Summer’s officially here!
Granted we’re at the point where the night’s are slowly getting shorter, but that doesn’t mean things are getting any cooler. So why not beat the heat with one of the 21 films we’ve gathered together to help you plan your next theater visit. So whether you’re in the mood for the latest MCU outing, a documentary, creature feature, or drama, there’s plenty to choose from at your local cinema.
To help you stay up on these teasers, trailers, and more, make sure to follow Elements of Madness on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
July 2nd
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Director: Jon Watts.
Cast: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, JB Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr, with Marisa Tomei and Jake Gyllenhaal.
It’s time to step up.
Peter Parker returns in Spider-Man™: Far From Home, the next chapter of the Spider-Man™: Homecoming series! Our friendly neighborhood Super Hero decides to join his best friends Ned, MJ, and the rest of the gang on a European vacation. However, Peter’s plan to leave super heroics behind for a few weeks are quickly scrapped when he begrudgingly agrees to help Nick Fury uncover the mystery of several elemental creature attacks, creating havoc across the continent!
July 3rd
Midsommar
Director: Ari Aster.
Cast: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, Vilhelm Blomgren, Archie Madekwe, Ellora Torchia, and Will Poulter.
Dani and Christian are a young American couple with a relationship on the brink of falling apart. But after a family tragedy keeps them together, a grieving Dani invites herself to join Christian and his friends on a trip to a once-in-a-lifetime midsummer festival in a remote Swedish village. What begins as a carefree summer holiday in a land of eternal sunlight takes a sinister turn when the insular villagers invite their guests to partake in festivities that render the pastoral paradise increasingly unnerving and viscerally disturbing. From the visionary mind of Ari Aster comes a dread-soaked cinematic fairytale where a world of darkness unfolds in broad daylight.
July 5th
Phil
Director: Greg Kinnear.
Cast: Greg Kinnear, Emily Mortimer, Bradley Whitford, Jay Duplass, and Luke Wilson.
Phil, a depressed dentist whose life is falling apart, is shocked when one of his patients, a man who seemed to have the perfect life, kills himself. Determined to find out what would drive a man who had everything to end his life, Phil pretends to be a handyman and integrates himself in to the dead man’s life, befriending his wife and daughter. How long can Phil keep up this double life when he is already ready to end his normal one?
Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love (Limited)
Director: Nick Broomfield.
Cast: Leonard Cohen and Marianne Ihlen.
Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love is renowned filmmaker Nick Broomfield’s most personal and romantic film of his storied career. The documentary starts on the Greek island of Hydra in 1960, where Leonard Cohen, then a struggling and unknown fiction writer, and Marianne Ihlen, a single mother with a young son, became part of community of expat artists, writers and musicians. Never-before-seen footage shot by Broomfield and legendary documentarian D.A. Pennebaker make for a unique portrait of an idyllic 1960’s bohemia. It was a time that left a lasting imprint on both Marianne and Leonard, whose friendship would last another fifty years before their deaths in 2016.
July 12th
Stuber
Director: Michael Dowse.
Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Dave Bautista, Iko Uwais, Natalie Morales, Betty Gilpin, Jimmy Tatro, with Mira Sorvino and Karen Gillan.
When a mild-mannered Uber driver named Stu (Nanjiani) picks up a passenger (Bautista) who turns out to be a cop hot on the trail of a brutal killer, he’s thrust into a harrowing ordeal where he desperately tries to hold onto his wits, his life and his five-star rating.
Crawl
Director: Alexandre Aja.
Cast: Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper.
They were here first.
When a massive hurricane hits her Florida hometown, Haley (Scodelario) ignores evacuation orders to search for her missing father (Pepper). Finding him gravely injured in the crawl space of their family home, the two become trapped by quickly encroaching floodwaters. As time runs out to escape the strengthening storm, Haley and her father discover that the rising water level is the least of their fears.
The Farewell
Director: Lulu Wang.
Cast: Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Zhao Shuzhen, Lu Hong, and Jiang Yongbo.
