
(Photo by ©Universal Pictures, ©Marvel Studios, ©Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
We saw some encouraging signs early in 2022 that folks were ready to head back to theaters for the ultimate movie-watching experience, but the coronavirus has certainly taken its toll on the industry. As a result, the summer lineup for this year may not be as densely packed as we were accustomed to seeing pre-pandemic, but we’ve still got a whole lot of exciting titles to look forward to. Of course, there’s plenty for superhero fans to cheer about, with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder, and fans of blockbuster action will be delighted by the return of Tom Cruise as the eponymous ace fighter pilot in Top Gun: Maverick. Those with families particularly have a lot to choose from, whether it’s the latest Minions movie, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, or Pixar’s Lightyear, and moviegoers looking for a thrill or two can look to Men, The Black Phone, or Jordan Peele’s latest, Nope. But that’s just a small taste of what the summer has in store, so read on and start marking your calendars!
73%
The highly anticipated latest chapter of the MCU finds Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) trying to keep the multiverse from being destroyed with the help of new friends and old.
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams
Directed By: Sam Raimi
10%
Zac Efron headlines this adaptation of the Stephen King novel about a young girl with extraordinary gifts whose parents attempt to keep her hidden from the secret agency that wants to use those gifts for nefarious purposes.
Starring: Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith
Directed By: Keith Thomas
29%
The original stars of Jurassic Park return together in this trilogy-capper that finds dinos roaming the Earth freely and humans trying to preserve a delicate balance.
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum
Directed By: Colin Trevorrow
87%
Julian Fellowes’ upstairs-downstairs drama hits the big screen for a second outing, following the Crawleys as they travel to the South of France.
Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy
Directed By: Simon Curtis
69%
Jessie Buckley stars in Alex Garland’s latest thriller about a traumatized woman who retreats to the countryside to heal, only to find a new, insidious threat tormenting her.
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Rory Kinnear, Paapa Essiedu, Gayle Rankin
Directed By: Alex Garland
96%
Tom Cruise returns as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in this follow-up to the 1986 Tony Scott film about an intense training school for ace naval fighter pilots.
Starring: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm
Directed By: Joseph Kosinski
87%
The hit Fox animated series leaps to the big screen for its first theatrical feature, as the Belchers attempt to keep business going after a giant sinkhole opens up right in front of their restaurant.
Starring: H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman
Directed By: Loren Bouchard, Bernard Derriman
88%
Maika Monroe stars in this psychological thriller about a young actress who moves to Bucharest and becomes suspicious that she is being stalked by a local serial killer.
Starring: Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, Burn Gorman, Tudor Petrut
Directed By: Chloe Okuno
74%
Chris Evans goes to infinity and beyond in this Pixar prequel of sorts that charts the journey of the “real-life” Buzz Lightyear whose adventures inspired the action figure in the Toy Story films.
Starring: Chris Evans, Taika Waititi, Keke Palmer, James Brolin
Directed By: Angus MacLane
77%
Baz Luhrmann sets his singular vision upon Elvis Presley, played by Austin Butler, chronicling the complicated relationship between Presley and his manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks).
Starring: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh
Directed By: Baz Luhrmann
98%
This live-action/stop motion-animated hybrid mockumentary follows an anthropomorphic shell named Marcel (voiced by Jenny Slate) who embarks on a search for his family.
Starring: Jenny Slate, Rosa Salazar, Thomas Mann, Isabella Rossellini
Directed By: Dean Fleischer-Camp
81%
Scott Derrickson reunites with his Sinister star Ethan Hawke in a new thriller about a kidnapped boy trapped in a basement who realizes he can communicate with his captor’s previous victims.
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies
Directed By: Scott Derrickson
69%
The second film focusing on Despicable Me’s goofy, pill-shaped henchmen sees them working for a young Gru (Steve Carell) for the first time in an effort to help him join a famous supervillain group.
Starring: Steve Carell, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, RZA
Directed By: Kyle Balda
63%
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) just wants to retire in peace, but a new threat in the form of Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) forces him to lean on old allies, with some surprising twists.
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson
Directed By: Taika Waititi
34%
This drama based on the best-selling novel of the same name stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kya, a self-raised girl from the marshlands of North Carolina who becomes the prime suspect in a murky murder case.
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson, Garret Dillahunt
Directed By: Olivia Newman
83%
Details on Jordan Peele’s latest spine-tingler are few and far between, but we know it centers on a California horse ranch where mysterious forces begin to terrorize the human and animal populations.
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Michael Wincott
Directed By: Jordan Peele
56%
This animated adventure tells the story of a down-on-his-luck dog who trains to become a fearsome samurai to protect his village of cats — who all hate dogs, by the way — from a ruthless villain.
