Guide to July’s upcoming films
By Lauren Paulsen, Senior Columnist
The month of July is going to be packed full of interesting movies releases to go and check out. The upcoming slate includes several family movies, action-packed adventures, comedies, and some heart-stopping thrillers. Grab a friend or family member and spend an afternoon in an air-conditioned theatre.
July 1: Our Kind of Traitor, The BFG, The Legend of Tarzan, The Purge: Election Year
Our Kind of Traitor is a thriller based on the bestselling novel of John le Carré, author of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The story revolves around an ordinary English couple, Perry (Ewan McGregor) and Gail (Naomi Harris), who become caught up in the world of espionage and politics when they befriend a Russian named Dima (Stellan Skarsgård). Dima turns out to be the number one money launderer for the Russian mafia, and he asks the couple to deliver a flash drive to the MI6 to save his children. Thinking all they have to do is deliver the drive, Perry and Gail are unprepared for the chaotic consequences.
Disney and Steven Spielberg have teamed up to bring the best-selling children’s novel, The BFG, to the big screen. Many will recall this novel from their childhood, in which a young girl befriends the Big Friendly Giant and they go on an adventure to stop the evil man-eating giants. For those that enjoy family movies, The BFG looks very promising.
Tarzan is a name that everyone should be familiar with. This summer, director David Yates (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) helms a remake titled The Legend of Tarzan. In this live-action version, we not only look at Tarzan’s past, how he was raised, and how he falls in love with Jane, but also a look at what happens after he marries her and becomes Lord Greystroke. The movie stars Alexander Skarsgård, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, and Margot Robbie.
What happens when one night every year, all crime becomes legal, including murder? The Purge: Election Year is a new horror-thriller that gives us a glimpse at a world where the government lets criminals go wild every year.
July 8: The Secret Life of Pets
Have you ever wondered what your pets do when you’re not home? From the makers of Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets is an animated family movie that gives us a glimpse into that world. The story mainly revolves around Max (Louis C.K.), a terrier that thinks he’s the center of his owner’s universe until she comes home with another dog named Duke (Eric Stonestreet). When the two dogs end up lost in Manhattan, they must team up to get home and face a psychopathic bunny named Snowball (Kevin Hart) who’s building an army of pets who were abandoned by their owners to get back at humanity. Pet lovers won’t want to miss this animated film.
July 15: Ghostbusters
Looking for a silly comedy to laugh at? Why not take a look at the new Ghostbusters reboot. Starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones, this new all-female team of paranormal investigators is sure to elicit a few laughs.
July 22: Lights Out, Our Little Sister, Star Trek Beyond
The creation of first-time director David F. Sandberg and produced by James Wan, director of June’s The Conjuring 2, Lights Out is a new horror movie in which a woman is haunted by something that feeds off the dark and appears whenever the lights are turned off. Be prepared to be very afraid of the dark.
If you like foreign films, check out Our Little Sister. Director Hirokazu Koreeda was the winner of the Audience Award at the 2015 San Sebastian International Film Festival for Audience Award. His movie is based on the manga series Umimachi Diary by Akimi Yoshida, and stars three sisters—Sachi, Yoshino, and Chika—whose father has been absent for 15 years. When he dies, they travel to attend his funeral and meet their half-sister, Suzu. The three sisters decide to take in Suzu, and thus begin a new life.
Another action-adventure movie coming out this July is the third installment of the rebooted Star Trek franchise: Star Trek Beyond. In this sequel, Captain Kirk and his crew end up stranded on a remote and hostile planet and struggle to return to Earth.
July 29: Jason Bourne
Fans of the Bourne franchise will be eagerly awaiting the fifth installment in the series, Jason Bourne. In this new chapter, Jason Bourne finally remembers everything. But is he ready to face who he really is?
