Bored at home? Want to get out in the summer sun, but it’s too dang hot? Well, movie theaters have got you covered! Not to sound too much like an infomercial (as if I’m not already), but there are so many movies coming out this summer, and they are here for the low, low price of 50% off of normal ticket costs! So don’t laze around on your couch— have some fun and watch a movie in the best way one can see it: at the theater!
Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.
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“The Life of Chuck” – OUT NOW (released JUNE 6)
photo credit: NEON
Just look at this “Chuck” guy. He’s awesome. The man just looks fun. So simple. So easygoing. So “Chuck.” You are a sweet man, Charles Krantz. A sweet, flawless man. I’m sure of it. Surely a Stephen King protagonist has nothing wrong with them, right?
“The Life of Chuck” made headlines last year when, at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), it won the People’s Choice Award over 13-time Oscar-nominee “Emilia Pérez” and, more notably, future Oscar-sweeper “Anora.” Now, TIFF’s reigning champ is coming to a movie theater near you, and tagging along for the ride is Tom Hiddleston (“Loki”) as the titular Chuck. And, who knows? Maybe his next stop will be the 2026 Academy Awards with the rest of the “Chuck” crew? Hey, a buff can dream, can’t he?
Chuck-full of drama and dance sequences, “The Life of Chuck” is a character study on mild-mannered Charles “Chuck” Krantz told through three separate periods in his life. Chuck’s life story is told in reverse: from 39-year-old Chuck down to baby Chuck. Very “Benjamin Button.”
While tragic and emotional at points, “The Life of Chuck” is the story of a life lived to the fullest. It’s a simple “ordinary people doing extraordinary things” tale that is a necessity at the start of this summer break, which has far too many people complaining that they have “literally nothing to do.” Be like Chuck, people! Go out! Live your life!
Director Mike Flanagan’s (who is no newcomer to adapting Stephen King, having directed “Doctor Sleep”) examination of life has been hailed by one TIFF-goer as “cathartic” and “one of the best Stephen King adaptations of all time,” even though it has nothing to do with King’s staple: horror. I, for one, am predicting the scariest points in the movie to be whenever Chuck isn’t on screen, which could be more terrifying than any scene I’ve seen in “The Shining.”
Now, don’t be like me and look up how the original novellette ends. Simply allow Chuck’s secrets to come to you naturally within the walls of your local cinema, because he sure as Chuck’s not gonna let you get away with spoiling his life.
“The Phoenician Scheme” – OUT NOW (released JUNE 6)
photo credit Focus Features
The plot synopsis for “The Phoenician Scheme” on Letterboxd reads, “The story of a family and a family business.” Short, succinct and oddly cryptic — now that’s the Wes Anderson I know and love!
In Benicio del Toro’s (“The Usual Suspects”) first escapade as part of Wes’ quirky ensemble, he plays a wealthy businessman who gives his only daughter (Mia Threapleton) his entire, multitudinous estate. But the inheritance gets messy when the two get entangled in a web of terrorists, assassins and even an encounter with Michael Cera (“Superbad”) — the latter of which just seems like he was chemically engineered to be in a Wes Anderson movie.
Hot off its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival two weeks ago, “The Phoenician Scheme” sits at a comfortable 3.5/5 average rating on Letterboxd, indicating positive reviews from auteurs, artists and fanatics alike. And to make this film all the more prestigious, it boasts appearances from Tom Hanks (“Toy Story”), Jeffery Wright (“The Batman”) and even Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”), all staples of Wes’s ensemble cast, welcoming del Toro and Cera into their heavily-stylized film family.
The movie’s got it all: kooky set pieces, Wes’s trademark centered cinematography and a hilarious globe-trotting story. If you’re into Anderson’s simplistic, easy-going cinematic canvases, June 6 is a fantastic day to head on down to your local AMC and watch the man paint. The gallery looks great, and all the paintings are perfectly centered!
“The Phoenician Scheme” would make for a great double feature paired with the other artsy-fartsy movie on this list, which is, conveniently, the next movie covered…
(PS: Before I go, I just wanted to mention that Scarlett Johansson [“Black Widow”] is in this, which is always a treat. As if you needed even more convincing as to how great the casts are in Wes Anderson’s movies.)
photo credit A24
“I promise you’re gonna marry the love of your life.”
Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is a professional matchmaker. She makes a killing from setting random people up with their future soulmates, and she is exceptionally great at it. Ironically, Lucy is perpetually single and cannot seem to find her perfect match, even if she can find one in record time for anybody else. And after her falling out and breakup with John (Chris Evans), Lucy’s situation isn’t looking too hot.
