School’s out for the summer! What better way to celebrate recent graduates than by going to see a new movie at the local theater? Whether you’re into heartwarming family-friendly movies, intense crime thrillers, or dramatic period pieces, there’s always something for everyone to enjoy at the box office (even if the popcorn is your favorite part of the experience).
Last week saw the successful limited release ofTuesday, starringJulia Louis-Dreyfuss,Lola Pettigrew, andArinzé Kene.Tuesdayis a touching and emotional fantasy drama that tackles the journey of life, death, and parent-child relationships.The film will have a wide theatrical release this weekend as well if you weren’t able to find it at a location near you! With new big releases hitting movie theaters every week, it can be hard to keep them straight. Here’s what you may expect this weekend!
‘Inside Out 2’
Prepare yourself for an onslaught of emotions in Pixar’s highly anticipated sequel toInside Out. Set two years after the original film,Inside Out 2sees Riley (Kensington Tallman) as she starts her first year of high school at the age of 13. In addition to her original anthropomorphic emotions (Joy, Fear, Anger, Sadness, Disgust) we will get to meet some new emotions that Riley will experience as she navigates the ups and downs of her high school experience. Joy (Amy Poehler) and the other original emotions start a new concept for Riley called her Sense of Self, storing all her core memories and booting negative ones to the back of her mind. However, once the “puberty alarm” goes off, mind workers come to update the control console that the emotions use to guide Riley through her life and actions. Along with the new console, they are warned that there will be “others” joining them shortly and are shocked to wake up and discover four new emotions with them at the control center.
The Bear’sAyo Edebirijoins the emotions as Envy, and causes Riley to act out of character to attempt to fit in. Ennui (which is essentially boredom) is voiced byAdèle Exarchopoulos(Blue Is the Warmest Color), and Embarrassment is voiced byPaul Walter Hauser(Cruella). Lastly, the most disruptive new emotion that Riley will experience is Anxiety, voiced byStranger Things’Maya Hawke. Anxiety soon takes over control of Riley’s actions, locking Joy and the other original emotions away in a glass jar in the back of Riley’s mind. In order to prevent Riley from losing her Sense of Self entirely to Anxiety, Joy and the other emotions have to navigate the vast world inside Riley’s head to remind her of who she truly is as shecontinues through high school. The original voice actors for Joy, Sadness (Phyllis Smith), and Anger (Lewis Black) return to reprise their roles, butTony Hale(VEEP) will replaceBill Haderas Fear, andLiza Lapira(Crazy, Stupid Love) will replaceMindy Kalingas Disgust.
Inside Out 2
Inside Out 2 follows the emotional journey of a now-teenage Riley as she encounters new challenges and emotions. As her mind expands, so does the complexity of her inner world, where new emotions must collaborate with old ones to guide her through adolescence, creating dynamic and heartfelt experiences.
Where to Watch
‘Fresh Kills’
Fresh Killsis a crime drama set in New York during the 1980s. Francine (Jennifer Esposito) is married into a large organized crime family based in Brooklyn. She tries to turn a blind eye to the more brutal aspects of Joe’s (Domenick Lombardazzo) involvement with the Mafia in exchange for a lavish lifestyle on Staten Island with her two daughters. The younger daughter, Rose, is played byEmily Bader(Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin). Rose discovers that her father is an emerging kingpin and wants to distance herself, desiring to choose a path that doesn’t lead her to be more integrated with a criminal lifestyle. Her sister, Connie, is played byHellraiser’sOdessa A’zion, and she embraces the lifestyle and the financial perks that come with it, including brand-new cars, expensive jewelry, and knowing that she is untouchable as the oldest daughter of the head of the mafia.
However, Rose’s actions begin to distance her from the only women who love and protect her; her mother, sister, and Aunt Christine (Annabella Sciorra). It’s a dangerous decision to part ways with the mafia, especially when she is the daughter of such a prominent figurehead within the organization. Will she be able to break free from the expectations her family has for her?Fresh Killsiswritten, directed, and produced by Jennifer Espositoin her directorial debut and is inspired by her own experiences growing up on Staten Island. It has also been compared toThe Godfatherin terms of style and realistic content.
‘Firebrand’
Based on theElizabeth Fremantlenovel,Queen’s Gambit, this historical drama centers on the final years of King Henry III’s reign and his sixth and final marriage to Queen Katherine Parr. If you’re a fan ofThe Other Boleyn Girl, which covered King Henry III’s marriages to Catherine of Aragon, and subsequently, Anne Boleyn, this is the follow-up movie you’ve been waiting for! Katherine Parr, played byAlicia Vikander, is a cunning and ambitious woman who gets caught between Henry’s (Jude Law) persecution of those who challenge the Church of England and the teachings of protestant Anne Askew, whom she grows to respect greatly.
Considering the five predecessors who came before Katherine Parr as Queen all met untimely ends, she will have to tread carefully under Henry’s watch. The more time Katherine spends time with Anne and her followers, the more paranoid and violent Henry becomes. She will have to be extremely cautious as rumors swirl throughout the kingdom of a betrayal from within the King’s closest circles. Her only hope is to make him believe that she is as naive and innocent as he assumes all women are if she wants to survive his pious wrath.Firebrandislooselybased on true events, just likeThe Other Boleyn Girl, and is just as equally gripping and suspenseful.
Follows Queen Catherine Parr and Henry VIII’s marriage.
