Lester 2018 Serious Movies Summer Guide

"Lester 2018 Serious Movies Summer Guide"

Everyone knows about those high profile - potential block buster films coming out from May to late August such as “Deadpool”, “Solo: A Star Wars Story” and “Jurassic World – Fallen Kingdom”. Now here is my list of other films with much broader themes and intriguing plots that could be equally great that you should seriously consider putting on your cinematic calendar this 2018 summer.

‘Terminal’ (May 11)

Margot Robbie and Simon Pegg star in a stylish, twisty-turny crime saga about assassins on a mission, and the femme fatale who makes their assignment more complicated. If the plot is amazing then Terminal could be a real winner, but either way the big draw here is Robbie, hot off an Oscar nomination for I, Tonya and - if the trailer can be believed - giving a performance just about as wild as Harley Quinn.

‘American Animals’ (June 1)

From director Bart Layton (The Imposter) comes a based-on-a-true story about a group of childhood buddies who decide to steal the world’s most valuable book. Barry Keoghan (The Killing of a Sacred Deer), Evan Peters (X-Men: Days of Future Past) and Blake Jenner (Super Girl) star in a heist movie that had critics raving out of the Sundance Film Festival, and which looks like it could be a Bottle Rocket for a new generation.

‘Adrift’ (June 1)

Adrift is based on the true story of two avid sailors who set out on a journey across the ocean in 1983. Tami Oldham and Richard Sharp didn't anticipate they would be sailing directly into one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history. Shailene Woodley as Tami Oldham. Sam Claflin as Richard Sharp.

‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ (June 8) – Documentary

Filmmaker Morgan Neville examines the life and legacy of Fred Rogers, the beloved host of the popular children's TV show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."

‘Hereditary’ (June 8)

From the studio that brought you The Witch and It Comes At Night, comes another low budget thriller with lots of critical acclaim. Toni Colette (The Sixth Sense) stars as a woman whose mother’s death reveals unspeakable, inescapable truths about her family history. As of this writing, Hereditary has a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting that its mysteries are well worth unlocking.

‘Oceans Eight’ (June 8)

The Ocean’s Eleven series continues with another all-star heist caper, this time with an all-female cast. Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna, Sarah Paulson, Helena Bonham Carter, Awkwafina and Anne Hathaway co-star, in a film directed by Gary Ross (The Hunger Games), that promises to be just as slick and stylish as Steven Soderbergh’s original.

‘Hotel Artemis’ (June 8)

Set in riot-torn, near-future Los Angeles, HOTEL ARTEMIS is an original, high-octane action-thriller starring Jodie Foster as The Nurse, who runs a secret, members-only hospital for criminals.

‘TAG” (June 15)

A group of friends has been playing the same game of tag for decades, but now the game is ending, and everyone only has one chance to tag the champion, Jerry (Jeremy Renner). Jon Hamm, Hannibal Buress, Jake Johnson and Ed Helms co-star in a film about taking a schoolyard game way too far, combining action and humor in what could very well be an exciting way.

‘Under the Silver Lake’ (June 22)

Young and disenchanted Sam meets a mysterious and beautiful woman who's swimming in his building's pool one night. When she suddenly vanishes the next morning, Sam embarks on a surreal quest across Los Angeles to decode the secret behind her disappearance, leading him into the murkiest depths of mystery, scandal and conspiracy.

‘Sicario: Day of the Soldado’ (June 29)

Denis Villeneuve’s crime thriller “Sicario” the sleeper film of the decade became a breakout critical success as well with an uncompromising view of border politics and violent drug trade. The sequel promises even more action and ethical compromise, as Graver (Josh Brolin) re-teams with the mysterious Alejandro Gillick (Benicio Del Toro) for another clandestine operation, which does not go as expected. Original Sicario screenwriter Taylor Sheridan returns to keep telling the story, this time directed by Stefano Sollima (Gomorrah). EARLY BUZZ. Absolutely on par with the 2015 original. Benicio Del Toro may get Oscar Nomination.

‘Damsel’ (June date TBA)

Samuel Alabaster, an affluent pioneer, ventures across the American frontier to marry the love of his life, Penelope. As his group traverses the west, the once-simple journey grows treacherous, blurring the lines between hero, villain and damsel.

‘Sorry to Bother You’ (July 6)

One of the most acclaimed films from this year’s Sundance Film Festival stars Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out) as a telemarketer who discovers that the secret to success is to talk like a white person. Tessa Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok), Jermaine Fowler (Superior Donuts), Omari Hardwick (Being Mary Jane), Terry Crews (Deadpool 2) and Armie Hammer (Call Me By Your Name) co-star in the feature debut of writer/director Boots Riley. The buzz is electric for this movie, so keep it on your calendar.

‘Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot’ (July 13)

After nearly dying in a car accident, the last thing Oregon slacker John Callahan intends to do is give up alcohol. Encouraged by his girlfriend and a charismatic sponsor, Callahan reluctantly enters a treatment program and discovers that he has a knack for drawing. The budding artist soon finds himself with a new lease on life when his edgy and irreverent newspaper cartoons gain a national and devoted following.

‘Searching’ (Aug. 3)

John Cho is David, a widower desperately searching for his missing daughter. Debra Messing is the detective assigned to the case. As David digs into his daughter’s Facebook and email accounts, he learns disturbing truths about her life.

‘The Happy Time Murders’ (Aug. 17)

From the director of The Muppet Christmas Carol comes a hardboiled murder mystery… with puppets. The Happytime Murders stars Bill Barretta as a puppet private eye, who teams up with a human detective played by Melissa McCarthy to stop a serial killer who is targeting 1980s TV stars. Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph and Joel McHale co-star in what might just do for puppets what Who Framed Roger Rabbit? did for cartoons, bringing them back into the limelight to be looked at with fresh eyes.

‘Crazy Rich Asians’ (Aug. 17)

Kevin Kwan’s best-selling novel comes to the big screen, with Jon M. Chu (Now You See Me 2) directing the glamorous tale of love and affluence. Constance Wu (Fresh Off the Boat), Gemma Chan (Secret Diary of a Call Girl), Henry Golding (A Simple Favor), Awkwafina (Ocean’s 8), Ken Jeong (The Hangover) and Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) star in the exceptionally promising new romantic comedy.

‘Alpha” (August 17)

Albert Hughes, the co-director of The Book of Eli and Menace II Society, makes his solo directorial debut with this prehistoric survival saga, about a young boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who gets separated from his clan, befriends a wolf, and fends off dangerous elements and dangerous carnivores in order to get home again. The caveman genre may not be a particularly popular one, but Hughes knows action, and this could be an unexpected late summer hit.