Summer is always an important time for film. Last year we saw the iconic Barbenheimer release, alongside massive franchise additions such as a new Mission Impossible, and the always present superhero flicks, including Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse and The Flash. Well-regarded auteurs also added to their already stacked filmographies, such as Wes Anderson with Asteroid City. This summer was no different, with a variety of huge releases and new projects from great filmmakers becoming talking points during our time away from school. Here’s six films that stood out.
“Inside Out 2”
It was no surprise that “Inside Out 2” turned out to be the highest-grossing film of the summer. Despite some citing a recent drop in quality, Pixar is still one of the biggest brands in the industry and a sequel to one of their most iconic recent projects was always going to succeed.
The first “Inside Out” is an emotional film about growing up and the struggles that come with adjusting to change as a kid. The second one does close to the same thing, but from a more mature standpoint, as it follows Riley’s transition into high school. For a lot of us, it feels like the character grew with us, as the film tackles more “grown-up” issues, making anxiety a major focal point. It does a great job at this, making the complicated topic accessible and easy to understand for all ages through the use of a crazy-haired orange creature, played by Maya Hawke, wreaking havoc within Riley.
“Inside Out 2” did exactly what it needed to, serving its purpose as an amusing film that can connect with people of all ages.
“Longlegs”
The horror phenomenon of the summer, “Longlegs” took social media by storm due to Neon’s innovative marketing tactics. A serial-killer procedural thriller similar to films like Se7en and Silence of the Lambs, Longlegs follows a young FBI agent, played by Maika Monroe, trying to put together a string of seemingly unsolvable murders.
Filmmaker Oz Perkins sets the uneasy tone of the film wonderfully, using the darkness and Oregon’s woodland scenery to get across a mood akin to David Fincher’s Zodiac. The horror elements stick well too, with demonic imagery and an extremely disturbing Nicolas Cage performance causing most who watched to squirm in their seats. The film itself was polarizing, as it seemed just as many people loved it and hated it.
Wherever you stand, it’s hard to deny the impact Longlegs had within the film sphere this summer.
“I Saw the TV Glow”
The least notable of all the films on this list, “I Saw the TV Glow” did not take the internet by storm like Longlegs did but instead found an obsessive cult following. The second full-length project from filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun, “I Saw the TV Glow” was, in my opinion, one of the best films of the year. A supernatural coming-of-age following the journey of awkward teenager Owen as he searches for his true self, the film transcended the screen and left many, including myself, sitting silently in awe and shock as the credits rolled.
The film is very thematically rich, horrifying its viewers by weaponizing the passage of time and regret as opposed to jumpscares and scary creatures (though there are some pretty unsettling monsters in this). The feelings of dread that this film is able to convey through its story are almost crisis-inducing and may leave your heart aching (speaking from personal experience).
Another thing about “I Saw the TV Glow” that stands out is the soundtrack and score. Done by notable indie artist Alexander Giannascoli (better known as Alex G), the score manages to capture the adolescent, coming-of-age tone of the film while simultaneously unsettling the audience with eerie synths and drones. The soundtrack is also wonderful, with original songs from artists such as Phoebe Bridgers and Caroline Polachek that perfectly capture the mood of the film.
“I Saw the TV Glow” is a film that clearly had a very specific vision behind it, and it does everything perfectly to accomplish it to a tee.
“Trap”
Night Shyamalan is one of the most polarizing filmmakers currently working, and his latest film only further cemented that truth. Starring Josh Hartnett, who is currently experiencing a career renaissance following a role in “Oppenheimer”, “Trap” follows a serial killer at a concert with his daughter trying to escape the police, who have transformed the entire concert into a (you guessed it) trap to catch him.
“Trap” is the kind of film where the lead performance has to be very good for it to work, and Josh Hartnett is indeed very good. His performance as Cooper is nothing but captivating. Hartnett’s natural charisma immediately gets the audience interested in the character, allowing for him to begin to peel back the layers and reveal the more sinister underbelly of Cooper. The other standout aspect of this film is the cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom. Mukdeeprom is most notable for his work on “Call Me by Your Name” or “Challengers”, two films renowned for their cinematography. Mukdeeprom goes crazy in “Trap”, maximizing the concert setting in order to get the best possible shots, even utilizing a split-diopter, something that is very rarely seen these days. The primary controversy around this film is the dialogue and screenplay, a criticism that has always plagued Shyamalan. A large portion of audiences have stated that the dialogue feels unnatural and makes it difficult for the viewer to immerse themselves in the film. I personally disagree with this, as I feel the unnatural dialogue may have more to do with the fact that the majority of the lines are delivered by a serial killer pretending to be a normal guy.
No matter what you think about the writing though, “Trap’s” performances and technical execution are undeniably great and help make this film one of the most interesting of the summer.
“Twisters”
Starring everyone’s new favorite actor Glen Powell, “Twisters” was the second highest-grossing live-action film of the summer, living up to the legacy of its predecessor. A modern-day re-imagining of the classic disaster film from 1996, “Twisters” was the thrilling, edge-of-your-seat theater experience that everyone was hoping for.
The film’s two main attractions are exactly what you’d expect. Tornadoes and Glen Powell. When it comes to the literal tornadoes, “Twisters” is miles ahead of the original 1996 film, which can understandably be attributed to more developed CGI and a larger budget. The original “Twister” is so loved in large part because of how enthralling its disaster scenes are, and “Twisters’” are on par with that. The opening scene of the film, one that left me sitting in my chair with my mouth agape in shock and horror, immediately sets the tone for how upsetting watching the CGI tornadoes devastate people and buildings will be. Glen Powell, on the other hand, is everything but upsetting. His on-screen charisma turns what is a pretty average-written stereotypical character into a very interesting side protagonist for the film. In fact, his character is so infectious that for days after I saw the film I couldn’t stop waving my arm in a circular motion alongside my head and saying “If you feel it, chase it!” in the character’s over-the-top Texan accent. Although he’s not technically the main character, the story runs through him, and in my eyes, he’s the only top-billed actor in this who turns in a performance that’s better than just OK (shout out to Daisy Edgar-Jones’ horrid “Oklahoman” accent).
With grand emotional beats, captivating on-screen disaster, and a true movie star leading the way, “Twisters” was everything a summer blockbuster should be. If you feel it, chase it.
“Hit Man”
No, I am not done talking about Glen Powell. Alongside his role in “Twisters”, he also shined in Netflix’s “Hit Man”, which also released this past summer. A crime dramedy rom-com following a mild-mannered professor who begins going undercover as a “hitman” in order to catch criminals, “Hit Man” was my favorite comedy of the summer.
Directed by one of American independent cinema’s founding fathers, Texas native Richard Linklater, “Hit Man” is a mass blending of genres, something that is hard to execute. But if anyone can do it, it’s Linklater. The film has so many good laughs, while simultaneously maintaining the serious dramatic tone that the events of the story produce. Written by Powell and Linklater, the actions of the protagonist create a hard character to tackle for any actor, but Powell stepped up to the challenge. In his first real chance to show his dramatic range since his “Top Gun: Maverick”-induced stardom began, Powell shined as Gary. There’s a particular sequence in the film where we see a montage of all of Gary’s different elaborate disguises, which are all essentially new characters for Powell to play. Every single one of them is different enough to memorably stand out, including a perfect Patrick Bateman impression. If anyone had any doubts about Glen Powell as a dramatic actor, this summer should’ve completely erased those.
“Hit Man” went a bit unnoticed for my liking due to its streaming-only release, but it should stand the test of time and be remembered as one of this summer’s finest.
