From an electrifying romance between tennis players to spine-tingling horror in the style of a 1977 television broadcast, here are five new movies to check out this summer.
Whether you’re looking for a fun, feel-good action flick or a sweet romantic-comedy (maybe even something in between), there’s been a selection of amazing movies that have come out in the past few weeks. Here are five new movies that have garnered great acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Catch them in local theaters or streaming services for a relaxing summer activity to pass the time:
READ ALSO: From Canvas To The Big Screen: Binge These Art-Themed Films Ahead Of World Art Day
The Fall Guy
David Leitch’s action-comedy The Fall Guy, starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, is one of the big action movies of the season. The film’s official trailer drew in more than 20 million views with a premise that promises as much romance as it does laughs.
Gosling stars as Colt Seavers, a stuntman who recently quit the business due to an injury, but finds himself entrenched in a mystery when the star of a big movie goes missing. The movie in question is the directorial debut of his ex-girlfriend, Jody Moreno (Blunt), whom he still has feelings for.
As it turns out, the situation is far more dire and sinister than it seems, and Colt must find a way to figure out the star’s whereabouts so Jody’s movie isn’t ruined. In essence, the entire movie is about one man who tries to win back the heart of his ex, but in doing so, ends up biting off more than he can chew (yet pushes on nonetheless).
The film currently holds an 82% certified fresh score from critics and an 87% score from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. “The Fall Guy is a valuable exhibit in the case for bringing back fun movies—bringing them to theaters, and to fruition, more generally,” wrote Olivia Rutigliano for Literary Hub. “The whole thing is a rollicking good time, pure cinema.”
Challengers
After impressing cinephiles with his film adaptation of André Aciman’s novel Call Me By Your Name, director Luca Guadagnino returns with Challengers: another immersive romantic drama, this time set in the world of competitive tennis. Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’ Connor play tennis players in this tale that explores the complexities of human relationships.
In it, Zendaya plays Tashi, a former tennis pro and prodigy who’s now a manager due to a debilitating injury. She coaches and helps her husband, Art (Faist), rise to the top of the tennis echelons—where they once again cross paths with Patrick (O’Connor), Art’s former best friend and Tashi’s past boyfriend. If it sounds complicated, that’s because it is: the movie centers on a steamy love triangle fueled by its members’ shared pasts.
The movie currently holds a 88% certified fresh score from critics and a 74% score from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, with Roger Ebert critic Matt Zoller Seitz describing it as “visceral, intuitive, at times animalistic.” He added: “It doesn’t just want to entertain. It wants to win.”
Late Night with the Devil
There’s something special about the atmosphere of an evening talk show, all the more so when one looks back at old talk shows from years ago. In the case of directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes’ latest film, Late Night with the Devil, nostalgia and bone-chilling possession horror go hand in hand in the form of a captivating 1977 television broadcast.
Here, host Jack Delroy (played by David Dastmalchian) attempts to save the plummeting ratings of his talk show Night Owls with a special Halloween guest that audiences won’t soon forget—a girl with the devil inside her. So begins an evening that unleashes a string of horrors within the show’s set, and in televisions across America.
The movie holds an impressive 97% certified fresh score from critics and a 81% score from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. As for glowing reviews, when the master of horror Stephen King states “It’s absolutely brilliant. I couldn’t take my eyes off it,” fans of the genre are certainly in for a treat.
The Idea of You
The Idea of You is the latest rom-com that’s captured the hearts of fangirls and romance enjoyers everywhere, and for good reason. Its entire premise is enticing, and inspired by Robinne Lee’s 2017 novel of the same name. Yet all the usual tropes come together in a way that feels self-aware, oftentimes genuinely funny, and altogether refreshing, according to many viewers.
The film centers on 40-year-old single mom Solène—played by the inimitable Anne Hathaway—who somehow ends up in a romantic relationship with the lead singer of her teen daughter’s favorite band August Moon, 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (played by today’s heartthrob Nicholas Galitzine). August Moon essentially carries the same gravitas as One Direction did in the day, to paint a better picture.
It’s a farfetched concept, but isn’t that what great rom-coms are made of? Critics seem to think so, as the movie holds an 82% certified fresh rating from them on Rotten Tomatoes and a 69% score from audiences too. Alison Wilmore of Vulture described Anne Hathaway as “radiant as a woman reconnecting with big, swooping emotions, and reminding herself that those feelings are not the exclusive territory of the young.”
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Fans of adrenaline-fueled yet intriguing espionage and action movies like Kingsmen, Inglourious Basterds, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. are in for a treat with Guy Ritchie’s latest film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. What’s not to love when one has Henry Cavill as the leading man of a group of ragtag soldiers out to stop the Nazis. Perhaps the most interesting part about the premise is its source material, as Ritchie took inspiration from the true story of a secret British World War II organization, which came out through the declassified files of the British War Department.
Though like many large-scale adaptations, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare can take a few creative liberties, re-telling historical events with impeccable action sequences and plenty of humor. The movie holds a 72% fresh rating from critics and a 93% score from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
“A throwback WWII men-on-a-mission adventure marinated in modern bloodlust and movie references, this particularly pulpy take on a Dad Cinema staple couldn’t be more violent and more derivative of past works,” wrote David Fear of Rolling Stone. “It also couldn’t be more of a blast to watch if you enjoy a certain strain of carbon-dated derring-do mixed with cheeky carnage.”
Banner photo from IMDb.
