10 Most Anticipated Films - May and June 2016

When I put together a list of my most anticipated films of March and April, I had intentions to see every film I listed by the time May rolled around. Unfortunately I only saw 7 of the 10, and I can't take blame for The Lobster since its release was delayed until this month (and I won't include it despite the fact that I am still excited because one list is enough). Of those 7, I either really liked or completely loved 6 of them. Sorry Batman v Superman, you got a passing grade from me but that's as far as I am willing to go and the fact that I really haven't even thought about the film much since then tells you how little it resonated with me.

May and June have some big titles, and it's important to remember that I am not necessarily looking for only the movies that I expect to be great, but rather whatever intrigues me for any reason. A few of the blockbusters I plan on seeing over the next two months are far from guarantees to be great or even any good at all, but I still can't wait to see them.

Captain America: Civil War - May 6th

Many people across the world have already gotten the chance to go see Captain America: Civil War in theaters, but here in the U.S. we are still waiting...but the wait is about to end. I already have my tickets to see it both late Friday night and again on Sunday afternoon, both in IMAX and I can't wait. I expect a terrific and entertaining cinematic experience.

Dheepan - May 6th

Honestly, I don't really know much about Dheepan. I haven't seen a trailer or read a plot synopsis or anything. So why am I eagerly anticipating it? Because it won the Palm d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival last year, a top prize that has gone to some truly special films in the past. I actually plan on keeping it this way and avoiding any information or footage and going into the experience with a completely clean slate.

X-Men: Apocalypse - May 27th

The entire Batman v. Superman thing went well beyond the film itself, with fans angry at critics for sharing their honest (and in my world pretty accurate) issues with the film and the box office results being big yet disappointing for the mega budget film. Now Civil War comes out and the hype is enormous. Lost a bit in the shuffle is the newest X-Men film, but trust me, I haven't forgotten. I loved Days of Future Past and adding Oscar Isaac to the mix is never a bad thing.

Me Before You - June 3rd

Yep, I included a sappy, drippy romantic story. No, I have no idea if I will even remotely enjoy this film, but it is talked about often in my household because my wife and her best friend both read and loved the novel it is based on. As such, they will likely dislike the movie more than me because I have nothing to compare it to and zero expectations, and being completely honest, I am a sucker for sappy, drippy romantic stories as long as they are made well. Hopefully Me Before You fits that bill.

The Conjuring 2 - June 10th

One of the bigger surprises for me back in the summer of 2013 was just how terrific The Conjuring was, because truthfully I expect very little from most modern horror films, especially those that seem to follow a similar formula and promote being produced by the people who brought us Insidious or Saw or Sinister, because much of those movies fail to interest me. Director James Wan really nailed the first film, and while I hesitate to get excited about horror sequels too often, his return to the directors chair for this one has me optimistic. 

Warcraft - June 10th

No film has me more befuddled this summer movie season than Warcraft. Why? Because the trailer looks like really mediocre, been there done that before blockbuster stuff and I feel very little excitement from a pieced together advertisement for the film meant to excite. The problem with this is the picture is directed by Duncan Jones, which may mean nothing to you but the man crafted the BRILLIANT film Moon back in 2009 and then delivered another winner with Source Code in 2011. This is his first foray into big budget territory and I am hopeful that he was giving full reign by the studio to pour his creativity into Warcraft and can transcend the less than impressive marketing campaign thus far.

Finding Dory - June 17th

I am far more excited these days for Pixar when they release original material like the beautiful and pretty much perfect film Inside Out, but the fact that Finding Nemo is so good makes a follow up impossible to resist. When you have a single digit child in your household, it's a safe bet that most animated films will be seen on opening weekend and Finding Dory will be no exception. Considering how terrific some of the films we see are, I'm not complaining.

The Neon Demon - June 24th

With the exception of Dheepan, this list has been pretty much big, profitable films that everyone knows about...until now, and ironically The Neon Demon is the one I am most excited for. Nicolas Winding Refn, the man who directed visionary pictures like Drive and Only God Forgives is set to bring us his new work and man does it look terrific. Of course it will likely be polarizing much like OGF is (booed at Cannes and still hated by man), but after multiple viewings I consider it to be absolutely masterful, a movie that sits comfortably in my top 100 of all time. Drive, by the way, is in my top 20, so yes, if a new Refn is due out I am going to shoot it to the top of my must see list.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople - June 24th

Taiki Waititi, the wonderful mind that helped bring What We Do In The Shadows to us last year and has been tasked with directing Thor: Ragnarok for Marvel due out next year, brings a film that looks and sounds absolutely delightful called Hunt for the Wilderpeople. The reviews have been outstanding and the trailer is immensely appealing so I can't wait to check this one out for myself.

Unfortunately that June release date is when it will hit a limited amount of theaters, so it may not play near you or I until well after, but it technically comes out then so I had to include it.

Independence Day: Resurgence - June 24th

Is the sequel to Independence Day going to be any good? Lord only knows. It's a sequel to Independence Day released 20 years after the first film. It's a complete crap shoot if it turns out to be surprisingly great or a total mess. On the positive side, the trailer shows that it will probably deliver what should be expected from the film and it has Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman among others returning and Maika Monroe is a new addition as a 20 years older version of the President's daughter. So yeah, shit or not, I will be there excited for this baby.