July will see us well into the summer blockbuster season, and while there's the obligatory superhero movie, the coming month gives us two big movies genuinely worth getting excited for, along with the latest from a resurgent Terrence Malick, the sophomore feature of Trey Edward Shults and a bunch of intriguing indies.
Here are the 10 best UK/ROI July releases we've either already seen or are most excited for.
It Comes at Night
Song to Song
War for the Planet of the Apes
David Lynch: The Art Life
The Beguiled
Dunkirk
Scribe
Shin Godzilla
The Big Sick
The Wall
Trey Edward Shults' directorial debut Krisha was one of our favourite films of last year. Though it was essentially a family drama, Shultz' directed his film like a horror movie, so we're highly excited to see him venture into territory closer to horror with his sophomore thriller, which has divided critics (loved it) and audiences (not so much) Stateside.
In cinemas July 7th.
Speaking of divisiveness, Terrence Malick returns this month with his Austin music scene drama, starring Ryan Gosling, Natalie Portman, Rooney Mara and Michael Fassbinder. Unlike most, we believe Malick's recent work is the best of his career, so our excitement for this one is very high.
In cinemas July 7th.
Few would have predicted a rebooted Planet of the Apes series would strike a chord with modern audiences, but here we are with a third installment. This one sees ape leader Caesar (Andy Serkis, the digital Tim Curry) butt heads with an aggressive human general played by Woody Harrelson. Given current world events, this could prove an all too poignant allegory.
In cinemas July 11th.
With Twin Peaks back on our screens and revolutionising TV once again, there's a resurgent interest in the work of its co-creator David Lynch. This documentary looks not at Lynch the filmmaker, but Lynch the multi-faceted artist, exploring his childhood and the years leading up to his feature debut, the instant cult classic Eraserhead.
In cinemas July 14th.
Don Siegel adapted Thomas P Cullinan's novel successfully in 1971, and now Sofia Coppola turns her hand to the work, with Colin Farrell filling in for Clint Eastwood in the role of a Union soldier given refuge by a group of under-sexed Southern women. What could go wrong?
In cinemas July 14th. Read our review
With a slew of WWII movies in production, Hollywood will be hoping Christopher Nolan's epic recreation of the Dunkirk evacuation proves a hit. Nolan may have his flaws when it comes to creating characters, but there are few modern mainstream filmmakers who can rival him when it comes to putting an impressive image on a giant screen, and with his insistence on practical filmmaking, this seems a project custom-made for his sensibilities.
In cinemas July 21st.
As anyone familiar with his stellar turn as a Jazz fan in Bertrand Tavernier's Round Midnight will tell you, few actors portray the simple act of listening quite like Francois Cluzet. In Scribe, playing a transcriber who uncovers a political conspiracy, he's required to do a whole lot of listening in a film said to owe a debt to Coppola's The Conversation.
In cinemas July 21st.
It's been a long wait, but Toho Studios' return to the monster franchise that made its name finally arrives in UK cinemas. A film of surprising depth, the movie explores Japan's growing nationalism and discontent with old western alliances. But it's also a very enjoyable monster movie.
In cinemas July 26th. Read our review
Based on their real life travails prior to marriage, comic couple Kumail Nanjani and Emily V Gordon pen the script for this culture clash comedy that sees Nanjani plays a version of himself, a Pakistani-American forced to deal with his white girlfriend's parents when she succumbs to a mysterious illness.
In cinemas July 28th.
The Wall
In between helming big budget Tom Cruise vehicles Edge of Tomorrow and American Made, Doug Liman directed this more low-key war movie. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and John Cena play a pair of American troops who find themselves pinned behind a wall by an Iraqi sniper. Liman has been praised for his taut direction by US critics.
In cinemas July 28th.