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Summer Movie Calendar 2022

A month-by-month breakdown of the best summer movies 2022 has to offer, from Thor: Love and Thunder and Jurassic World: Dominion to Lightyear and Nope.

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Images from Jurassic World: Dominion, Nope, Thor: Love and Thunder, Lightyear, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

(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 movieMarcel the Shell with Shoes On, or Pixar’s Lightyear, and moviegoers looking for a thrill or two can look to MenThe 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!


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.
Directed By: Sam Raimi

Firestarter (2022)
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.
Directed By: Keith Thomas

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.
Directed By: Colin Trevorrow

Julian Fellowes’ upstairs-downstairs drama hits the big screen for a second outing, following the Crawleys as they travel to the South of France.
Directed By: Simon Curtis

Men (2022)
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.
Directed By: Alex Garland

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
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.
Directed By: Joseph Kosinski

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.

Watcher (2022)
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.
Directed By: Chloe Okuno

Lightyear (2022)
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.
Directed By: Angus MacLane

Elvis (2022)
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).
Directed By: Baz Luhrmann

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.
Directed By: Dean Fleischer-Camp

The Black Phone (2021)
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.
Directed By: Scott Derrickson

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.
Directed By: Kyle Balda

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.
Directed By: Taika Waititi

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.
Directed By: Olivia Newman

Nope (2022)
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.
Directed By: Jordan Peele

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.

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.
Directed By: Jared Stern

Bullet Train (2022)
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.
Directed By: David Leitch

Easter Sunday (2022)
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.
Directed By: Jay Chandrasekhar

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.
Directed By: Halina Reijn

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.
Directed By: Patrick Hughes

Fear (2023)
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.
Directed By: Deon Taylor

Samaritan (2022)
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.
Directed By: Julius Avery

Bed Rest (2022)
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.
Directed By: Lori Evans Taylor

Vengeance (2022)
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.
Directed By: B.J. Novak

Secret Headquarters (2022)
46%
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.
Directed By: Henry Joost , Ariel Schulman

Beast (2022)
69%
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.
Directed By: Baltasar Kormákur

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.
Directed By: George Miller

Emergency (2022)
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.
Directed By: Carey Williams

A Chiara (2021)
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.
Directed By: Jonas Carpignano

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.
Directed By: David Cronenberg

Brian and Charles (2022)
84%
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.
Directed By: Jim Archer

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.
Directed By: Anthony Fabian

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