From Oceans 8 to Hereditary, 7 of the most anticipated movies in June
Every month, we round up the best in arts and entertainment. If you love capers, character studies or creepy, bone-chilling horror movies, June is for you. Here are five of the most talked-about movies coming out this month.
American Animals, June 1
"What were they thinking?" is the question at the root of American Animals, a film that follows one of history's dumbest — as in, Darwin Award-winningly stupid — heists. Written and directed by The Imposter documentarian Bart Layton, the film follows four college students as they morph a ludicrous idea into an action plan, and decide to steal what is considered the world's most valuable book from a Kentucky university library: The Birds of America, by John James Audubon. Along the way, American Animals taps into the students' own quirks and maladaptations, the missteps in their family lineage, their misguided drive to stand out from the crowd and their inability to plan their way out of a cardboard box. Stars Ann Dowd, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner and more. — Jennifer Van Evra
Ocean's 8, June 8
Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's trilogy gets a fresh look with this star-studded caper film that has all the glitz and glamour of the Met Gala. The fact that the annual swanky gathering is the setting certainly doesn't hurt, as Soderbergh moves the action from California to New York in this all-female spin-off. Sandra Bullock plays the role of Debbie Ocean, estranged sister to George Clooney's Danny Ocean, who is the ringleader to a group of criminal and comedic masterminds determined to pull off the heist of the century — namely, stealing a necklace valued at $1.5-million. Obviously there will be double and triple crosses. If that sounds familiar, it's because it is, as Soderbergh knows not to mess with a winning formula. If anything can breathe a new life into this franchise, it's this cast, which features Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Helena Bonham Carter, Awkwafina and Rihanna. If all goes well, don't be surprised if we see an Ocean's 9 and Ocean's 10 to follow. — Jesse Kinos-Goodin
Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist, June 8
Punk rock groundbreaker and fashion icon Vivienne Westwood takes the spotlight in this new doc by former model Lorna Tucker, which blends stunning archival footage with interviews from colleagues and collaborators. It also takes viewers from Westwood's childhood in post-war Derbyshire to the runways of Milan, from her early career as a schoolteacher to her Sex Pistols-era punk awakening, and from her appointment as a dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 to her environmental activism. It also catalogues her dissatisfaction with her own company, which she argues grew too big, too fast, and ended up out of her control. Westwood is at times a prickly and reluctant participant ("I think what you'll have to let me do is just talk and get it over with," she says to the interviewer), but family members and colleagues fill in the blanks, making for a film that's as substantial as it is runway-ready. — JVE
En el Séptimo Día (On the Seventh Day), June 8
Bicycle couriers, construction workers, dishwashers, deli workers and fast food vendors make up a group of Brooklyn undocumented immigrants in Sunset Park, Brooklyn — but on Sundays, they all become star soccer players. José (Fernando Cardona) is a young, hardworking bike courier and the team's captain, but when his team makes the finals, and his overbearing boss orders him to work the same Sunday, he has to choose: keep his job, or stand up for himself and his teammates. The visually striking film by Jim McKay, his first in 13 years, is part sports movie, part moving account of big city life as a low-paid immigrant, and part universal tale of how people navigate forks in the road and choose one route over the other. Along the way, McKay deftly skirts stereotypes and sentimentalism, and instead relies on understatement and authenticity, which is winning the film glowing reviews. — JVE
Won't You Be My Neighbor, June 8
For generations of kids, Fred Rogers, better known as Mr. Rogers, was their favourite TV neighbour — but a new doc takes viewers behind the scenes of the beloved children's show and explores the endlessly friendly man who taught kids about understanding, tolerance, personal potential, imagination and, most of all, love. Along the way the show also dealt honestly with thorny issues, including assassination, divorce, war, corruption and racism. "Love is at the root of everything — all learning, all relationships," said Rogers, who was also a writer, producer and a Presbyterian minister. "Love or the lack of it." Make sure to check out our q interview with producer Morgan Neville, too. —JVE
Hereditary, June 8
The trailer was terrifying enough, but now this multi-generational thriller hits the big screens and taps into society's current fascination with family roots — think The Exorcist for the Ancestry.com set. Starring Toni Collette and Ann Dowd, the film traces what happens when the grandmother and matriarch of the Graham family dies, and the next of kin unearth horrible secrets about their roots. But the terror isn't coming from in their house: it's in their blood. Directed by newcomer Ari Aster, the film premiered at Sundance earlier this year and left critics reaching for superlatives — and for their nightlights. "It didn't play me like a fiddle," wrote one critic. "It slammed on my insides like a grand piano." —JVE
Superfly, June 15
Director X has been behind some of the most stylish and influential music videos of the past decade, working with the likes of Drake, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber and more (you may remember this one). Now, the Toronto director, born Julien Lutz, turns his lens toward a feature length remake of the classic 1972 blaxploitation film, Super Fly. Singer and actor Trevor Jackson (Black-ish) stars as the titular character, a do-gooder working his way up through the crime ranks, with the goal being, that's right, the heist of the century (we're noticing a trend here). It's got everything you'd want in a summer action film, including car chases, drug cartels, fancy clothes, cryptocurrency and Michael K. Williams (Omar!). Super Fly is also set in Atlanta, the current cultural epicentre for hip-hop (expect plenty of cameos), and features a score by none other than Future. It's shaping up to be the summer of heist movies, and we're glad to see this one in the mix. — JKG