While we’ve already hit some massive blockbuster tent poles for the summer season with superhero releases such as “Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness” and the Memorial Day showstopper “Top Gun: Maverick,” summer starts to hit its stride with June’s lineup of eclectic releases. Right off the bat, we’ve got heavy hitters such as the latest from Andrew Ahn and the buzzed-about David Cronenberg film, “Crimes of the Future” which just premiered at Cannes. Elsewhere there’s the latest from Pixar, the return of fan favorites in “Jurassic World Dominion,” and a number of festival standouts from the past year or so finally making their theatrical debut.
Noteworthy, as well, is how many of these films are still managing to find homes on streaming services, even ones that are being released simultaneously in theaters. “Lightyear,” might not be easily accessible at home, but films such as “Fire Island” and “Cha Cha Real Smooth” — both of which we praised — will be streaming on services such as Hulu and Apple TV+.
“Fire Island”
A Queer reinterpretation of Jane Austen’s “Pride & Prejudice,” “Driveways” filmmaker Andrew Ahn returns with “Fire Island.” Written by and starring Joel Kim Booster, the film follows a group of friends and their annual trip to Fire Island as they seek out love, found family, and have fun. “SNL” breakout Bowen Yang also stars along with Margaret Cho and Conrad Ricamora. Our critic called it “…a romantic comedy that is as witty as it is sweet, equally at home sending up the best of the genre and cleverly twisting it into a more expansive space where the concepts of love and friendship between gay men are pushed to their most radical limits.”
Release Date: June 3 on Hulu via Searchlight Pictures
“Crimes of the Future”
Body horror master David Cronenberg returns with “Crimes of the Future,” his first film since 2014’s “Map of the Stars.” Set in the future, the film follows a group of humans as they adapt to an increasingly synthetic environment, including body mutations and modifications. Viggo Mortensen, Kristen Stewart, and Léa Seydoux star with a screenplay from Cronenberg and score from Howard Shore. Our critic saw the film at this year’s Cannes and wrote, “In his reenergized perspectives on degeneration, he’s created one last safe haven for his fellow degenerates.”
Release Date: June 3 in theaters via NEON
“Watcher”
Maika Monroe (“It Follows”) stars in the feature-length debut from Chloe Okuno as a young actress who just moved to town with her boyfriend who notices she’s being watched from across the street, all the while as a serial killer is stalking the city. Karl Glusman and Burn Gorman also star in the film. Our critic praised Monroe’s performance, writing that she delivers a “…seemingly effortless performance as a dejected young woman who approaches both her confusing new circumstances and the mystery that occupies her thoughts with calm and pragmatic patience, as well as curiosity.”
Release Date: June 3 in theaters via IFC Midnight
“Hustle”
In his latest project at Netflix, Adam Sandler stars as a down-on-his-luck basketball scout who discovers a once-in-a-lifetime find while abroad and brings him to the States without the approval of his team for the chance to make it to the NBA. Directed by Jeremiah Zagar and written by Taylor Materne and Will Fetters, the film’s cast includes Juancho Hernangomez along with Queen Latifah, Ben Foster, Kenny Smith, Juancho Hernangómez, Raul Castillo, Jordan Hull, Maria Botto, Heidi Gardner, and Robert Duvall.
Release Date: June 8 to stream via Netflix
“Jurassic World Dominion”
The third installment of the sequel series, “Jurassic World Dominion” combines the old and new stories with the return of the original cast members Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard also return alongside new cast member DeWanda Wise. Colin Trevorrow returns to direct with a script by Emily Carmichael which follows the core group of characters as the fate of the world once again hangs in the balance as humans and dinosaurs coexist following the destruction of Isla Nublar.
Release Date: June 10 in theaters via Universal Pictures
“Spiderhead”
Director Joseph Kosinski (“Top Gun: Maverick”) follows up his blockbuster, Tom Cruise hit with the smaller scaled Netflix film “Spiderhead” starring Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, and Jurnee Smollett. Based on the short story “Escape from Spiderhead” by author George Saunders, the film, adapted by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese follows two inmates who form a connection while under the watch of a brilliant visionary who has begun experimenting on his subjects with mind-altering drugs.
Release Date: June 17 on Netflix
“Good Luck To You, Leo Grande”
The Emma Thompson-led “Good Luck to You Leo Grande” earned raves when it premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, with our critic calling it “…a refreshing exception to typical depictions of female sexuality in mainstream film.” Written by Katy Brand and directed by Sophie Hyde, the film follows Thompson’s Nancy and Daryl McCormack as the titular Leo Grande, a sex worker she hires in her attempt to fulfill a want for pleasure and self-discovery following an unfulfilling married life.
