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It’s that time again, movie lovers! It’s time to say goodbye to those awkward in-between months after award season and welcome another Summer Blockbuster Season!
This year’s Movie Dead Zone has admittedly been a strange one. To be fair, the movies generally weren’t that bad. And, with studios throwing more of their big name movies out in the spring, we’ve already seen things like The LEGO Movie 2 and Captain Marvel. And since Marvel always kicks off the biggest-budgeted time of the year with a big new superhero movie on the first weekend in May, the early release of Avengers: Endgame is really throwing everything off.
But now it’s time to set aside all of the craziness of spring and look ahead to another explosive Summer Blockbuster Season, starting with May and June!
As always, before we begin, I have to start with the usual disclaimer. Keep in mind that release dates can change—and other releases will open in different cities at different times. Also, I list films here by the week of release, typically using Friday as the standard release day—but, especially on holiday weekends, films may open earlier in the week. So, as always, keep an eye on your local listings for exact release dates.
And now…on to the movies!
MAY 3:
Without a big Marvel release for the first week of May, this week looks very different (especially since no one wants to go up against the Avengers—even on their second week in theaters). Instead, we have Long Shot, starring Seth Rogen as a man who’s hired as the speech writer for a Presidential candidate who just happens to be his first childhood crush (played by Charlize Theron).
For the kids, there’s the animated comedy UglyDolls, following the quirky dolls on their quest to be loved despite their differences.
Also this week: Meagan Good and Michael Ealy face off against Dennis Quaid in The Intruder. Two brothers end up on different sides of the law in East LA in El Chicano. And Werner Herzog follows the life of former President of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev in Meeting Gorbechev.
Kristin’s Pick: Admittedly, most people will be catching up on (or re-watching Avengers this weekend. But for those looking for something different, I’ll give my pick to UglyDolls—because it seems to promise music, some laughs, and a good message for kids.
MAY 10:
Summer is a time for big names, big budgets, and brainless stories—and, this week, we get a little bit of everything that summer has to offer.
This week, Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson star in The Hustle, a kind of female-led retelling of 1988’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (which I love, by the way), with a couple of scam artists fighting back against men who need to learn a little lesson.
Another comedy for the girls, Poms, tells the story of a group of women who decide to form a cheer squad in their retirement community. The cast includes Diane Keaton, Jackie Weaver, Rhea Perlman, and Pam Grier.
If you prefer real-life drama, there’s Kenneth Branagh’s All Is True, which follows Shakespeare’s last days. And Tolkien stars Nicholas Hoult as the man who went on to write about Middle-earth.
Or, for something completely different, there’s Pokémon Detective Pikachu, which follows a boy’s relationship with a talking Pikachu.
Kristin’s Pick: This week’s offerings are about as random as they get. But, just for some wacky summer fun, I’m going to give my pick to Poms.
MAY 17:
No one really expected the first John Wick to be such a hit—but the over-the-top cult favorite releases its anticipated third film, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, this week—right in the middle of Summer Blockbuster season. Keanu Reeves returns as the assassin who now finds himself the target.
For something a little less…explosive, there’s the latest teen literary romance, The Sun Is Also a Star. Or catch Tilda Swinton and her daughter, Honor Swinton Byrne, together in The Souvenir, the story of a film student who gets tangled up with the wrong man. And Jack O’Connell and Laura Dern star in the bio Trial by Fire.
Or, if you’re looking for some family entertainment, you can go through life through the eyes of a dog in A Dog’s Journey.
Kristin’s Pick: I’ll admit that I’ve gotten a little caught up in John Wick fever. So I’ll give this ultra-violent new release my pick.
MAY 24:
Fans of Disney’s animated Aladdin have all kinds of feelings about the release of the live-action Aladdin, with Mena Massoud in the title role and Will Smith as the genie. Only time will tell if it will live up to the classic original.
But that’s just the beginning of the noteworthy releases as Memorial Day approaches. In Ad Astra, Brad Pitt stars as an astronaut in search of answers. John Lithgow and Blythe Danner search for love in The Tomorrow Man. In the sci-fi thriller Brightburn, a child from another planet lands on Earth—but not necessarily for heroic purposes. And Olivia Wilde directs the comedy Booksmart, the story of two smart teens who decide that they want to squeeze four years of fun into the night before their high school graduation.
