25 New Movies to Watch This Summer

296Roses May 08, 2021 | 05:45

While people should stay at home and not go out for cinemas, their demands for watching movies on television are higher, especially to decrease stress in the hard situations of Covid-19. With vaccinations, there are still new cinema projects to release this summer, for hopeful coming months. The followings are 25 new movies this summer both in theaters and on streaming channels for you.

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Of course, the film industry remains warped. While Warner Bros. will resume its typical theatrical release schedule in 2022, the ongoing experiment in day-and-date releases will see several tentpole filmshit both theaters and HBO Max.

List of the Top 25 New Movies to Watch This Summer

1. WRATH OF MAN

2. MAINSTREAM

3. MONSTER

4. THE WATER MAN

5. SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW

6. ARMY OF THE DEAD

7. A QUIET PLACE PART II

8. CRUELLA

9. THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT

10. VIVO

11. IN THE HEIGHTS

12. JAGAME THANDHIRAM

13. LUCA

14. F9

15. AMERICA: THE MOTION PICTURE

16. ZOLA

17. THE FOREVER PURGE

18. SUMMER OF SOUL

19. BLACK WIDOW

20. SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY

21. OLD

22. THE GREEN KNIGHT

23. THE SUICIDE SQUAD

24. DON’T BREATHE 2

25. CANDYMAN

Top 25 New Movies to Watch This Summer in Detail

WRATH OF MAN

The plot follows H, a cold and mysterious character working at a cash truck company responsible for moving hundreds of millions of dollars around Los Angeles each week. Guy Ritchie returns to the heist action thriller genre — but strips away most of his razzle dazzle technique — in his new film Wrath of Man. Not your standard Guy Ritchie film but enjoyable none the less, according to IMDB.

In theaters on May 7

MAINSTREAM

Gia Coppola knows the secret to social media appeal: it’s whatever Andrew Garfield is eagerly throwing down in the filmmaker’s sophomore effort, “Mainstream.” The frenetic satire follows the former Spider-Man and Oscar nominee as the wildly obnoxious Link, a viral star whose entire life is about to be upended by his realization that what’s popular isn’t always what’s right, according to Indiewire.

Andrew Garfield plays an Extremely Online sociopath in this satire of viral celebrity culture from Gia Coppola (Palo Alto). The Amazing Spider-Man alum stars as Mouse, a charismatic and masterfully manipulative “influencer” who takes a young and impressionable woman named Frankie (Maya Hawke) under his wing to school her in the art of crafting content. Things quickly take a turn for the worse when Frankie realizes that Mouse’s intentions are far from sincere and euphoria of overnight fame spirals into an unseemly obsession.

“Mainstream” also stars “Stranger Things” breakout Maya Hawke in her first major leading film role as Frankie, a bartender at a comedy club who is grieving the death of her father and lost within a world full of content and narcissism. Frankie has “cosmic run ins” with Link and is inspired to upload an anti-mainstream rant to the internet. The rant goes viral and turns Frankie, Link, and Frankie’s friend Jake (Nat Wolff) into internet stars, but their newfound fame attracts the eye of corporate villains (including Coppola’s cousin Jason Schwartzman).

IFC Films will release “Mainstream” in select theaters and on digital platforms and VOD on Friday, May 7. Take a look at the newest teaser trailer for the film, available exclusively on IndieWire, below.

In theaters on May 7

MONSTER

Charming and likeable Harlem film student Steve Harmon has his life flipped upside down when is charged with murder, and begins a complex legal battle that will see him incarcerated for life, or his name cleared, according to Whats-On-Netflix.

Three years after making its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Anthony Madler’s Monster will receive its global release exclusively on Netflix in May 2021.

Given the current social unrest in the USA as we’ve seen with the Black Lives Matter movement, and the historic oppression of African-Americans the release of Monster on the world’s largest streaming platform will spark lots of interest.

