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Movies are back! Don’t get us wrong, we enjoyed spending night after quarantined night in 2020 snuggled up on the couch watching every film that boldly premiered on a streaming platform. But the urge to nestle into a velvet-padded flip seat with the aroma of freshly buttered popcorn invading our nostrils is just too much to deny. Luckily, the summer is heating up with stellar releases to complement our tub of carbs.
Get excited for nail-biting action flicks, animated heartstring tuggers, and sexually explicit buddy comedies that give rise to inclusive and diverse casts. For all you music mavens, there’s plenty of vocal action this season, too, from a classic musical to an entire summer of soul. So sit back, relax, and behold the big screen.
A Quiet Place Part II
After more than a year delay, the follow-up to John Krasinski’s 2018 creature crowd-pleaser is finally here. And this time, there are more A-list actors along for the thrill ride. Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou join Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe for what critics are calling a “bigger, faster, louder” sequel.
Streaming on Paramount+ on July 12.
Cruella
Disney has been throwing us proverbial bones since 2019, teasing its puppy-knapping origin prequel starring a pair of stellar Emmas: Thompson and Stone. Well, the wait is over. We’ll finally get answers to why Cruella de Vil becomes the iconic villainess obsessed with spotted hounds we were introduced to in our childhoods.
Plan B
Actor-turned-director Natalie Morales (Dead to Me, Abby’s) makes her solo directorial debut with this high school raunch-com that gets an A+ for its effective use of vagina humor, awkward encounters, and self-aware wit. About two best friends who hit the town looking for emergency contraception after a sexual mishap, this one is destined for Hulu and should most definitely be your one and only plan for the night.
Port Authority
After premiering at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, Danielle Lessovitz’s hidden gem, which has executive producer Martin Scorsese attached, is finally making its way to movie screens. A progressive romance, it flips the narrative on the straight man-trans woman narrative, all while effectively telling a gritty love story that blossoms out of New York’s kiki ballroom scene.
In the Heights
Not sure we can think of anything more fitting than dancing joyously in the streets of New York City, and with Lin-Manuel Miranda as our guide. With the Hamilton star co-writing the screenplay, composing the songs, and taking the lead as a producer, we’d say this classic musical redo is in good hands. Not to mention it gives stars Anthony Ramos, Stephanie Beatriz, and Melissa Barrera room to shine.
Luca
A sea creature leaves the ocean behind for the—what’s that word again?—oh, yeah, street. Despite Luca’s plot similarities to The Little Mermaid (he, too, just wants to be part of our human world), this animated, coming-of-age delight is really nothing like the Disney classic. There’s Italian culture, daredevil stunts, and even a spacewalk. Plus, word is this is the first Pixar movie produced from home, as the pandemic shut down their studios.
False Positive
Hollywood has baby fever. Be it a full-length feature, a charming TV series, or in this case a horrific Hulu thriller, there seems to always be a bun in someone’s oven. In this case, we have Ilana Glazer, who ditches the Broad City humor for a way more serious tone. Also a co-writer on the project, she plays Lucy, a woman whose pregnancy takes a turn for the sadistic, courtesy of her suspect fertility doctor, played by Pierce Brosnan. Think Rosemary’s Baby with a bloody twist.
Zola
It’s the tweet storm felt round the world, and it’s just weeks before we’ll get to see Riley Keough and Janicza Bravo serve it to us on the big screen. For the uninitiated, the idea for the Sundance crowd-pleaser, directed by Bravo and co-written by Jeremy O. Harris, comes from the 148-tweet thread by A’Ziah “Zola” King that described a bonkers visit to the Sunshine State. We’re talking stripping, prostitution, murder, the works here.
Summer of Soul
So good it just had to sneak its way onto list of feature summer films, Sundance winner Summer of Soul is a celebration of Black history and culture, and nothing short of revelatory. Chronicling the 1969 Harlem Culture Festival, which stretched out over six weekends in Mount Morris Park, archived footage that’s been shelved for half a century has been dusted off and given the Questlove treatment. Chris Rock, Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, Moms Mabley—they’re all here, plus so many more.
Black Widow
Sandwiched between the Avengers’ Civil and Infinity Wars, the events in Cate Shortland’s Black Widow will shed light on just what Natasha Romanoff—code name: Black Widow—was up to. Judging from the trailer, we’re in for high-octane action, sibling rivalry, and, of course, lots of things that get blown up. Scarlett Johansson stars, with Florence Pugh and Rachel Weisz rounding out the cast.