Or, for some factual films, you can check out fashion doc Halston or music doc Echo in the Canyon.
Kristin’s Pick: There are all kinds of intriguing options this week! But, since Aladdin is one of my favorite Disney movies, I’ll give the live-action remake my pick (and just hope for the best…)
MAY 31:
It may be the week after a holiday, but the excitement isn’t letting up. This week, the members of crypto-zoological agency Monarch find themselves battling a number of massive beasts in Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
If monsters aren’t your thing, you can stick with Taron Egerton in the musical fantasy version of the Elton John story, Rocketman.
Or, for something completely different from The Help director Tate Taylor, there’s the psychological thriller Ma, starring Octavia Spencer as a woman who befriends a group of teenagers and lets them party in her home before things start to take a dark turn.
Kristin’s Pick: There may not be a whole lot of options this week, but there are definitely some interesting ones. But I’ll give my pick this week to the musical magic of Rocketman.
JUNE 7:
This week once again offers a little bit of something for everyone—from action to laughs—starting with the latest in the X-Men franchise, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, starring Sophie Turner as a young Jean Grey, who begins to develop dark and dangerous powers.
For the family, there’s the animated comedy The Secret Life of Pets 2, which once again follows the adventures of lovable dog Max (voiced by Patton Oswalt) and his friends when they’re left home alone each day.
For a little TV dramedy, there are two options: Late Night, starring Emma Thompson as a late-night host who needs to update her image in order to keep from losing her job, and Papi Chulo, about a TV weatherman who befriends a migrant worker.
Or, for documentary fans, there’s director Ron Howard’s Pavarotti.
Kristin’s Pick: Since I’ve always loved Emma Thompson (and I’ve never been a big fan of the X-Men), I’ll give Late Night my pick this week.
JUNE 14:
This weekend is a big one for flashbacks—and also the undead. Up first, in Shaft, Jessie T. Usher stars as a brainy FBI analyst who has to team up with his tough absentee dad (Samuel L. Jackson) to search for answers to his friend’s death.
For a comic mystery from another world, there’s the return of the MIB in Men in Black: International, this time teaming up new agent M (Tessa Thompson) with British agent H (Chris Hemsworth).
For some undead action, there’s Jim Jarmusch’s zom-com The Dead Don’t Die, in which the residents of a small, quiet town are forced to battle a zombie uprising.
Or, for something completely different, The Last Black Man in San Francisco follows the story of a young man trying to find his way in his hometown.
Kristin’s Pick: This week just seems like a whole lot of fun—but, since I have a weakness for zom-coms, I’ll give my pick to The Dead Don’t Die.
JUNE 21:
Get out those tissues, everyone (yes, even you, big, burly guys)! This week, Woody, Buzz, and their pals return for Toy Story 4, a film that’s guaranteed to bring plenty of laughs and leave everyone weeping in the aisles.
If sweet kids’ movies aren’t your thing, you can follow the adventures of a murderous doll in the new Child’s Play. Or you can check out the tension and drama of a small town on the brink of disaster in Them That Follow.
And finally this week, Jesse Eisenberg stars as an anxious man who sets out to learn how to defend himself following a brutal attack in The Art of Self-Defense.
Kristin’s Pick: This is another quiet week for new releases—because no one wants to go up against Pixar (and for good reason). Though I admit that I didn’t feel the need for another Toy Story movie after things wrapped up so neatly in Toy Story 3, I’m still giving Toy Story 4 my pick.
JUNE 28:
We’re not quite done with creepy dolls yet…! This week, you’ll find more scares at theaters at the hands of Annabelle Comes Home. But that’s not the end of this week’s new releases.
Also this week: director Danny Boyle’s latest, Yesterday, follows the adventures of a struggling musician who suddenly realizes that he’s the only person in the world who remembers The Beatles, and he finds fame and fortune by cashing in. Christopher Gorham stars as a missionary in Tonga whose family faces a life-threatening situation in The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith. And the documentary Maiden follows the story of the first all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World Race.
Kristin’s Pick: I may not be a big Beatles fan, but Danny Boyle’s latest sounds like so much fun—so Yesterday gets my pick this week.
Now that we’ve come to the last weekend of June, it’s time to take a break, catch our breath, and let it all sink in a little. I’ll have all of the action, adventure, and laughs of July and August next time. Until then, enjoy the beginning of Summer Blockbuster Season!