Available on Netflix on May 7

THE WATER MAN

Actor David Oyelowo (Selma) makes his directorial debut with The Water Man. Lonnie Chavis (This Is Us) stars as Gunner, a young boy who sets out on a journey to save his sick mother (Rosario Dawson) by searching for a mythic figure who possesses the key to immortality. Joining forces with a mysterious local girl named Jo (Amiah Miller), the pair descend into the depths of a strange remote forest known as Wild Horse. As days go in the wake of their sudden disappearance, it falls to Gunner’s father (Oyelowo) to embark on his own journey to rescue them.

In theaters on May 7

SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW

Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson star in the latest installment/soft reboot of the long-running Saw franchise. Written by Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger (Jigsaw, Piranha 3D) and directed by series stalwart Darren Lynn Bousman, Spiral: From the Book of Saw sees Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks (Rock) and his rookie partner (Max Minghella) hunting down a mysterious murderer whose modus operandi matches that of the long-thought-dead Jigsaw. When Zeke’s father (Jackson) is abducted by the killer, the investigation turns into a race against time to uncover the horrifying truth behind this new killer’s true identity and motivations.

In theaters on May 14

ARMY OF THE DEAD

Zombies — we love ’em. Justice League director Zack Snyder certainly loves ‘em, which is why he’s returning to the genre after nearly two decades since his 2004 remake of George A. Romero’s horror classic Dawn of the Dead. Starring Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy, Blade Runner 2049), Ella Purnell (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children), Omari Hardwick (Kick-Ass), and more, Army of the Dead follows a group of mercenaries enlisted to perform an elaborate heist of a heavily-fortified Las Vegas Casino. Oh, and it’s set in a post-apocalyptic future and the main obstacle between them and an easy payday is — you guessed it — a literal army of the undead!

In select theaters on May 14 and available on Netflix on May 21

A QUIET PLACE PART II

Following the terrifying and tragic events of 2018’s A Quiet Place, the Abbott family find themselves once again beset by a world of horrors in A Quiet Place Place Part II. Emily Blunt reprises her role as Evelyn Abbott who, along with her daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds), son Marcus (Noah Jupe), and infant child must venture from their compromised home in search of safe haven, all the while being stalked by both malicious monsters and humans alike.

In theaters on May 28

CRUELLA

Following in the mold of 2014’s Maleficent (and maybe a little of 2019’s Joker), Cruella is the latest live-action Disney film to taking an unambiguous villain from a classic animated film and rehabilitating them as a tragically misunderstood girl-boss. The film stars Emma Stone as Cruella, a young grifter-turned-aspiring fashion mogul navigating the dog-eat-dog world of haute couture fashion. Imagine “Sweeney Todd meets The Devil Wears Prada” and that’s basically what the film is aiming for.

In theaters and available on Disney Plus Premier Access on May 28

THE CONJURING: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT

Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga reprise their roles as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, the third installment in the successful Conjuring horror franchise. Based on the trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson — one of the most sensational and terrifying cases of the real-life Warrens — Ed and Lorraine are pitted in a fight for the soul of a young boy that will bring the pair face to face with evil incarnate itself.

In theaters and available on HBO Max on June 4

VIVO

Sony Pictures Animation’s upcoming comedy musical stars Hamilton director Lin-Manuel Miranda as Vivo, a one-of-a-kind kinkajou (honey bear) that spends his days singing and dancing in a bustling Havana square alongside his beloved owner Andrés (Juan de Marcos González). When tragedy strikes amid the arrival of letter from Andres’ long-lost lover Marta (Gloria Estefan), Vivo must deliver a stirring love letter in the form of a song in order to bring the two one-time lovers together again.

Directed by Kirk DeMicco (The Croods) and co-directed by Brandon Jeffords (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2), VIVO will have original songs written and performed by Miranda. The movie is written by DeMicco and Quiara Alegría Hudes, who wrote the book Miranda adapted into his Tony-winning Broadway musical In the Heights. With the upcoming release of the movie adaptation of In the Heights on June 11, on HBO Max, VIVO is the second 2021 musical production to count on Miranda’s talent, according to Collider.

