June may not be the biggest of the summer movie months (that honor would go to July), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any noteworthy releases on the way. Most of June’s biggest movies aren’t so much blockbusters, but are more so just highly anticipated franchise entries, with this month containing a fair amount of sequels to some beloved film series, as well as one major reboot. Between all the franchise films are a few noteworthy original films, most of which were already released in the festival circuit either earlier in the year or last year, and received their fair share of critical acclaim.
So whether you’re looking forward to the sequel in your favorite film series, or looking for the next big indie darling, these are the movies to be on the lookout for this month:
1) Dark Phoenix (June 7)
Directed by: Simon Kinberg
Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Sophie Turner, Jessica Chastain
Not exactly the best movie to start this month off with, though it’s hard to ignore this. The second-to-last installment in Fox’s X-Men franchise (now that they’re owned by Disney) will see a second attempt at telling the famous X-Men comic book storyline "The Dark Phoenix Saga," after 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand didn’t sit right with either audiences or critics. Simon Kinberg, who co-wrote The Last Stand, is back, this time to both write and direct this adaptation, which he’s described as a more faithful re-telling of the story. Though, between Kinberg’s previous credits and the fact that the trailers indicate this will be a fairly gloomy experience, that doesn’t raise much hope for this film’s potential. Still, the X-Men franchise was once one of the most beloved superhero film series before the Marvel Cinematic Universe took over, so for those who have been following it to this day, there’s at least the investment of just seeing how it all wraps up as the next time we’ll probably see many of these characters again, it’ll be under a whole new management.
2) The Secret Life of Pets 2 (June 7)
Directed by: Chris Renaud
Starring: The voices of Patton Oswalt, Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, Tiffany Haddish
The first Secret Life of Pets was a fairly likable, if relatively safe, family film that boasted a talented voice cast and some solid laughs. Judging by the trailers, this sequel appears to be essentially more of the same, although sticking a little even more in the safer territory, giving off an even sweeter feel than the first film. Though for the most part, “more of the same” isn’t necessarily a bad thing sometimes, because if it ain’t broke, why fix it? With all the cast and crew from the first film (minus Louis C.K., who’s been replaced by Patton Oswalt) returning, this should be a funny, well-meaning venture that will totally engross the kids, while still allowing the parents to get something out of it.
3) Late Night (June 7)
Directed by: Nisha Ganatra
Starring: Emma Thompson, Mindy Kaling, John Lithgow, Hugh Dancy, Amy Ryan
Emma Thompson plays a legendary late-night talk show host whose ratings decline and is forced to bring in a young new female writer, played by Mindy Kaling, to help make her show more timely and up-to-date. If you take one look at the trailers, you’ll notice this is a very openly progressive movie. It does seem like it may be a bit too on-the-nose, which could easily grow weary very quickly, though there is some potential that it will provide some great social commentary, if done right and there's more to it than what the trailers seem to give us. Still, this should at the very least be entertaining based on the talents of Thompson and Kaling, both of whom seem like they’re turning in some really likable performances here. There’s a bit of an Odd Couple vibe from this movie, which could either lead to something formulaic, or to some really great laughs. Only time will tell with this one.
4) The Last Black Man in San Francisco (June 7)
Directed by: Joe Talbot
Starring: Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Danny Glover, Tichina Arnold, Rob Morgan, Mike Epps
While the title alone gives off more of an exploitation vibe, this is actually a much more somber piece. Based in part on Fails’ own life, the film finds him starring as a version of himself as he tries to gain back his childhood home in the Fillmore District of San Francisco. The film was a festival hit, winning two awards at Sundance Film Festival, and being picked up by A24 for distribution. Early reviews that came from the festival have all been very positive, and while it doesn't look to be a feel good movie, it should at least be one of the more personal stories of the year, and be a good chance to showcase some fresh, newer talent.
5) Men in Black: International (June 14)
Directed by: F. Gary Gray
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Liam Neeson, Kumail Nanjiani, Emma Thompson
While a sequel/spinoff to the Men in Black franchise seems like one of those things we really don’t need, there are two things that are keeping interest in this movie high, and they are Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. Having already proven to have some fantastic chemistry with one another in Thor: Ragnarok, there should be little doubt that the two will easily be able to recreate the magic once again. Thompson has a natural likability to her in nearly every one of her roles while Hemsworth has gone on to show he has a real knack for comedy, especially in later Marvel entries. Throw in Kumail Nanjiani voicing a quirky alien that the two befriend, and this should lead to some comedy gold. While this may not be one of the freshest ideas of 2019, it could easily go on to still be one of the most likable experiences, based on its cast alone.
6) The Dead Don’t Die (June 14)
Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
Starring: Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloe Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover
A zombie comedy from one of the masters of dry, indie comedy. This would have made my Most Anticipated Movies of the Year list at the start of the year, but while there were rumors Jarmusch was releasing a zombie movie this year for some time, the title and release date weren’t confirmed until a few months into the year. The film boasts an all-star cast, with returning Jarmusch actors Bill Murray and Adam Driver leading the charge as two police officers fighting their way through hoards of the undead, while even the supporting cast has a few famous faces, including musicians RZA, Selena Gomez, Iggy Pop, and Tom Waits all making appearances. Early reviews have been mixed, they indicate it still has plenty of Jarmusch’s signature dry, deadpan humor, so this can easily go on to gain more of a cult following than anything.
7) Wild Rose (June 14)
Directed by: Tom Harper
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Sophie Okonedo, Julie Walters
It’s another A Star is Born-esque story. A musician from Glassgow is fresh out of prison and has to deal with her overbearing mother while trying to take care of her two children. She wants to be a musician, despite being told not to, and decides to go to Nashville to follow her dreams. There’s no doubt that this film will head into some overly-familiar territory. However, the film premiered in the UK earlier this year and reviews have been incredibly positive, all praising Jessie Buckley’s lead performance. There’s a chance that her name could pop up come awards season, depending on how well this winds up performing at the box office, if it goes beyond a limited release.
