10 most essential movies to look out for this summer
Traditionally, the summer season is all about big-budget movies piledriving their way into cinemas and staying at the top of the film charts throughout the school holidays. And 2024 is no exception.
But as well as the odd box office smash, there are plenty more movies of interest to see on the big screen over the coming months. While Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are going toe-to-toe in the third R-rated instalment of Marvel’s Deadpool movie series, first-time directors like India Donaldson and Sean Wang will see their thought-provoking and original films released in cinemas.
With horror, romance, sci-fi and hip-hop comedy on the menu, the spread of summer cinema treats on offer has arguably never looked so diverse. You don’t need to ignore the franchise films, either, with the new Alien movie and the remake of The Crow sure to be season highlights.
Nevertheless, there are also independent filmmakers mixing it with the biggest and best. The most exciting upcoming movies crop up in this list, alongside some of the most worthwhile summertime watches being brought to us by major studios.
10 essential movie releases of summer 2024:
The Watchers (Ishana Night Shyamalan) – June 7th
Following the tradition of horror films set in remote areas of the Irish countryside established by worthy inspirations Dead Meat, The Hallow, and The Devil’s Doorway, Ishana Night Shyamalan’s directorial debut seems to be on solid ground. Whether she can fight her footing and follow the path of her celebrated father is another matter.
But the movie’s stylish cinematography and clever inversion of the premise behind fellow woodland jump-scarer A Quiet Place are promising signs. As is Dakota Fanning in a leading role that appears to suit her perfectly. Add to that a supporting cast including Irish veteran Olwen Fouéré and go-to horror star Georgina Campbell, and Shyamalan has herself a recipe for terrifyingly suspenseful success.
The Bikeriders (Jeff Nichols) – June 21st
Although it plays into the Hollywood tradition of serving up gas-guzzling engines and leather jackets in time for summer, Jeff Nichols’ period film is more than just a greaser flick. The presence of Tom Hardy in a leading role should tell us that much.
The Bikeriders is based on photographer Danny Lyon’s book of the same name, which depicts real sixties biker gangs both in images and in writing. The movie adaptation brings Lyon’s account to life in vivid detail, with everything from the costumes and set design to the cinematography lovingly evoking the essence of being an outlaw on two wheels.
Nichols has added his own storyline, too – the tale of a fictional Chicago gang as it enters the world of organised crime. The movie isn’t just a dark depiction of the criminal underworld, though. Much of its story is a raucous, colourful celebration of communal life on the road.
MaxXxine (Ti West) – July 5th
The latest movie in the X saga, directed by Ti West, is a sequel set six years after the original film’s storyline begins. It’s 1985, and the eponymous Maxine has moved to Los Angeles, ostensibly to move up the ladder in her career as an adult film star. Or even to find fame in mainstream moviemaking. Of course, there’s more to it than that.
MaxXXine’s Hollywood setting provides even more scope for beautifully executed horror homages than the first two films in the series, not only to classic slasher movies but to the people and places that made them. Add to that some glorious stylistic nods to eighties cinema, a true-crime plotline involving LA’s Night Stalker, and a star turn from a barely recognisable Kevin Bacon, and it’s clear why the film is so hotly anticipated.
At the centre of it all, Mia Goth’s characterisation of troubled protagonist Maxine appears to have grown in stature. And she’s ably supported by the star of The Crown, Elizabeth Debicki.
Dìdi (Sean Wang) – July 26th
Sean Wang’s feature film debut brings a whole new perspective on Asian-American youth, as 13-year-old Taiwanese-American Dìdi simultaneously struggles to fit into both his school’s social circles and his family. As well as some brilliantly delivered laugh-out-loud moments and standout performances, the movie’s story brims with warmth.
For an entertaining, charming coming-of-age story this summer, don’t settle for typical American high school fodder. Check out this funny, sensitive and moving portrayal of a young outsider that’s as generously empathetic as it is painfully real.
Good One (India Donaldson) – August 9th
Two weeks after Dìdi enters cinemas, India Donaldson’s first movie as director arrives in early August. Offering an equally profound but very different angle on a teenager grappling with family issues, Good One sees Lily Collias shine in the lead role as Sam, the reluctant daughter trapped on a hiking trip in the Catskill Mountains with her father and his friend.
