As many people enjoy their summer vacations, weekend getaways, and various other outdoor activities, the options for available movies is understandably a tad bit less in July than most other months. With everyone looking to take advantage of the time off and warmer weather, not everyone’s “go-to” activity for this time of the year is to see a movie.
However, July is still the heart of blockbuster season for the movies, and so every release needs to count. While there are slightly less options to choose from this month as there was in June, nearly all of July’s wide releases are heavy-hitters. As always with this time of the year, there’s always at least one franchise release, and this month there are two, both distributed by Walt Disney Studios.
Though just because this is a big blockbuster month doesn’t mean there aren’t some notable independent releases, and this month also includes releases in horror, dark comedy, and family drama. And at the center of it all, is one original major release from one of film’s most acclaimed directors that is certainly one of the most anticipated films of the year by many.
Here’s what movies you should be on the lookout for this month:
1) Spider-Man: Far From Home (July 2)
Directed by: Jon Watts
Starring: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, Jake Gyllenhaal
Kicking off the month is the latest entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the first film since the release of the sensation that is Avengers: Endgame. The official final entry into Marvel’s Phase Three, Far From Home is expected to shed some light as to what direction the MCU is headed to next, as details have been scarce this year so far due to the fact they would spoil Endgame. And the universe-building aside, this is definitely high on the radar since the MCU did a great job reinventing Spider-Man. Homecoming was by far one of Marvel’s best films thanks to its big laughs, as well as complex, layered characters that include one of their finest antagonists to date. While this film is going for more of a fantastic element than family drama, with its introduction of other worlds, with director Jon Watts back at the helm, this is sure to capture plenty of the same charm that made the first Spider-Man so much fun.
2) Midsommar (July 3)
Directed by: Ari Aster
Starring: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Will Poulter
One year after freaking audiences out with the totally bonkers Hereditary, director Ari Aster returns this summer with the appropriately titled Midsommar. As opposed to the dark colors of Hereditary, this will be much a brightly colored venture, set in the sunny outdoors. The film very much gives off vibes of films like The Wicker Man as it focuses on a young group of friends who visit a ritualistic festival in Sweden that occurs once every 90 years. Early reviews indicate it’s another strange, unsettling feature that proves to be a worthy follow-up to Hereditary. While its two-and-a-half-hour runtime may wear out its welcome with some viewers, this is sure to be one of the year’s most unique, and most unsettling, experiences, and another fine entry into the horror genre.
3) The Art of Self-Defense (July 12)
Directed by: Riley Steams
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, Imogen Poots, David Zellner
While Jesse Eisenberg has played roles where he’s meant to be a more commanding presence (emphasis on the “meant to be” part), his most well-known type of roles are as meek, socially awkward outsiders. And after turns as antagonist Lex Luthor in the DC Extended Universe movies, as well as roles in The Hummingbird Project and Now You See Me 2 in which he plays more confident types, The Art of Self-Defense finds him returning to the type of roles that made him famous, though this time, with a twist, as if his Columbus character from Zombieland was trying his best to be like a Mark Zuckerberg or a Lex Luthor. Described as a pitch-black comedy, as well as being off-beat, trailers for this movie have been scarce, outside of a one-minute teaser that only shows off one or two exchanges that seem to perfectly capture that tone exactly. The reviews are already out for this, though, and the movie has received nothing but critical praise. This was nowhere near on anyone’s radar at the beginning of the year, but this may surprisingly turn into potentially one of the year’s best - or at least, one of the funniest.
4) Crawl (July 12)
Directed by: Alexandre Aja
Starring: Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper
I mean, it’s a movie about murderous alligators from the director of The Hills Have Eyes remake and Piranha 3D. I feel like there’s not much more that needs to be said in order to justify seeing this. Though if I have to, I will say that it’s been a while since we got a movie in this vein, so at the very least, this should be a somewhat refreshing experience. If there’s one thing that should be guaranteed with Crawl, is that this should be some schlocky fun, and hopefully something of a treat for horror fans who just want to see a good old-fashioned killer-animal movie. This will either not take itself too seriously to be truly enjoyable, or potentially fall into the “so-bad-it’s-good” category for its ridiculous premise. Only time will tell.
5) The Farewell (July 12)
Directed by: Lulu Wang
Starring: Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Zhao Shuzhen, Lu Hong, Jiang Yongbo
The second film to be released this month by A24 (the first being Midsommar), this already did exceptionally well in the festival circuit, having received critical acclaim. There seems to be this odd, twisted sitcom-like structure to the premise, focusing on a woman whose family holds the fact that her grandmother is dying a secret from the grandmother herself. Despite that, early reviews all point out this is actually a funny, complex family drama, with particular praise directed at Awkwafina’s performance. While with its limited summer release, it’s doubtful this will be a big hit when it comes to awards season, don’t be surprised if you see this film potentially pop up on several critics’ end-of-year lists.
