tom’s interactions with his family, including his critical father, and his relationships within the cutthroat Wall Street environment as he tries to keep everything from falling apart.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Tom Sterling (Josh Hartnett): The cocky and abrasive CEO desperately trying to keep his dot-com company afloat as it runs out of cash.
• Joshua Sterling (Adam Scott): Tom’s brother and the technical genius co-founder, who seems more grounded and concerned about his family amidst the company’s struggles.
• Sarrah (Naomie Harris): Tom’s former girlfriend whose reappearance adds a personal dimension to his life during his professional crisis.
• Cyrus Ogilvie (David Bowie): A potentially influential mogul whom Tom seeks out, representing an opportunity or challenge for the failing company.
• David Sterling (Rip Torn): Tom and Josh’s father, a critical figure who challenges their dot-com endeavors and Tom’s lifestyle.
• Melanie Hanson (Robin Tunney): One of Tom’s past relationships who highlights his problematic personal behavior.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Tom Sterling: “This isn’t about money. It’s about the future.” – Tom asserts the lofty, buzzword-filled vision of his company to potential investors or others, attempting to mask the underlying financial distress.
• David Sterling: “Landshark… sounds like a company of Oreo-eating teenagers doing nothing.” – Tom’s father cynically dismisses his son’s startup, highlighting the perceived lack of substance and value in the dot-com world.
• Cyrus Ogilvie: “You fool people, Tom.” – An experienced and detached figure delivers a blunt assessment of Tom’s persona and business practices.
• Tom Sterling: “We are not running on fumes.” – Tom defiantly insists to his brother that the company is not on the brink of collapse, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.
• Josh Sterling: “We are out of cash, Tom. Seriously.” – Josh, the technical partner, confronts Tom with the stark financial reality the company faces.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $3,400,000
• Domestic Gross: $12,636
• Worldwide Gross: $12,636

💥 August Reviews

Personal Review

Honestly, I went into this not knowing much, but I found myself kind of drawn into it. Josh Hartnett’s character, Tom, is a total jerk, but he’s got this intense energy that makes you watch. I liked how it felt like a snapshot of a specific time. You know, that weird bubble before everything changed. They don’t spell things out, which can be frustrating (seriously, what *did* Landshark do?!), but it also felt a bit more real, like you were just dropped into this guy’s chaotic life. The David Bowie scene was definitely a standout moment; totally unexpected and strangely impactful. It’s not a feel-good movie, and it’s pretty slow in parts, but I appreciated its attempt to capture the mood of that ‘August’ before the fall. It made me think about how quickly things can unravel, both personally and globally.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Viewers interested in dramas about the dot-com bubble and financial crises”
  • “Fans of character studies, particularly focusing on a flawed protagonist”
  • “Those interested in films capturing a specific historical period (August 2001)”
  • “Fans of actors Josh Hartnett, Adam Scott, or Naomie Harris”
  • “Viewers who appreciate indie films with a focus on atmosphere and theme over conventional plot”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Strong language”
  • “Smoking”
  • “Themes of financial stress and failure”
  • “Some scenes with drug use implied (brief)”
  • “Bare chested male nudity (brief)”

Professional Reviews

• Adapted User Review: “Josh Hartnett delivers a surprisingly strong performance as the slick but struggling dot-com CEO. The film effectively captures the specific atmosphere of the tech bubble’s implosion and the lead-up to 9/11, acting more as a character study and period piece than a traditional narrative. While some side characters and subplots feel underdeveloped, Hartnett’s energy keeps this indie drama watchable, offering a nuanced look at ambition and denial.
• Adapted User Review: “Despite a promising premise about the dot-com crash, ‘August’ falls flat. The pacing is glacial, the dialogue often dull, and the central business plot remains frustratingly vague. Josh Hartnett’s character is portrayed as arrogant, but it doesn’t translate into compelling drama. Many scenes feel like filler, and the lack of clear conflict or character depth makes it hard to invest in their struggles. A significant disappointment.

Audience Reactions

Josh Hartnett’s high-energy performance was a pleasant surprise for many.: Viewers who ‘got’ the film appreciated its portrayal of the dot-com bubble era and its pre-9/11 atmosphere.

The scene featuring David Bowie was consistently mentioned as a memorable highlight.: Some found the film a compelling character study, especially of the protagonist’s denial.

Overall Consensus: Audiences are divided; some find it a compelling, atmospheric character study capturing a specific historical moment, while others found it boring, plotless, and difficult to connect with.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “The specific product or service offered by the dot-com company, Landshark, is intentionally left vague throughout the film, reflecting the often nebulous nature of many startups during the dot-com bubble.”
• “The film is set in August 2001 and uses specific cultural markers, such as news reports of Aaliyah’s death, to ground the timeline just before the September 11th attacks, without explicitly making 9/11 the focus of the plot.”
• “Actor Josh Hartnett also served as a producer on the film.”
• “Despite starring relatively well-known actors, the film had a very limited theatrical release and was noted by some reviewers for appearing quickly on platforms like Netflix for instant streaming.”

🖥️ How to Watch August?

As of late 2023, ‘August’ is not widely available on major subscription streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, or Max. Based on available information, it may be possible to rent or purchase the film digitally through services such as Prime Video, Apple TV, or Vudu. Searching Amazon is also a stated option for potential viewing.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed August, you might like these similar films:

• Wall Street (1987): A classic direct comparison as a drama centered on ambition, greed, and ethical compromises within the high-stakes world of finance.
• Boiler Room (2000): An era-specific alternative focusing on young people chasing wealth through questionable means in the high-pressure sales environment of the late 90s/early 2000s, similar to the ‘get-rich-quick’ culture of the dot-com bubble.
• The Social Network (2010): Offers a thematic similarity in its focus on the challenging, often abrasive personalities of tech startup founders and the complex relationships amidst rapid success and conflict.
• Margin Call (2011): A modern equivalent that provides an intense, character-driven look at a financial crisis unfolding over a short period, focusing on the human toll and difficult decisions.
• Glengarry Glen Ross (1992): A cult classic featuring intense, dialogue-driven drama about desperate salesmen in a high-pressure environment, resonating with the frantic energy and moral ambiguity of the ‘August’ characters.

🛒 August Related Products

• The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine: While focused on the 2008 crisis, Michael Lewis’s insightful book provides a compelling look at financial bubbles and the characters involved, mirroring thematic elements in ‘August’.
• David Bowie on Stage: Explore the life and career of actor David Bowie, who makes a memorable, albeit brief, appearance in ‘August’. This book focuses on his performing life.
• Startup Simulator Game (Digital Download): Experience the challenges of building and managing a company in a simulated environment, dealing with funding, market changes, and growth.
• 102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers: This Pulitzer Prize-winning book offers a minute-by-minute account of what happened inside the World Trade Center on 9/11.

🎧 Soundtrack

August features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Sweetness” – performed by Fischerspooner

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

He was bullied because of his appearance 😢👦 #movie #series #wonder

Wow, seeing this clip from Wonder really hits you, showing just how tough things were for Auggie just because of how he looked. It’s crazy how kids can be, but this movie totally nails that emotional journey.

✨ Rate