ULTRAMAN: RISING
Netflix/June 14th
Ultraman: Rising is an adaptation of the wildly popular Japanese Ultraman franchise. Ultraman: Rising will introduce a new generation of American audiences to the familiar animated characters. The film follows Ken Sato, a famous but egotistical baseball player living a secret life as the giant superhero Ultraman. Ken is forced to balance his career and hero duties, which gets increasingly complicated when he reluctantly adopts a baby kaiju after defeating her mother.
BREAD & ROSES
Apple TV+/June 21st
From producer Jennifer Lawrence, Bread & Roses offers a powerful window into the seismic impact that the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in 2021 had on women’s rights and livelihoods. The documentary follows three women in real-time as they fight to recover their autonomy. Director Sahra Mani (who also made the documentary A Thousand Girls Like Me) captures the spirit and resilience of Afghan women through a raw depiction of their harrowing plight. The film is said to be both a harrowing inside revelation of the Taliban takeover and an inspiring and universal portrait of womanhood and individuality.
THE ELECTRIC STATE
Apple TV+/June 23rd
From the Russo Brothers (Avengers: Endgame) comes this post-apocalyptic road movie based on the artwork of Simon Stålenhag. Millie Bobby Brown stars as a teenager traversing the American West with a unique robotic companion voiced by Chris Evans. With its striking visual palette and thought-provoking exploration of human connection in a ravaged future, The Electric State could be this summer’s cerebral sci-fi streaming gem.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
Netflix/June 28th
People have been waiting for A Family Affair, which was held up because of the actor’s strike last year. Director Richard LaGravenese (Beautiful Creatures, P.S., I Love You) returns with a bright rom-com that dives deep into cringe. The movie chronicles the ramifications of Joey King’s character after she walks in on her boss (played by Zac Efron) making love with her mother (Nicole Kidman). Believe it or not, Kidman and Efron also played a romantic pair in The Paperboy. This time, things are much brighter and funnier in a movie that includes Liza Koshy and Kathy Bates.
BEVERLY HILL COPS: AXEL F
Netflix/July 3rd
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F is the fourth film in the franchise and was released 30 years after Beverly Hills Cop III—and Eddie Murphy is back as Axel Foley. The film revolves around Axel Foley’s return to Beverly Hills after his daughter Jane’s (Taylour Paige) life is threatened. She and Axel team up with her ex-boyfriend, Detective Bobby Abbot (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who is Axel’s new partner. Axel also teams up with his old pals John Taggart (John Ashton) and Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy.
DESCENDANTS: THE RISE OF RED
Disney+/July 12th
Descendants: The Rise of Red is the fourth entry in the popular Disney Channel Original film franchise, five years after the third film focused on the children of Disney villains. This fourth movie follows a new cast of characters in the form of Red (the daughter Alice in Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts) and Chloe Charming (the daughter of Cinderella and Prince Charming from Cinderella). Brandy reprises her role of Cinderella from the 1997 television film Disney made, making Descendants: The Rise of Red a sequel to the Descendants films and the 1997 Cinderella film.
SKYWALKERS: A LOVE STORY
Netflix/July 19th
The hype for this documentary at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival was as sky-high as its subjects. Jeff Zimbalist’s ‘Skywalkers showcases the love story of two law-breaking, death-defying Russian stuntpeople who sneak to the tallest skyscrapers and traverse the tippy tops, sharing photos of their escapades. The film follows rooftopping influencers Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus as they traverse harrowing heights and share their story with the world, featuring stunning footage likely to induce vertigo even on the small screen streaming on Netflix.
THE INSTIGATORS
Apple TV+/August 9th
The Instigators is a heist comedy about dysfunctional thieves who drag their therapist into their crimes. It seems like the perfect fit for director Brian Liman, who excels at action comedies such as Go, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Edge of Tomorrow, Locked Down, and American Made. The Instigators has a phenomenal cast led by Matt Damon and co-writer Casey Affleck, alongside Hong Chau, Paul Walter Hauser, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jack Harlow, Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, and Ron Perlman.
DAUGHTERS
Netflix/August 14th
A moving portrait of empathy and forgiveness, Daughters traces an eight-year documentary journey by filmmaker Natalie Rae and social change advocate Angela Patton. The film intimately follows Aubrey, Santana, Raziah, and Ja’Ana as they prepare for a momentous Father-Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers. Speaking openly about their aspirations, dreams, and the emotional toll of their father’s absence, compounded by the constraints of virtual visits, these girls reveal profound wisdom and resilience beyond their years. As they navigate heartbreak, anger, and uncertainty, they seize a precious opportunity to forge connections.
THE UNION
Netflix/August 16th
The Union is an action-comedy starring Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, Mike Colter, J.K. Simmons, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Alice Lee, Jessica De Gouw, and Jackie Earl Haley. The plot revolves around a construction worker roped into the espionage world by his former high school girlfriend. The film is directed by Julian Farino, best known for his work directing the HBO series Entourage.