Premiering to excellent reviews at the Sundance Film Festival in January before being put up for awards at Cannes, the movie’s unassuming premise belies the psychological tension at its core. For an actor so young, Collias navigates the task of building this tension without giving too much away superbly.
It Ends with Us (Justin Baldoni) – August 9th
One of the best-selling novels of the 21st century, Colleen Hoover’s It Ends with Us, was inevitably going to turn into a movie at some point. It feels as though this film’s release comes at the perfect moment for its studio, with the book being 2023’s top-selling fiction novel seven years after its initial release, priming it for success at the cinema.
However, the track record isn’t particularly good for the movie adaptations of chart-topping romance novels in recent years. Lone Scherfig’s 2011 version of One Day by David Nicholls went down very badly, and is only now being redeemed by its television remake. And the less said about Fifty Shades of Grey the better.
The adaptation of It Ends with Us is in the hands of director Justin Baldoni, whose previous two feature films have been mixed efforts with middling success. Baldoni sought out this latest project himself and seems well-placed to handle its subject matter following his relatively delicate portrayal of a childhood tragedy in his previous movie Clouds.
For anyone who hasn’t read the book, It Ends with Us concerns an abusive relationship and childhood trauma. It may be a compelling romance, but it’s not for the faint-hearted.
Whether or not Baldoni’s movie hits the mark, fans of Hoover’s novel will want to check out how the story looks on screen. And her sequel novel, It Starts with Us, didn’t disappoint upon its release in 2022, so if this movie comes off, it could well be the first in a series.
Trap (M. Night Shyamalan) – August 9th
The director of The Sixth Sense and Split, M. Night Shyamalan, is back with another head-scrambling psychological thriller. His latest offering stars Josh Hartnett as a father taking his daughter to see her favourite pop star in concert. Except he’s not just any father. He just happens to be a serial killer, too.
A passion project written and produced by Shyamalan, his own description of Trap last year suggests it could be his most innovative picture in years. In any case, it promises plenty of twists and turns, as Hartnett’s character loses his daughter and is confronted by concert staff warning him about someone there who “chops people up”.
Alien: Romulus (Fede Álvarez) – August 16th
Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise rumbles on, with horror specialist Fede Álvarez taking the helm of this sequel to the original Alien movie and prequel to 1986’s Aliens. The film’s young cast includes Cailee Spaeny of Priscilla fame, as well as Bone’s Archie Renaux.
Fans of the previous Alien films will be delighted to hear that the Xenomorph will be returning in its original form, in addition to its larval form as a ‘facehugger‘. Get ready for plenty of horrifying extraterrestrial impregnations and familiar encounters with one of cinema’s most terrifying monsters. For the first time in seven years, Alien is back.
The Crow (Rupert Sanders) – August 23rd
This remake of the 1994 gothic superhero movie directed by Alex Proyas has been in the works for over 15 years. Since then, having been passed over by several directors and involved multiple rounds of recasting, The Crow is finally landing on screens again this summer.
Proyas himself is against the reboot, and has said he’s tried to stop it happening, but to no avail. Anyone who’s seen his version, now considered a cult classic, will surely want to compare it against the new movie.
Bill Skarsgård, who plays the eponymous villain in the It film series, will star as Eric Draven, the man resurrected from the dead to become the Crow himself. Alongside him, British singer FKA Twigs will make her feature film debut.
Kneecap (Rich Peppiatt) – August 23rd
Fans of Irish political hip-hop act Kneecap will be pleasantly surprised to find them starring as semi-fictionalised versions of themselves in a film telling the story of how they formed at the end of the summer. The movie musical, also entitled Kneecap, stars none other than Michael Fassbender as band member Naoise “Móglaí Bap” Ó Cairealláin’s father, Arlo.
Discussing the group’s own performances in the film, director Rich Peppiatt told the BBC of his amazement at “just how good they are on screen”. With the three rappers put through their paces in a six-month acting course before shooting started, Peppiatt explained how “they absolutely blossomed week by week.”
Kneecap might seem like Ireland’s answer to 8 Mile, but its trailer suggests something funnier and more politically charged. No surprise from a group who recently spoke out against being defunded by the UK’s Conservative government. And since their primary cause is for an independent united Ireland, the movie is primarily in the Irish language.
