10 Movies to Use Your MoviePass On In June
The summer movie season is now in full swing, which means that the studios are bringing out their big guns for a rapid fire succession of enormous budgets, next-level visual effects, and the biggest stars on the planet. Oh, and some interesting indie movies with crossover appeal. But which ones are worth your daily MoviePass ticket? Read to find out!
‘American Animals’ (June 1)
It’s a story so crazy, it has to be true. In the wildly entertaining “American Animals,” a group of dingbat young criminals (led by an electric Evan Peters) concoct a plot to rob a local university of some priceless books. Of course, everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. With a wonderful young cast and some assured, stylish direction from filmmaker Bart Layton, who combines his background in documentary features with some truly thrilling narrative flourishes, this is the heist movie you didn’t know you were waiting for.
'Upgrade' (June 1)
Finally! The winner of the midnight competition at the notoriously vocal SXSW Film Festival, “Upgrade” is a sci-fi thriller wherein an everyman (Tom Hardy lookalike Logan Marshall-Green) gets some bionic upgrades following a paralyzing car hijacking that leaves his wife dead. Of course, soon enough, his technological upgrades get the better of him and sends him careening down a blood-splattered path for revenge. This one's for fans of “Black Mirror,” and kick-ass low-budget alternatives to tamer mainstream fare.
‘Hereditary’ (June 8)
Undoubtedly the indie horror film that has generated the most heat this year, “Hereditary” was a breakout of the Sundance Film Festival and quickly snapped up by the ultra-hip A24. Equal parts supernatural spook show and lacerating family drama, “Hereditary” stars Toni Collette and Gabriel Byrne as a couple whose family goes through a series of increasingly devastating setbacks. Quite frankly, the less you know the better, but it is safe to say that it will leave you shook.
‘Ocean’s Eight’ (June 8)
The “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise gets a gender-reversed extension in this starry, all-female romp. In “Ocean’s 8,” Sandra Bullock stars as Debbie Ocean, the estranged sister of George Clooney’s character from the original films, and she’s flanked by a murderess’ row of big name talent (including Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, and Helena Bonham Carter). The central heist, too, has been given a glamorous angle, as the girl gang plots to pull off a robbery at the Met Gala.
‘Incredibles 2’ (June 15)
14 years after the original film, your favorite family of superheroes finally returns. In “Incredibles 2,” the gang is back (including Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, and Samuel L. Jackson), and this time it’s Elastigirl who is called out of retirement for some super-heroic derring-do. (Details of the villain’s plot remain tightly under lock and key but his name sure is scary -- The ScreenSlaver!) With writer-director Brad Bird also returning, this should be a breakout summer blockbuster that everybody can enjoy.
'Tag' (June 15)
You’re it! Believe or not, this high concept studio comedy, about a group of schoolmates who maintain a game of tag for more than 30 years, is actually based on a true story that was published in the Wall Street Journal. So just remember: No matter how wacky “Tag” gets, it’s at least partially true. With a terrific cast (including Ed Helms, Jake Johnson, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, and Hannibal Buress) and an agreeably goofy conceit, this could be a feel-good romp.
‘Gotti’ (June 15)
Originally planned for release in late 2017 (and coming off a glitzy Cannes Film Festival screening), “Gotti” stars John Travolta as the titular crime boss, with Travolta’s real-life wife Kelly Preston playing Gotti’s wife, Victoria. With a script by Steven Soderbergh confederate Lem Dobbs and a score by Mr. Worldwide himself, Pitbull, “Gotti” isn’t your standard historical drama. Instead, this stands to be something far livelier and more entertaining -- in other words, an offer you just can’t refuse.
'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' (June 22)
Life finds a way. After the phenomenal success of “Jurassic World” in 2015 (it brought in more than $1 billion worldwide), it was only a matter of time before we were graced with its inevitable sequel. With “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” dino whisperer Chris Pratt reteams with his on-again/off-again girl Bryce Dallas Howard to save the dinosaurs from the original island’s destruction by volcano. But once they get the dinosaurs safe, something far more insidious shows itself … With Jeff Goldblum returning at Dr. Ian Malcolm, and direction from the outstanding J.A. Bayona, this is the most excited we’ve been for one of the franchise’s installments.
‘Under the Silver Lake’ (June 22)
After premiering at Cannes to a response that was either dazzled or utterly befuddled, “Under the Silver Lake” finally emerges for the rest of us. Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, who was responsible for one of the best horror films of the decade with “It Follows,” the filmmaker turns his attention to updating the film noir genre and infusing it with some geeky hipster cool. (It's his "Brick," basically.) Andrew Garfield plays a man determined to solve his beautiful neighbor’s disappearance in modern day Los Angeles, in a tale that looks freaky and fun.
‘Sicario: Day of the Soldado’ (June 29)
While not a direct sequel to 2015’s brilliant “Sicario,” this new film does include some of the same characters and similar situations. “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” reunites Benicio del Toro as the grieving lawyer-turned-hitman and Josh Brolin as his CIA/Black Ops handler, who this time are determined to start a war pitting cartels against each other in modern day Mexico. Expect more of the suspense and action of the first film, with even more timely political relevance.