Available on Netflix on June 4

IN THE HEIGHTS

Speaking of Lin-Manuel Miranda, before he broke through the stratosphere with Hamilton, he wrote and starred in the celebrated 2008 musical, In the Heights. This summer’s movie version, which stars Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace, Olga Merediz, and more, seems poised for a similar reception. Set over the course of three days, the film follows a close-knit community in Washington Heights, New York as they navigate the trials and tribulations of day-to-day life in the city.

In theaters and available on HBO Max on June 11

JAGAME THANDHIRAM

Indian action thriller Jagame Thandhiram (“The world is tricky”) stars superstar Dhanush as Suruli, a Tamil gangster from Madurai hired by British crime lord Peter Sprott (James Cosmo) to take down a rival gangster. As Suruli lands in London with the intent to complete his mission, he quickly finds himself entrenched in a web of allegiances and dilemmas that force him to interrogate his peculiar status as a stranger in a strange land.

Available on Netflix on June 18

LUCA

Pixar’s fantasy coming-of-age adventure Luca follows Luca Paguro (Room’s Jacob Tremblay) and his friend Alberto Scorfano (Shazam’s Jack Dylan Grazer), two young sea monsters who assume the forms of a pair of human children as they explore the idyllic Italian Riviera town of Portorosso. Directed by long-time Pixar animator Enrico Casarosa in his feature-length directorial debut, Luca looks like it’s shaping up to be the type of strange, heartwarming story about love, friendship, and acceptance that’s a perfect fit alongside the studio’s legacy of award-winning films.

Available on Disney Plus on June 18

F9

F is for family in the ninth installment in long-running street racing-spy-action-heist-drama Fast and Furious series. When cyberterrorist mastermind Cipher (Charlize Theron) enlists the aid of Jakob (John Cena), a master thief, assassin, and Dom’s younger brother, Dom must turn to his old friends-made-fast-family in order to fight back and (presumably) save the world from another nefarious plot. But forget about silly things like plot — look, they’re flying into space in this one!

In theaters on June 25

AMERICA: THE MOTION PICTURE

Quietly announced back in 2017, America: The Motion Picture stars Channing Tatum in the role of a chainsaw-wielding George Washington who assembles a superpowered team of farcical historical figures in order to kick Benedict Arnold’s ass and save a nascent nation from the nefarious clutches of King James. Not since Team America: World Police has there been an animated comedy that has hoped to take the piss out of American exceptionalism. If the trailer and stills for the film are any indication, it looks like America: The Motion Picture is aiming to go somehow even further over the top.

Available on Netflix on June 30

ZOLA

Adapted from a 2015 viral Twitter thread by Aziah “Zola” Wells, Zola features a stripper dragged into a violent maelstrom of a road-trip weekend by a sex worker, her boyfriend, and her pimp. From our preview of the A24 film’s premiere at Sundance last year,

In theaters on June 30

THE FOREVER PURGE

Writer-producer James DeMonaco returns for the fifth (and supposedly final) installment in the Purge series with 2021’s The Forever Purge. A year after the events of 2016’s The Purge: Election Year, the annual bacchanalian murder spree has been formally outlawed — but that doesn’t snuff out the wealthy’s desire to hunt the poor and defenseless. The Forever Purge follow a Mexican couple who, after escaping the clutches of a drug cartel and stranded in a Texas ranch house, are stalked by a vigilante group of heavily-armed outsiders who refuse to be denied their “right” to kill those who don’t look like them. With no other options, the couple must mount a defense to push back against their would-be murderers and find help.

In theaters on July 2

SUMMER OF SOUL

The Questlove-directed documentary Summer of Soul delves into the history and lasting significance of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. Despite having a large attendance and performers such as Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and Sly and the Family Stone, the festival has gone largely unremembered and undocumented— until now. Summer of Soul is a love letter to an era and a genre of music whose distinctive sound forms the foundation of some of the most infectiously popular music of our present.

