There must have been some unspoken agreement among big studios that this summer would be the summer of endless prequels, sequels and reboots. Let's just take a quick intake...
1. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (sequel)
2. Baywatch (reboot)
3. Alien: Covenant (prequel)
4. Spiderman: Homecoming (reboot)
5. War for the Planet of the Apes (sequel)
6. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (sequel)
7. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (reboot)
8. Transformers: The Last Knight (sequel)
9. Cars 3 (sequel)
10. Wonder Woman (reboot)
11. Despicable Me 3 (sequel)
12. The Mummy (reboot)
13. The Fate of the Furious (sequel)
14. An Inconvenient Sequel (sequel)
15. Amityville: The Awakening (sequel)
That's fifteen stories that are spin offs or continuations of the originals. FIFTEEN PEOPLE.
Now I'm not saying that this makes them "bad" movies necessarily, and in some cases audiences really want to continue to be a part of the world that story has created and that's not always a bad thing, but for many (me included) it feels a bit wearisome and predictable to see the same stories over again.
Some of them might be great entertainment. I recently read a great post from Alissa Wilkerson over at Vox about why silly summer movies matter and I heartily agree: there is a place for these kinds of movies in the entertainment ecosystem. They point to what our culture values and enjoys and sometimes they are just a lot of fun. Case in point. I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 with my husband last weekend. Was it the best movie I've seen this year? No. Did we have a great time watching it together? Yes.
All that said, these big budget films get so much attention during the summer months that sometimes great movies with important stories and a lot of heart fly under the radar. I can't give my personal recommendation for these movies yet since I haven't seen them, but here are a few movies you might consider spending your time (and money) watching this summer. There's a lot of good reasons to check them out instead of the 79th Transformers movie.
The Hero
This one made my list of most highly anticipated movies for the year. It stars Sam Elliot, Nick Offerman, and Laura Prepon. You can watch the trailer here and it's in wide release in theaters on June 9th.
Baby Driver
Also on the list mentioned above, this one has more of a star studded cast so it might get more attention. And with director, Edgar Wright, behind the camera (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) I'm sure it will make a big splash for its release on June 28th.
A Ghost Story
Not everyone is into quirky, indie dramas and I get that. But you have to admit this one seems intriguing. Casey Affleck walking around wearing a sheet during most of the movie? I mean, come on. Sounds interesting. This one debuts July 7th.
The Big Sick
I have REALLY been looking forward to this movie and even more so since the trailer came out. I quickly added it to my list of movies I can't wait to see and I'll definitely be watching it opening weekend on July 14th.
Dunkirk
I'm sure this movie won't have any issue drawing a crowd since it's coming from the brilliant mind of Christopher Nolan and it stars fan favorites like Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, and Mark Rylance, but you might consider skipping one of the other blockbusters in the month of July and turning your attention to this WWII epic.
Wind River
This movie made my list of films I'm most excited for this year and I'm hoping it delivers. It may be coming out late enough in the summer (August 4th) that it will get swept up into the awards season hoopla.
Logan Lucky
Not too much has been released about this movie, but it has a really cool premise and awesome cast (Daniel Craig and Adam Driver among others). My gut feeling is it will do pretty well when it hits theaters on August 18th.
Patti Cake$
I'm not sure what to make of this movie and I'm not certain I'll see it in theaters, but the reception at its Sundance Film Festival debut was so overwhelming and the story is so unique, I'm definitely keeping it on my radar. This film, centering around a white tween from New Jersey who is trying to make a name for herself as a rapper, is going to hit theaters on August 18th.
The summer blockbusters are fast approaching, and I am going to write more about that later, but if you haven't had much interest in what's been playing in theaters, there are some great picks that you can watch from the comfort of your own home. These movies are at Redbox and VOD. I'm still crossing a few off my list too (The Founder, Jackie, and The Birth of a Nation). Here's a list of movies you can catch in your PJs:
1. Rogue One
There's so much hype around Star Wars movies so it can be hard to cut through the noise and decide if it's worth your time, but this story really did have some cool elements including a badass woman protagonist, a surprising and satisfying ending, and of course some stunning visual effects.
2. Lion
I hope to write more about this one later because it was one of my favorite movies last year, but this true story is wonderfully acted and newcomer, Sunny Pawar, is sure to melt your heart.
3. Nocturnal Animals
This movie was shocking and I definitely wouldn't recommend it to everyone, (especially the opening scene) but it really is an expertly told thriller with some phenomenal acting from Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal. Michael Shannon really blew me away and topped my favorite performances of 2016 list.
4. The Edge of Seventeen
I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this coming of age story. It really captures the awkwardness of being seventeen, but not without taking you on the protagonists journey on her way to learning some important life lessons.
5. Moonlight
This movie won the Oscar for best picture this year, so there's not much more to say, but it is a hard watch and the themes are not for all audiences. It is a beautiful film, though, and it promotes important conversations about identity, generational poverty, and forgiveness.
6. La La Land
This faux best picture winner also deserved all of the recognition it got. It's a delightful story with fun dance numbers for all. But it's not just a feel-good flick. It doesn't hold back from showing the real struggles involved in following your dreams.
7. The Jungle Book
This movie is beautiful, and the Academy recognized it as such with an award for best visual effects. The voice acting cast is also standout and it's a modern twist on an old classic, so what's not to love?
8. Captain Fantastic
This tender and quirky story garnered a lot of praise at Sundance last year and became another indie flick to float to the surface of the awards circuit with Viggo Mortensen getting nominated for best actor. It's a thoughtful creative movie, but also deals with some hard themes.
9. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
This movie topped my list of favorites last year, which I talked about in an earlier post. If anything, it put Taika Waititi on my radar, which I'm so happy about, especially after seeing that new Thor trailer.
10. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
I wasn't sure if they'd be able to pull off this Harry Potter spin off, but it really was an incredibly entertaining movie and Eddie Redmayne brought his own flavor to the role - making for a great compliment to the Harry Potter universe.
11. Hell or High Water
I recently wrote about this film and have to say it was even better upon second viewing.
14. Silence
This film was incredibly impactful and I mentioned it in my earlier list of movies that didn't win any Oscars, but should have. It might be a good one to watch at home if you are sensitive to some of the more gruesome elements and need to pause or forward anything.
12. Hacksaw Ridge
While it wasn't the best war movie of 2016, this film still had an important story to tell and, along with Silence, really solidified Andrew Garfield as a force to be reckoned with.
13. Arrival
I've already gushed about this movie enough, so I won't do so again, but if you haven't seen this movie yet, you are really depriving yourself of some great art through storytelling.
15. Loving
Another movie I've written about, Loving did not get nearly as much recognition as it deserved, but hopefully more people will see it now that it's more readily available.
16. Kubo and the Two Strings
In my "5 Movies that Didn't Win Oscars (but you should still see)" post I mentioned this stunning animated film.
I hope more people are able to come to appreciate it now that it's available to rent.
Have any Redbox or VOD suggestions? Leave them in the comments! I love getting new recommendations.
