Another year of university has come and gone, bringing us ever closer to the moment many are to enter. . . the real world. But before I induce an existential, quarter-life crisis, I’ll move on to the plethora of films coming out this month – blockbusters and horrors aplenty.
Joel Edgerton stars in It Comes at Night, a psychological thriller of two families united by fear held against the world outside their house, barricading themselves from it in every respect. With the release of Cars 3, Pixar continues to dance along the line between high-grossing franchises and uniquely creative endeavours. However, if something more highbrow and philosophical is your cup of tea, Terrence Malick is finally releasing the star-studded (Ryan Gosling, Natalie Portman, Michael Fassbender and Rooney Mara) Song to Song, which spent more than three years in post-production.
Then again. . . there are surely more hotly-anticipated films coming this month.
Spider-Man: Homecoming – 5th July
Let me take you back in time, on exactly November 2014. A group of hackers by the name of “Guardians of Peace” gave Sony Pictures a hard time due to their release of The Interview – Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s comedy about a plot to assassinate Kim Jong-un.
But no one really cared about The Interview, especially when all eyes turned to leaked emails revealing that Sony and Marvel were trying to negotiate a deal where Spider-Man could appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And thus, when they reached that deal more than two years ago, fans cried tears of joy, excitement, and relief, at the thought of Spider-Man coming home.
This film will mean a lot, to a lot of people – here’s hoping that Jon Watts has directed Tom Holland in a reboot that will finally stick.
War For the Planet of the Apes – 11th July
The third film in this reinvention picks up where its 2014 predecessor left off, with Caesar (Andy Serkis) leading his army of apes against the humans, lead by The Colonel (Woody Harrelson).
Serkis’ body of work – including franchises like Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Star Wars and The Adventures of Tintin – has made him a pioneer of motion-capture technology, even sparking debates as to whether such acting should be eligible for Oscar recognition. If his latest film fairs as well as the others in this series, Serkis should have another unique performance under his belt.
The Beguiled – 14th July
One of my most anticipated films of the summer is Sofia Coppola’s interpretation of Thomas P. Cullinan’s Gothic novel of the same name; the trailers paint The Beguiled to be a salacious thriller, full of perfidy and slow-burning tension.
Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning play teachers and a student respectively, at a Virginian all-girls boarding school during the American Civil War. However, their once safeguarded environment evaporates as they reluctantly take in a wounded soldier, breaching every means of safety (Colin Farrell).
Having become the second woman to win Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, Coppola boasts a superb cast in an intriguing remake of the 1971 Clint Eastwood-starring classic. What should be consequently noted is the omission of the character of Hallie, a black slave in the first adaptation, that has not gone unrecognised.
Dunkirk – 21st July
Having polarised audiences and critics alike with his 2014 sci-fi epic, Interstellar, Christopher Nolan returns. His first feature-length foray into adapting a true story – the infamous event of Dunkirk, triumphant through the evacuation of both young and old soldiers during World War II.
Nolan has collated an eclectic band of actors, including frequent collaborators Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy, heavyweights Mark Rylance and Kenneth Branagh, and some new faces in film, like Fionn Whitehead and Harry Styles (the very one).
Now, in considering the “awards-bait” subject matter, the summer release date seems rather strange. Despite this, Nolan’s justifiable status as an acclaimed filmmaker, along with the acquisition of a stellar cast, both Nolan and the film’s incredible attributes will hopefully push Dunkirk to success.
Hounds of Love – 28th July
If the trailers released so far can be believable. . . this Australian horror film is certainly not for the faint heartened.
When Vicki (Ashleigh Cummings) accepts a ride home from Evelyn and John White (Emma Booth and Stephen Curry, respectively), what she doesn’t know, is that they happen to be a couple of serial killers. How unfortunate. What ensues is real torture for Vicki – until she realises the only way to escape is to coax one of them onto her side.
If it’s a blithe, pleasant film you’re looking for, this isn’t it.
The Big Sick – 28th July
On the other hand, if you want something a little less violent, married couple Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani (the latter of Silicon Valley fame) have adapted the start of their relationship for the big screen.
The film presents Kumail’s Pakistani Muslim parents disapproving of their son’s relationship with Emily (Zoe Kazan). However, when Emily goes under a medically-induced coma due to a mysterious illness, Kumail must juggle his worries in addition to those of both sets of parents.
Critics have showered The Big Sick with praise, calling it a “humane delight” and a “joyous, generous-hearted” movie. Although, I am worried it won’t live up to such hype, as it’s unlikely that these three talents (supported by Judd Apatow as producer) could have made anything short of a wholehearted delight.
Sarah Quraishi