In this funny, uplifting tale based on an actual lie, Chinese-born, U.S.-raised Billi (Awkwafina) reluctantly returns to Changchun to find that, although the whole family knows their beloved matriarch, Nai-Nai, has been given mere weeks to live, everyone has decided not to tell Nai Nai herself. To assure her happiness, they gather under the joyful guise of an expedited wedding, uniting family members scattered among new homes abroad. As Billi navigates a minefield of family expectations and proprieties, she finds there’s a lot to celebrate: a chance to rediscover the country she left as a child, her grandmother’s wondrous spirit, and the ties that keep on binding even when so much goes unspoken. With The Farewell, writer/director Lulu Wang has created a heartfelt celebration of both the way we perform family and the way we live it, masterfully interweaving a gently humorous depiction of the good lie in action with a richly moving story of how family can unite and strengthen us, often in spite of ourselves.
Saving Zoë
Director: Jeffrey G. Hunt.
Cast: Laura Marano, Vanessa Marano, Gloria Whigham, Ken Jeong, Chris Tavarez, Michael Provost, and Nathaniel Buzolic.
After the murder of her sister Zoë, Echo is determined to uncover the truth. With Zoë’s diary as her guide, Echo finds herself sucked into the darkness of her sister’s world and uncovers how one small decision can lead to tragic consequences.
The Art of Self-Defense
Director: Riley Stearns.
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Allessandro Nivola, and Imogen Poots.
A dark comedy set in the world of karate. The film centers on Casey (Eisenberg), who is attacked at random on the street and enlists in a local dojo led by a charismatic and mysterious Sensei (Nivola), in an effort to learn how to defend himself. What he uncovers is a sinister world of fraternity, violence and hypermasculinity and a woman (Poots) fighting for her place in it. Casey undertakes a journey, both frightening and darkly funny, that will place him squarely in the sights of his enigmatic new mentor.
Sword of Trust
Director: Lynn Shelton.
Cast: Marc Maron, Jon Bass, Michaela Watkins, and Jillian Bell.
Mel (Maron) is a cantankerous pawnshop owner in Alabama who spends most of his time swindling customers while trying and failing to get his man-child employee Nathaniel (Bass) to do any work. When Cynthia (Bell) and her wife Mary (Watkins) try to hawk a Civil War-era sword inherited from Cynthia’s recently deceased grandfather, he tries to get the better of them. The sword, however, comes with a convoluted report from Cynthia’s grandfather claiming the relic to be proof the South actually won the war. It isn’t long before the coveted “prover item” draws the attention of overzealous conspiracy theorists and the two duos have to join forces in order to sell the sword to the highest bidder. The journey that ensues takes the ragtag bunch on a tour through the deep South and the minds of the local fanatics who inhabit it. Created from the raw talent of its cast and infused with a lot of heart and laughs, Sword of Trust takes a stab at uncovering emotional truths through moments of hilarity and hits right on the mark.
Summer Night
Director: Joseph Cross.
Cast: Ellar Coltrane, Ian Nelson, Analeigh Tipton, Callan McAuliffe, Ella Hunt, Hayden Szeto, Bill Milner, Lana Condor, Elena Kampouris, Khris Davis, Melina Vidler, Victoria Justice, and Justin Chatwin.
It’s the last days of summer. Best friends Seth and Jameson are getting ready to perform—and party—at local rock venue The Alamo. But before the night begins, both young men come face- to-face with serious reality checks: Seth receives life-changing news from his girlfriend Mel, and Jameson has to choose between his on-again-off-again girlfriend Corin and a new girl he’s just met, the outspoken Harmony.
At the show, Seth and Jameson’s friends are too caught up in their own lives to be much help: young rocker Taylor romances his new crush Dana, and awkward Jack “Rabbit” avoids his childhood friend Lexi after learning what she did at her sister’s wedding. These intertwining friend-dramas, fueled by a lot of drinking, unfold against a backdrop of live music performed by the best bands in town.
By the end of the night, these young men and women are confronted with a series of fast- approaching life decisions that will either leave them stuck in the comfort of adolescence, or catapult them into adulthood.
July 19th
The Lion King
Director: Jon Favreau.
Cast: Donald Glover, James Earl Jones, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Billy Eichner, Eric André, John Kani, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Alfre Woodard, Seth Rogen, Keegan-Michael Key, Florence Kasumba, and John Oliver.
Director Jon Favreau’s all-new The Lion King journeys to the African savanna where a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar, Mufasa’s brother—and former heir to the throne—has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.
Into The Ashes
Director: Aaron Harvey.
Cast: Luke Grimes, Robert Taylor, James Badge Dale, and Frank Grillo.
