KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 — The summer months are here but it looks like our local cinemas’ release schedule still needs some time to heat up. Other than having dinosaurs, superheroes, and massive gunfight blockbusters riddling the lineup, this June also has a lot of variety of must see titles from different genres, or in much smaller scales. It may be summer, but it is also worth taking this month to enjoy the quieter titles that are on offer, before the explosion comes in to blow your ear drums.
So, if you are looking to find some alternatives from your fast-paced, adrenaline pumping actioners, here are some of the movies not to miss this June!
Jesus is Dead (Patay Na Si Hesus)
Since 2011’s My Paranormal Romance, Filipino director Victor Villanueva is back with his second directorial feature after establishing his name through a series of well-received shorts in the Philippines. After hearing the news that her estranged husband has died, family matriarch Iyay brings her three children; Hubert with Down Syndrome, transwoman Jude, and destitute Jay, on an inter-island road trip in her already small sized minivan to attend their father’s funeral. What is already reading like a Filipino’s take of the endearing Little Miss Sunshine formula, is made even better with Cannes Best Actress Jacelyn Jose leading the pack, through sure hijinx and unwanted passengers.
General release date: June 7
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Nothing screams a summer blockbuster than having a dinosaur movie shown in the summer months. Set three years after the new Jurassic Park has been set loose, letting the dinosaurs roam on the island, former park manager now turned dinosaur activist Claire Dearing is trying to evacuate the dinosaurs from the island as a volcano in the island is ready to erupt. However, as the evacuation goes underway, a sinister scheme surfaces while a new hybrid dinosaur species is discovered. While being replaced by J.A. Bayona on the director’s chair, Colin Trevorrow returns as a co-writer with Derek Connolly. Also returning is the main cast of Bryce Dallas Howard, B.D. Wong, Jeff Goldblum, and Velociraptor whisperer Chris Pratt. New additions to the cast are Ted Levine, Rafe Spall, Toby Jones, Justice Smith, James Cromwell, and Geraldine Chaplin.
General release date: June 7
Incredibles 2
With all the major superhero movies already out of the way (and half of them already dead), you might think there’s no more superheroes to last through summer. Fortunately, Disney has already got you covered from one of their studios that doesn’t start with an M. Pixar brings back its family of superheroes after 14 years, but setting the story shortly after 2004’s The Incredibles, focused more on Elastigirl. Much like Finding Dory, original director writer and director Brad Bird makes his return to his property and to animation since Ratatouille. Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter reprise their Mr and Mrs. Incredible respectively, with Samuel L. Jackson returning as Frozone and Sarah Vowell as Violet. John Ratzenberger voices the Underminer, a villain that briefly appeared at the end of The Incredibles but will be the main villain in the sequel.
General release date: June 14
Champion
Korean beefcake Ma Dong-seok plays as a disgraced arm-wrestling champion who was adopted in America as a child. When his glory days are behind him, the former champion hears about an arm-wrestling tournament in Korea and finds a chance to find his biological mother. This sports comedy is the feature debut for director Kim Yong-Wan but he seems to be in good hands with Ma Dong-Seok and Kwon Yool as his cast. Already showing a strong command of visuals in the trailer, Kim also shows promise of a rather heart-warming story of a family inside the mould of the under seen world of competitive arm-wrestling.
General release date: June 14
Bilai: A New Breed of Hero
Pixar is not the only animation studio with a release this month. We have another animated feature coming from an area that we haven’t heard much of. Made by Barajou Entertainment based in the United Arab Emirates, Bilai is based on the true story of Bilai ibn Rabah, a legendary companion to the Prophet Muhammad and the first person appointed to make the call to Prayer by the prophet. Bilai: A New Breed of Hero premiered in 2015, and was a nominee for the Best Animated Feature for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
General release date: June 14
Ocean’s 8
More than a decade since the last instalment in the Ocean’s trilogy, Steven Soderbergh had decided that there would not be anymore sequels, but a spin-off was developed since 2015. Directed by The Hunger Games’ Gary Ross, much like its male counterpart, Ocean’s Eight is the assembly of a female supercast led by some of the biggest actresses working to date. Sandra Bullock leads as Debbie Ocean; the estranged sister of Danny Ocean in the trilogy. After being let off on parole, Debbie plans a heist on the annual New York Met Gala, assembling the likes of Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, and Helena Bonham Carter. Also appearing in various cameos and undisclosed roles are Dakota Fanning, Katie Holmes, Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams, Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, James Corden and Olivia Munn, with Matt Damon reprising his role from the trilogy.
General release date: June 14
Adrift
This year sees the return of Shailene Woodley to feature film after taking a year off to work on television and among other activist activities. Directed by Baltasar Kormákur, Adrift is based on the true story of survival of Tami Oldham and Richard Sharp; two sailors who were stranded in the Pacific Ocean without food and communication after being caught in a storm. Woodley would take the role of Tami, while she was expected to reunite with Divergent and The Spectacular Now co-star Miles Teller. However, due to scheduling conflicts, she would be starring opposite Sam Claflin which is a good replacement as any.
General release date: June 14
Sicario: Day of the Soldado
When the CIA discovers that the Mexican drug cartels are bringing in jihadist terrorists across the border, they dispatch agent Matt Graver who makes use of hitman Alejandro Gillick for a false flag operation to incite a war between the drug cartels. While 2015’s Sicario is a descent down the path of dehumanising the war on drugs between the United States and Mexico, Day of the Soldado is trying to distance itself from the political aspects of the war. Still written by Taylor Sheridan, with Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro reprising their characters in a new lethal dynamic, this biggest change here is the departure of director Denis Villeneuve, who has moved on to more important projects. For replacement, they have found Italian director Stefano Sollima, who will be making his English debut after a rewarding run for television, including the Netflix original Subura.
General release date: June 28
Human Flow
While it might be highly unusual to suggest a documentary in the middle of escapist entertainment season, this one is important to know of what is going in the world. Controversial Chinese artist and activist Ai Wei Wei was inspired to make this film after recording refugees on his iPhone in Greece. He decided to extend his coverage on refugee flows around the world and his personal experience with them. Human Flow captures the refugee crisis using various technologies including drones and iPhones to show the human connection between us, and that we are more interconnected than we might think for the troubles in the world today. Also made by interviewing experts on the scale of the crisis it is in today, maybe it would be a valuable food for thought before you enjoy your next summer blockbuster.
General release date: June 28 — CinemaOnline
