“Spider-Man: Far From Home” — July 2
Serving as the icing on the cake to Marvel’s third phase, “Far From Home” explores the aftermath of “Avengers: Endgame” and the snap’s effects on civilization. More importantly, the film will address how this affects students who have now come back to life. Will some people not have to take full credit workloads?
Jake Gyllenhaal plays the fan-favorite villain Mysterio, who apparently is not even a villain. I don’t buy it.
My verdict: See it as soon as you find a showtime where fans don’t cheer during every scene.
Max Rothenberg | Argonaut
“Midsommar” — July 3
“Hereditary” is one messed up movie, but you can’t deny it’s well-made. Ari Aster has a knack for beautiful cinematography accompanied by a borderline nonsensical plot, and “Midsommar” looks to be no exception. When a couple goes to Sweden on vacation amidst relationship troubles, they stumble onto a small village hosting a special festival.
The only problem? The festivities are being put on by a crazed Pagan cult, and Christian and Dani are caught in the middle. We know few details regarding what comes next, but I can’t even begin to imagine what Aster has in store for us this time.
My verdict: Did you cover your eyes during “Hereditary?” If the answer is yes, then turn away now.
“Stuber” — July 12
Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista are a rather odd pairing. But sometimes, the strangest decisions yield the most surprising results. When Uber driver Stu (Nanjiani) picks up Vic (Bautista) one ordinary day, he finds himself suddenly front-and-center amidst Vic’s detective hunt for a terrorist.
Marketed as an action comedy, I’m still not quite sure where my expectations lie. However, this may just be what finally gets me to try Uber.
My verdict: I expect Bautista fans to come out of the woodwork in support. Besides that? Curb your excitement.
“Crawl” — July 12
The last Sam Raimi film I remember is Spider-Man 3, and we’ll leave it at that. Don’t expect to see any superhero cameos in this horror flick, but what we can look forward to is alligators.
After a strong hurricane ravages a small Florida town, Haley Keller goes back to her family’s home to find her father, who is trapped in their crawlspace.
The trailers portray her as being surprised to find the water rising so much, but I can’t help but feel that’s expected when you blatantly disobey evacuation warnings. The two must try to escape both their home and the completely random alligators swimming inside.
My verdict: This one should be crawling right out of theaters within a few weeks.
“The Lion King” — July 19
We find ourselves in the era of Disney remakes, and I’m honestly OK with it. “Aladdin” managed to exceed my expectations, and if I wasn’t even let down by a blue Will Smith, I don’t see how this can disappoint me either.
The trailers look promising, and the music is straying far less than the constant hip-hop spin-offs from “Aladdin.”
We all know this story, so it’ll be interesting to take note of any changes Disney and director Jon Favreau may make. If he’s bold enough, maybe Scar will even win.
My verdict: Watch for the incredible CGI and Seth Rogen as Pumbaa.
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” — July 26
Quentin Tarantino films are very odd, and there’s no real way to get around it. Some love his style, while others maybe don’t feel the same way. I find myself in an awkward kind of middle ground, where I appreciate what he’s doing, but I just don’t quite get it.
There’s no denying his phenomenal track record, with films such as “Inglorious Bastards,” “Pulp Fiction” and “Reservoir Dogs,” just to name a few.
His latest film has an all-star cast, and centers on Leonardo DiCaprio playing a struggling actor in the ‘60s. This is an alternate version of Hollywood, and one that has been described as “a modern fairy tale tribute.” Bolstered by a cast including Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Timothy Olyphant, the actors alone should be able to carry the film.
My verdict: Who knows? This could be a smash hit, or it could be another odd, ‘60s outing.
Max Rothenberg can be reached at [email protected]