14 Films To See In June

“Finding Dory”
Synopsis: The friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish reunites with her loved ones, and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way.
What You Need To Know: Pixar has an hit-or-miss record with sequels, with the highs of the two “Toy Story” follow-ups balanced out by the lows of “Monsters’ University” and “Cars 2.” But on the foot of a risky year of original filmmaking that saw unquestioned triumph “Inside Out” win the Best Animated Feature Oscar, while “The Good Dinosaur” underperformed, perhaps it’s to be expected that the company would next slate in as close to a sure thing as they can imagine. “Finding Dory,” the follow-up to the widely beloved “Finding Nemo,” follows Nemo’s daffy friend Dory, played by Ellen Degeneres, with new additions to the cast including Eugene Levy, Kaitlin Olson, Ed O’Neill and Dominic West. But the main reason for hope is that this is ‘Nemo’ director Andrew Stanton’s (also responsible for beloved “WALL-E“) return to the Pixar fold and after the disastrous “John Carter,” and he has something to prove.
Release Date: June 17th

“Central Intelligence”
Synopsis: After he reunites with an old pal through Facebook, a mild-mannered accountant is lured into the world of international espionage.
What You Need To Know: It took longer than expected for Dwayne Johnson to become a megastar. Though always clearly hugely charismatic and a formidable physical presence, some questionable early roles meant that he took a while to become a legit box office draw. But between joining the “Fast & Furious” franchise, last summer’s “San Andreas,” and occasional smart, off-the-wall choices, Johnson’s now one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, and he could well get bigger with this action-comedy. Co-written by “Neighbors” actor Ike Barinholtz, and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber, who’s been a fairly steady pair of hands comedically so far with “Dodgeball” and “We’re The Millers,” this teams Johnson with the ever-rising Kevin Hart. And while the film doesn’t look like it’ll reinvent the wheel, it’s hard to think of many more appealing pairings than these two, particularly as it’ll give Johnson the chance to flex his considerable comedic muscles as well as his actual ones.
Release Date: June 17th

“The Neon Demon”
Synopsis: When aspiring model Jesse moves to Los Angeles, her youth and vitality are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will take any means necessary to get what she has.
What You Need To Know: If you listen to any of my podcasts, you may already be aware that I’m a much-avowed Nicolas Winding Refn fan, reaching all the way back to his 1996 debut “Pusher.” He of course became something of a cinephile crush after wowing most critics and audiences with “Drive,” only to squander that good will in the eyes of many with “Only God Forgives.” Now that Refn’s work is greeted with as much trepidation as excitement from film lovers, he seems to have embraced being a divisive filmmaker. And so, after its Cannes premiere, reactions to “The Neon Demon” covered the gamut, from Jessica Kiang’s mostly-appreciative B+ review — “Spectacular, gross and delicious (so unsavory it’s almost sweet), the film is more proof of Refn’s mastery of his trash aesthetic and more fun than anything this indulgent and empty-headed has any right to be” — to my guest on The Playlist Podcast, who wasn’t a fan. Whatever your reaction may be, a new film from Refn is an event around these parts, so we can’t wait.
Release Date: June 24th (Limited)

“Right Now, Wrong Then”
Synopsis: A film director falls for a young painter – twice.
What You Need To Know: I wouldn’t blame you for wondering why this tiny gem is cited as this month’s must-see film. While it will be hard to find in many theaters across the country, it’s well worth the effort to seek it out. South Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo is not nearly as well-known as his more genre-inclined countrymen like Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho or Kim Jee-woon, but he’s no less important to the country’s decade-plus-long image as a world cinema powerhouse. Something of a Woody Allen analog, if you attend any sizable international film festivals every year you can always bet on at least one new title from him, and they almost always tend to be about filmmakers, missed romantic connections (or even bungled, awkward sexual interludes) while containing meta elements and several scenes of heavy Soju drinking. Our TIFF review was enthusiastic, but just know it’s an utterly charming, subtly funny and thoughtful piece of work. “Right Now, Wrong Then” is a great gateway movie to fall for Hong’s style, with a perfectly calibrated, bifurcated storyline that shows the director at the heights of his particular style.
Release Date: June 24th (Limited)

“Swiss Army Man”
Synopsis: A hopeless man stranded in the wilderness befriends a dead body and together they go on a surreal journey to get home.
What You Need To Know: If you were reading any Sundance coverage this year, the phrase “Daniel Radcliffe farting corpse movie” was likely a familiar one. The hotly-touted directorial debut of music video veterans DANIELS does indeed feature the erstwhile Harry Potter as a dead body, mostly without the ability to speak, but with a fair amount of gas inside him (to the extent that he can be used as a motorboat at one point in the film). But “Swiss Army Man” isn’t a sort of millennial take on “Weekend At Bernie’s.” Well, it sort of is, but it’s a bunch of other things as well, and may have been the most ambitious film at Park City this year. As with many ambitious things, it divided critics: our Russ Fischer called it “a big whiff that rarely connects its characters and situations to humor or empathy,” but it has plenty of fans too, and it’s likely to be one of the conversation movies of the summer, one that it’s surely worth having your own opinion on.
Release Date: June 24th (Limited)