With Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One, Barbie, and Oppenheimer all releasing within two weeks of each other, some great, heartfelt movies won't get the shine they deserve. This isn’t to say that blockbusters aren’t fun or important, but I’d hate to see these two movies fly under the radar:
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken
- There’s a lot to like in this newest offering from Dreamworks, which is why I was so sad that it flopped in the box office. This poor film from Kirk DeMicco was set up to fail with a premiere scheduled between Elemental and the cultural phenomenon that is Barbenheimer. Following Ruby, a teenage Kraken who just wants to blend in with humans—until destiny calls—it’s a really great family watch that constantly subverts our expectations. With sleek animation, fantastic voice acting and a script that could pull on anyone’s heartstrings, there’s no reason you shouldn’t watch this supernatural coming-of-age stunner! Trailer
Joy ride
Another victim of circumstance, Adele Lim’s directorial debut was overshadowed by the closing chapter to the Insidious franchise, which is set to dominate box offices over the weekend. Good for them, I guess, but you should definitely watch this! Centered around Audrey traveling back to her home country of China for what was supposed to be a work trip, it’s a hilarious installment into the raunchy comedy canon; and it has a lot to say about race, class, family, friendship and more. Stephanie Hsu and the rest of the supporting class are great, but Ashley Park holds her own in the leading role. Smartly written, emotionally powerful and absolutely hilarious. There’s also a lot of sneakily well executed moments that make great use of practical lighting. Need I say more? Trailer
Upcoming summer films you should look out for:
- Theater Camp (July 14th)
- They Cloned Tyrone (July 21st)
- Problemista (August 4th)
- Shortcomings (August 4th)
- Strays (August 18th)