That’s a lesson for anyone, not just the children this film is aimed at....
COVER STORY
Horror
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren encounter what would become one of the most sensational cases from their files. The fight for the soul of a young boy takes them beyond anything they’d ever seen before, to mark the first time in US history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defense.
Director: Michael Chaves.
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ruairi O’Connor.
Candyman
Anthony and his partner move into a loft in the now gentrified Cabrini. After a chance encounter with an old-timer exposes Anthony to the true story behind Candyman, he unknowingly opens a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifying wave of violence.
Director: Nia DaCosta.
Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Tony Todd.
Animation
Luca
Luca and his best friend Alberto experience an unforgettable summer on the Italian Riviera. But all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: they are sea monsters from another world just below the water’s surface. The animation looks delightful, and the story is about friendship and about the wonders of getting outside your comfort zone. That’s a lesson for anyone, not just the children this film is aimed at.
Director: Enrico Casarosa.
Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman.
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
Bea, Thomas, and the rabbits have created a makeshift family, but despite his best efforts, Peter can’t seem to shake his mischievous reputation. Adventuring out of the garden, Peter finds himself in a world where his mischief is appreciated, but when his family risks everything to come looking for him, Peter must figure out what kind of bunny he wants to be.
Director: Will Gluck.
Starring: Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, James Corden.
Spirit Untamed
Lucky Prescott’s life is changed forever when she moves from her home in the city to a small frontier town and befriends a wild mustang named Spirit.
Director: Elaine Bogan.
Starring: Isabela Merced, Jake Gyllenhaal, Julianne Moore.
The Boss Baby: Family Business
The Templeton brothers — Tim and his little bro Ted — have become adults and drifted boss baby with a cutting-edge approach and a can-do attitude is about to bring them together again – and inspire a new family business.
Director: Tom McGrath.
Starring: Alec Baldwin, James Marsden, Jeff Goldblum.
PAW Patrol: The Movie
When their biggest rival, Humdinger, starts wreaking havoc as the mayor of Adventure City, Ryder and everyone’s favourite heroic pups kick into high gear to face the challenge.
Director: Cal Brunker.
Starring: Iain Armitage, Will Brisbin, Ron Pardo.
Action
F9
Dominic Toretto and his crew battle the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered: his forsaken brother.
Director: Justin Lin.
Starring: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, John Cena, Sung Kang.
The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard
The world’s most lethal odd couple – bodyguard Michael Bryce and hitman Darius Kincaid – are back on another life-threatening mission. Still unlicensed and under scrutiny, Bryce is forced into scary shenanigans by Darius’s even more volatile wife, the infamous international con artist Sonia Kincaid.
Director: Patrick Hughes.
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek.
Black Widow
For those counting, this is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 24th entry. Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger. It has such a beautiful message about the importance of the family that you choose.
Director: Cate Shortland.
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour.
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins
After saving the life of their heir apparent, tenacious loner Snake Eyes is welcomed into an ancient Japanese clan called the Arashikage where he is taught the ways of the ninja warrior. But, when secrets from his past are revealed, Snake Eyes’ honour and allegiance will be tested – even if that means losing the trust of those closest to him.
Director: Robert Schwentke.
Starring: Henry Golding, Andrew Koji, Úrsula Corberó.
Midnight in the Switchgrass
Based on the true story of Texas’ most dangerous serial killer. FBI agent Karl Helter and his partner Rebecca Lombardi are very close to busting a sex-trafficking ring. When they realize their investigation has crossed the path of a brutal serial killer, they team up with Texas Ranger Byron Crawford. When Rebecca herself is abducted by their target and her life hangs in the balance, Karl and Byron have precious few hours to piece together the last clues and put an end to the infamous ‘Truck Stop Killer’.
Director: Randall Emmett.
Starring: Bruce Willis, Megan Fox.
Drama
In the Heights
The movie adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway hit, this is a feel-good hug of a movie that make you dance in your seat. The story follows characters living in the disappearing Latino neighborhood of Washington Heights, all with their own ideas for fulfilling their American dreams. At the intersection of it all is the likeable, magnetic bodega owner Usnavi, who saves every penny from his daily grind as he hopes, imagines and sings about a better life.
Director: Jon M. Chu.
Starring: Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace.
Fatherhood
A widowed new dad, Matthew, copes with doubts, fears, heartache and dirty diapers as he sets out to raise his adorable daughter, Maddy, on his own. Be ready for tears, though; the story’s based on a memoir and appears to delve into the unexpected loss of Maddy’s mom as much as it does into father-daughter antics.
Director: Paul Weitz.
Starring: Kevin Hart, Alfre Woodard, Melody Hurd.
The Last Letter from Your Lover
Based on a Jojo Moyes novel, this decades-spanning romance toggles between the 1960s, when a young journalist in present-day London becomes obsessed with a series of letters she discovers that recounts an intense star-crossed love affair.
Director: Augustine Frizzell.
Starring: Felicity Jones, Shailene Woodley.
Stillwater
Bill Baker, an American oil-rig roughneck from Oklahoma, travels to Marseille to visit his estranged daughter, Allison, who is in prison for a murder she claims she did not commit. Confronted with language barriers, cultural differences, and a complicated legal system, Bill builds a new life for himself in France as he makes it his personal mission to exonerate his daughter.
Director: Tom McCarthy.
Starring: Matt Damon, Abigail Breslin, Camille Cottin.
Science fiction
Reminiscence
Nicolas Bannister, a rugged and solitary veteran living in a near-future Miami flooded by rising seas, is an expert in a dangerous occupation: he offers clients the chance to relive any memory they desire. His life changes when he meets a mysterious young woman named Mae. When a different client’s memories implicate Mae in a series of violent crimes, Bannister must delve through the dark world of the past to uncover the truth about the woman he fell for.
Director: Lisa Joy.
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, Thandiwe Newton.
Space Jam: A New Legacy
When LeBron and his young son Dom are trapped in a digital space by a rogue A.I., LeBron must get them home safe by leading Bugs, Lola Bunny and the whole gang of notoriously undisciplined Looney Tunes to victory over the A.I.’s digitized champions on the court: a powered-up roster of professional basketball stars as you’ve never seen them before.
Director: Malcolm D. Lee.
Starring: LeBron James, Don Cheadle, Khris Davis.
Free Guy
In this witty action-comedy, a bank teller called Guy realizes he is a background character in an open world video game called Free City that will soon go offline. He and one of the game’s developers set out to save his world from destruction.
Director: Shawn Levy.
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi.
The Tomorrow War
An ordinary man is recruited by time travelers from 30 years in the future to fight in a war against deadly aliens invaders.
Director: Chris McKay.
Starring: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons.
Comedy
The Suicide Squad
The David Ayer–directed version of Suicide Squad bombed with critics, but the band of supervillains forced to do the government’s bidding is getting a second chance, with some fresh additions to the cast and a new director. At the very least, this version looks lit brightly enough so that we can see what’s happening.
Director: James Gunn.
Starring: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena.
Jungle Cruise
Dr. Lily Houghton travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank Wolff’s questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila—his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities—possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest.
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra.
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Edgar Ramírez.
Compiled by SZ
