Your guide to the summer's biggest movies
It's time to take advantage of those air-conditioned movie theatres. Summer is just around the corner and with it comes a long list of movies to watch. Whether you're into big blockbuster films or smaller hidden gems, we've got you covered. Below is a list of 10 must-watch movies this season, one for almost every mood imaginable. Tell us: which movies are you most excited to see?
The must-see superhero movie: Wonder Woman (June 2)
After making an appearance in last year's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman is finally getting her own feature film this summer. Gal Gadot, best known as Gisele in the Fast and the Furious franchise, takes on this superhero role complete with the signature blue and red outfit and her glowing Lasso of Truth. With so many of this summer's blockbusters featuring returning heroes (Spider-Man, Thor, Transformers), Wonder Woman presents the most refreshing story with a much-needed female protagonist at the forefront. One can only hope that a Black Widow movie will follow suit.
The summer thriller: Alien: Covenant (May 19)
The aliens are back in this sequel to 2012's Prometheus. Michael Fassbender reprises his role as David as he and a crew go on a colonization mission to a remote planet called Origae-6. As with all thrillers, especially ones relating to the popular Alien franchise, things don't go according to plan. If you're looking for something that's equal parts sci-fi and horror, then this is the film to catch this summer.
The YA breakout: Everything, Everything (May 19)
It feels like every year, more and more young adult novels get transformed into films, but we think Everything, Everything will stand out from the rest. Directed by Canadian Stella Meghie (Jean of the Joneses), and based on a book by Nicola Yoon, the film follows the story of a girl named Maddy (Amandla Stenberg) who suffers from a disease that prevents her from going outside of her home. As with many YA books, there's a romance angle here via Maddy's new neighbour Olly, played by Nick Robinson. It's a dramatic, yet heartfelt, tale and is bound to boost Stenberg's star status to new heights.
The dose of Charlize Theron action you're craving: Atomic Blonde (July 28)
While The Fate of the Furious delivered on spectacle and action, the film's breakout villain, played by Charlize Theron, never engaged in much of it. Instead, she was relegated to keyboards and touchpads as an evil genius hacker. Well, Atomic Blonde aims to emend that with John Wick-levels of violence. Theron plays Lorraine Broughton, an MI6 spy who is dispatched to Berlin after an undercover agent is murdered. With an eye-catching neon palette and dynamic fight scenes around every corner, this film looks incredibly promising.
Best soundtrack: Baby Driver (June 28)
It's been four years since director Edgar Wright released a movie and fans are craving something new from the man behind Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. Based on the trailer alone, Baby Driver will fulfill a lot of fans' wishes. The film looks like Nicolas Winding Refn's hit, Drive, meets Wright's very own Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: a getaway driver named Baby (Ansel Elgort) tries to flee his crime boss (Kevin Spacey) when he meets the girl of his dreams (Lily James). Wright has said that this action flick is "powered by music," so expect a jam-packed soundtrack that will surely stand out on its own.
Read now, watch later: The Dark Tower (Aug. 4)
Stephen King fans will be delighted to see that one of the author's most notable literary works, The Dark Tower series, is being turned into a film. It's a star-studded affair as Idris Elba plays Roland Deschain, a gunslinger protecting the Dark Tower, especially from the likes of Walter Padick (Matthew McConaughey). The Dark Tower doesn't come out till the end of summer so there's plenty of time to start reading the books in the series (or re-reading them).
Time to get raunchy: The Little Hours (June 30)
While Rough Night and Girl Trip battle it out for Bridesmaids comedy status, we want to suggest another raunchy comedy hitting the theatres this summer: The Little Hours. A quick scroll through the cast — Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Dave Franco, Fred Armisen, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, Nick Offerman and more — and it's clear that this will be a rip-roaring good time. The premise is even more absurdly primed for humour: a servant flees his master and finds refuge at a convent full of wild nuns. Warning: the trailer is incredibly NSFW.
The epic history lesson: Dunkirk (July 21)
History buffs are in good hands this summer with Christopher Nolan's war epic, Dunkirk. The film re-enacts the story of the evacuation of Allied soldiers from Canada, France, Britain and Belgium from the beaches of Dunkirk, France, during World War II. Nolan, the director behind Memento, Inception and The Dark Knight, brings his signature dark, haunting style to this tense story that stars Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy and pop star, Harry Styles.
The big comeback: Detroit (Aug. 4)
Director Kathryn Bigelow's last film was 2012's Oscar-nominated Zero Dark Thirty. Five years later, she is finally back with a new movie that takes on another moment in recent American history. Detroit takes place in 1967, during the 12th Street Riot, and focuses on a specific incident at Detroit's Algiers Motel where three black civilians were killed and nine others were brutally beaten by the police. The film, which will help kick off early Oscars conversations, stars John Boyega, John Krasinski and Will Poulter.
The family outing: Cars 3 (June 16)
Lightning McQueen is back in the third installment of Disney's Cars franchise. This new film ups the drama with McQueen's career on the line when he suffers a terrible crash. What will happen to McQueen's legacy? You can find out for the price of one movie ticket — or more, depending on how many kids you plan on bringing with you.
— Melody Lau, q digital staff