When the thermometer reads “It’s Hot AF Out Here,” seek solace in the nearest air-conditioned theater. There’s high-octane action, socially-aware comedy, and heart-tugging nostalgia in it for you.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
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Superhero fatigue setting in? Hang in there—we’re only halfway through the year. Luckily, Paul Rudd and sidekick Evangeline Lilly make for quite entertaining little buggers in Marvel’s tale of small heroes doing big things. A follow-up to the highly successful Ant-Man launch in 2015, word is this one’s a hit also.
Sorry to Bother You
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Ready yourself for one of the most singular experiences you’ll ever have in a movie theater. In what we imagine to feel like an acid trip without the psychotropic substances, Boots Riley unleashes a socially aware sci-fi/fantasy comedy about a telemarketer who gets rich. Its voice: as original as its genre.
Whitney
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Not to be confused with the other Whitney Houston documentary (now streaming on Showtime) released last year, Kevin Macdonald’s deep dive into the late singer’s legacies and miseries promises to drop a bomb in its final half hour, hurtling the film from fluff piece into expose territory.
Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot
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Despite not being a crowd favorite at Sundance, Gus Van Sant’s biopic about Portland cartoonist John Callahan (starring Joaquin Phoenix and an unrecognizable Jonah Hill) just might grow on you. The film chronicles everything from Callahan’s accident and sobriety to his life-changing “aha” moment.
Eighth Grade
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Get ready to fall in love with Elsie Fisher, the pubescent protag of newbie director Bo Burnham’s indie crowd-pleaser, set in the tech-obsessed wilds of middle school. She plays Kayla, a totally awkward, super-shy teenager just trying to fit in. Sounds simple, but make no mistake: this one hits with a force.
Puzzle
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Jigsaw puzzles: not just for Grandma’s entertainment. Something forgotten housewife Agnes (Kelly Macdonald) pieces together in Marc Turtletaub’s drama. A woman whose life has become an autopilot bore, Agnes finds excitement, raw talent, and self-discovery in the world of jigsaw puzzling.
Skyscraper
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There’s no shame in escaping day-to-day realities with a popcorn action flick. Lucky for you, the Rock has yet another nail-biter that fits the bill. As a war hero-turned-FBI rescue leader, he’s tasked with saving his family (hello, Neve Campbell) from a really freaking tall building in Hong Kong that’s been set ablaze.
What Will People Say
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The complexities of the father/daughter relationship are explored with nuance in director Iram Haq’s latest. When a Pakistani father learns that his daughter, raised in Norway, has adopted Western ways, he ships her off to his homeland to learn about their culture. As harrowing as it is inspiring, this one’s full of surprises.
Blindspotting
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An experimental tale of race, friendship, and gentrification, first-time feature director Carlos Lopez Estrada’s off-kilter crime comedy stars its writers, Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs, as lifelong compadres whose connection starts to splinter. Though technically a comedy, this wake-up call’s no laugh riot.
Generation Wealth
Photo: Lauren Greenfield
If you haven’t seen The Queen of Versailles, do it now as you wait for award-winning Lauren Greenfield’s latest head-shaking glimpse into the effects of excess greed. Generation Wealth, an investigation into our obsession with money, money, money, money, mon-ay, redefines the American dream.
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
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No one said anything about Tony-worthy work here. We’re just in for a solid two hours of Abba tunes and sun-drenched azure paradise. In the sequel to the musical that proved Colin Firth can do everything, we catch up with Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), now pregnant but still curious about her mother’s past.
McQueen
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From rags to Gothic riches, Alexander McQueen rose from humble beginnings to fashion king in the late ’90s and aughts. A haunting and at times disturbing peek into the world of a man whose darkness manifested into garments on the runway, this documentary offers a glimpse into the same darkness that would eventually take his life.
Pin Cushion
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Lovable, endearing characters you can’t help but shed a tear over, Lyn and Iona are a mother/daughter duo who are super tight—that is, until Iona gets an in with the in-crowd. A heart-tugging British drama about the effects of mean-girl syndrome, Deborah Haywood’s debut is one you’ll want to hunt down.
Unfriended: Dark Web
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Blumhouse’s techno-horror slasher filled with inventive kills is heading back to the screen for another round of “do this or die.” Unfamiliar with the concept? The entirety of the film plays out within the confines of an online chat group. And – spoiler alert but not really—pretty much everyone dies.
Hot Summer Nights
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You’ve been waiting for Timothee Chalemet’s encore after his unforgettable performance in Luca Guadagnino’s epic Italian coming-of-age summer romance. And whadya know? This one plops him smack-dab into the middle of another hot summer affair. This time with indie maven Maika Monroe.
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
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Four words: pimp to the stars. So goes the nickname for Scotty Bowers, who’s spilling secrets about coordinating sexcapades for Old Hollywood’s heavy hitters (Kathryn Hepburn, Cary Grant, etc.) in this doc. And though it sounds salacious, it’s all in an effort to reveal Hollywood’s elite as real-life humans.
From: Harper’s BAZAAR US