With an honest job and a loving wife, Nick Brenner believed he had safely escaped his violent, criminal history. But his old crew hasn’t forgotten about him or the money he stole, and when they take what Nick now values the most – his wife – he has nothing left to lose. Confronted by the town sheriff, who is also his father-in-law, Nick must decide if he will stay on his new path or indulge in his need for revenge and force his enemies to pay for what they have done.
Iron Sky: The Coming Race
Director: Timo Vuorensola.
Cast: Lara Rossi, Vladimir Burlakov, Kit Dale, and Tom Green.
Following the devastating aftermath of nuclear war on Earth, a former Nazi Moonbase has become the last refuge for mankind. Limited supplies and overpopulation threaten the survivors until Obi, the leader’s daughter, finds a map pointing to a power buried deep under Earth’s wasted surface that could save mankind or destroy it once and for all. When an old enemy leads our heroes on an adventure into the Hollow Earth, they must fight an ancient shapeshifting reptilian race to save humanity.
David Crosby: Remember My Name (Limited)
Director: A. J. Eaton.
Cast: David Crosby.
From producer Cameron Crowe, David Crosby: Remember My Name reflects on David Crosby’s life of music stardom, while forging new paths to relevancy at his age of 77 in this deeply personal documentary.
Between Me and My Mind (Limited)
Director: Steven Cantor.
Cast: Ernest Anastasio, Sue Anastasio, and Trey Anastasio.
Following the critically-acclaimed world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, Between Me and My Mind comes to movie theaters nationwide for a special one-night-only screening on Wednesday, July 17. A few minutes into this intimate look at the creative process of founding Phish guitarist and vocalist Trey Anastasio, it is clear that he is exploding with his unique brand of songwriting and creativity. As the frontman of one of America’s longest lasting and most successful touring bands and a solo musician as well, Anastasio’s virtuosic musicianship has made him an icon, beloved by his die-hard fanbase for the depth of his artistic output and the boundless enthusiasm that he exudes on stage and off.
Rosie
Director: Roddy Doyle.
Cast: Sarah Greene, Moe Dunford, Ellie O’Halloran, Ruby Dunne, Darragh McKenzie, and Molly McCann.
Rosie tells the story of a mother trying to protect her family after her landlord sells their rented home and they become homeless. Finding a room, even for a night, is a tough job and finding somewhere permanent to live is even harder. Over 36 hours, Rosie (Sarah Greene) and her partner John Paul (Moe Dunford) strive to maintain a loving family unit while shielding their young family from the reality of the situation. Rosie examines how, even in times of crisis, the love and strength of a family can endure.
July 26th
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Director: Quentin Tarantino.
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Al Pacino.
Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood visits 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, as TV star Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognize anymore. The ninth film from the writer-director features a large ensemble cast and multiple storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age.
Skin
Director: Guy Nattiv
Cast: Jamie Bell, Danielle Macdonald, Vera Farmiga, and Bill Camp.
After a difficult childhood drives him into the grasps of a white supremacist gang, Bryon (Bell, delivering a visceral, explosive performance) tries to escape to a new life, all the while questioning whether he’s capable of undoing—and repenting for—the evil he’s done.
Filmmaker Guy Nattiv, whose short film of the same title won the Academy Award earlier this year, makes his English-language feature debut with this galvanizing story of transformation, inspired by actual events.
Astronaut
Director: Shelagh McLeod.
Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Lyriq Bent, Krista Bridges, Graham Greene, Richie Lawrence, and Colm Feore.
Angus, a lonely widower, has his long-extinguished dream to become an astronaut reignited when a national competition is announced. The prize? One ticket for a trip to space! Way over the age-limit, Angus alters his birthdate so he can enter the competition. Against all odds, but with help coming from his dysfunctional family, he must battle against preconceptions, ill health and time, to win the ticket and take the trip of his dreams.
The Mountain
Director: Rick Alverson.
Cast: Tye Sheridan, Denis Lavant, Udo Kier, Hannah Gross, and Jeff Goldblum.
Set against the 1950’s “golden age” of American male supremacy, an introverted young photographer (Tye Sheridan) joins a renowned lobotomist (Jeff Goldblum) on a tour to promote the doctor’s recently-debunked procedure. As he increasingly identifies with the asylum’s patients, he becomes enamored with a rebellious young woman (Hannah Gross) and lost in the burgeoning New Age movement of the west. Also starring Denis Lavant and Udo Kier.
Share this:
Categories: Coming Soon, Recommendation
Leave a Reply