By Keith Walther
July marks the middle of the year and the middle of the summer with some of the biggest blockbusters set to release. For comic book fans who have not yet grown tired of these movies, both DC and Marvel will have films coming out this month, may the best superhero wearing the color blue win. For those who prefer rampaging dinosaurs gobbling up humans like Tic Tacs, Universal brings you a sequel you might enjoy. And for those who want original content, it will be more difficult to come by but there will be a few worth taking a look at. Here are the big releases this month.
July 2nd
The 4th of July weekend begins with a deafening roar. “Jurassic World: Rebirth” is the seventh film of this sci-fi franchise that began back in 1993. The past several films have taken the series into a freefall, and unfortunately this latest sequel simply treads water. A formulaic plot and extremely predictable sequences fail to reinvigorate the franchise. At least it is not as bad as “Dominion,” but that is a really low bar. Best to sit this dino feature out, a full review is coming soon.
On the other hand, “40 Acres” is the better sci-fi thriller to release this holiday weekend. This hidden gem has not received much attention or press, but this is a satisfying, intense post-apocalyptic drama with a simple yet well-crafted storyline. Not to mention, the extremely gifted actress Danielle Deadwyler headlines the cast, and she delivers another riveting performance. This is the movie to see this weekend, a full review is also forthcoming.
July 11th
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s “Superman.” That’s right, the man of steel returns to the silver screen, this time with James Gunn in the director’s chair and David Corenswet donning the red cape. Despite Gunn’s many successes, the trailer looks rather concerning with an influx of odd characters as well as a super dog. Still, Gunn has not given any reason to distrust his ability when it comes to making comic book-based movies.
July 18th
A24 has had a rough go of it lately, but they return this week with a dark comedy that is sure to be unique at the very least. Directed and written by Ari Aster (“Midsommar”), “Eddington” features a couple of Oscar winners like Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone, as well as Oscar nominee Austin Butler and the ever-popular Pedro Pascal. Despite the loaded talent, it has received some polarizing reactions ever since its debut at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, so you may want to wait for more reviews before committing.
After a nice respite of no new horror films, Hollywood brings audiences a slasher sequel suitable for July. “I Know What You Did Last Summer” returns for its third film of the franchise (the direct-to-video sequel in 2006 doesn’t count as it was produced by an outside company). Both Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr., who starred in the first two films, return to their respective roles but in a more supportive capacity. The acting and dialogue seem cringeworthy from the trailers, so going to see this for the nostalgia may not be worth it.
Rounding out this rather weak lineup of movies this week is an animated film for the family, “Smurfs.” Those little blue creatures are back for their fourth film with Chris Miller (“Puss in Boots” and “Shrek the Third”) directing. Judging from the trailers, this looks to be nothing more than a self-advertising vehicle for Rihanna to promote some new music, so don’t expect too much from this one either.
July 25th
Not to be outdone by DC, Marvel fires back with its own latest potential blockbuster. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is the latest attempt to get this famous superhero family right, having failed at all previous film installments in 1994, 2005, 2007, and 2015. The good news is that this will not be yet another origin story attempt and the ‘60s vibe gives it intriguing appeal. The bad news is that Disney/Marvel has already managed to piss off comic book purists by announcing that the Sue Storm character is the leader instead of Reed Richards, the smartest character in this universe who has been the leader for decades in the comic books. Optimistically, this has a 50/50 chance of being any good.
July 30th
Closing out the month is perhaps the most intriguing release yet, and it represents the horror genre. “Together” is the latest film from NEON, starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie, who have been married in real life since 2017. Since its debut at the Sundance Film Festival at the beginning of this year, it has been raking in the accolades with an early Rotten Tomatoes score of 100%. With NEON’s incredible track record, this may very well be the best film of the month, or at the very least, a disturbing body horror movie that will have people talking.
rottentomatoes.com
deadline.com
hollywoodreporter.com
imdb.com
bloodydisgusting.com
screenrant.com
imdb.com
gizmodo.com