But then Mr. Harry Castillo (Pedro Pascal) enters the scene, all rich and beautiful (as Pedro Pascal is), and instantly attracts the attention of the instantly smitten Ms. Lucy. Harry takes Lucy back to his $13 million apartment and spends some time with her, and the night is a success. They hit it off, they love each other and it’s a match made in heaven — it’s in Lucy’s job description.
The only problem in this picture-perfect narrative, the only flaw: what does Lucy do when John comes back, raring for a second chance? And what does she do when her feelings for Harry only get stronger, and her feelings for John return with a vengeance? It’s so “Challengers”-core.
Helmed by the Oscar-nominated director of “Past Lives,” Celine Song’s “Materialists” is presented as a classic romance flick akin to “Love, Actually” and “Notting Hill.” You can tell it’s a classic because, in the movie’s second trailer, there booms a voiceover saying “in a world…” – a phrase which has been seldom-used since the death of the “King of Movie Trailers”, Don LaFontaine, back in ‘08.
By reviving this lost art of “trailer speak,” “Materialists” inserts itself into 2005 and will not leave until you buy a ticket and give in to its classic, schmaltzy romance goodness. We have found the secret to time travel, and it’s the successor to “Past Lives.” Don’t let us down, Mrs. Song! Keep the streak going!
“Materialists” exudes heavy “Mom’s favorite movie” vibes, and it’s not quiet about it. You wanted a “mom” movie this year? Here it is! In addition to Mom, there’s some fun for the whole family to be found in each screening for “Materialists”: Me, Lucas DeLuca, loudly sobbing in the back row, turning to the (slightly disturbed) audience members next to me and going, “Him and her are such a good match, but her and him are also a good match as well … I’m going to give this a 10/10 on Letterboxd.”
“Jurassic World: Rebirth” – JULY 2
photo credit Universal Pictures
Din-oh no.
Not only are the dinosaurs back in Jurassic Park, but now there’s some dino amalgamation called the “Distortus rex,” or “D-rex” (pictured), making the Jurassic world (ba-bing) just a bit more Jurassic.
Wanna know why you shouldn’t pick a fight with a dinosaur? You’ll get jur-ass-kicked. Mahershala Ali is not heeding that punchline’s warning in the above photo, and that scares me; how is he going to win his third Oscar if the D-rex rips him apart?
Five years after the events of “Jurassic World: Dominion,” “Rebirth” takes the franchise back to its Spielberg-patented “dino horror” roots. To further emphasize his attempts to revitalize the “Jurassic” franchise, director Gareth Edwards compared “Rebirth’s” structure to the original 1993 flick: “It will have a lot of humor and be fun,” Edwards said in an interview with NBC. “But it also has a lot of very scary, very intense moments.”
Edwards, having directed “Godzilla” (2014), is no stranger to enormous, scary lizards, so it should not come as a surprise that he is, once again, honing that connection for “Rebirth.” It helps to have references, y’know?
The new protagonists running from/fighting the dinosaurs in this installment are Scarlett Johansson (“Lost in Translation”), playing an expert in covert operations, and Jonathan Bailey (“Wicked”), playing a nerdy paleontologist and finally bringing to life all the Tumblr girls’ “nerdy schoolboy Fiyero from ‘Wicked’” fanfictions. Plus, the aforementioned Mahershala Ali (“Moonlight”) is doing what he does best (and also what won him two Oscars): playing a supporting role.
With a plot centering on terrifying genetically modified tyrannosaurs, “Rebirth” is a movie with success quite literally imprinted in its DNA. It has the “it” factor to get us through the year, and is scary enough to get us all buttered up for Alex Cregger’s “Weapons” in August. But more on that movie later. In the meantime, I’m going to go to sleep and have nightmares of being scarfed down by the D-rex. Pray for me.
Photo credit DC Studios
After a decade of franchise instability and box office flops, DC Studios is officially back from the dead. Under the direction of comic book fanatic James Gunn (“Guardians of the Galaxy”), Superman makes his grand return in the first chapter of DC’s reimagining, giving us Gunn’s interpretation of the Man of Steel’s origin story, and also a reportedly accurate adaptation of the comics for which we as a society are not prepared.
Hey, I’m a little shell-shocked from how they’ve treated the big, blue Boy Scout in past movies too, but if anybody knows how to make a comic book flick worthwhile, it’s the director of all the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies. If he can make a foul-mouthed raccoon a character to make me sob over at Marvel, then I’m pretty sure I can trust him with my DC guys.
Henry Cavill (“Man of Steel”) is no longer attached to Superman, which means David Cornswet (“Pearl”) has big boots to fill as the titular hero. Emblazoned with a large “S” on his chest (which still means “hope,” right?), Superman is back to conquering aliens, those feelings of not-quite-belonging on Earth as an alien himself and his archenemy, Lex Luthor, with Nicolas Hoult (“Mad Max: Fury Road”) inheriting the bald mantle from Jessie Eisenberg (“Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice”).
