Even though the blockbuster that kicks off the month leaves much to be desired, there’s still a great deal to look forward to in July. A handful of our festival favorites, with premieres counting back to over a year ago, are finally arriving in theaters, while one of Hollywood’s top directors is given seemingly free reign to deliver one of the summer’s biggest tentpoles. Our monthly round-up just looks at U.S. releases, but those in the U.K. will be getting the premieres of Ben Wheatley‘s A Field in England and Edgar Wright‘s The World’s End, while Japan receives Hayao Miyazaki‘s The Wind Rises, so look for them in upcoming installments and check out our rundown below.
Matinees: V/H/S/2 (7/12), Computer Chess (7/17), Broken (7/19), Grabbers (7/19), The To-Do List (7/26)
10. The Conjuring (James Wan; July 19th)
Synopsis: Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most terrifying case of their lives.
Why You Should See It: While Hollywood’s prime time for scaring audiences is usually around Halloween, Warner Bros. is aiming to strike in the middle of summer with James Wan‘s The Conjuring. Not to be confused with his Insidious follow-up this fall (also starring Patrick Wilson) this forthcoming horror film has been riding off strong buzz from screenings and if tracking is any indication, it’ll be one of the season’s biggest sleeper hits.
9. Crystal Fairy (Sebastián Silva; July 12th)
Synopsis: Jamie is a boorish, insensitive American twentysomething traveling in Chile, who somehow manages to create chaos at every turn. He and his friends are planning on taking a road trip north to experience a legendary shamanistic hallucinogen called the San Pedro cactus.
Why You Should See It: If one had any preconceived notions when it came to Michael Cera, the actor is clearly hoping 2013 will bring a change of mind. Yes, he returned to the role that gave him his breakout in Arrested Development, but he poked some fun at himself in This is the End, and most impressively, took part in two Chile-based independent features. Both directed by Sebastian Silva, the psychological thriller Magic Magic will land on DVD/Blu-ray next month, but first comes Crystal Fairy. Intended to be the lighter affair, our full review will be coming soon, but we think it’s his best performance yet.
8. The Way, Way Back (Nat Faxon and Jim Rash; July 5th)
Synopsis: Over the course of his summer break, a teenager comes into his own thanks in part to the friendship he strikes up with one of the park’s managers.
Why You Should See It: After picking up an Oscar for their scripting work on Alexander Payne‘s The Descendants, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash used their much-deserved clout to jump into directing. Premiering at Sundance Film Festival, The Way, Way Back was one of the largest acquisitions in the events history, with Fox Searchlight picking it up for just under $10 million. Set for a timely release in the middle of summer, the coming of age story is a fairly light endeavor, but has enough charms (notably a hilarious Sam Rockwell) to warrant a watch. Read our Sundance review.
7. Pacific Rim (Guillermo del Toro; July 12th)
Synopsis: When an alien attack threatens the Earth’s existence, giant robots piloted by humans are deployed to fight off the menace.
Why You Should See It: As a fan of Guillermo del Toro‘s previous work, I should be unequivocally excited regarding the prospects of his biggest budget work yet, but I’m still on the fence. If Pacific Rim succeeds, it could be one of the most purely entertaining studio efforts this year, but if it’s a mindless smash-em-up, it might not be far removed from the latest Michael Bay blockbuster. I have enough faith in the director that it’ll be the former and we only have a week left to find out.
6. Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler; July 12th)
Synopsis: The true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008.
Why You Should See It: Another Sundance Film Festival hit, picking up top jury and audience awards, will be arriving this month. With a no frills approach, Ryan Coogler’s directorial debut serves as up-and-comer Michael B. Jordan‘s best performance yet and we called it “a telling and touching movie, serving as a pertinent social and cultural reminder not to forget the life and times of Oscar Grant,” a man who was gunned down by a police officer on New Year’s Day 2009 in Oakland.
5. Blackfish (Gabriela Cowperthwaite; July 26th)
Synopsis: Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity.
Why You Should See It: While this one skipped my radar at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, it was the recent harrowing trailer for Blackfish that caught my eye. Seemingly a cousin to the eye-opening documentary The Cove, Gabriela Cowperthwaite‘s film tracks the captivity of killer whales, most notably SeaWorld orca Tilikum (and what led to the creature killing three people). It looks to be essential viewing and should hopefully bring awareness to these vital issues.
4. Blue Jasmine (Woody Allen; July 26th)
Synopsis: A life crisis causes a woman to head to San Francisco, where she reconnects with her sister.
Why You Should See It: While the summer season signals the release of the biggest studio tentpoles, it wouldn’t be the same without a new film from Woody Allen. Thankfully the helmer is still churning out features and his latest finds him in San Francisco, tracking Cate Blanchett and her romantic pursuits. Early buzz suggests it’s one out the actress’ finest roles, but she’s also backed by an eclectic ensemble, including comedians Louis C.K. and Andrew Dice Clay, as well as Michael Stuhlbarg, Alec Baldwin, Sally Hawkins and more.
3. The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer; July 19th)
Synopsis: A documentary that challenges former Indonesian death squad leaders to reenact their real-life mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.
Why You Should See It: If two masters of documentary, Errol Morris and Werner Herzog, back any film, it should be near the top of your must-watch list, but that is just the beginning of the acclaim this documentary has received. As we said in our SXSW review, “one of the most dark and emotionally deafening documentaries I’ve ever witnessed, there’s no easy way to comprehend The Act of Killing’s total impact and how affecting it truly is. This is darkness and pure evil explored, a look behind the proverbial curtain.”
2. Only God Forgives (Nicolas Winding Refn; July 19th)
Synopsis: Julian, a drug-smuggler thriving in Bangkok’s criminal underworld, sees his life get even more complicated when his mother compels him to find and kill whoever is responsible for his brother’s recent death.
Why You Should See It: It wouldn’t be a Nicolas Winding Refn film if it wasn’t met with a divisive reaction and such is the case with his latest, the Thailand-set Only God Forgives. While we were mixed at its Cannes premiere, saying the work is “little more than a slightly shallow fetishization of Asian revenge flicks,” I personally can’t wait to see what he has in store here, reteaming with his Drive star Ryan Gosling.
1. The Hunt (Thomas Vinterberg; July 12th)
Synopsis: A teacher lives a lonely life, all the while struggling over his son’s custody. His life slowly gets better as he finds love and receives good news from his son, but his new luck is about to be brutally shattered by an innocent little lie.
Why You Should See It: In Thomas Vinterberg‘s finest film since The Celebration, The Hunt is a gripping character study exploring what can happen when one lie spreads throughout a small community. Powered by Mads Mikkelsen in one of his best performances yet — earning him the top acting prize at last year’s Cannes Film Festival — the harrowing drama is the must-see of the month. Check out our Cannes 2012 review.
What are you watching this month?