Incredibly, it’s already summer movie time again. And even more incredibly, it’s very difficult to know what to make of this summer slate. Would-be tentpole event films include R-rated sequels, like Deadpool and Wolverine and Furiosa, and new or untested IP (IF, Twisters). Last summer was very much feast (Spider-Verse, Barbie and Oppenheimer) or famine (pretty much everything else). Maybe some of these movies will pop off this summer and become sleeper hits, but it’s difficult now to predict which those could be.
All the same, it’s late April, and that means it’s time for a summer preview no matter what the summer box office will do. As I did last year, I’m here to preview the big titles as well as predict my favorites from the summer. Last year, my predicted top 5 was:
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
- Theater Camp
- Barbie
- No Hard Feelings
- Elemental
No Hard Feelings was the big miss here as I didn’t like that one at all. Elemental didn’t end up in the top 5. I didn’t even yet know about the existence of Past Lives, and I think I counted Bottoms as a fall release.
But enough of last year. Let’s get to the movies that people might be talking about for the next 4 hopefully exciting months (the box office has been hurting so far this year).
May
The Idea of You (May 2)
From Michael Showalter (of Wet Hot American Summer and other niche comedies fame) comes this anticipated romance staring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine. This is coming to Amazon Prime, so no need to leave your house to check it out. I don’t think this one will be anything special, but I’m here for the continued Hathaway resurgence.
Turtles All the Way Down (May 2)
Also releasing that day is this anticipated John Green adaptation. This one will be on Max. I really liked this book when it came out, and have been intrigued by Isabel Merced’s career so far. I’ll probably check this one out though my expectations are low.
The Fall Guy (May 3)
Though anchored by Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, this is an unusual movie to kick off the summer. While it could certainly be a word of mouth hit, it feels to me more like The Lost City, a fun romantic action movie well suited for March or September. It comes from David Leitch who made a splash with Bullet Train in 2022. My fingers are crossed, but I don’t think the summer is likely to start with a bang.
I Saw the TV Glow (May 3)
This is my most anticipated film of the year. It’s Jane Schoenbrun’s follow-up to the incredible We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021). It floored people at Sundance, and I’m excited to see it make a splash for A24. They’re tough to figure out these days (buried Problemista in a super limited release but put Civil War out wide 3 weeks later?), but I hope this gets the release it deserves. 2024 has been good for horror so far. Let’s keep it up.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (May 10)
Most people seem satisfied with how the last Apes trilogy wrapped things up, so I’m not sure what kind of excitement there is for this one. A lot of my friends seem to keep forgetting it’s coming out so soon. To this point the director Wes Ball has made…the Maze Runner movies. Yikes. We’ll see.
IF (May 17)
This looks like Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends the movie but without the things that made that show so beloved back in my childhood. It might be a hit with families, but I have low hopes.
Back to Black (May 17)
I also have low hopes for this Amy Winehouse biopic. It’s already come out in England and early reviews have been mixed at best. I really want the music biopics to stop.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (May 24)
It’s a very tall order to try and live up to the bar set by Fury Road, but even something close would be fine by me. Chatter was mixed when the trailer came out, but I think it looks excellent. I’m hopeful that this can be a proper showcase for Anya Taylor-Joy and an all around great movie.
The Garfield Movie (May 24)
It’s Gariosa! It’s Furiofield! It’s a box office collision of fury and furry. I don’t know if this movie will do well or not. I do think it will be quite bad, but will it be as bad as the Bill Murray Garfield movies of the early 2000s? Unlikely. Mark Dindal is directing, and he’s made some very good and very bad movies. The furry (jury) is out on this one.
There’s basically nothing the last weekend of May. It’s hard to tell what on earth Disney is doing with Young Woman and the Sea, and that’s about it on the slate for this week.
June
Hit Man (June 7)
This was on the festival circuit last fall, so why it’s only coming out now is beyond me. It garnered rave reviews, with many calling it one of Linklater’s best. With Glen Powell staring, it’s sure to be a word-of-mouth hit and hopefully a very good movie.
The Watchers (June 7)
I’m cautiously optimistic for this one. The trailers have looked pretty intriguing, and M. Night Shyamalan has been on a bit of a hot streak. Now, this entry comes from his daughter Ishana, so I’m hoping she can bring something fresh to the “formula” of the Shyamalan movie. It’s been a good year for horror so far, and hopefully that will continue.
