26 Must-See Summer 2024 Movies to Put On Your Radar
We come to this place...to escape the summer heat.
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Some might say that hot summer days are for throwing on a cute swimsuit and lazing by the pool or beachside. But not me. My ideal summer day is one where I get to escape the heat and go to the movie theater—and not just 'cause it's always freezing in there. I just love big summer movies. Summer is the season of blockbusters, comedies, and light indies—it's arguably the best movie season. And looking at all the new summer movies of 2024, I'm more excited than ever about what's to come.
Not to be confused with movies about the summer, I'm talking about all the buzzy movie releases coming in summer 2024—which officially begins on June 20 (we're cheating a little with this list) and ends on September 22 (and, yes, we're including September releases). Typically, summer movies are fun and escapist adventures, like a superhero movie or family-friendly comedies, but this season's lineup goes beyond that with natural disasters, ghosts, alien invasions, tween emotions, and a double dose of Glen Powell. And if Barbie and Oppenheimer taught us anything in summer 2023, it's that these are the movies you'll be talking about for the rest of the year. So keep scrolling to take note of all the new movie releases worth seeing this summer.
Hit Man — June 7
Summer 2024 belongs to Glen Powell, and Glen Powell only. First, he'll star in Hit Man, a Netflix original action comedy about a professor (Powell) living a double life as a hitman—or at least, he says he is. But what might start out as a fun side gig quickly turns dangerous when he falls for a woman (Adria Arjone) in need of his services.
The Watchers — June 14
Ishana Night Shyamalan (M. Night Shyamalan's daughter) makes her directorial debut with The Watchers, a horror movie about a group of strangers who become trapped in the middle of an untouched forest where unseen creatures watch them at night. The trailer doesn't give too much away other than the fact that the film looks creepy AF and stars Dakota Fanning.
Inside Out 2 — June 14
The highly-anticipated sequel to Pixar's Inside Out is finally here! Riley, the girl whose emotions drive the story, is now officially a teenager, which means there are a few new emotions joining Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust inside her head. And when Anxiety, Envy, Ennui, and Embarrassment take over Riley's emotional controls, it'll be up to the core five to help her get back on track.
Be on the lookout for Inside Out 2's streaming release soon.
The Bikeriders — June 21
Calling all Austin Butler fans! You're not gonna want to miss The Bikeriders, a gritty period drama staring a slightly still Elvis-toned Butler as Benny, a young member of the bikers club The Vandals. As the motorcycle club gets more and more violent and dangerous, Benny will have to choose whether to be loyal to the unpredictable leader, Johnny (Tom Hardy), or to try to go his own way.
The Bikeriders is expected to be available for streaming on Peacock before the end of the year.
A Quiet Place: Day One — June 28
While A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II focused on the survival of the Abbott family, A Quiet Place: Day One goes back to the beginning of the invasion, tracking one woman's desperate search for safety on the day killer aliens arrive on earth. The film stars Lupita Nyong'o and Stranger Things breakout Joseph Quinn alongside Djimon Hounsou, who will reprise his role form Part II.
A Family Affair — June 28
Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman reunite in this Netflix rom-com about a famous but dumb actor (Efron) who starts dating his assistant’s mom (Kidman), much to his assistant’s (Joey King) horror. Whether you’re tuning in to watch Nicole Kidman or because you’ve never gotten over your High School Musical crush, this fun, fluffy rom-com will make for the perfect summer movie night.
Fancy Dance — June 28
Lily Gladstone stars in Fancy Dance, a heartbreaking family drama, as Jax, a Native woman desperate to find her missing sister and take care of her teenage niece, Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson). Co-written and directed by Erica Tremblay, the film examines what it means to be a Native woman in colonized lands and how difficult it can be to hold onto your culture and history.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F — July 3
Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley is finally back in Beverly Hills, and he’s ready to kick some ass and cause a whole lot of chaos in the process. The fourth Beverly Hills Cop film will see the comedian reunite with franchise O.G.s Paul Reiser (as Jeffrey), Judge Reinhold (as Det. Billy Rosewood) and John Ashton (as Sgt. Taggart), and team up with a new detective, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Space Cadet — July 4
Who knew astronaut training could be so… fun? Emma Roberts stars in Space Cadet, a DCOM-reminiscent comedy about a young woman who, through a fluke, ends up being recruited by NASA’s space program. A party girl from Florida, Rex (Roberts) is far from qualified to be trusted to go to space, but once she’s started training, she’s determined to make it all the way. Hijinks abound.
