Let’s take a look at some of the must-watch flicks this season....
COVER STORY
As the sun blazes down and the temperature soars, making you restless, we bring you a lineup of summer movies to keep you relaxed and cool. This summer, there is something for everyone. From hardcore action to superhero magic, and from intense adventure to heartwarming rom-coms, these summer movies are bound to keep you engaged during your time off. Let’s take a look at some of the must-watch flicks this season.
Umro Ayyar: A New Beginning is a Pakistani fantasy film based on the classic Urdu novel Hamzanama and one of its major characters Umro Ayyar, a thief and legendary warrior of Tilism-e-Hoshruba. Released on Eid-ul-Azha, the Usman Mukhtar, Sanam Saeed, and Ali Kazmi starrer is going strong at the box office and attracting audiences of all ages. The storyline is a tapestry of adventure, fantasy, and intrigue, expertly woven together to create a narrative that resonates deeply with viewers. With Umro Ayyar, Pakistan steps into the world of its very own superheroes, and who would want to miss that?
Another Eid release from Pakistan, Na Baligh Afraad, is a film by Nabeel Qureshi, who has given us gems like Na Maloom Afraad, Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad, Load Wedding, and Actor in Law, etc. Set in the ’90s, Na Baligh Afraad follows two teenagers who get tangled in a web of comedic errors in their pursuit of growing up fast. This coming-of-age movie features Ashir Wajahat and Samar Jafri in the lead roles, along with Rimha Ahmad, Aadi Adeel Amjad, Ehteshamuddin, Faiza Hasan, etc.
While you’re still on vacation, make sure to visit your nearest cinema and enjoy this fun watch.
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reunite, yet again, for another Bad Boys movie. Playing Detectives Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett, the loose cannons of Miami’s police department, Bad Boys delivers the jokes, shoot-outs, and car chases, things synonymous with the franchise. If you want to find out how long the police department can tolerate the pair’s shenanigans, watch Bad Boys: Ride or Die and enjoy two hours of your life well-entertained.
Mad Max: Fury Road was one of the most widely loved blockbusters of the 2010s, fueled by director George Miller’s inventive world-building, its kinetic one-long-chase structure, and Charlize Theron’s performance as the instantly iconic Furiosa. Now, George Miller is back with Furiosa, an origin story featuring Anya Taylor-Joy stepping into the role. Prepare for another epic filled with heart-pumping intensity and unexpected emotional resonance.
If you’ve seen the A Quiet Place franchise, you’re bound to be interested in how the alien invasion and all that carnage began. The prequel to John Krasinski’s post-apocalyptic thriller series, A Quiet Place: Day One, will be releasing by the end of June and will provide all the answers about the alien invasion. Lupita Nyong’o and Alex Wolff are onboard for the prequel, while Djimon Hounsou will likely be reprising his character from Part II. If you still haven’t seen A Quiet Place 1 and 2, it is highly recommended to watch these riveting and intensely engaging movies before the release of the prequel.
What are holidays without romantic comedies on the watchlist? To give everyone a breather from the intensity of Furiosa and A Quiet Place, A Family Affair comes to your rescue. The movie stars Nicole Kidman as a woman who falls for the movie-star boss (Zac Efron) of her daughter Zara (Joey King). This rom-com, set to release on June 28, emanates the usual holiday movie feels with family, love, and their interactions getting intertwined. With Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron as lead characters, even if the storyline doesn’t pack a punch, it will definitely be pleasing to the eyes.
It’s a crossover we never imagined would happen, but are excited to see nonetheless. Summer movies wouldn’t be complete without a mention of our renowned superheroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Releasing at the end of July, this movie features Wolverine recovering from his injuries when he crosses paths with the loudmouth Deadpool. They team up to defeat a common enemy. Both Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are reprising their roles as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively. Additionally, Jennifer Garner will be reprising her role as Elektra, which she played in that whole separate Daredevil franchise years ago. With all these superheroes in one movie, we can’t wait for it.
While summer movies are incomplete without superheroes, they are also incomplete without an anticipated animated film. Released in mid-June, Inside Out 2 is currently running in theaters across Pakistan.
When we last saw Riley, the 11-year-old at the center of Pixar’s masterpiece, she was dealing with the fallout of moving to a new city and starting over—something that put her emotions, led by Joy (Amy Poehler), into a free fall. Fast-forward to many years later, and she is now a young woman, dealing with a host of new emotions setting up shop in her mind. Suddenly, the old gang has to deal with many new roommates. Poehler, Phyllis Smith, and Lewis Black return as Joy, Sadness, and Anger, respectively, while Maya Hawke, Tony Hale, and Liza Lapira join the party as Anxiety, Fear, and Disgust.
A romantic comedy set in the 1960s, Fly Me to the Moon follows a NASA director (Channing Tatum) leading the Apollo 11 mission and a marketing specialist (Scarlett Johansson) assigned to rehab NASA’s public image—even if that means filming a fake moon landing, just as a backup.
Scheduled to release in mid-July, the movie puts a comic spin on a serious historic event, adding the spice of romance between two of Hollywood’s beautiful actors. Well, it seems like nothing could go wrong here. It will be entertaining to watch Scarlett Johansson in a rom-com, especially since the first image that comes to mind with her name is Black Widow from the MCU. So, gear up for Fly Me to the Moon.
This action-comedy movie from Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, Spy) has a high-concept premise: A contest in Los Angeles called the Grand Lottery allows competitors a day to hunt and kill the newest lottery winner to take the multi-billion-dollar winnings for themselves. In this case, Awkwafina plays jackpot winner Kate, with John Cena as her loyal amateur jackpot protector and Simu Liu as a rival protector with his own hopes to nab the commission.
With Awkwafina and John Cena at the helm, this action-comedy assures a fun and entertaining watch. However, we will have to wait a while, as Jackpot is slated for an August release.