6) Stuber (July 12)
Directed by: Michael Dowse
Starring: Kumail Nanjiani, Dave Bautista, Iko Uwais, Natalie Morales, Karen Gillan
Remember when I said earlier in the article “nearly all of July’s wide releases are heavy-hitters?” Well, here’s the one exception to that statement. While Stuber doesn’t look bad, trailers indicate it’ll be a bit silly. And it does tread some familiar territory with its mismatched premise of “average, unwitting civilian teaming up with hard-nosed cop.” But both stars Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista have proved they’re both masters at comedy on their own, and to see them paired up for a buddy movie does seem like a fun idea, just to see how they’ll play off one another. The trailers did get some solid laughs, and while it’s doubtful this will go down as one of the funniest movies off the year, this should still be a fun enough time.
7) Point Blank (July 12)
Directed by: Joe Lynch
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Frank Grillo, Marcia Gay Harden, Teyonah Parris
It wouldn't be a complete month for movies without at least one major release from Netflix, and this month, it’s Point Blank. A remake of the 2010 French film of the same name, the trailers seem to really emphasize the teaming up of stars Anthony Mackie and Frank Grillo, and whatever degree of success this film has will more than likely be due to their chemistry. While the “buddy movie” genre has been overdone, it looks like both stars are having fun with their respective roles, and the film appears to have enough action scenes that will satisfy genre enthusiasts. The only thing slightly worrying is that the film may suffer from some tonal shifts, as the first half of the trailer indicated more of a heavy-handed drama that takes itself too seriously before shifting gears. But for the most part, this seems like it’ll be enjoyable enough, and has the potential to be one of the better movies released on Netflix this year so far.
8) The Lion King (July 19)
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Starring: The voices of Donald Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Beyonce, James Earl Jones
It’s the live-action remake of The Lion King… sort of, depending on which side of the debate you’re on. While Disney’s never-ending slew of live-action movies is already beginning to wear thin on some, The Lion King is the one that nearly all audiences are putting aside their grievances for and are actually looking forward to see (myself included, as it was on my Most Anticipated Movies of the Year list). One of the biggest appeals for this one in particular (at least as far as I’m concerned) is the involvement of director Jon Favreau, who directed what was easily, and surprisingly, the best of the Disney live-action remakes so far, The Jungle Book. And Disney is obviously looking for lightning to strike twice with Favreau, especially with a film that’s even more beloved than The Jungle Book was. In addition to his involvement, the film also sees the return of James Earl Jones as Mufasa (to many fans’ delight), and also has the involvement of several notable comedians, including John Oliver, Seth Rogen, Eric Andre, Keegan-Michael Key, and Billy Eichner, which may lead this to being one of the more fun live-action remakes from Disney.
9) Skin (July 26)
Directed by: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle Macdonald, Daniel Henshall, Bill Camp, Mike Colter, Vera Farmiga
The third film this month released by A24, this film is based on the true story of skinhead Bryon Widner, who starts a family and turns his life around, looking to remove his many racist facial tattoos and cut off ties with his former fellow skinheads. Given the way both critics and audiences have been receptive of other stories lately involving somewhat similar subject matter based on true stories, such as Green Book or Best of Enemies, there’s sure to be a level of scrutiny around this. Though trailer seem to indicate this is a bit less heavy-handed than previous films of that nature and will be more of a solid character study, even if a bit somber. Early reviews have all been quite positive so far, with particular praise directed at Jamie Bell’s performance, which appears to be where most of this film’s success will truly lie.
10) Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (July 26)
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Kurt Russell, Emile Hirsch, Timothy Olyphant, Dakota Fanning, Margaret Qualley, Luke Perry, Bruce Dern, Al Pacino
If there’s one filmmaker who consistently defies the notion of “there are no more original ideas in Hollywood anymore,” it’s Quentin Tarantino. Even if each of his movies don’t receive the same levels of critical praise, there’s at least one thing that everyone can agree on and it’s just how unique each of them are, with each of them being a wild, subversive take on a particular genre. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sees the director seemingly shift away from more action-packed fare (as far as we know), and into more of a straightforward dramedy, focusing on a washed-up television star and his stuntman. The film has been described as a love letter to the end of Hollywood’s golden days, taking place in the 1960’s as times began shifting away from more conventional studio fare. And given Tarantino’s love of film, there’s sure to be his usual never-ending little tributes to many of the films he loves, including surely some beloved classics of this particular era. The film had its world premiere at Cannes in May, where it received critical acclaim. Though the director has made it clear for those who have seen it not to spoil the ending, which seems to be the only criticism for some. And despite the film being more of a character piece involving original characters played by DiCaprio and Pitt, it is centered around one of the most gruesome events in all of Hollywood. So the question does remain as far as how will this be handled. Regardless of the outcome, it’s safe to say that this will easily be one of the most talked-about movies of the year, and is easily my most anticipated film of 2019.
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