Even with big event films getting release dates spread throughout the year, summer is still the busiest season at the movie theater. While there are plenty of blockbusters to go enjoy, there are usually some smaller gems that slide in that deserve some love too.
Baby Driver: June 28
Edgar Wright can seemingly do no wrong. From Shaun of the Dead to Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Edgar has carved out a spot as one of the most beloved directors working today. However, he still hasn't had that one hit that he rightly deserves despite the quality of his films. Hopefully, that will change with the release of his newest film, Baby Driver. Starring Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Lily James, Jon Hamm, and Jaime Foxx, this action-comedy follows Ansel's Baby, a getaway driver employed by Spacey. After he meets and falls for Lily's Debora, a diner waitress, he looks to finally quit his life of crime. The film debuted at South By Southwest this past April to an overwhelmingly positive response, and hopefully, the word of mouth can get people to the theater to catch Wright's latest effort.
Atomic Blonde: July 28
Another film that debuted at South By Southwest is David Leitch's solo-directorial debut, Atomic Blonde. Leitch had previously worked as co-director on the first John Wick with Chad Stahelski, who would go on to direct the sequel. This Charlize Theron-led action film is set in late '80s Berlin and will follow Theron's MI6 agent, Lorraine, who is sent to uncover a conspiracy looking to expose the West's intelligence operations in the city. She will be joined by James McAvoy's David, who serves as station chief in Berlin for MI6. Much like Baby Driver, Atomic Blonde received largely positive response, with the consensus calling it the female John Wick. Given how good the 2014 hit turned out, that bodes well for Atomic Blonde.
It Comes At Night: June 9
Jumping back to June, there's It Comes At Night. This is the latest film to come from A24, who have quietly put together an impressive list of releases over the last few years. While A24's films aren't the biggest releases, the quality of these movies more than makes up for that. Remember, this is the studio that released Ex Machina, Room, Swiss Army Man, Moonlight, and more recently Free Fire. A24's latest effort is a horror film that follows a family in a desolate home that is separated from a world being ravaged by some mysterious force. When another family arrives looking for aid, paranoia and fear begin to overtake everyone and could cost them their humanity.
All Eyez On Me: June 16
Despite being tragically cut short, Tupac Shakur carved out a spot as one of the best rappers in the history of music in his short time on this earth. His life is finally getting the big-screen treatment with the release of All Eyez on Me, which will chronicle the rapper's life from his rise to superstardom to his tragic murder. This follows in the footsteps of films such as Notorious and Straight Outta Compton, which chronicled the careers of Notorious B.I.G. and N.W.A., respectively. The release date is not an accident, either, as it was Shakur's birthday, and he would have been 46 this year.
The Hitman's Bodyguard: Aug. 18
Talk about coming out of nowhere. Much like John Wick in 2014, The Hitman's Bodyguard looks like it could be the breakout hit of the summer. It will follow Ryan Reynold's titular bodyguard who is hired to protect Samuel L. Jackson's titular hitman. The only problem is that the two hate each other. The first trailer released gave moviegoers a taste of the chaos to come in this action-comedy, with Reynolds and Jackson cursing each other out continuously while fighting waves of gunmen hot on their heels. If the film is as funny as the trailers have made it look, this could be a great way to close out summer at the movies.
