USA TODAY International Edition
10 must- see movies that are coming this summer
Among our picks: “Cruella,” “Candyman,” a new “Space Jam” and “A Quiet Place Part II.”
Vin Diesel is saving the world and driving way too fast ( and a bit furious), a Marvel superhero is fighting bad guys ( as usual), and a few horror movies are ready to scare your sandals off. Just like a filled- out vaccination card, these are welcome sights for movie fans. h After the debacle that was 2020 because of COVID- 19, the summer movie season is back, even if it might not exactly be back to normal. Still, it’s a lot better than where we were a year ago: Theaters are reopening across the country, the limited capacity per showing is ticking up, and the films people couldn’t wait for last summer are intermingling with the major movies planned for 2021. Add in that streaming services are now prime- time players ( especially for families with kids who’ve not been vaccinated), and there is plenty to love and see between now and Labor Day. • Here are the 10 movies you absolutely, positively must see this summer.
‘ Army of the Dead’
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana De La Reguera
Director: Zack Snyder
The skinny: After a zombie outbreak turns Las Vegas into a quarantine zone, a group of well- armed mercenaries venture into what’s left of Sin City with 32 hours to steal $ 200 million from an abandoned casino. Unfortunately, the undead residents of the place are smart, fast and ( unfortunately for our heroes) very organized.
• Where to watch: In theaters May 14, on Netflix May 21.
‘ Spiral: From the Book of Saw’
Stars: Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, Max Minghella
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman The skinny: In the ninth film of the “Saw” horror franchise, detec
tive Ezekiel Banks ( Rock, also an executive producer), his father ( Jackson) and a rookie cop ( Minghella), investigate a series of grisly murders bearing the familiar eerie symbol of the trapmaking mastermind Jigsaw.
• Where to watch: In theaters May 14.
‘ Cruella’
Stars: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Mark Strong
Director: Craig Gillespie
The skinny: Dalmation- hating Disney villainess Cruella De Vil gets a liveaction prequel set in 1970s punk- rock London. Stone plays the fashionista Estrella, a young girl with a flair for design who teams up with a pair of fellow mischief- makers and sets her sights on taking down a baroness ( Thompson).
• Where to watch: In theaters and on Disney+ May 28.
‘ A Quiet Place Part II’
Stars: Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Cillian Murphy
Director: John Krasinski
The skinny: The horror sequel picks up from the tragic end of the 2018 hit original, as a mom ( Blunt) and her two kids ( Simmonds and Noah Jupe) venture out into the world, try to keep silent and avoid being attacked by vicious blind monsters, and discover new human threats.
• Where to watch: In theaters May 28.
‘ F9’
Stars: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, John Cena
Director: Justin Lin
The skinny: In the ninth “Fast and Furious” action extravaganza, Dominic Toretto ( Diesel) and his crew welcome old friend Han ( Sung Kang) – who everybody thought was dead – back into the family while dealing deal with dual threats: a returning hacker foe ( Charlize Theron) and Dom’s killer younger brother ( Cena).
• Where to watch: In theaters June 25.
‘ Black Widow’
Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz
Director: Cate Shortland
The skinny: The Avengers’ resident secret agent, Natasha Romanoff ( Johansson) finally gets her own solo Marvel superhero film. The new adventure finds Black Widow facing consequences from her former spy life, reconnecting with her “sister” Yelena ( Pugh) and tackling the mysterious supervillain Taskmaster.
• Where to watch: In theaters and on Disney+ July 9.
‘ Space Jam: A New Legacy’
Stars: LeBron James, Don Cheadle, Zendaya
Director: Malcolm D. Lee
The skinny: A retooling of Michael Jordan’s 1996 “Space Jam,” the new animated/ live- action family comedy finds James ( as himself) taken to a digital landscape by a rogue artificial intelligence ( Cheadle). To escape, the hoops hero teams with Bugs Bunny’s Tune Squad to slam dunk a bunch of monstrously powered- up basketball stars.
• Where to watch: In theaters and on HBO Max July 16.
‘ The Suicide Squad’
Stars: Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, Viola Davis
Director: James Gunn
The skinny: Government honcho Amanda Waller ( Davis) sends a ragtag group of imprisoned supervillains – including Harley Quinn ( Robbie), Bloodsport ( Elba) and Peacemaker ( John Cena) – on a mission to a remote island that involves guerrilla fighters, jungle threats and one ginormous starfish.
• Where to watch: In theaters and on HBO Max Aug. 6.
‘ Respect’
Stars: Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Mary J. Blige
Director: Liesl Tommy
The skinny: The musical biopic chronicles the life of Aretha Franklin ( Hudson), the Queen of Soul, from her childhood in Detroit singing in her father’s ( Whitaker) Baptist church through the 1960s while developing as an artist, navigating personal drama and rising to international superstardom.
• Where to watch: In theaters on Aug. 13.
‘ Candyman’ ( Aug. 27)
Stars: Yahya Abdul- Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Colman Domingo Director: Nia DaCosta
The skinny: Using the original 1992 “Candyman” as an urban legend in its plot, the Jordan Peele- produced horror revamp follows an artist ( Mateen) so intrigued by the myth of a hook- handed killer it becomes an inspiration, even as it does a number on his sanity.
• Where to watch: In theaters Aug. 27.