Terminator: Dark Fate
I mean…would a bazooka really stop that guy? Like, just moments ago he was able to form a complete double out of a drop of his weird nanobot goo or whatever he’s made out of. I don’t know, I was never really into this franchise as a franchise, I adore the first one, but with each consecutive sequel, they stretch the premise further and further until there’s not much left. I don’t hate the sequels like most, but I don’t think there’s a whole lot of ideas left here to explore in an interesting way, so the best case scenario is that this delivers a kick ass action movie, which…I’m not getting the best vibes of, but I’ll give it a chance.
Terminator: Dark Fate hits theaters on November 1st.
The Nightingale
I adored Jennifer Kent’s debut, The Babadook, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting her follow-up ever since. From what I heard during its festival run, this film is one hell of a beast, and one that a lot of people found disturbing and hard to watch. I can certainly see why, even with the things that are only being hinted at. I’m excited to see how she furthers herself as a filmmaker because The Babadook was such an impressive feature, and an emotionally harrowing one, and to hear that she doubles down on creating an intense environment is something that intrigues me.
The Nightingale will hit select theaters on August 2nd.
Leila
Netflix has done some great things in collaboration with Indian filmmakers in recent years, so I’m of course interested in this, especially as it’s one of the first Indian stories I’ve seen that dives into the dystopian future genre, which something like Ghoul only hinted at. Now, if you click the link, you’ll notice that the like-dislike ratio is nearly 50/50 because apparently people are accusing the people behind it of Hinduphobia, which…is a complaint that I find hard to take seriously considering Hindus make up well over 75% of the Indian population, so it’s basically the equivalent of Christian reactionaries in America. I’ll admit, as someone who doesn’t live there, perhaps there are some nuances I’m missing, but this looks pretty compelling from what I’m seeing, and the comments hardly seem constructive in their criticisms.
Leila will premiere on Netflix starting June 14th.
Toy Story 4
Still not convinced this is necessary, but you know what, I’m all in for Duke Kaboom, Canada’s Greatest Stuntman, voiced by Keanu Reeves. I’m still certainly open to this being good, great even, especially when I keep hearing about how tearjerking the ending is supposed to be. I can’t count out Pixar because when they’re on, they’re on, and this series has long been the projects that set the bar for the studio. So, let’s see where they go with this.
Toy Story 4 opens in theaters on June 21st.
The Art of Racing In The Rain
Sure are a lot of dog movies this year. I gotta say, Kevin Costner waxing philosophical while voicing a dog is not something I thought I’d see. I don’t really know what to make of this, but apparently, it’s based on a bestselling book. Simon Curtis is directing, and he’s done solid enough work through the years, so I can see this being a cute distraction. But man, that Costner narration better take it easy.
The Art Of Racing In The Rain will release in theaters on August 9th.
Downton Abbey
Um…yeah, like I said with the teaser, I haven’t seen the show, so I am getting nothing from this at all. This definitely seems like one of those movies where you have to be a fan of the show to have an appreciation for it, which is fine, I suppose. I doubt I’ll end up seeing this, but it does look handsomely made and well acted.
Downton Abbey hits theaters on September 20th.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
As complicated my feelings are towards Quentin Tarantino, I can’t help but get sucked into this. I’ve already talked about how much I’m looking forward to this when the teaser first released, and my thoughts haven’t changed. The word out of Cannes is good so far, but I haven’t gotten into any details. I feel like, as a storyteller, Tarantino has gotten better over the years, and it’s so obvious how much fun he’s having in this playground. I hope it’s worth it, considering the tricky waters he’s walking on.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood opens in theaters on July 26th.
Thoughts on any of the trailers? Feel free to discuss in the comments!