The summer movie season kicks off each year in the run-up to Memorial Day. Alongside vacations, pool parties, and outdoor grilling, there are plenty of movies that will offer viewers a nice trip to the cool theaters on a hot day. 2024 is shaping up to have an interesting cinematic summer season.
Marvel movies have kicked off the first week of May 13 times, but not this year, though there is one MCU movie being released during summer. In addition, many of the big franchise films had to be delayed from 2024 to 2025 due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA Strikes of 2023. Nonetheless, there are still installments coming for plenty of franchises, such as Planet of the Apes, Alien, Despicable Me, and Mad Max. There are also several high-profile original films like IF, Horizon: An American Saga, and Fly Me to the Moon. The summer movie season this year is also filled with plenty of horror movies, a genre that continues to do well at the box office, and many smaller independent films from the festival circuit getting a wide theatrical release.
Blockbuster franchise entries, bold new original stories, and critically acclaimed films from the festival circuit all make up the summer movie season, with many more in between. Here is MovieWeb's guide to the 2024 summer movie season, theatrical addition. Check out our 2024 summer movie season streaming guide as well
74 Jeanne du Barry - May 2
From French filmmaker and actress Maïwenn,Jeanne du Barry has become a major topic of conversation.Theplot follows Madame du Barry (Maïwenn), who uses her intelligence and allure to rise in society. She becomes King Louis XV's (Johnny Depp) favorite, and they fall in love. Against all propriety and etiquette, Barry moves to Versailles, where her relationship with the king scandalizes the court.
A Potential Johnny Depp Comeback
The movie was one of the most expensive French films made in 2023 and is being positioned as a potential comeback for star Johnny Depp, whose star certainly has fallen following allegations of domestic abuse and a series of poorly received films.
73 The Fall Guy - May 3
The first true big blockbuster of the summer movie season is The Fall Guy, taking the first weekend in May that has often been reserved for Marvel movies. An adaptation of the television show of the same name, The Fall Guy is the Barbenheimer reunion that sees Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt in the lead roles in this action comedy from director David Leitch, who co-directed John Wick and later went on to helm Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, and Bullet Train. The movie centers around Gosling's character, a stuntman who goes to save the missing movie star to prevent his ex-girlfriend's directorial debut from being shut down.
An adaptation of the '80s TV show, ever since The Fall Guy premiered at South by Southwest, it has been getting strong reviews. Highlighted as an ode to the work of stunt performers (fitting since director David Leitch started out as a stunt double), the movie appears to be the right mix of action, comedy, and romance that audiences want from a summer blockbuster. Riding high off the Gosling mania that has been sweeping the past few weeks with his iconic "I'm Just Ken" performance at the Academy Awards and his hilarious SNL-hosted episode, The Fall Guy has the potential to be a great start to the summer movie season.
72 Tarot - May 3
The first horror movie of the summer is Tarot, a movie that follows a group of college friends who start dying in ways that are related to their fortunes after having their tarot cards read by breaking a cardinal rule of tarot reading — never use someone else's deck.
The film features Harriet Slater (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), Jacob Babalon (Spider-Man: No Way Home), Avantika Vandanapu (Mean Girls), Wolfgang Novogratz (The Half of It), and dancer Larsen Thompson. While audiences might associate horror with Halloween, the summer movie season is often a great season for horror films as it gives audiences a break from the big blockbuster events.
71 I Saw the TV Glow - May 3
A24 has found great success releasing horror films in the summer with Hereditary and Talk to Me and is hoping to do the same with I Saw the TV Glow. Directed by Jane Schoenbrun, the movie follows a teenager named Owen (Justice Smith) who is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack.
Schoenbrun Returns with Another Spooky Movie
I Saw the TV Glow has been gaining a lot of positive buzz in the festival circuit, first premiering in the Midnight section at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival as well as screening at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival and South by Southwest. The rest of the cast includes Brigette Lundy-Paine, Ian Foreman, Helena Howard, Danielle Deadwyler, and, yes, Fred Durst in one of two movies he will appear in for A24 during the summer movie season, the other being Y2K. The movie has a limited release on May 3rd before expanding into wide release on May 17, 2024.
