After the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the film industry is still trying to find its sea legs in 2024. While the box office has been lagging, and there’s been no “Super Mario Bros,” “Barbie,” or “Oppenheimer” so far this year, to be fair, most of those hits didn’t arrive until the summer (minus the Nintendo adaptation). While it’s been a relatively slow year at the domestic box office, there have been hits in “Dune: Part Two” and “Godzilla x Kong,”
And, while the movie industry seemingly slowed down production last year because of said strikes, there’s absolutely no lack of content this year. While our list includes 50 films in earnest, about 100 are mentioned in total, there’s a tremendous surplus of movies this year and for all the summer blockbusters, franchises, and animated films (“Deadpool & Wolverine,” “The Fall Guy” and “Inside Out 2” to name a few), there seems to be an emphasis from the mini-majors to tap smaller-looking films that could find broader appeal (see Focus’ strategy with “Didi” and “Touch”).
READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2024
Another interesting trend is the franchise without huge stars, studios seemingly testing to see if the brand itself is enough to be the draw or just trying to invest in up-and-comers that could be tomorrow’s A-listers (see “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” and “A Quiet Place: Day One,” both of which seem to be banking on the franchise itself rather the names that lead them). Regardless, if you’re a cinephile, there’s absolutely something for everyone this summer: the escapist popcorn fare that summer season usually brings (“Mad Max: Furiosa”), but also arthouse titles like “Kind Of Kindness” from director Yorgos Lanthimos and Searchlight Pictures, a two-part Western from Kevin Costner, plenty of A24 and Neon titles and much, much more. Check out our 50-strong preview right here.
MAY
“The Idea Of You”
Filmmaker Michael Showalter (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”) directs Anne Hathaway and “Red, White & Royal Blue” breakout Nicholas Galitzine in a romantic dramedy about a 40-something single mother and her surprise affair with the lead singer of a popular boy band she meets at Coachella (our review).
Release Date: May 2 via Prime Video.
“Evil Does Not Exist”
Academy Award-winning Japanese filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguch (“Drive My Car”) returns with a fairytale about a father and daughter confronted with a new real estate project threatening their ecosystem. Hitoshi Omika and Ryo Nishikawa star (our review).
Release Date: May 3 via Slideshow and Janus Films
“The Fall Guy”
“Bullet Train” filmmaker David Leitch directs an action comedy loosely based on the 1980s series based on a stuntman turned bounty hunter. Ryan Gosling stars as the stuntman, Emily Blunt plays his directing ex, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson features as a global star who goes missing and must be retrieved. Winston Duke, Hannah Waddingham, and Stephanie Hsu co-star (our review)
Release Date: May 3, via Universal Pictures.
“Unfrosted”
After decades in TV, comedian Jerry Seinfeld decides to make his directorial debut with “Unfrosted,” the story of Kellogg’s and Post Cereal competing to rule the breakfast cereal market, creating Pop-Tarts in the process. The massive cast features Seinfeld, Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Amy Schumer, James Marsden, Dan Levy, Christian Slater, Hugh Grant, and more.
Release Date: May 3, via Netflix.
“I Saw the TV Glow”
Director Jane Schoenbrun broke out at Sundance 2021 with the acclaimed “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair.” A24 backs her latest about a mysterious late-night TV show that opens up a vision of a supernatural world. Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Helena Howard, Fred Durst, and Danielle Deadwyler star with an indie-rock soundtrack that features Phoebe Bridgers and more (our review).
Release Date: May 3, via A24
“Wildcat”
Ethan Hawke directs his daughter Maya Hawke (“Stranger Things”) in a biol drama film about American novelist Flannery O’Connor struggling to publish her first novel. Philip Ettinger, Cooper Hoffman, Steve Zahn, Vincent D’Onofrio, Alessandro Nivola, and Willa Fitzgerald co-star (our review).
Release Date: May 3, via Oscilloscope Laboratories.
“Aggro Dr1ft”
Once a provocative so-called enfante terrible, the next chapter in the evolution of filmmaker Harmony Korine is narrative-free experimentalism that’s influenced by video games, VF, and immersive experiences. Shot entirely with thermal heating infrared photography, the film, starring Jordi Mollà and Travis Scott, follows an assassin on a mission to kill a demonic crime lord. What ensues is a psychedelic, surreal experience (our review).
Release Date: May 10, via EDGLRD.
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”
“Maze Runner” film trilogy director Wes Ball steps up to relaunch the ‘Planet Of The Apes’ franchise with a story set 300 years after the last trilogy with a whole new cast of heroes and villains. Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy star.
Release Date: May 10, via Warner Bros.
“Gasoline Rainbow”
Director Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross are traditionally documentaries, albeit ones that create feels that feel loose, free-forming dramatic experiences. They’ve been moving towards more hybrid drama docs in the past, so in the next logical step of their career, “Gasoline Rainbow” is their first drama, albeit one where the dialogue is all improvised. Essentially, it’s about a group of five teenagers from small-town Oregon who pile into a van and embark on one last adventure following the end of high school.
Release Date: May 10, via MUBI
“IF”
John Krasinski directs a family-friendly adventure about Imaginary Friends coming to life as giant, cute, furry CGI monsters. Ryan Reynolds, Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Fiona Shaw are among the humans in the story. Meanwhile, Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Sam Rockwell, and Maya Rudolph are among many of the starry names that lend their voices to the plushy-looking creatures.
Release Date: May 17 via Paramount Pictures.