We’ve spent much of this week looking at summers past in search of the best the movie season has to offer, and the answer was clear. It’s Jaws. Jaws is the best summer blockbuster. With that debate settled, though, it’s time to look forward to this coming summer which promises movies to satisfy all tastes and interests. Who knows, maybe the next great summer blockbuster will be among them.
We polled our entire staff — from the critics to the columnists, from the interns to the big boss man himself — and the results are below. Keep reading for a look at FSR’s most anticipated movies of summer 2018.
Avengers: Infinity War (4/27)
“The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.”
It should surprise no one that we’re looking forward to a new Marvel film as they’ve succeeded in building something pretty special over the past decade. It’s been a mixed bag, to be sure, but there are enough characters here who we care about to make this a must-see. The risk, of course, is that there are too many characters, but the hope is that Infinity War is more The Avengers (2012) than Age of Ultron (2015).
Terminal (5/11)
“In the dark heart of a sprawling, anonymous city, Terminal follows the twisting tales of two assassins carrying out a sinister mission, a teacher battling a fatal illness, an enigmatic janitor and a curious waitress leading a dangerous double life. Murderous consequences unravel in the dead of night as their lives all intertwine at the hands of a mysterious criminal mastermind hell-bent on revenge.”
Writer/director Vaughn Stein is making his feature debut here, but the real draw is the intriguing premise and a cast that includes Margot Robbie, Simon Pegg, and Mike Myers. Robbie is hot off of I, Tonya, this is Myers’ first feature since 2010’s Shrek Forever After, and Pegg… well who doesn’t love a little Pegg.
Deadpool 2 (5/18)
“After surviving a near-fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the Yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor – finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover.”
The first film has its detractors, but if you’re on its wavelength the movie is just a pure blast of fun. The trailer for the sequel suggests we’re in store for more of the same, which is fantastic, and even better news? Director David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, John Wick) means the action will be kick-ass too.
On Chesil Beach (5/18)
“Based on Ian McEwan’s novel. In 1962 England, a young couple find their idyllic romance colliding with issues of sexual freedom and societal pressure, leading to an awkward and fateful wedding night.”
This one wasn’t really on my radar, but that’s why we do these with group input. McEwan’s most successful adaptation of one of his novels remains 2007’s Atonement, so this marks a reunion of sorts with star Saoirse Ronan. That’s more than enough to make me want to see it.
Solo: A Star Wars Story (5/25)
“During an adventure into a dark criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his future copilot Chewbacca and encounters Lando Calrissian years before joining the Rebellion.”
I’m a bit torn on this one. This latest Star Wars entry just feels like a big bag of meh to me, and I’d prefer they start making “new” stories, but Ron Howard’s made some good movies, and this cast — Thandie Newton, Paul Bettany, Woody Harrelson, Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Clint Howard — is terrific. It just looks so safe and easy, but I hope to be proven wrong.
Upgrade (6/1)
“Set in the near-future, technology controls nearly all aspects of life. But when Grey, a self-identified technophobe, has his world turned upside down, his only hope for revenge is an experimental computer chip implant called Stem.”
I haven’t attended SXSW for a few years now, but it wasn’t until Leigh Whannel’s latest premiered that I began to regret that decision. Everything about this one looks to be right up my alley with its blend of action, sci-fi, and bloodletting.
Ocean’s 8 (6/8)
“Debbie Ocean gathers a crew to attempt an impossible heist at New York City’s yearly Met Gala.”
This female riff on the popular Ocean’s 11 films got more votes from our staff than any other film, so yeah, we’re pretty excited to watch some brilliantly talented actors — Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Sarah Paulson, Anne Hathaway — alongside the entertaining likes of Mindy Kaling, Katie Holmes, Rihanna, Olivia Munn, and many more in a fun and twisty heist flick.
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