Plus, to replace Amy Adams’ Lois Lane, Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) is stepping in to be the new supposedly brilliant Daily Planet reporter who doesn’t notice that the pretty face she’s kissing is not mild-mannered writer Clark Kent, but the very superhero of whom she’s always wondering the secret identity. If this were 2017, I’d say to cross-check Kent’s jawline with Superman’s, but since we seem to be out of that era thanks to whatever the heck Cornswet is doing, I won’t blame Lane for not connecting the dots if she’s a little slow on the uptake this go-around.
“Look up” is such a good tagline for a “Superman” movie. Not only does it inspire me to look for Supermen in my life, but it inspires me to … look up … the link to buy tickets for this movie (ba-bing).
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” – July 25
photo credit Marvel Studios
Bummer, Robert Downey Jr. is not confirmed to be in this one. Sorry, Doctor Doom anticipators. But, hey, a fan can dream, right?
Just like DC is returning with movies promising to build upon the ashes of adaptations that crashed and burned, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is following suit. In an attempt to “Men in Black” their fans of 2015’s stinkbomb “Fantastic Four” flick, the MCU is banking on Pedro Pascal and Richie from “The Bear” (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) to prove that good silver screen representation of the Fantastic Four is possible.
Hence the “First Steps” in the title, because in the same way a toddler figures out to walk, Marvel is figuring out how to make the first-ever good Fantastic Four movie. They’re dead-set on not disappointing fans of the franchise for the (fantastic) fourth time, and I applaud them for that.
”Fantastic Four: First Steps” follows the found family of super-genius Reed Richards (Pascal), his wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), Storm’s brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn), and Richards’ best friend Ben Grimm (Moss-Bachrach). When the four suddenly gain the abilities to stretch, disappear, ignite and permanently turn into a rock creature respectively, they suit up to save the world from a galaxy-eating conqueror — appropriately named “Galactus.”
But whether they’re fighting crime or spending time, the Fantastic Four are doing it together, which is a heartfelt message sure to warm your hearts much more than the Chicago sun will this July. I’m manifesting a slight bit of the chills this summer, so excuse me if I connect it to my “Film-Forward.”
Anywho, for a fresh dive into this ’60s, ‘50s-esque world of the Fantastic Four, this sure looks like it checks all the boxes we fans begged and pleaded for someone to check while bringing our OG “Incredibles” to the silver screen. Looks like, after all these years, we’re finally getting what we wanted … plus a possible appearance from Robert Downey Jr. I’m still not ruling it out entirely, folks!
photo credit New Line Cinema
Earlier this month, I went to see “Final Destination: Bloodlines” with my older brother, and the trailer for “Weapons” played before the former started. During the post-movie car ride, the recurring topic was not so much “‘Bloodlines’ was a great addition to the ‘Final Destination’ franchise” and was more “Jesus Christ. ‘Weapons’ scares the crap out of me, and it’s not even out yet. I’m going to lose my mind.” While driving home under the shade of night, I turned to him and said something along the lines of, “If we see a kid running with his arms out in the middle of the street, I will not blame you one bit for swerving off-road and killing us both.”
Zach Cregger is following up his freaky Airbnb horror “Barbarian” with a tale that’s even freakier and even more timely. “Weapons” is about the events that occur after all but one child disappears from an elementary school class on the same night at the same time: 2:17 a.m. Every child gets out of bed, walks into the dark and never comes back.
Why Mrs. Gandy’s (Julia Garner) class? Why only Mrs. Gandy’s class? I haven’t the faintest idea. But the more important question that we all should be asking is: Why are they running into the dark so … happily?
That’s what’s making my head spin, and that is why I will be paying top dollar to see this movie as soon as possible. Take my money, Zach Cregger! Scare the crap out of me, please!
Test screening reactions for “Weapons” describe it as a “horror comedy.” If you watch the trailer for this movie, you will see nothing comedic and will only feel pain and suffering (the intended horror movie effects), so that must’ve been way early on in the production of “Weapons.” It appears to be a possible allegory for school shootings, which could explain why producers like Jordan Peele were doing everything in their power to be involved in this story. It’s a tale that needs to be told, and the shocking twists and turns of it all may do more for our school-shooting-ridden society than just make us all scared of 2:17 a.m.
If you want to see a horror movie this year, look no further than “Weapons.” Looking at the attached photo for so long has made me so scared that I think I may have to stop writing before I become so paranoid that I lock myself in my room until Aug. 3. That trailer is the scariest thing I have ever seen in my entire life, yet I will be the first one in my seat come opening night. But the real question is: Will you be there with me, scared to death as well?