Starring: Michael Cera, Samuel L. Jackson, Ricky Gervais, Mel Brooks
Directed By: Mark Koetsier, Chris Bailey, Rob Minkoff
72%
Did you know Superman, Batman, and the other DC heroes all have equally superpowered pets? You’ll get to meet them all in this animated film, as they work together to save their kidnapped owners.
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, Vanessa Bayer
Directed By: Jared Stern
53%
Based on Japanese novel, this action comedy stars Brad Pitt as an assassin looking to retire who is tasked with a final job aboard a bullet train that turns out to be more complicated than he expected.
Starring: Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry
Directed By: David Leitch
40%
Broken Lizard’s Jay Chandrasekhar directs this comedy starring comedian Jo Koy, who plays a fictionalized version of himself as he attends a family Easter celebration.
Starring: Jo Koy, Eugene Cordero, Tia Carrere, Asif Ali
Directed By: Jay Chandrasekhar
86%
This satirical slasher follows a group of friends who gather for a house party and play a murder mystery game, only to discover an actual murder has taken place and they must now play the game for real.
Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha'la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders
Directed By: Halina Reijn
24%
This crime comedy caper stars Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson as a “screw-up” and a dangerous assassin, respectively, who must team up to stay alive when they are mistaken for each other.
Starring: Kevin Hart, Woody Harrelson, Kaley Cuoco, Jasmine Mathews
Directed By: Patrick Hughes
21%
A group of friends gather at a remote getaway in the mountains but soon discover the dark history behind it, forcing them to fight for their survival.
Starring: Joseph Sikora, King Bach, Annie Ilonzeh, Ruby Modine
Directed By: Deon Taylor
38%
Sylvester Stallone stars in this superhero film based on a series of graphic novels about a young boy who discovers a famous hero thought to be dead is actually still alive and seeks him out.
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Javon "Wanna" Walton, Pilou Asbæk, Dascha Polanco
Directed By: Julius Avery
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In the Heights’ Melissa Barrera stars in this thriller about a pregnant woman put on mandatory bed rest who begins to witness supernatural events in her home.
Starring: Melissa Barrera, Guy Burnet, Kristen Harris, Erik Athavale
Directed By: Lori Evans Taylor
82%
B.J. Novak makes his directorial debut with this comedic thriller about a NYC journalist who travels south to investigate the mysterious death of his girlfriend.
Starring: B.J. Novak, Issa Rae, Ashton Kutcher, Boyd Holbrook
Directed By: B.J. Novak
44%
In this sci-fi action adventure, a young boy suspects his father is a superhero after he discovers what appears to be a hideout in his basement, but must defend it with his friends when villains attack.
Starring: Owen Wilson, Walker Scobell, Jesse Williams, Keith L. Williams
Directed By: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
68%
Idris Elba and Sharlto Copley star in this thriller about a man visiting a game reserve in South Africa with his daughters who become prey to a dangerous lion that begins stalking them.
Starring: Idris Elba, Sharlto Copley, Iyana Halley, Leah Jeffries
Directed By: Baltasar Kormákur
71%
George Miller’s first film since Mad Max: Fury Road is this epic romantic fantasy about a woman who encounters a djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.
Starring: Idris Elba, Tilda Swinton, Aamito Lagum, Nicolas Mouawad
Directed By: George Miller
91%
This comedy centers on two Black men and a Latino man who stumble upon a drunk, unconscious white female in their apartment and embark on a chaotic journey to take her someplace safe.
Starring: RJ Cyler, Donald Elise Watkins, Sebastian Chacon, Sabrina Carpenter
Directed By: Carey Williams
91%
This coming-of-age drama follows a 15-year-old girl who discovers her family may be more problematic than she realizes when a car explodes on her street and her father goes missing.
Starring: Swamy Rotolo, Claudio Rotolo, Grecia Rotolo, Carmela Fumo
Directed By: Jonas Carpignano
80%
David Cronenberg returns to the body horror genre with this high-concept thriller about a performance artist who undergoes public surgery to remove newly developed organs.
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, Scott Speedman
Directed By: David Cronenberg
85%
In this quirky mockumentary comedy, an unsuccessful Welsh inventor manages to create an artificially intelligent robot from spare parts who helps him learn some important life lessons.
Starring: David Earl, Chris Hayward, Louise Brealey, Nina Sosanya
Directed By: Jim Archer
94%
Lesley Manville stars in this comedy about a housekeeper whose dream to own a Christian Dior gown takes her on an extraordinary adventure to Paris.
Starring: Lesley Manville, Isabelle Huppert, Jason Isaacs, Anna Chancellor
Directed By: Anthony Fabian