The 29 Best Movies to Watch This Summer

An evil AI. A lost submarine. A gravity-defying airplane stunt. Tom Cruise really outdoes himself in the eighth installment of Mission Impossible (at the ripe age of 60), and I hope he never stops. Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Hayley Atwell, and more join him in the cast.

Now playing in theaters.

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Set during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, Ballerina follows Ana de Armas’s Eve Macarro during her assassin training under the Ruska Roma. Keanu Reeves even makes an appearance, but de Armas’s combat skills are front and center.

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The Life of Chuck takes Walt Whitman’s “I contain multitudes” and turns it into a layered sci-fi journey. Tom Hiddleston stars as the titular Chuck (and Jacob Tremblay as his younger self) in this Stephen King adaptation by The Haunting of Hill House director Mike Flanagan.

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Dakota Johnson stars as a New York City matchmaker caught between one of her high-profile clients (a more-charming-than-ever Pedro Pascal) and her actor ex (a pining Chris Evans). From the director of Past Lives, Celine Song, Materialists is a much-needed romance that also gets real about the finances of modern dating and marriage. This one’s for the lovers (who keep budgets).

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The third film in Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s 28 Days Later series, this chilling installment takes place nearly three decades after the deadly virus outbreak. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, and Ralph Fiennes star in the dystopian zombie flick, which was shot entirely on an iPhone 15.

In theaters June 20.

Brad Pitt stars as a former F1 driver who gets back in the driver’s seat to race, alongside Damson Idris as his teammate. The film was created in collaboration with Formula 1 itself, along with 10 real-life teams and drivers, according to Warner Bros. Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, Tobias Menzies, and more also star.

In theaters June 25.

One of the few standout films from Sundance Film Festival earlier this year is finally making its way out into the world. Writer-director Eva Victor makes an impressive directorial debut, writing, helming, and starring in this film about a woman named Agnes coping with the aftermath of a traumatic event. Naomi Ackie brings warmth as Victor’s co-star. Barry Jenkins produced this one.

In theaters June 27.

Ponyboi might have flown under the radar, but it adds some long-overdue intersex representation to the screen. It was cowritten by and stars River Gallo as an intersex sex worker on the run from the mob in New Jersey after a scheme goes awry. Dylan O’Brien and Victoria Pedretti’s Jersey Italian accents are fabulous.

In select theaters June 27.

She’s back! Allison Williams and Violet McGraw will return for another go with the killer robotic doll. In the era of AI, M3gan couldn’t have returned at a better—or more terrifying—time.

In theaters June 27.

The Jurassic franchise is alive again, with this new film taking place five years after Jurassic World Dominion. Scientists are now after the DNA of the biggest dinosaurs on Earth, which is believed to have healing properties that can benefit humankind. Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali star.

In theaters July 2.

Netflix’s The Old Guard is finally getting a sequel after a five-year-long wait. Charlize Theron returns as Andy, a now-immortal warrior facing “a mysterious threat that could jeopardize everything she’s worked towards for thousands of years,” according to Netflix. KiKi Layne, Henry Golding, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Uma Thurman, and more also star.

On Netflix July 2.

Sofia (Sex Education alum Emma Mackey) accompanies her ill mother Rose (Fiona Shaw) on a trip to Almería, Spain, in search of a healer. During their stay, an intriguing fellow traveler, Ingrid (Vicky Krieps), lures Sofia out of her shell, but her growing independence causes friction with her mom. Based on the book by Deborah Levy.

In theaters June 27.

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s James Gunn’s take on the Superman saga. David Corenswet dons the cape as the Man of Steel, joined by Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. There are a few other supers in the mix too, like Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan), and of course, Krypto the dog.

In theaters July 11.

Nineties icons Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. are back in action in this reimagining of their famous 1997 slasher. This version, directed by Do Revenge filmmaker Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, also features a group of friends whose secret crime comes back to haunt them a year later. But this time, a new set of cool kids fill out the cast: Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Sarah Pidgeon, Gabbriette, and more.

In theaters July 18.

The Summer of Pedro continues with this new film from Midsommar and Hereditary filmmaker Ari Aster. Starring Pascal, Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Austin Butler, and more, Eddington tackles delirium and division in the COVID lockdown era. After watching the premiere at Cannes, our critic wrote, “It’s insightful, gloriously bonkers, and often very funny.”

In theaters July 18.

Meet the new Fantastic Four: Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. In this new, retro-futuristic take on the superpowered quartet, they’ll face off with Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).

In theaters July 25.

Almost 30 years after the original film, Adam Sandler is back on the green as Happy Gilmore. Julie Bowen and Christopher McDonald are also reprising their roles, and they’ll be joined by an A-list newcomer: Bad Bunny.

On Netflix July 25.

Have you ever been on the wrong page with someone you were dating? If so, consider this your Oh, Hi! trigger warning. Written and directed by Sophie Brooks, Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman star as a loved-up couple who embark on a romantic weekend away—except he didn’t realize they were in a relationship.

In theaters July 25.

Real-life husband and wife Dave Franco and Alison Brie co-star and -produce this indie horror, which made waves at Sundance earlier this year. They play Millie and Tim, longtime partners who start a new chapter in their lives together when they move into a remote, suburban home. But a mysterious force starts to take over their bodies, lives, and relationship. For fans of The Substance and The Thing (and true love).

In theaters July 30.

It seems like everything Sofia Carson touches turns into streaming gold, so it’s no wonder Netflix has tapped another one of her films (which she also co-produces). My Oxford Year is a romance that pulls at your heartstrings, following Ana (Carson), an ambitious young woman who goes to grad school at Oxford University to fulfill a lifelong dream. But falling for a charming—albeit cocky—professor (Queen Charlotte’s Corey Mylchreest) sends her life in an unexpected direction.

On Netflix August 1.