Top 5 – Awesome Movies Coming Out in June

After a relatively weak May, June is coming in strong.  We are in the thick of the summer movie season and are getting some of the most anticipated movies of the year, including the long-awaited follow up to a Pixar classic.  We also get two of my favorite movies of the year that I have already seen.  Here are my picks for the best movies coming out in June.

5 – AMERICAN ANIMALS (Bart Layton, June 1)

I saw the world premiere of American Animals at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and was blown away by it.  This is a true story about four bored college students who try to get excitement in their lives by pulling off a wild heist.  Director Bart Layton combines documentary interviews with dramatic filmmaking to tell this story about deception.  The four men casted to pull off this heist are all spectacular, particularly Evan Peters who gives one of the best performances of the year.  This movie has to be see to be believed.

4 – SICARIO: THE DAY OF SOLDADO (Stefano Sollima, June 29)

Sicario: The Day of Soldado is a movie that I am hit and miss on in terms of my anticipation.  First, director Denis Villeneuve isn’t back in the directors chair, which is a shame, as he is one of the best directors we have working today.  Also, of all the movies to make a sequel to, did Sicario really need one?  It was critically and commercially successful and is a genuinely great film.  The film looked at government corruption during the war on drugs between the American and Mexican border and showed it from all sides, both good and bad.  I don’t think we needed a sequel, as the movie ended perfectly, but we have one and it looks like it focuses more on Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro’s characters (Benicio being the stand out in the first one), which has me excited.  The film also adds the great Catherine Keener and, according to screenwriter Taylor Sheridan, is much darker than the first, which is insane.  This movie could be either a disaster or a masterpiece and I am intrigued either way.

3 – OCEAN’S 8 (Gary Ross, June 8)

I don’t know if this is a sequel or a side-story, but either way, this movie looks awesome.  Sandra Bullock stars as Debbie Ocean, the sister of famed thief Danny Ocean, who is planning a massive heist at the Met Gala in New York.  The ensemble, like all the Ocean’s movies, is stellar and full of top-notch talent.  Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham-Carter, Mindy Kaling, Rhianna, Sarah Paulson, and Awkwafina all team up to steal from Anne Hathaway.  How could you not want to see this?!  Gary Ross is an underrated director and he looks to have put together a slick, fun film.  I just hope this cast eventually ends up merging with Clooney’s Ocean’s cast and we can have Ocean’s 18.

2 – INCREDIBLES 2 (Brad Bird, June 15)

Incredibles 2 is arguably the most anticipated sequel of 2018.  The original film is a true masterwork and one of the greatest animated movies and superhero movies ever made.  Writer/director Brad Bird created a coming of age film about a family coming to terms with being superheroes.  This sequel drops fourteen years after the original, which might sound crazy, but Pixar has a great track record when it comes to long-awaited sequels, as Toy Story 3 came out eleven years after Toy Story 2 and Finding Dory came out thirteen years after Finding Nemo.  I am always excited for a new Pixar film, and Incredibles 2 has me ecstatic as it is one of my most anticipated movies of 2018.

1 – HEREDITARY (Ari Aster, June 8)

Incredibles 2 would have been a shoo-in at number one at the beginning of the year.  But at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, I saw a movie that I would never forget.  Hereditary is an incredible film.  A smart, twisted, horrifying look at family and dark secrets.  I was able to see this movie twice and it got even better the second time.  I don’t want to give away anything from the plot because it would ruin the experience, but just know, you’ve never seen anything like this.  The cast is outstanding, with Toni Collette giving an unnerving, masterful performance that should garner her awards attention later this year.  Director Ari Aster never pulls his punches, keeping us on the edge of our seat until the final shot, which will shake you to your core.  You never know what is going to happen, which is what makes the movie truly great.  This is a horror masterpiece and far and away the best movie coming out in June.

What movies coming out in June are you excited for?  Comment below or hit me up on Twitter and Instagram, @kevflix, or on Facebook by searching Kevflix.