7 Sizzling Summer Films

BY: Claire Connors

What’s summer without blockbuster movies featuring sharks (The Meg) and other hot man-eaters (hello, Ocean’s 8) hitting the cinemaplex? Of course, it wouldn’t be PROVOKR if we didn’t add in a sexy romance, an LGBQTI-positive family story, and a riveting documentary about a sorely missed phenom named Whitney. Check out our picks for a hot summer night. A.C. not included.

Ocean’s 8 (opens June 8)

What better way to cash-in on the Ocean’s 11 franchise than to introduce Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), the long-lost (re: incarcerated) sister of Danny Ocean (George Clooney)? With the Met Gala—our favorite event of the year—as the background scenery, Debbie and her ultra glamorous crew including Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Olivia Munn, Helena Bonham Carter, Sarah Paulson, Katie Holmes, Mindy Kaling, and Rihanna, scheme to rip off the most valuable necklace in the world…right under the nose of Vogue editor, Anna Wintour.

The Meg (opens August 10th)

We know what you’re thinking: another shark movie? But if the trailer for this underwater thriller is any indication of what to expect, it’ll be huge. Almost as huge at the creatures attacking a crew trapped in a sunken submersible. The cast is as interesting as the subject matter, with Jason Statham, Cliff Curtis, Rainn Wilson, and our favorite Ruby Rose.

A Kid Like Jake (opens June 1st)

A progressive Brooklyn couple (Claire Danes and Jim Parsons) have always encouraged their boy, Jake (Leo James Davis), to feel comfortable wearing non-conforming clothes and pursuing alternative activities. Once he hits kindergarten, though, they must come to terms with their four-year-old son being “different” from his classmates. How will this effect their roles as parents and their marriage?

Hotel Artemis (opens June 8th)

This is the movie we’re most looking forward to! A Tarantino-like crew of criminal misfits have one place to go when they need medical attention: Hotel Artemis. Run by The Nurse (an unrecognizable Jodie Foster), the worst of the worst law-breakers on earth are being treated in a state-of-the-art hospital hidden deep in the bowels of this glamorous 20s style hotel. Outside, a riot in Los Angeles is raging, while inside The Nurse tries to keep her clients alive. The cast alone is worth the price of a ticket: This Is Us‘ Sterling K. Brown, Atomic Blonde‘s Sofia Boutella, Lost‘s Zachary Quinto, Always Sunny‘s Charlie Day, and the ubiquitous Jeff Goldblum. We can’t wait!

Under the Silver Lake (opens June 22nd)

A sexy mystery set in L.A.? We’re in! Andrew Garfield (currently on Broadway in the winning rendition of Angels in America) stars as a gullible guy who falls quickly in love with his next door neighbor (Riley Keough), only to discover, just as quickly, that she’s disappeared. But did she leave or was she kidnapped? Or was she just a figment of his imagination?

Whitney (opens July 6th)

It’s almost hard to believe it been six years since we lost one of the most powerful voices in music. Whitney Houston was just 48 when she drowned in a hotel bathtub, but the world hasn’t forgotten the diva. Far from it. Which is why this documentary from filmmaker Kevin Macdonald is so anticipated by her fans. The film promises interviews with her family, her husband, Bobby Brown, Clive Davis, and her Bodyguard co-star, Kevin Costner. Whitney, we will always love you.

The Darkest Minds (opens

It’s all out war between a group of teens with mysterious special powers and the evil adults who run the world. Led by actress of the moment, Hunger Games‘ Rue, Amandla Stenberg (who’s name, coincidentally, mean Power in Zulu and Xhosa), the tribe of upstarts must find their way out the world threatening to destroy them and find a new life. Look for This Is Us‘ Mandy Moore and Game of Thrones‘ Gwendoline Christie in the adult camp.