Release Date: June 17 to stream on Hulu via Searchlight Pictures
“Cha Cha Real Smooth”
Cooper Raiff (“Shithouse”) directs, writes, and stars in “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” which follows Raiff as a man working as a bar mitzvah party host who begins a unique friendship with a young woman and her teenage daughter. Dakota Johnson, Odeya Rush, and Leslie Mann also star. Our critic who saw the film at this year’s Sundance called it “an affable, heart-on-its-sleeve winner” and praised Raiff’s work as both director and star.
Release Date: June 17 in limited theaters and to stream via Apple TV+
“Lightyear”
Following the release of films such as “Turning Red” and “Luca,” Pixar returns to familiar IP with “Lightyear,” the origin story for the fictional “Toy Story” character Buzz Lightyear. Chris Evans voices the character, a young astronaut who, after being marooned on a planet with his crew, has to find a way back home through space and time. Angus MacLane (“Finding Dory”) directs the film with voice work from Taika Waititi, Keke Palmer, James Brolin, and Peter Sohn.
Release Date: June 17 in theaters via Walt Disney Studios
“Official Competition”
In Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn’s “Official Competition,” a wealthy businessman hires a director to produce what he believes to be his crowning achievement. Penélope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, and Oscar Martínez star with a script by Duprat, Cohn, and Andrés Duprat. Our critic who saw the film at the 2021 Venice Film Festival wrote, “Controlled pacing, visual punchlines, and an insider knowledge of the varied pretensions within filmmaking make this a consistently amusing – if never downright hilarious – vehicle for the well-honed comic sides of two of Spain’s most famous exports.”
Release Date: June 17 in theaters via IFC Films
“Elvis”
Director Baz Lurhman returns to try his hand at the musical biopic with “Elvis,” starring Austin Butler as the iconic singer. Tracking the star’s rise to fame in the 1950s and his complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks) the film made its premiere at the 2022 Cannes. Including original songs from artists such as Doja Cat, the film’s cast is rounded out with performances from Olivia DeJonge, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Dacre Montgomery.
Release Date: June 24 in theaters via Warner Bros. Pictures
“Flux Gourmet”
Gwendoline Christie, Ariane Labed, and Asa Butterfield star in the latest film from director Peter Strickland (“In Fabric.”) The black comedy horror film is set in an institute devoted to culinary and alimentary performance, following a collective who finds itself embroiled in power struggles and artistic vendettas. Our critic praised the film, writing, “This is Strickland’s grand act of prestidigitation; he coaxes out something like poignancy from the peculiar, just as he conjures the visceral and unknowable from ordinary groceries.”
Release Date: June 24 in theaters via IFC Films
“The Black Phone”
Ethan Hawke and director Scott Derrickson reunite for “The Black Phone,” a horror film that follows a 13-year-old boy who’s been kidnapped who begins to hear the voices of the murderer’s previous victims who are dead set on making sure he doesn’t meet their same fate. Based on the short story of the same name from Joe Hill and adapted for film by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, the film stars Mason Thames alongside Hawke as well as Jeremy Davies and Madeleine McGraw.
Release Date: June 24 in theaters via Universal Pictures
“Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”
Based on short films of the same name originally uploaded to Youtube in 2010, “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” follows Marcel, a one-inch tall shell, who searches for his family with the help of a documentary filmmaker. Jenny Slate voices the titular character in this blend of animation and live-action, directed by Dean Fleischer–Camp. Thomas Mann, Rosa Salazar, and Isabella Rossellini also star in the mockumentary, coming-of-age story.
Release Date: June 24 in theaters via A24
“Apples”
In “Apples” by filmmaker Christos Nikou, a middle-aged man, Aris, enrolls himself in a recovery program designed to help unclaimed patients build new identities amidst a worldwide pandemic that causes sudden amnesia. Aris Servetalis, Anna Kalaitzidou, and Alexandra Aidini star. Our critic who saw the film at the 2020 Venice Film Festival wrote, “…’Apples’ stands steadfast in its commitment to creating a bittersweet experience that imparts a heartwarming afterglow, encouraging you to contemplate on your past and anticipate the future with optimism…”
Release Date: June 24 in theaters via Cohen Media