The July heat is in full effect. I’ve got a good set of films you can catch – with wonderfully cool AC blowing the entire time – so hopefully something catches your eye.
First up, an action comedy titled Heads of State. Starring John Cena of WWE fame as the President of the United States and Idris Elba (Luther) as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the plot concerns both men being targets of a political conspiracy, and follows their plan to thwart the evildoers. Directed by Ilya Naishuller, who helmed other action stand-outs Hardcore Henry and Nobody, the film looks to have the same frenetic action set pieces with some comical banter to go along with it. It releases to Amazon Prime on July 2.
For your superhero fix, look no further than the OG: Superman. Based on the legendary comic book character, this iteration will be a reboot directed by James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) and the first part of his newly minted DC Universe set of films – with hopefully better results than the previous attempt. David Corenswet (Twisters) stars as Superman, along with Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult (The Great) as Lex Luther. Gunn has a good track record with superhero films, so this has a good shot at being an outstanding first entry to his DC shared universe when it releases on July 11.
If you want a contemporary Western, check out Eddington. Directed by Ari Aster (Hereditary), the film follows a sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix, Joker) and a mayor (Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us) who begin a standoff which causes ripples throughout the small town they reside in. Emma Stone (La La Land) and Luke Grimes (Yellowstone) also star in what is sure to be a strange and interesting piece from Aster … with apparent murders and political undertones. It hits theaters on July 18.
If one superhero film isn’t enough, this month also has The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The first film in Phase 6 of Marvel’s never-ending cinematic universe, the story takes place on a parallel Earth with a ’60s retro-yet-futuristic aesthetic. The Fantastic Four must defend their planet from intergalactic forces with, presumably, something that transfers them to the current Earth of the MCU. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby (The Crown), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) star as the titular team, and the trailer indicates the usual Marvel fare: big action scenes and a fun theme. It releases on July 25.
Lastly, strap in for an uncomfortable looking body horror titled Together. Starring real-life married couple Alison Brie (Community) and Dave Franco (Now You See Me), the plot follows a married couple who move to the countryside only to encounter supernatural events causing horrifying changes to their bodies. The trailer seems to indicate some of these changes include fusing their bodies together in absolutely appalling ways. Early reviews are extremely positive, so if body horror is your bag, you should be in for a pleasantly disgusting surprise when it releases on July 30.
