Summer is the biggest season at the box office. Something about hot, humid days sends people flocking to the air-conditioned theater to sink into a comfy leather recliner. Or, in more recent years, parking themselves in front of their own TV and catching the latest Netflix or Amazon Prime original release.
Summer is also when all the biggest blockbusters, rom-coms, and fun animated features come out between late May and the end of August. While there’s no Barbenheimer to look forward to this year, plenty of must-watch films are still coming up. So, here are our top picks for summer movies 2024.
June
Hit Man
June 7, Netflix
What’s It About: Professional killer Gary Johnson breaks protocol to help a desperate woman trying to flee an abusive husband and finds himself falling for her.
This action comedy with a touch of romance had a limited theater release in May to rave reviews. It promises to be funny, sexy, and thrilling from beginning to end.
Inside Out 2
June 14, Theaters
What’s It About: Teenager Riley’s mind headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone.
Inside Out was a massive hit when it came out in 2016 for the masterful way Pixar handled the themes of change and growing up. It’ll be interesting to see them tackle more complex emotions in this movie now that Riley is a teenager.
Firebrand
June 21, Theaters
What’s It About: In Tudor England, Katherine Parr reluctantly agrees to become the sixth wife of the tyrannical King Henry VIII. Her consent to marry him carries great personal risk, given her predecessors are either vanquished, beheaded, or dead. Perceived as a threat by Henry’s courtiers, they start to cast doubts about her fidelity and turn the increasingly paranoid king against her.
This is the perfect summer movie for history buffs or Six: The Musical fans. It focuses on the final wife of King Henry VIII with Alicia Vikander and Jude Law in the lead roles, and it already looks quite good.
The Bikeriders
June 21, Theaters
What’s It About: Over the course of a decade, a Midwestern motorcycle club evolves from a gathering place for local outsiders to a sinister gang, threatening the original group’s way of life.
This film will be a tense thriller with a great cast, including Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, and Jodie Comer. Trailers so far have been vague, so we look forward to seeing how the whole movie plays out.
A Quiet Place: Day One
June 28, Theaters
What’s It About: The third film in the tense, thrilling Quiet Place series, which covers the day the aliens arrive.
If you loved the first two movies, you have to catch this prequel in theaters. You’ll get more backstory about the mysterious aliens and watch as new characters face unique challenges and settings.
A Family Affair
June 28, Netflix
What’s It About: A surprising romance kicks off comic consequences for a young woman, her mother, and her movie star boss as they face the complications of love, sex, and identity.
Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman play lovers in this upcoming Netflix rom-com. The first trailer dropped this week, making many people who remember Zach from his High School Musical days feel old.
July
Despicable Me 4
July 3, Theaters
What’s It About: Gru welcomes a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who’s intent on tormenting his dad. However, their peaceful existence soon comes crashing down when criminal mastermind Maxime Le Mal escapes from prison and vows revenge against Gru.
Kick back and have fun with another installment in the Despicable Me franchise. Baby Gru already looks adorable, and there are plenty of family and minion hijinks to look forward to.
Fly Me to the Moon
July 12, Theaters
What’s It About: Sparks fly between a marketing executive and a NASA official as he makes preparations for the Apollo 11 moon landing.
Have you ever wanted a romance film set while filming a fake moon landing? Then this movie, starring Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johanson as the leads, is perfect for you.
Twisters
July 19, Theaters
What’s It About: Haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado, Kate Cooper gets lured back to the open plains by her friend, Javi, to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. She soon crosses paths with Tyler Owens, a charming but reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures. As storm season intensifies, Kate, Tyler, and their competing teams find themselves in a fight for their lives as multiple systems converge over central Oklahoma.
This sequel/spin-off of the original 1996 movie looks exciting from beginning to end. And it’ll be easy on the eyes with actors like Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, and Daisy Edgar-Jones.
Deadpool & Wolverine
July 26, Theaters
What’s It About: Wolverine is recovering from his injuries when he crosses paths with the loudmouth, Deadpool. They team up to defeat a common enemy.
Deadpool movies stand out in the Marvel roster with their cursing, violence, and sex. This year, we finally see the Merc with the Mouth team up with Hugh Jackman’s iconic Wolverine, a cross-over fans have wanted for years.
August
Harold and the Purple Crayon
August 2, Theaters
What’s It About: Inside his book, adventurous Harold can make anything come to life simply by drawing it. After he grows up and draws himself off the book’s pages and into the physical world, Harold finds he has a lot to learn about real life.
Will this movie about a grown-up Harold be good? It remains to be seen. The 2-D animation and live-action combination is interesting, but this isn’t a movie anyone asked for.
The Instigators
August 2, Apple TV+
What’s It About: Rory and Cobby are unlikely partners thrown together for a heist. However, when it goes awry, they team up to outrun the police, backward bureaucrats, and a vengeful crime boss.
There’s no trailer for this movie yet, but with Matt Damon and Casey Afflick as the leads, at least you know the acting will be good. We look forward to learning more about the film as we get closer to release.
It Ends With Us
August 9, Theaters
What’s It About: Complications arise when a woman’s high school love interest comes back into her life.
Colleen Hoover’s books have taken off in the last few years. Now we’re finally getting a movie of It Ends With Us, starring Blake Lively in what’s already shaping up to be a dramatic romance.
Borderlands
August 9, Theaters
What’s It About: Returning to her home planet, an infamous outlaw forms an unexpected alliance with a team of unlikely heroes. Together, they battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find a missing girl who holds the key to unimaginable power.
Video game adaptations can be hit or miss. Which one this is remains to be seen. Fans aren’t happy with the casting, but it still looks like a fun and colorful movie.
The Union
August 16, Netflix
What’s It About: Mike, a down-to-earth construction worker, is thrust into the world of super spies and secret agents when his high school sweetheart, Roxanne, recruits him on a high-stakes US intelligence mission.
Fish-out-of-water stories are always fun, and this one starring Mike Wahlberg and Halle Berry sounds no different. There aren’t any trailers yet, but we look forward to seeing them when they drop.
Which of these movies are you most excited to see?
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