70 Lost Soulz - May 3
Lost Soulz was part of the official selection at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. The movie follows aspiring rapper Sol as he is discovered by a group of Gen-Z musicians after performing at a house party. He joins their tour through the heart of Texas and embarks on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip. Sol and his new collaborators bond over their shared pains and longings for the lives they left behind. Bold and brash, yet surprisingly sensitive and vulnerable, these young artists pour their souls into the music they create together.
The novelty of Sol’s newfound family fades as the demons Sol left behind come back to haunt him, including his guilt over abandoning his ailing friend. His sense of self is put to the ultimate test as he seeks refuge from the rootlessness and loss that has defined his existence. Set to a lo-fi, genre-bending hip-hop soundtrack, Katherine Propper's award-winning debut is suffused with hazy and infectious energy and features virtuosic musical performances.
Lost Soulz Review: A Fleeting, Cinematic Odyssey of a Texas Rapper’s Origins
Lost Soulz is a fresh take on leaving behind one life for another through the lens of a Texas-based rapper.69 New Life - May 3
New Life focuses on a mysterious woman who is hunted down by a resourceful fixer sent by the CDC, and the stakes of the pursuit rise to apocalyptic proportions. Directed by John Rosman and starring Sonya Walger, Hayley Erin, and Tony Amendola, this tense thriller currently sits at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 36 reviews.
New Life Was Inspired by All the Right Things
New Life director John Rosman told MovieWeb that he was inspired by a variety of things, from Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Cronenberg's The Fly to even Chernobyl. "Just from picking up what looks like this little black rock into, like, the full-on melting down of the body, was so effective and terrifying. The first episode of Chernobyl is one of the great horror movies of all time." Judging from the influences and acclaim, New Life is one independent film that shouldn't fly under the radar and can be enjoyed by a wide audience.
68 Wildcat - May 3
Wildcat is a biopic of American novelist Flannery O'Connor, struggling to publish her first novel while also drawing heavy inspiration from the writer's short stories. Ethan Hawke directs a cast that includes his daughter Maya Hawke as O'Connor and is rounded out by a supporting cast that includes Rafael Casal, Philip Ettinger, Cooper Hoffman, Vincent D'Onofiro, Steve Zahn, Laura Linney, and Liam Neeson.
An Honest Portrait of Flannery O'Connor from Ethan Hawke
The movie almost fell apart in pre-production when O'Connor's racist writings came out, but director Ethan Hawke decided to move forward, allowing that to inform the depiction of Flannery and examine both the environment in which she grew up to inform those thoughts and dig into the contradictions of her worldview to her more thoughtful writings. The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in 2023 and will open in limited release before expanding into wide release.
67 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes - May 10
The fourth film in the new rebooted Planet of the Apes franchise, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is set nearly 300 years after Caesar's death in War for the Planet of the Apes. When the ape king Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durnard), armed with weapons forged from lost human technologies, perverts Caesar's teachings to enslave other clans, the chimpanzee hunter Noa (Owen Teagues) embarks on a harrowing journey.
The Return of the Apes
Noa travels alongside a human girl named Mae (Freya Allen) to determine the future for apes and humans alike. This highly anticipated entry in the beloved sci-fi series is directed by Maze Runner and future Legend of Zelda director Wes Ball and could kick off a new trilogy for the franchise.
66 Poolman - May 10
Chris Pine, best known for his work in films like Star Trek, Wonder Woman, and Hell or Highwater, not only stars in but also directed Poolman and co-wrote the script with Ian Gotler. The movie tells the story of a pool cleaner in Los Angeles who uncovers a sizable water heist, in the same vein as the classic film Chinatown.
A Star-Studded Noir Made by Chris Pine
Rounding out the cast are Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Jennifer Jason Leigh, DeWanda Wise, Clancy Brown, and Ray Wise. Unfortunately, it received harsh criticism after its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, but co-star DeWanda Wise defended the film to us, saying, "He was extraordinarily specific... The thing about Poolman is, we were playing in such a specific genre. Being directed by him with that degree of both technical and emotional proficiency. I just relished it. I loved it so much."
65 Not Another Church Movie - May 10
A parody movie like Scary Movie or Not Another Teen Movie, Not Another Church Movie is a parody film of religious-based movies, specifically movies that are popular with faith-based crowds, particularly the movies of Tyler Perry as the lead character played by Kevin Daniels named Taylor Perry.
