The summer movie season is officially here, but things are starting off a little differently from previous years. There are no Marvel movies or action blockbusters out just yet, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of great films to check out this weekend. Here are the seven best new movies you should be watching.
‘The Bikeriders’
Where To Watch: In Theaters
‘The Bikeriders’ Review: Jodie Comer Is the Heart of a Mixed Bag of a Movie
The motorcycle drama stars Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, and Tom Hardy.
Over the course of a decade,a Midwestern motorcycle clubevolves from a gathering place for local outsiders to a sinister gang, threatening the original group’s way of life.The Bikeridersfeatures a talented cast led byJodie Comer(Killing Eve), Academy Award nomineeAustin Butler(Elvis), Academy Award nomineeTom Hardy(Venom), andMike Faist(Challengers).
As strong as the cast is, they could not carry a pretty lackluster script.Emma Kielyexplains in her review:The Bikeriderscould have been decent, but it gets lost in its pursuit of an epic story that just isn’t there.While Comer makes a committed effort to carry the film, it falls flat in its excessive filler, undeveloped characters, and symphony of bonkers accents.
The Bikeriders
Follows the rise of a midwestern motorcycle club as it evolves over the course of a decade - from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group’s way of life.
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‘Kinds of Kindness’
Where To Watch:In Theaters
‘Kinds of Kindness’ Review: Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone Are Killer Good
Will the real Yorgos Lanthimos please stand up?
Yorgos Lanthimosand two-time Academy Award winnerEmma Stonereunite for yet another fantastic film.Kinds of Kindnessfocuses on three stories: a man who tries to take control of his own life, a policeman whose wife seems like a different person, and a woman who searches for someone with a special ability.
Seeing the evolution of Lanthimos' career has been quite the journey, and Kinds of Kindness is the next step forward.Chase Hutchinsonsays:In every intense closeup or stilted line of dialogue, we see a new vision from Lanthimos that feels like a genuine step forward. Whatever he does next, one can only hope it’s more like this.
Kinds of Kindness
A man seeks to break free from his predetermined path, a cop questions his wife’s demeanor after her return from a supposed drowning and a woman’s quest to locate an extraordinary individual prophesied to become a renowned spiritual guide.
‘I Used To Be Funny’
Where To Watch: On VOD
‘I Used to Be Funny’ Review: A Side to Rachel Sennott We’ve Never Seen Before
Sennott is still her hilarious self but with an added dose of drama and emotion.
Rachel Sennott(Shiva Baby) has often shown her outstanding comedic chops, butI Used To Be Funnyallows her to remind us how great she is at balancing humor and drama in this dramedy. Stand-up comedian Sam (Sennott) struggles with PTSD and considers joining the search for a missing teenage girl she used to nanny.
Emma Kiely praised the film, saying:It is a beautiful, haunting, and heartwarming look at the tidal wave that trauma brings not just to one person but their entire circle. With subtle but sharp notes on MeToo, cancel culture, online trolling, and sexual assault,I Used to Be Funnyis a searingly relevant film without making that its main objective. It’s about Sam, her journey back to her hilarious self, and the unbreakable bond between two young women, but incidentally offers up a universal exploration of today’s issues.
I Used to Be Funny
Sam, a once-promising stand-up comedian, struggles to reclaim her sense of humor and purpose after a traumatic event derails her career. As she navigates through therapy, unexpected encounters, and reconnections with old friends, Sam confronts her past and finds new ways to express herself.
Rent on Prime Video
‘Fancy Dance’
Where To Watch:Limited Theatrical Release
‘Fancy Dance’ Review: Lily Gladstone’s Post-‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Movie Deserves the World
This road trip drama about an Indigenous family in crisis is sharply written, beautifully directed, and well-acted by all involved.
Oscar-nomineeLily Gladstoneoffers us another wonderful performance in Fancy Dance. Since her sister’s disappearance, Jax (Gladstone) has cared for her niece, Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson), by scraping by on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma. Every spare minute goes into finding her missing sister while also helping Roki prepare for an upcoming powwow.
It’s no surprise that Lily Gladstone carries the film, but she once again cements herself as one of the best actors in Hollywood. Chase Hutchinson explains:Gladstone can say more with just her screen presence than other actors could do with pages and pages of dialogue.With even a steely stare or minute change in expression when she encounters yet another obstacle, Gladstone gives Jax so many dimensions that she feels like a real person you have come to know. It is a performance that contains multitudes in every single moment that the film is worth seeing for alone.
Fancy Dance
Following her sister’s disappearance, a Native American hustler kidnaps her niece from the child’s white grandparents and sets out for the state powwow in hopes of keeping what is left of their family intact.
‘Sometimes I Think About Dying’
‘Sometimes I Think About Dying’ Review: Daisy Ridley Is Excellent in Restrained Dark Comedy
Rachel Lambert’s quiet, patient comedy shows a side of Ridley that we’ve never seen before.
Based onStefanie Abel Horowitz’s short story of the same name,Daisy Ridleystars in the dark comedySometimes I Think About Dying. Ridley plays a lonely and socially awkward woman who tries to make a connection with a friendly new co-worker who takes her out on a date.
Ross Bonaimepraised Ridley’s performance andRachel Lambert’s direction, saying:Sometimes I Think About Dyingis a dark comedy of restraint and quiet, but that silence holds an incredible amount of power and emotion. Ridley gives what might be her best performance, and Lambert knows exactly how to balance the delicate mood of the film.
Sometimes I Think About Dying
Fran, who likes to think about dying, makes the new guy at work laugh, which leads to dating and more. Now the only thing standing in their way is Fran herself.
Ghostlight
‘Ghostlight’ Review: Sorry Leo, This Is the Best Modern ‘Romeo and Juliet’
This new take on a classic story grapples with its timeless questions through a modern lens.
When melancholic construction worker Dan (Keith Kupferer) drifts from his wife and daughter, he discovers community and purpose in a local theater production of Romeo and Juliet. As the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life, he and his family are forced to confront a personal loss.
Ghostlightis an authentic look at how we deal with trauma, making for a touching story. Chase Hutchinson said in his review:It’s often charming and more than a little chaotic. However, if done well, it represents a cathartic way to send us all back into the world to navigate our own stages before we return to the ones we’ve built to practice what it means to be alive.
When a construction worker unexpectedly joins a local theater’s production of Romeo and Juliet, the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life.
‘Thelma’ Review: Move Over Tom Cruise, June Squibb Is Our New Action Hero
In writer-director Josh Margolin’s film, Squibb plays a woman in her 90s getting revenge on scammers.
Thelma Post (June Squibb) is a 93-year-old grandmother who loses $10,000 to a con artist on the phone. With help from a friend and his motorized scooter, she soon embarks on a treacherous journey across Los Angeles to reclaim what was taken from her.
Ross Bonaime said:Thelmaknows not to make fun of its concept, but rather, embrace the possibilities within limitations, in a role that finally gives Squibb her first starring role. In her nineties,Squibb proves that she can be an effective action star and a great lead—hopefully, this won’t be the last time we get to see her front-and-center.
When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her.
