June isn’t off to a particularly great start, following the already awful events of the rest of the year so far, but if there’s anything to look forward to it’s some terrific films scheduled for release this month.
From the latest films by Spike Lee and Josephine Decker to festival favorites that built buzz in the last year, there’s plenty to engage in. Things are far from “back to normal” as it pertains to theater-going (and likely won’t be getting there anytime soon,) but if we’re looking to seek out comfort in art, it’s comforting to know that the quality of the films being released isn’t diminishing – far from it.
“Shirley”
Cast: Elizabeth Moss, Michael Stuhlbarg, Odessa Young, Logan Lehrman
Synopsis: Renowned horror writer Shirley Jackson is on the precipice of writing her masterpiece when the arrival of newlyweds upends her meticulous routine and heightens tensions in her already tempestuous relationship with her philandering husband. The middle-aged couple, prone to ruthless barbs and copious afternoon cocktails, begins to toy mercilessly with the naïve young couple at their door.
What You Need to Know: Director Josephine Decker has quietly over the years become one of the most interesting directors working today, breaking out in a big way with 2018’s powerhouse “Madeline’s Madeline.” In her latest feature, she teams up with our greatest living actresses Elizabeth Moss for a film that’s less your by the numbers biopic and instead something much more sinister, daring, and seductive – as to be expected from the arthouse, experimental filmmaker. Our critic called it “a spellbinding picture, and another fine vehicle for the strange and beautiful way this singular artist sees the world.”
Release Date: June 5
“The Last Days of American Crime”
Cast: Michael Pitt, Sharlto Copley, Edgar Ramírez, Anna Brewster
Synopsis: As a final response to terrorism and crime, the U.S. government plans to broadcast a signal making it impossible for anyone to knowingly commit unlawful acts. Graham Bricke, a career criminal who was never able to hit the big score, teams up with a famous gangster progeny and a black market hacker to commit the last crime in American history before the signal goes off.
What You Need to Know: It’s tough to understand just how this idea was brewed, but needless to say the result is a synopsis that you need to read twice to be able to completely get it. Best known for his work directing “Taken 2” and “Taken 3,” director Olivier Megaton leads the charge with “The Last Days of American Crime,” a Netflix thriller starring Edgar Ramírez and Michael Pitt. Based on the book of the same name, the film is written by former “Stranger Things” showrunner Karl Gajdusek. It will at least hold us over until the next Netflix release.
Release Date: June 5
“Artemis Fowl”
Cast: Ferdia Shaw, Josh Gad, Judi Dench, Hong Chau
Synopsis: Artemis Fowl, a young criminal prodigy, hunts down a secret society of fairies to find his missing father.
What You Need to Know: It has to make you wary that this is one of the only original Disney moved to the streaming service that was originally scheduled to be released in theaters. Based on the immensely popular science fiction novel by author Eoin Colfer, the film has the blueprint of a surefire hit – precocious child lead, missing and/or dead parent, mysterious and magical other lands – it all fits for what could have been a new fantasy world to obsess over. It even has past Disney cohort Kenneth Branagh on its side as the person who directed the best live-action Disney remake so far with “Cinderella.” That being said, our optimism is soured when we release it’s the only major release they felt comfortable enough pushing to Disney+.
Release Date: June 12
“The King of Staten Island”
Cast: Pete Davidson, Bill Burr, Marisa Tomei, Steve Buscemi
Synopsis: Scott has been a case of arrested development ever since his firefighter father died when he was seven. He’s now reached his mid-20s having achieved little, chasing a dream of becoming a tattoo artist that seems far out of reach.
What You Need to Know: The success (or I suppose appeal) of a Judd Apatow venture lays in how likable the lead is and how overlong the film itself runs. A semi-autobiographical work about its star Pete Davidson that follows his childhood and entry into the world of standup comedy, much of your interest is going to be dependent on your feelings for Davidson yourself, of which opinions seem to vary wildly. That being said, the supporting cast is phenomenal, especially with actors like Marisa Tomei and Steve Buscemi taking part.
Release Date: June 12
“Da 5 Bloods”
Cast: Chadwick Bosman, Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Jonathan Majors
Synopsis: The story of four African-American Vets who return to Vietnam searching for the remains of their fallen Squad Leader and the promise of buried treasure.
What You Need to Know: A new film by Spike Lee is a cause to celebrate most days. When a trailer is released like the one for his upcoming “Da 5 Bloods” was though, and when a vibrant poster is released after, all the while as the world seems to crumble in on itself, that excitement expands two-fold. Will this be the best film of the year so far? We’ll know soon enough. Chadwick Bosman looks to be delivering an extraordinary performance and following Lee’s last picture “BlacKkKlansman” which earned him an Oscar win for Best Adapted Screenplay, we can’t wait to see what his next film brings.
Release Date: June 12
“Miss Juneteenth”
Cast: Nicole Beharie, Kendrick Sampson, Alexis Chikaeze
Synopsis: Turquoise Jones is a single mom who holds down a household, a rebellious teenager, and pretty much everything that goes down at Wayman’s BBQ & Lounge. Turquoise is also a bona fide beauty queen–she was once crowned Miss Juneteenth, a title commemorating the day slaves in Texas were freed–two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
What You Need to Know: After the dubious end of her character’s storyline on the series “Sleepy Hollow,” it was difficult to shake the notion that star Nicole Beharie should’ve been given better opportunities. She stars in the upcoming “Miss Juneteenth,” with the opportunity to showcase her considerable talents. Channing Godfrey Peoples (“Queen Sugar”) directs as her first feature-length film and wrote the script. The film had its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and was included in our 52 Films Directed By Women to Watch in 2020 list.
Release Date: June 19
“Babyteeth”
Cast: Eliza Scanlan, Tobey Wallace, Emily Barclay
Synopsis: When seriously ill teenager Milla falls madly in love with small-time drug dealer Moses, it’s her parents’ worst nightmare. But as Milla’s first brush with love brings her a new lust for life, things get messy and traditional morals go out of the window.
What You Need to Know: Directed by Shannon Murphy (“Killing Eve,” “On the Ropes) and written by Rita Kalnejais, on paper “Babyteeth” looks like it could easily go the melodrama route which makes the critical triumph of the film all the more engaging. Led by rising star Eliza Scanlan (“Little Women,” “Sharp Objects”), the film was deemed an “affecting tearjerker” by our critic who saw the film at last year’s Venice Film Festival. They went on to write, “Its effectiveness is – for the most part – in its subtlety, in Milla’s refusal to wallow, and in its emotional intelligence. The end product is an imperfect but devastating story about doing our best with the cards we are dealt.”
Release Date: June 19
“Wasp Network”
Cast: Penelope Cruz, Edgar Ramirez, Gael Garcia Bernal,
Synopsis: In the late-’80s and early-’90s, rebel groups based in Florida enacted violent attacks on Cuba to protest Castro’s influence, bombing hotels and murdering innocent beachgoers. In retaliation, the Cuban government deploys an elite group of spies to take down the terrorist groups from the inside.
What You Need to Know: Initial reviews out of Venice last September weren’t kind to director Oliver Assayas (“The Clouds of Sils Maria,” “Personal Shopper”) latest film “Wasp Network.” Despite a star-studded cast, the film itself was lacking, with our critic writing “…Assayas has front-loaded too much information into his film; it’s almost as if he’s tried to squeeze a series of Wikipedia pages into each section of voiceover.” The reviews were enough to cause the filmmaker to take another stab at it, reportedly re-editing the film following the film festival to offer more clarity and emotional involvement. The cast and the story itself are certainly worthy of a do-over if the results are positive.
Release Date: June 19