2016’s summer movie season has begun, and there are a lot of sequels, reboots, thrillers, potential blockbusters and flops lined up for the next few months. With a diverse range of films set for release this summer, it’s hard to prioritize which movies to see and which to skip. Here are five movies which you should definitely head to the theaters for. If you want to catch some more movies this summer, a longer list of summer releases can be found here.
1. Money Monster
Release Date: May 13
Led by the superstar duo of George Clooney and Julia Roberts, and directed by Jodie Foster, Money Monster tackles financial crises and inequality in the form of an action-thriller. Clooney plays Lee Gates, the host of a financial TV show, who is taken hostage on air by a former viewer (played by Jack O’Connell) who lost all his savings when he took Gates’ advice. Together, they expose a web of financial corruption, with Gate’s producer, played by Roberts, broadcasting it live. Money Monster looks gripping, intense, and likely to keep audiences on the edges of their seats.
2. X-Men: Apocalypse
Release Date: May 27
It seems like the film industry is over-saturated with superhero movies, and you've probably seen enough at this point. But if you’re willing to watch one superhero movie this summer, pick this one. Oscar Isaac plays Apocalypse, the oldest and most powerful mutant, who recruits four mutants to help him take over the world. Going up against him are Professor X (James McAvoy), Mystique/Raven Darkholme (Jennifer Lawrence) and a group of younger mutants led by Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner. Despite being the ninth film in the X-Men series, this installment has a fresh and intriguing plot, and a star-studded cast to support it, bringing something new to the franchise and making it a strong contender for biggest blockbuster of the summer.
3. Now You See Me 2
Release Date: June 10
2013’s critically acclaimed surprise hit Now You See Me was a shocking, entertaining and smart movie – it kept you guessing and on the edge of your seat. In the sequel, Arthur Tressler’s (Michael Caine) son, played by Daniel Radcliffe, recruits the group of magicians, the Four Horseman, to help him steal from a tech mogul. With Lizzy Caplan (of Mean Girls fame) joining the original cast, the movie looks to be just as fun and suspenseful as the first, but with bigger tricks and twists.
4. Finding Dory
Release Date: June 17
It’s been 13 years since Finding Nemo came out (13!) and it feels like it’s time for a sequel, or at least more of the forgetful fish, Dory, voiced by Ellen DeGeneres. In this movie, Dory, with the help of Marlin and Nemo, sets off to find her family. If Finding Dory is anything like its predecessor, it’s going to be a hit, a classic and a family favorite.
5. Jason Bourne
Release Date: July 29
Matt Damon returns as Jason Bourne, after 2012’s Jeremy Renner-led Bourne Legacy. The trailer doesn’t give a lot of clues about the plot, but it looks like Bourne is back, and looking for answers (about himself and his past again). Not only is Damon back, but so is Julia Stiles, with Alicia Vikander rounding out the cast, making this one of the most promising action thrillers of the summer, or at least more promising than Legacy.