MaXXXine — July 5
The third film in Ti West's A24 horror series finds Maxine (Mia Goth), the sole survivor of X (the first film in this trilogy), back in 1980s Hollywood and desperate to make it in Los Angeles. Pro tip: definitely watch X and Pearl before heading to the theaters for this one. Oh, and be ready for blood. Lots and lots of blood.
Longlegs — July 12
Be warned: Longlegs is a horror-thriller about a Satanic serial killer played by Nicolas Cage, so you know it’s going to be a little effed up. The film follows Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), an FBI agent assigned to track down Longlegs (Cage), a serial killer who leaves confusing, and potentially supernatural, clues. And, yes, it looks as creepy as it sounds!
Fly Me to the Moon — July 12
Connect with your inner conspiracy theorist by watching this 1960s period romantic comedy about a straight-laced NASA astronaut heading to the moon, Cole Davis (Channing Tatum), and Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson), the publicist hired to film a fake moon landing for NASA just in case the real one doesn’t work out.
Twisters — July 19
This revival/reboot of Twister, the 1996 natural disaster action/romance movie, combines everything you want from a summer movie. And by that I mean that it stars Glen Powell as a cocky cowboy storm chaser and Daisy Edgar-Jones as a scientist on a mission to end tornadoes with inexplicable technology. Seriously, what more could you possibly want?
Dìdi — July 26
You might know director Sean Wang for his Oscar-nominated documentary short, Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó. He's making his feature debut with Dìdi, a coming-of-age story about a 13-year-old boy about to go to high school. Dìdi won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award and the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast at Sundance, making it a must-see for lovers of indie films. It also takes place in 2008, so expect a lot of millennial/Gen-Z nostalgia.
Deadpool & Wolverine — July 26
I can't even remember the last summer that went by without a major Marvel release. This year, the Marvel Cinematic Universe summer blockbuster is Deadpool & Wolverine, a movie that will finally bring Deadpool's R-rated world into the MCU. But the real draw is getting to see Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman face off onscreen.
The Fabulous Four — July 26
This one’s for the Book Club girlies! The Fabulous Four is a friendship comedy about four old friends who reunite for a weekend of fun, which turns into a surprise wedding! The film stars Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Megan Mullally, and Sheryl Lee Ralph, so you know it’s going to be a fun time.
Trap — August 2
The return of Josh Hartnett continues with Trap, M. Night Shyamalan’s newest thriller about a father (Hartnett) who takes his teen daughter to a huge pop concert, which so happens to be a massive sting operation to weed out a serial killer known as The Butcher, who, if the trailer is to be believed, is actually Hartnett. Shyamalan is known for his twists, so fans are already theorizing about whether or not Hartnett is the real Butcher, but a serial killer-adjacent Josh Hartnett is good enough for me!
Sing Sing — August 2
Fresh off of his first Oscar nomination, Colman Domingo is starring in Sing Sing, an indie drama about a group of incarcerated men who joins a theater group of fellow inmates to put on an original show. The film, inspired by the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing, also stars formerly incarcerated actors who participated in the program. Tissues are strongly recommended.
It Ends With Us — August 9
The highly-anticipated adaptation of Colleen Hoover's controversial novel about a woman in an abusive relationship. The film starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni was originally supposed to be released earlier this year, but was pushed back due to the SAG and WGA strikes. It's currently scheduled to hit theaters in August.
Cuckoo — August 9
Calling all Hunter Schafer fans! The Euphoria actress stars in Cuckoo, a horror film about a teenage girl who moves to a resort in the German Alps, where her father works. But her idyllic new home soon becomes sinister as she finds herself caught up in a wild and disturbing plot by her dad's boss.
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