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.
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