Eclectic films to warm your winter
Will Ferrell sings and Dame Judi plays a fairy, in flicks coming to a screen near you, writes James Croot.
Cinemas may be back in New Zealand but, with the world still in the grip of Covid-19, blockbusters are still some way off. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t plenty for film fans to get excited about, whether it be in a movie theatre or on a streaming service.
Among those titles heading to a big screen near you, are Ku Klux Klan drama Burden (June 4), World War II tale Resistance (June 11 and starring Jesse Eisenberg as a young Marcel Marceau), the Roddy Doyle-penned Rosie (June 18), British baking dramedy Love Sarah (June 18), spooky New Zealand International Film Festival returnee In Fabric (June 4), and dark Irish crime story Calm with Horses (June 25).
Meanwhile, Netflix’s ever eclectic lineup includes anime A Whisker Away (June 18), Polish romance 365 DNI (June 7), and Cuban-set Cold War drama Wasp Network (June 19); Apple TV+ debuts Bryce Dallas Howard’s documentary Dads (June 19); and Amazon Prime Video has 7500 (June 19), a terrorist thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
However, after looking at the lineups, we’ve come up with our list of eight greatlooking movies we’re excited to see in June.
(June 12, Disney+)
Originally slated for a cinema release last year, this adaptation of Eoin Colfer’s megapopular 2001 novel has become the Mouse House’ streaming service’s most highprofile debut to date.
Described by its author as ‘‘Die Hard with fairies’’, it’s the story of a 12-year-old Irish prodigy who teams up with his faithful servant, a dwarf and a fairy to rescue his kidnapped father.
The cast includes Josh Gad, Dame Judi Dench and Colin Farrell.
(June 12, Netflix)
Four African-American war veterans return to Vietnam in search of the remains of their fallen squad leader and hoping to find buried treasure, in Spike Lee’s latest joint. The quartet have to face up to forces of humanity and nature, as well as the lasting ravages of the conflict.
Delroy Lindo, Chadwick Boseman, Jean Reno and Giancarlo Esposito are among those to feature.
(June 26, Netflix)
Covid-19 may have scuppered this year’s annual pan-European celebration of song and kitsch, but Will Ferrell is here to plug the gap.
He plays one half of an Icelandic duo (the other being Rachel McAdams) seeking Eurovision glory in this mockumentary. Joining them in the all-star lineup are Pierce Brosnan, Dan Stevens and Demi Lovato.
(June 10, Lightbox)
Originally written as a form of therapy while in rehab, former Transformers and Indiana Jones star Shia LaBeouf attempts to exorcise his demons with this screenplay for a drama about a young movie star going off the rails.
LaBeouf plays a character based on his own father, while Lucas Hedges acts as the actor-writer’s own cypher. ‘‘A sensitive, sincere portrait of a child actor’s dysfunctional upbringing and its devastating fallout,’’ wrote The Hollywood Reporter’s Jon Frosch.
(June 5, Netflix)
Based on the 2009 graphic novel of the same name by Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini, Olivier Megaton directs this action movie featuring Edgar Ramirez, Michael Pitt and Anna Brewster.
It focuses on a bank robber who joins a plot to commit one final, historic heist before the government turns on a mindaltering signal that will end all criminal behaviour.
(June 3, Netflix)
While the gripping television event that is America’s Scripps National Spelling Bee was another Covid-19 casualty in 2020, this documentary at least gives us a chance to remind ourselves what made it special.
It explores the near two-decade trend of Indian American students dominating the competition.
Since 1999, 19 of the 23 winners have been of South-Asian descent, including the last 11 in a row.
(June 11, Cinemas)
Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon return for a fourth and allegedly final culinary journey.
This time the pair have only six days to visit everywhere from the Temple of Apollo at Delphi to the island of Hydra, while arguing about tragedy and comedy, astronomy and biology, myth, history, democracy, and the meaning of life.
‘‘It’s all so silly. But it’s also kind of great, like a single glass of sparkling wine after a really bad day,’’ wrote Time magazine’s Stephanie Zacharek.