Big Name Cameos for a Church Comedy
The movie is pulling in some big-name comedic cameos, with Mickey Rourke as the Devil and Jamie Foxx as God. With a cast that also includes Vivica A. Fox, Kyla Pratt, Lamorne Morris, and Jasmine Guy, this parody comedy looks to have a lot more potential than high-profile critical duds like Epic Movie or Disaster Movie.
64 Gasoline Rainbow - May 10
Documentary duo the Ross Brothers step into the world of narrative fiction with Gasoline Rainbow. This coming-of-age drama follows five teenagers as they embark on one last adventure to the Pacific Coast. Gasoline Rainbow premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival in 2023 and will have a limited theatrical release on May 10th, followed by a streaming release on Mubi three weeks later on May 31st.
63 IF - May 17
In 2024's second movie based around imaginary friends (after the horror movie Imaginary), IF looks to be a more family-friendly look at the concept (despite being directed by A Quiet Place filmmaker John Krasinski). IF focuses on Bea (Cailey Flemming), who discovers she has the ability to see imaginary friends who go by IFs. She teams up with her neighbor Cal (Ryan Reynolds), who also has the same ability, and looks to find all these lost friends a new home.
An All-Star Voice Cast Including the Late, Great Louis Garret Jr.
Krasinski is surely casting in on his A-list status and years in the industry as he has assembled an all-star voice cast that includes Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Awkafina, Jon Stewart, Blake Lively, George Clooney, Vince Vaughn, Richard Jenkins, Christopher Meloni, Keegan Michael-Key, Amy Schumer, Sam Rockwell, Matthew Rhys, Sebastian Maniscalco, the late great Louis Garret Jr. in one of his final roles and Krasinki's own wife and Academy Award nominated star, Emily Blunt. IF is one of many high-profile original films that are coming out in the summer movie season.
62 Back to Black - May 17
Musical biopics, whether it's Straight Outta Compton or Rocketman, have been notable hits in past summer movie seasons, but there are a lot of questions regarding Back to Black, the biopic about the late Amy Winehouse. Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (50 Shades of Grey) and with Marisa Abela stepping into the role of the iconic singer, it looks to chronicle the brief period of the singer's fame before her tragic passing at the young age of 27. The movie has already opened in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Netherlands, and New Zealand but was held off in the United States for a summer release.
A Divisive Look at a Troubled Singer
Reviews have been mixed, and ever since the film was announced, it has faced a great deal of scrutiny, from being unfavorably compared to the 2015 documentary Amy to many seeing it as partaking in the same media speculation and gossip that haunted Winehouse in her life. This could be a surprise hit of the summer or one that turns the audience off before the opening weekend.
61 The Strangers: Chapter 1 - May 17
It's hard to believe it has been 16 years since the first Strangers movie scared audiences back in the summer of 2008, and then it took 10 years to get a sequel. Now Renny Harlin, a man no stranger to horror (having directed Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master), is bringing The Strangers franchise back with not one, but three films.
The First of an Epic Horror Trilogy
The Strangers: Chapter 1 stars Riverdale's Madelaine Petsch and Teen Wolf's Froy Gutierrez as a couple who, after their car breaks down on their trip to their new home in the Pacific Northwest, get terrorized by the masked killers at their Airbnb. Chapter 1 returns the series to its summer horror roots, with the rest set for undetermined dates later in 2024.
The Strangers Movie Was Originally 'Four and a Half Hours Long,' So Was Cut Into Three Chapters
Speaking at a WonderCon panel, the creators of The Strangers: Chapter 1 discussed the trilogy's place in the canon, its length, and much more.60 Babes - May 17
Pamela Adlon, best known for her award-winning comedy Better Things, makes her debut as a feature film director with Babes. The movie stars Broad City's Ilana Glazer (who also co-wrote the script) as Eden, an aggressively single woman who gets pregnant from a one-night stand; she turns to her best friend Dawn, played by Michelle Buteau, a married mother of two, for help.
Babes premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival earlier this year and earned rave reviews from the audiences, currently sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with 18 reviews. Audiences will remember Ilana Glazer had another pregnancy-themed film released in the summer of 2021, titled False Positive, but this one will certainly be funnier and more lighthearted than that tense picture.
