Going forward, I’ll be previewing notable movies to be (wide) released within the next 30 days at the beginning of each month. I’ve always found it to be a bit of a hassle to keep track of movies that I’d like to see and when they actually get released, so hopefully this will be a helpful tool for everyone. My “intrigue” rating is on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being a hard pass and 10 being a must-see.
Spiderman: Far From Home – Tuesday July 2nd
Intrigue: 8
The follow up to 2017’s wildly popular Homecoming and the final chapter of Marvel’s “Phase 3.” The trailer looks really good and Tom Holland still seems charming as ever, this time having to operate without the help of Tony Stark. With lots of potential here, I’m especially looking forward to seeing Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio since he seems to live in every role he takes. Jon Watts returns to the director’s chair with Marisa Tomei, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon all back and Samuel L. tagging along as a revived Nick Fury.
Midsommar – Wednesday July 3rd
Intrigue: 8
The latest film from Ari Aster, director of the chilling 2018 horror hit Hereditary. The trailer is incredibly ominous and definitely exudes similar vibes to that one. Jack Reynor (Sing Street, Free Fire) and Florence Pugh (Fighting with My Family, The Commuter) lead this haunting tale of a young couple’s seemingly peaceful Swedish festival getaway going horribly awry. I’m not the biggest horror fan, but I can already tell this is a must-see for the genre.
Crawl – July 12th
Intrigue: 4.5
Our first “natural disaster” blockbuster of the summer. Looks a little…low budget. They’re obviously attempting to tap into the Sharknado/Deep Blue Sea/Anaconda/Snakes on a Plane demographic here, as it follows a woman (Kaya Scodelario – Moon, The Maze Runner) who tries to rescue her father during a Category 5 hurricane, during which they end up trapped by vicious alligators. Barry Pepper (Saving Private Ryan, The Green Mile) co-stars which should help, but I fear this just isn’t going to be campy enough to be very enjoyable.
Stuber – July 12th
Intrigue: 6.5
Certainly a wacky but intriguing premise for a “buddy cop” movie. Dave Bautista looks weird as an actual human instead of in his signature Drax the Destroyer outfit but still seems to have the same comedic touch. I love Kumail Nanjiani on Silicon Valley and think he’s definitely made for a role like this. The script might be a little rocky based on the trailer, but hopefully those two can pick up the slack. Karen Gillan (Nebula from GOTG) is also in the supporting cast.
The Lion King – July 19th
Intrigue: 9.5
So uh…that incredible trailer speaks for itself. Disney has turned into a remake factory these days, but this looks really well done. Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book, Iron Man) is at the helm and the familiar baritone of James Earl Jones returns as the iconic voice of Mufasa. There’s a whole slew of household names throughout the credits, with Donald Glover, Beyonce, Chiwetel Ejiofor and John Oliver chief among them. I absolutely cannot wait to see this in theaters.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – July 26th
Intrigue: 8.5
Quentin Tarantino’s first venture back to the screen since The Hateful Eight in 2015, and as with most all his films – it’s got some cool quirks to it. Two of the best around in DiCaprio and Pitt star as, respectively, a fading actor and his stunt double on a quest to stay relevant in late 60’s Hollywood. I imagine there’s going to be quite a few cameos in here too, with names like Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, and Damian Lewis (Billions) all credited. Count me all the way in on this. I need biting Tarantino film industry satire in my life.