Inside Out 2 (June 14)
The first Inside Out is really good (though a lot of people love it more than I do), and there’s definitely opportunity with the sequel, but I don’t know. The trailers haven’t exactly inspired confidence. I’m worried it will lean too hard on new characters/emotions rather than developing what worked in the first one. We’ll see, but I’d be surprised if it’s not at least a noticeable letdown from the first one.
The Bikeriders (June 21)
Smartly delayed from out of the midst of a busy fall season, Bikeriders is soon to see the light of day. I don’t know if this will be good or not, but the cast is pretty good. I’m hopeful this will see Austin Butler give a performance worthy of his acting talent, and I’m still waiting for the post-Killing Eve breakout for Jodie Comer.
Kinds of Kindness (June 21)
My expectations for this are low. As you know, I kind of hated Poor Things, and this follow-up seems like kind of an anthology movie? There are only a few anthology movies that I’ve enjoyed or that worked for me, so while this might not be a disaster, I’d be really surprised if personally liked this movie.
Fancy Dance (June 21)
A hit at Sundance 2023, Fancy Dance is finally getting released! I’m excited for this one and the step of Native American representation it represents. Lily Gladstone stars. This is one is coming to AppleTV+ I believe.
Janet Planet (June 21)
I know nothing about this movie except that the director—Annie Baker—has written some damn good Broadway plays (check out The Flick). That’s enough for me to have it on my radar.
June also sees the release of Bad Boys: Ride or Die (June 7) and A Quiet Place: Day One (June 28) but I have no interest in either of them, so I didn’t include them except in this part here.
July
Despicable Me 4 (July 3)
I don’t really care about another Despicable Me movie, but I do want to say that I think this is the only surefire hit this summer. There may be other hits (hopefully), but I’d actually be surprised if anything tops this one from a box office perspective.
MaXXXine (July 5)
In the sublime horror year that was 2022, Ti West delivered two gems with X and Pearl. Now we finally get the completion of the trilogy, and I am very excited. If it’s at or above the level of the first two, I’ve got the “greatest horror trilogy” conversation ready to roll. Heck, it might deserve mention among the greatest movie trilogies, but we’ll see. A lot of cool people Lily Collins and Bobby Cannavale join the fun this time out.
Longlegs (July 12)
In an era of terrible movie marketing, the brilliance of the campaign for Longlegs has stood out and made this one of the most intriguing movies of the year. It stars Nic Cage and Maika Monroe, a combo so excellent, it’s a shame it hasn’t happened till now. I don’t know much about this movie and intend to keep it that way until I see it.
Twisters (July 19)
Do we need a Twister sequel? Do people want a Twister sequel? These are the questions that hang over this movie and make it one of the most interesting wildcards of the summer. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell star, and I’m cautiously optimistic, but we’ll see.
Deadpool and Wolverine (July 26)
Shawn Levy teams up yet again with Ryan Reynolds, but the second trailer has me bracing for a big disappointment. Levy, he made a mark with the Night at the Museum films and personal favorite This is Where I Leave You, does not strike me as the guy to make a good Deadpool movie. And other than excessive aimless swearing, the trailer doesn’t make me think Disney has any interest in making a good Deadpool movie. I’d love to be wrong—I really enjoyed the second Deadpool—but I’m braced for a big disappointment.
August
Cuckoo (August 2)
Delayed out of April for reasons(?), Cuckoo is yet another horror thriller that has me salivating. This seems like a perfect showcase for Hunter Schaffer, with an added Dan Stevens and Jessica Henwick for a bonus. Very excited for this one.
Trap (August 9)
If one Shyamalan film wasn’t enough, M. Night is here to satiate you with another. And this one features his other daughter. Shyamalan’s all over the place this summer!
Alien: Romulus (August 16)
Though I instinctively think all Alien-verse movies will suck, the teaser for this looked shockingly good. Cailee Spaeny should do well in this kind of movie, and as a director (so ignoring Don’t Breathe 2 and Netflix’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre) Fede Alvarez has made some good movies. I’m cautious, but intrigued.
I think we have a pretty quiet summer ahead, but there are probably some gems out there not on my radar yet. Based on what I know, here’s my predicted top 5:
- I Saw the TV Glow
- MaXXXine
- Longlegs
- Furiosa
- Hitman
Happy watching!