59 You Can't Run Forever - May 17
Lionsgate has always been in the business of delivering good old-fashioned thrillers, and You Can't Run Forever is for anyone looking for a throwback to the 1990s or early 2000s. The movie stars Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons as a sociopathic killer who hunts a tormented teenager through the woods. It is a simple premise but one that an actor like Simmons brings a certain gravitas to. You Can't Run Forever is directed by Michelle Schumacher, who just happens to be J.K. Simmons' wife.
Exclusive: J.K. Simmons on Edward Hopper and Maintaining a Marriage of Artists
J.K. Simmons voices artist Edward Hopper in a new documentary, and spoke with us about the film, art, marriage, and Clint Eastwood.58 Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga - May 24
Mad Max: Fury Road was the surprise movie of 2015, being both a box office hit and a critical darling that eventually went on to be nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, so expectations are high for the prequel, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Starring Anya-Taylor Joy as a younger version of Charlize Theron's character from the previous film, a young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and into the hands of a Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and draws Furiosa into a conflict with Dementus and Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme).
A Memorial Day Blockbuster
George Miller returns to the world of Mad Max after nine years. Furiosa almost didn't happen, as Miller's production company filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. over unpaid salaries, which delayed the production of any additional entries in the franchise; this was finally resolved in 2020. Making a follow-up to a beloved movie like Mad Max: Fury Road is no easy task, but if the trailers for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga are anything to go by, fans will not be disappointed. Warner Bros. certainly is confident in the movie, giving it the prime Memorial Day weekend release date.
57 The Garfield Movie - May 24
Everyone's favorite lasagna-eating, Monday-hating cat is back on the big screen in The Garfield Movie. After Bill Murray's live-action Garfield movie debuted 20 years ago, Chris Pratt is now voicing the titular cat in a new CGI animated film that will introduce the character to a new generation from director Mark Dindal, famous for Cat's Don't Dance and The Emperor's New Groove.
A Great Garfield for a New Generation
After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father, scruffy street cat Vic (Samuel L. Jackson), Garfield and his canine friend Odie (Harvey Guillén) are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic on a heist in the outside world. The cast includes Nicolas Ho as Garfield and Odie's owner, John, and features the voice talents of Ted Lasso's Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein alongside Snoop Dogg, Janelle James, Bowen Yang, Cecily Strong, and Ving Rhames.
56 Sight - May 24
Sight, starring Greg Kinnear (as Misha Bartnovsky) and Terry Chen (as Dr. Ming Wang), follows the true story of Dr. Wang, a Chinese immigrant who defies all odds to become a world-renowned eye surgeon. Drawing upon the grit and determination he gained from a turbulent uprising in his youth, Dr. Wang sets out to restore the sight of a blind orphan.
Angel Studios Looks for Another Hit
Sight is directed by Andrew Hyatt and written by John Duigan, Andrew Hyatt, and Buzz McLaughlin. It is the latest film from Angel Studios, the studio that released Sound of Freedom and Cabrini, is looking to build off the Memorial Day weekend hype.
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Cristiana Dell'Anna portrays Mother Cabrini on her beginning journey to sainthood. David Morse co-stars as the archbishop who underestimates her will.55 The Young Woman and the Sea - May 31
Based on the 2009 book of the same name, The Young Woman and the Sea stars Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) as Gertrude Ederle, an American swimming champion who first won a gold medal at the 1924 Olympic Games. In 1926, Ederle became the first woman to swim 21 miles across the English Channel, which is the main focus of the film. Directed by Joachim Rønning, who is currently working on Disney's Tron: Ares, the film was originally intended to be released on Disney+, but following extremely positive test screenings, they have decided to give the movie a big theatrical release.
The Best Test Screenings Jerry Bruckheimer Has Ever Seen
Jerry Bruckheimer teased at Cinema Con that The Young Woman and the Sea got the best test scores from any film he has ever produced, which certainly says something considering his credits include Top Gun: Maverick and Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. This is a major move for Disney, as they are not moving back to giving a mid-budget film a wide theatrical release, a practice they started to phase out following box office disappointments like The Finest Hour and Million Dollar Arm in favor of doubling down on big blockbusters. Hopefully the movie is good and audiences turn out for it, showing they do want more than just Star Wars, Marvel, and live-action remakes from Disney.
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