In theaters on July 2

BLACK WIDOW

Vigilante super spy Natasha Romanoff (aka Black Widow) finally gets her own standalone Marvel film, and all it took was over a decade’s worth of appearances across eight films and dying in Avengers: Endgame! Black Widow delves into the events between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War as Natasha is forced to confront a dangerous conspiracy led by a relentless mercenary known as The Taskmaster. In order to survive and bring the truth to light, she’ll need to turn to old allies from her past— fellow super spies Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz), and the so-called “Red Guardian” Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour).

In theaters and available on Disney Plus Premier Access on July 9

SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY

1996’s Space Jam, much like 1989’s Ghostbusters, is one of those oddball cinematic artifacts that’s taken on an outsized legacy as a sacrosanct pop cultural touchstone in the minds of audiences who first encountered it as children. Space Jam: A New Legacy sees Lebron James, starring as a fictionalized version of himself, transported to in Serververse, a virtual space populated by every IP owned by Warner Bros. entertainment, alongside his son Dom. When Dom is kidnapped by the rogue AI Al-G Rhythm (Don Cheadle), James is forced to compete in a winner-takes-all basketball match alongside the Looney Toons in order to win back his son and all his Instagram followers. It’s a positively batshit fever dream of a premise à la 2018’s Ready Player One and Ralph Breaks the Internet, packed to the brim with cameos from Game of Thrones and The Iron Giant to Scooby-Doo and A Clockwork Orange.

In theaters on July 16

OLD

Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve Corporation, once claimed in an interview that every person is terrified of at least two things: the death of their children and the fading of their abilities. No more are these two elemental fears more present than in Old, the latest horror thriller from The Sixth Sense and Split director M. Night Shyamalan that follows a family on an idyllic tropical vacations that quickly sours into a waking nightmare when they quickly realize their precious few hours of relaxation cause them to age rapidly without a cure. It looks positively insane, just the kind of weird that sits comfortably in Shyamalan’s wheelhouse.

In theaters on July 23

THE GREEN KNIGHT

Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) stars in the epic fantasy adventure The Green Knight as Sir Gawain, the headstrong nephew of King Arthur himself, who embarks on a perilous quest to confront a menace known as the Green Knight. Director David Lowery’s rendition on the classic Arthurian fable looks positively breathtaking with evocative cinematography and ominous score courtesy of his A Ghost Story collaborators Andrew Droz Palermo and Daniel Hart. Initially slated to release last year before being pushed back in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first trailer looks incredible— and with supporting performances by Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), Joel Edgerton (The Underground Railroad), and Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible – Fallout), The Green Knight is without a doubt one of our most highly-anticipated releases of the year.

In theaters on July 30

THE SUICIDE SQUAD

Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn’s soft-reboot/sequel to 2016’s Suicide Squad sees Amanda Waller’s highly disposable rogues gallery sent on a mission to the South American island of Corto Maltese to destroy Jotunheim, a Nazi-era prison and laboratory for horrific human experiments. Margot Robbie and Joel Kinnaman return as Harley Quinn and Rick Flag, this time joined by expert marksman Bloodsport (Idris Elba), murderous pacifist Peacemaker (John Cena), King Shark (Sylvester Stallone), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian), and many more. Don’t get too attached though, the movie’s called “Suicide Squad” for a reason after all.

In theaters on August 6

DON’T BREATHE 2

Don’t Breathe, that absolutely bonkers 2013 horror thriller starring Stephen Lang as a blind homicidal army veteran who tried to artificially inseminate a bound woman with a turkey baster, is getting a sequel. The aptly titled Don’t Breathe 2 sees Lang return as the mysterious Blind Man, now hiding out in a secluded cabin several years after the first movie. According to Sony, Norman now lives in solace “until his past sins catch up to him.” Dun dun DUN.

In theaters on August 13

CANDYMAN

Nia DaCosta’s spiritual sequel to Bernard Rose’s 1992 horror classic Candyman stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Anthony McCoy, a Chicago-based visual artist whose latest installation takes inspiration from the Candyman legend of Cabrini Green Housing Projects. When a series of inexplicable and gruesome murders ties back to Anthony and his exhibit, he’ll have to uncover a dark past that connects his own history to that of the terrifying apparition whose legend still strikes fear in the hearts of all those who remember him.

In theaters on August 27