Lights, camera, action! Summer is finally here and the year’s hottest movie season is making a grand debut. Whether you want action, romance, thriller, or a little bit of all three, the current Hollywood movie crop won’t let you down.
Once you have decided on a movie and scored some popcorn and a beverage, all you have to do is sit back in your luxurious theater seating, relax, and enjoy the show.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Brash and bold, Guardians of the Galaxy is the perfect way to end your day. If you’re expecting a typical superhero movie, be prepared: Marvel switched it up this time around.
What to expect: A raccoon named Rocket (Bradley Cooper), a tree-like giant called Groot (Vin Diesel), an avenger known as Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), a deadly assassin called Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and a space-traveling womanizer named Peter Quill (Chris Plat) all come together and make up a group of sassy, self-absorbed, misfit guardians.
Without giving away any spoilers, Guardians offers action, romance, humor, and sheer quirkiness that is refreshingly unique and entirely welcome in the Marvel franchise.
Magic in the Moonlight
Say hello to love, wit, and zaniness in Woody Allen’s newest romantic comedy, Magic in the Moonlight. Coupling an old-fashioned feeling romance similar to Allen’s Midnight in Paris and the quirkiness of Annie Hall, this film is a must-see.
What to expect: A magic expert (Colin Firth) attempts to debunk a 1920s spiritualist (Emma Stone) who has charmed her way into a group of wealthy socialites. Magic in the Moonlight offers brilliance, cleverness, and a little bit of psychic entrancement for unsuspecting audiences.
What If
If you’re ready to see Daniel Radcliffe (the infamous Harry Potter) in a whole new light, check out What If.
What to expect: As a victim of bad relationships, Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) falls for best friend, Chantry (Zoe Kazan), an animator who happens to have a boyfriend already. This one-of-a-kind rom-com poses a universal question: could your best friend actually be the love of your life?
Dying to know the answer? If so, What If is a must-see.
Begin Again
If you loved John Carney’s Once, you might like his second musical romance, Begin Again. Set in the Big Apple, Begin Again is a story of music, love, passion, and failed relationships.
What to expect: When her boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine) wins a record deal, Gretta (Keira Knightley) follows him to New York City. Once fame goes to Dave’s head, Gretta enlists the help of a washed-up music producer (Mark Ruffalo) to record an album of her own.
A Most Wanted Man
Prepare to be shocked, amazed, and terrified in Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s final stroke of genius: he delivers a tour-de-force performance in A Most Wanted Man.
What to expect: As a post-9/11 German intelligence agent, Hoffman is stuck between German rivals and American intelligence. Based on the 2008 novel by John le Carre, A Most Wanted Man is bound to leave you deliciously shocked and satisfied.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
This science-fiction flick not only has an all-star cast, it has an all-star cast that delivers.
What to expect: Watch Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, and Andy Serkis up the ante and compel you to bite your nails at the edge of your seat. Action-packed and entertaining, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes won’t disappoint.
Boyhood
If you have ever tried to figure out exactly who you are and your role in life, Boyhood is the movie for you.
What to expect: Meet Mason and Samantha (Ellar and Lorelei Coltrane), siblings dealing with their parent’s divorce and attempting to figure out where they fit in the whole scheme of things. This heartbreaking coming-of-age story pulls at the heartstrings and highlights the importance of family.
Hercules
Action? Check. Romance? Check. Heartthrob? Check. Hercules has it all.
What to expect: Based on the comic by Steve Moore, this revisionist take on the classic Herculean myth is dirty, dark, and dangerously fun. Watch Hercules (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) battle it out in bloody battles all the while vying for a one-of-a-kind woman.
Lucy
Sci-fi at its finest, Lucy offers brain, butt-kicking, and brilliance.
What to expect: After being kidnapped and drugged with an experimental synthetic hormone, Lucy (Scarlet Johansson) becomes a physical, intellectual, and limitless powerhouse. Lucy offers the total package in terms of action and originality—prepare to be blown away.
Wish I Was Here
Remember Garden State? Zach Braff’s follow up flick is just as funny, fresh, and family-oriented.
What to expect: A struggling actor and father (Zach Braff) tries to find his identity and purpose in life. His wife (Kate Hudson) and father (Mandy Patinkin) are unwittingly (and sometimes unwillingly) along for the ride.
Whether you’re in the mood to see a romance, tragedy, or action-packed thriller, this summer’s hot list of movies surely won’t disappoint. Get your popcorn ready, settle down in your state-of-the-art seats, and lose yourself for a couple of hours at the movies.