Space Jam: A New Legacy
Bugs and the boys are back, this time with current basketball king, LeBron James, taking the human lead. And though we’re always down for a good Michael Jordan show, the original 1996 Space Jam left a few things to be desired: like a “fully realized” Lola Bunny, for one. Malcolm D. Lee takes the lead as director, with Zendaya lending her voice to the sporty hare.
Look for it: July 16
Old
We just can’t quit M. Night Shyamalan. His atmospheric style and surprise-ending signature continues to be a draw for audiences. So you can bet we’ll be schlepping it to the theater to take in every second of Old. A sort of scarier Benjamin Button in reverse, his latest stars Gael García Bernal, Thomasin McKenzie, and Embeth Davidtz in a thriller that sees its beach-going vacationers age so rapidly, they live their entire lives in one day.
Look for it: July 23
The Green Knight
If you’ve already binged Shadow and Bone, and are still jonesing for Game of Thrones, then the Arthurian legend about the Green Knight might be a good fix. Starring Dev Patel and Alicia Vikander, this fantasy journey of self-discovery charts the quest of Gawain, nephew of King Arthur, to test his abilities against the goliath Green Knight. But this is not your everyday epic fantasy; it has the stylized polish of director David Lowery (Ghost Story, Pete’s Dragon). Expect an immersive experience.
Look for it: July 30
Jungle Cruise
The amusements parks are opening, and people are venturing out of their homes. So there’s no better time to finally unleash this action-packed comedy based on a Disneyland attraction. Starring two of Hollywood’s most suitable action heroes—Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Jumanji, San Andreas) and Emily Blunt (Sicario, Edge of Tomorrow)—the film sends the two down a rabbit hole of reptiles, riverboats, and rousing spectral occurrences.
Look for it: July 30
Stillwater
Spotlight director Tom McCarthy returns with another complicated story to unpack. Matt Damon, slinging an Oklahoma accent, stars as oil rigger Bill Baker, the father of a young woman (Abigail Breslin) who is in prison in France for a murder she may not have committed. Navigating cultural hurdles, language barriers, and a foreign legal system, Bill will stop at nothing to free his daughter in this fictional thriller that can’t help but remind of the Amanda Knox case.
Look for it: July 30
CODA
The big winner of Sundance 2021, CODA stands for Child of Deaf Adults and refers to Ruby, the only hearing person in her family. A high schooler whose coming of age includes cute boys, choir practice, and quarry swimming, she eventually clashes with her family over plans for her future. Touted as one of the most emotional viewings at this year’s festival and starring three deaf actors in leading roles, CODA demands to be seen and heard.
Look for it: August 13
Respect
We spent the entire year of 2020 fangirling over the drip-drip of pap photos and studio teasers for Respect, starring Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin. Now, it’s just a few more weeks before we get to bear witness to the religious experience we’re sure this biopic is going to be. Franklin, a legendary voice who began her singing career in a church in Detroit, is heaven to listen to. So even though Hudson has big tonsils to fill, if anyone can do it, it’s her.
Look for it: August 13
The Night House
Rebecca Hall, who is no stranger to creepy movies—The Gift, The Awakening—takes the lead here as a widow who begins to unravel her late husband’s deep, dark secrets, revealing his chilling truth. And it comes from indie horror maestro David Bruckner, who’s delivered mind-puzzling scares with rarely seen gems like The Ritual, The Signal, and Southbound.
Look for it: August 20
Reminiscence
Lisa Joy, who seemingly gets a kick out of leaving Westworld fans sublimely puzzled with her mind-bending plotlines, gives directing a go with Reminiscence, a sci-fi thriller that stars Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, and Thandie Newton. The gist here is that a scientist (Jackman) uses his fancy memory-unlocking technology to find his lost love. But with Joy at the wheel, you can bet the narrative will get much more complicated than that.
Look for it: August 20
Candyman
Candyman, a 1992 slasher classic that was hailed for its socioeconomic undertones and racial themes, is getting the “spiritual sequel” treatment under the care of Top Boy’s Nia DaCosta, who directs, and Get Out’s Jordan Peele, who wrote the screenplay. About a Chicago artist who unwittingly unleashes Candyman’s wrath, this one promises a shocking spin on the story you think you know.
Look for it: August 27
DeAnna Janes is a freelance writer and editor for a number of sites, including Harper’s BAZAAR, Tasting Table, Fast Company and Brit + Co, and is a passionate supporter of animal causes, copy savant, movie dork and reckless connoisseur of all holidays. A native Texan living in NYC since 2005, Janes has a degree in journalism from Texas A&M and got her start in media at US Weekly before moving on to O Magazine, and eventually becoming the entertainment editor of the once-loved, now-shuttered DailyCandy. She’s based on the Upper West Side.
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