Summer box office numbers have felt like a rollercoaster in recent years, with studios and theater chains alike bracing for whatever comes next after a string of unpredictable seasons. Every so often, though, a combination of releases lines up perfectly to remind the industry what a truly strong month at the cinema can still look like.

That’s exactly what unfolded across the United Kingdom this past August, where two of the year’s biggest blockbusters kept theaters packed well into their respective runs. Even as the country dealt with what may have been its hottest August on record, moviegoers still showed up in force, delivering numbers the market hadn’t seen in years.