Upcoming Releases — June

We are officially in the midst of the summer movie season. Four weekends of summer blockbusters down, so many more to go. June has a full, and varied, slate that we can all start looking forward to seeing!

Friday, June 3:
Me Before You — I love Emilia Clarke, who is great as the Mother of Dragons on "Game of Thrones," so I was sold when I saw her in this trailer. Also, I defy you to watch the trailer without getting a little chocked up. Let's hope the movie is half as good as the trailer.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows — I'll be honest, the first movie was somewhat enjoyable as a summer popcorn film. This one adds Stephen Amell and possibly ups the action. It's summer, that should work well.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping  — This is the latest comedy from Andy Samberg and the Lonely Island. It looks pretty hilarious.

Friday, June 10:
Warcraft — True confession — I've never played this game. Based on the trailer, this feels like a "Lord of the Rings" rip off with more CGI and less story. Not sure what to make of it.

Now You See Me 2 — The first film was a pleasant summer surprise a few years back. This time the gang's back — minus Isla Fisher and plus Lizzy Caplan — for some new adventures. This should be a great slice of summer entertainment.

The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Experiment — "The Conjuring" was the rare modern horror thriller that worked for me. I was made at myself I waited so long to see it. The sequel looks equally as creepy. Good thing it's staying light later in the day...

Friday, June 17:
Finding Dory — Pixar movies are hit-or-miss for me, personally. I didn't love "Finding Nemo" so I can't get myself pumped for this one, either. But this is a good piece of family entertainment in the heart of summer.

Central Intelligence — This looks like a decent summer action comedy, starring Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson. The pair have good comic timing, don't take themselves too seriously, and look to be having fun with this movie. Consider me intrigued.

Friday, June 24:
Independence Day: Resurgence — This one is getting a jump on the long Fourth of July weekend. The first "Independence Day" was a revelation a decade ago, and remains among my favorite films. Without Will Smith, it's hard to imagine how this can be on the same level. I'm intrigued nonetheless.

Free State of Jones — This is one of the movies I'm most excited about this summer. I loved the book — based on the true story of Newton Knight, a rebel in every sense of the word, who fell in love with a black woman and fought against the Confederacy in Mississippi during the height of the Civil War. That Matthew McCounaghey is in it is just the icing on the cake.

Wednesday, June 29:
The Shallows — This low-budget thriller features Blake Lively alone in the ocean being hunted by a shark. In other words, my nightmare. "Jaws," which is set during Fourth of July on Amity Island, was the original summer blockbuster. It seems fitting "The Shallows" bows just before the long holiday weekend.