Spy
Dir. Paul Fieg
June 5
I’m not quite sure where I sit on Spy. On the one hand, you’ve got Rose Byrne, Jude Law, Bobby Canavale and Jason Statham, all actors I generally dig. Then you’ve got Melissa McCarthy at the center of it all, and I’m still lukewarm on her; thus far in her career McCarthy’s comedy tends to hit a single, mostly flat note for me, despite everybody else seeming to love her. However, word out of SXSW was quite strong, Mike’s “C” review aside. I guess I really do have to see this one for myself.
In Spy, McCarthy stars as Susan Cooper, an unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst and the unsung hero behind the Agency’s most dangerous missions. But when her partner (Law) falls off the grid and another top agent (Statham) is compromised, she volunteers to go deep undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer and prevent a global disaster. Allison Janney, Peter Serafinowicz, Nia Long, 50 Cent and Will Yun Lee help round out the cast.
Jurassic World
Dir. Colin Trevorrow
June 12
Expected to top $110 million on its opening weekend, there is already talk of a Jurassic World sequel. Personally I’ve only seen a couple clips from the movie and what I saw wasn’t very good, and no one else seems to like them all that much either. However, I have fond memories of Jurassic Park, one of the first movies I ever remember seeing as well as one of my favorites of all-time, so that gives me hope Jurassic World could maybe, just maybe, not be a complete and utter disappointment. Plus, I generally want Chris Pratt to do well, even if Guardians of the Galaxy did nothing for me.
Directed by Colin Trevorrow, Jurassic World takes place twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park and brings us back to Isla Nublar, which now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park called Jurassic World. This, of course, leads to all sorts of bad, bad things. Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Vincent D’Onofrio, Irrfan Khan, Omar Sy and Judy Greer co-star.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Dir. Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
June 12
I’ve already seen Me and Earl and the Dying Girl — my review is filed and ready for publishing — and for my money this is among the best movies I’ve seen so far this year, though I admit it does fall almost perfectly within my wheelhouse. However, while it appears to be like just about every other quirky comedy-drama out of Sundance in the last decade, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a hugely affecting film with a lot of heart, one that never feels forced and never feels quirky for the sake of being quirky. The acting is terrific, the writing is terrific, the cinematography is (perhaps shockingly) terrific, and ultimately the film is terrific. Go see it when you can.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl centers on Greg (Thomas Mann), an awkward high school senior determined to coast through his final year as anonymously as possible. He spends most of his time remaking parodies of classic movies with his friend Earl (RJ Cyler), but when classmate Rachel (Olivia Cooke) is diagnosed with leukemia and Greg’s mother forces him to lift her spirits, Greg’s world is turned upside down. Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon and Jon Bernthal round out the cast.
Dope
Dir. Rick Famuyiwa
June 19
Rick Famuyiwa has been mentioned as a possible director to tackle an upcoming Marvel joint, but before that happens — if indeed it does — Famuyiwa’s latest feature Dope is scheduled to hit theaters, and I’m excited to see what all the buzz is about. Dope was a critical success and an audience favorite at Sundance, and judging by its trailer, I have a feeling it could be one of the summer’s finest gems. Or at least I hope it is.
Dope stars Shameik Moore as Malcolm, a young man carefully surviving life in a tough Los Angeles neighborhood while juggling college applications, academic interviews and the SAT. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself. The cast also includes Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoe Kravitz, A$AP Rocky, Forest Whitaker and Keith Stanfield.
Inside Out
Dir. Pete Docter
June 19
With each successive picture since Pixar stumbled critically with Cars 2, many, myself included, have wondered if the animation house is finally “back.” Brave was so-so at best, Monsters University was a step in the right direction, and with Pete Docter (Up) directing Inside Out, I can only hope this is finally the one that makes me go, “Yep, Pixar is back, baby!” The film has received plenty of positive buzz out of Cannes, and it is just a matter of time before the rest of us finally have an opportunity to weigh in.
Billed as a journey inside the depths of the human brain, Inside Out centers on Riley, a young girl uprooted from her Midwestern life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. As Riley and her emotions — Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) — struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues, and Riley’s emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.
Well there you have it, a nice little rundown of the June 2015 release slate, including five must-see films and five more you should consider checking out. June finds us in the midst of the summer movie season, what with Avengers 2 and Mad Max: Fury Road behind us and several blockbusters on the immediate horizon, but it also seems to offer a good bit of counter-programming, so here’s hoping there are some gems for us to unearth over the next few weeks.
I’m going to shut this joint down, so now I turn it over to you. Is there anything I’ve overlooked, or anything I’ve highlighted you aren’t interested in seeing? Am I underestimating what June has to offer? Are you sick and tired of me asking you questions like this and simply looking for a way to get me to shut up? Sound off in the comments below and tell me which five films coming out over the course of the next month are ones you consider must-sees.