8) Toy Story 4 (June 21)
Directed by: Josh Cooley
Starring: The voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele
Woody and Buzz are back once again. And this time, they’re joined by a whole new cast of characters, led by Forky, a toy who has an existential crisis about what it means to be a toy before running away from home, which leads them to being reunited with Bo Peep, the most notable missing character from Toy Story 3. While fans are skeptical about another entry in the Toy Story franchise, especially after how the third film ended on a note that gave the series a sense of finality, this still does look like it’ll be funny, and will be bringing with it much of the charm that made the first three movies so great. The film will see the return of the first three films’ main characters - including all the new toys introduced in 3 - as well as bring in many welcome newcomers that include the voice talents of Key and Peele, Tony Hale, Christina Hendricks, and Keanu Reeves. Tom Hanks has said in an interview that this will be the final film in the franchise, but that was thought to be the case once before, so we’ll see once the box office numbers come through. The only film from this month to make my Most Anticipated Movies of the Year list, this should be the biggest highlight of June.
9) Child’s Play (June 21)
Directed by: Lars Klevberg
Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman, Brian Tyree Henry, Mark Hamill
This is without a doubt one that has "proceed with caution" written all over it. The original Child’s Play film, while serious, still had bits of dark humor and were able to play up their over-the-top premise. This looks like it’ll be a bit more of a serious reboot of the franchise, so losing the fun aspect of it seems like it’ll turn plenty of audiences off. Though there are two aspects of this that still give it some hope. The first is that Mark Hamill will be taking over as the iconic voice of Chucky, making this the first time that the character won’t be voiced by Brad Dourif. Hamill’s voice-acting skills are easily his strongest suit, so there’s hope he could still bring some fun to this gloomy-looking reboot. The second is the fact that Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg, the producers of 2017’s It reboot, are also behind this one. It was a surprise hit for the duo (and my favorite film of 2017) so hopefully lightning will strike twice for them with Child’s Play.
10) Nightmare Cinema (June 21)
Directed by: Alejandro Brugues, Joe Dante, Mick Garris, Ruyhei Kitamura, David Slade
Starring: Mickey Rourke
Horror anthologies are always a mixed bag, with movies like V/H/S and The ABCs of Death only containing a few stories that are completely worth while. Nightmare Cinema is sure to be no different, though it's definitely the more intriguing horror movie that’s getting released on the 21st. Telling five different stories, each by a different director, they’ll all be tied together by five strangers meeting in a movie theater owned by someone simply known as The Projectionist, played by Mickey Rourke, with the five stories tying into their lives in one form or another. It’s sure to be a little cheesy and over-the-top in the way it’ll tie everything together, though early reviews have indicated this may just be one of the better horror anthologies to be released. The film will be available on VOD the same day as its theatrical release, so this will be something good to check out for horror fans looking to stay in and watch a movie.
11) Anna (June 21)
Directed by: Luc Besson
Starring: Sasha Luss, Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy, Helen Mirren
A Luc Besson movie doesn’t exactly have as much draw as it once did as many of his later films have been more divisive, though it looks like this will be more of a return to the director’s hard-hitting action-packed roots. The trailers give off very much of a “female John Wick” vibe, but it appears to be a good thing, as the action scenes shown off in the trailers do appear to be very well-choreographed. However, the John Wick series has always been impressive for its impressive world-building and mythology while still being an off-the-wall action movie, and that appears to be more of an exception to the rule, so the one caveat that may come with this movie is that the story may only be so-so while the action is entertaining. This is another movie to be approached with a bit of trepidation but it could be some fun.
12) Annabelle Comes Home (June 26)
Directed by: Gary Dauberman
Starring: Mckenna Grace, Madison Iseman, Katie Sarife, Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga
This year we get not one, but two Conjuring spinoff movies, after April’s The Curse of La Llorona. While the main Conjuring series have been some of the best horror movies in recent years, the spinoff films have been very hit-and-miss, with Annabelle: Creation so far being the only standout entry in the series so far. This film will be written and directed by Creation’s co-writer Gary Dauberman. While this sounds like it’ll be a good thing, especially keeping in mind that Dauberman also co-wrote the It movies, one thing to keep in mind is that he also wrote every single one of the other Conjuring spinoff movies, outside of La Llorona. While the trailers do look like they’ll be pretty creepy, this can easily go either way.
13) Yesterday (June 28)
Directed by: Danny Boyle
Starring: Himesh Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon, Ed Sheeran
While it’s disappointing that Danny Boyle won’t be putting his unique spin on the James Bond franchise after walking away from Bond 25 due to creative differences, fans won’t have to wait much longer for his next project. Unfortunately, one would wish it would be something a little more daring, similar to most of his filmography. Yesterday is written by Richard Curtis, who’s known for writing well-known romantic comedies such as Bridget Jones’ Diary, Notting Hill, and Four Weddings and a Funeral, as well as directing Love Actually and About Time. Something that all of these have in common is that they often play it very safe and can be overly sweet, despite being likable. Yesterday seems to be in that same vein, which makes it odd that of all people, Boyle would be the director of this one. Still, there’s an intriguing concept behind this, following a musician who wakes up after a bus accident and finds himself the only one able to remember The Beatles, as they now don’t exist in this alternate reality, and finds himself becoming a star passing their songs off as his own. The trailers look like there will be some good laughs, and it looks like the cast will all turn in some pretty likable performances - including Ed Sheeran as himself, who looks like he’s having a ball with this - though it seems safe to say many of the dramatic beats will be incredibly familiat.
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