“Nancy”
Cast: Andrea Riseborough, Steve Buscemi, Ann Dowd
Synopsis: Nancy becomes increasingly convinced she was kidnapped as a child. When she meets a couple whose daughter went missing thirty years ago, reasonable doubts give way to willful belief.
What You Need to Know: The cast of this film alone would be enough to sell us on at least giving it a chance. Coupled with a story that promises some uncomfortable tension and deep character studies, “Nancy” is a small, intimate drama that is well-suited to break up the weekly blockbuster mash. Directed by Christina Choe and giving Andrea Riseborough a chance to take center stage and demonstrate her considerable talents, don’t let this one be buried by the rubble of those summer tentpoles.
Release Date: 6/8
“Incredibles 2”
Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson
Synopsis: Everyone’s favorite family of superheroes is back in “Incredibles 2”, but this time Helen is in the spotlight, leaving Bob at home with Violet and Dash to navigate the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life. It’s a tough transition for everyone, made tougher by the fact that the family is still unaware of baby Jack-Jack’s emerging superpowers.
What You Need to Know: What’s the scarier thought, that “The Incredibles” came out 14 years ago, or that they’re finally making a sequel to such a beloved film over a decade later? Pixar sequels run the gamut from fine (“Finding Dory”) to forgettable (“Monsters University”) to admittedly, pretty amazing (“Toy Story 2”) but that one that falls in the amazing category also came out nearly 20 years ago (we are all so old.) All of this to say that the Pixar sequel factory has had a less than stellar track record so the release of a follow up to one of the studio’s most critically acclaimed pictures and, a tentpole in the superhero genre, is going to make fans hesitant prior to seeing it. What gives us hope is Brad Bird returning to helm the film and a number of trailers that have reminded us just why we loved the original in the first place.
Release Date: 6/15
“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”
Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Jeff Goldblum
Synopsis: It’s been three years since theme park and luxury resort Jurassic World was destroyed by dinosaurs out of containment. Isla Nublar now sits abandoned by humans while the surviving dinosaurs fend for themselves in the jungles. When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.
What You Need to Know: “Jurassic World” was a dumb movie that made a gargantuan amount of money and while we drown in the mess that is every studio trying to create their own Marvel Universe like success, it’s unsurprising that we’re getting a sequel to a film where the biggest takeaway was Bryce Dallas Howard running in heels. Sexist, loud and completely unsure on just how to utilize Chris Pratt’s charisma, “Jurassic World” didn’t leave much hope regarding how a sequel may play out and the trailers thus far have looked like they’ve just gotten louder and heavily saturated with big, explosive CGI that fails to harken back to what made “Jurassic Park” so special. Maybe we’re wrong and this won’t be a critical flop (it does, to its credit, have the talented J.A. Bayona behind the camera) but so far it’s looking rough around the edges. Even with our lack of enthusiasm, this film is destined to be one of the biggest hits of the summer.
Release Date: 6/22