Looking at the 2024 new movie release schedule, there’s a lot of great stuff left to come later this year, but most of these didn’t seem to be coming to the box office all that soon. Following the behemoth more than $1 billion release of Deadpool & Wolverine, the calendar’s a little quiet over the next few weeks. Or so I thought.
In actuality though, there are a slew of movies you should absolutely head to the theater for. Let’s talk them out.
Blink Twice
Zoë Kravitz’s filmmaking debut is about a young woman, Frida, who heads to an island with a mysterious billionaire. During her time there, her friend Jess disappears, and she starts to become more aware of some weird goings on. It’s a confident debut from the newcomer, and even better? I had no expectation (either positive or negative) going into my viewing, but am happy to report it’s a whole lot of fun, with notable performances from Channing Tatum, Geena Davis, Naomie Ackie and Alia Shawkat. Check out the Blink Twice trailer if you haven’t and absolutely get to the theater for this one.
The Substance
There’s been a lot of talk about Demi Moore’s nude scenes in the body horror film The Substance, but until this week, it was unclear what ride audiences would be going on. Now, The Substance has a trailer, and another editor on site told me he was so happy watching the movie that he literally “skipped” to his car afterward, referring to it as “slick,” “smart” and “deranged.” Will this be a big crowd pleaser or in the awards conversation? Only time will tell, but it certainly sounds like one for horror auteurs.
Alien: Romulus
It’s hard to believe the seventh installment in a franchise that has been running for decades is gaining as much notice as it is, but our review of Alien: Romulus marked the flick as an exciting surprise, and other critics seem positive on the latest Alien sequel. I saw a scene at CinemaCon earlier this year and it scared the bejesus out of me, so this one was already on my radar, but like Blink Twice and The Substance this one is kicking up the late summer schedule a notch.
Alien: Romulus (our full guide) officially releases August 16th, followed by Blink Twice on August 23rd. The Substance will come last on September 20th, and is not the only upcoming horror project fans of the genre should be excited about this spooky season. But certainly having so much to look forward to at the theater in the coming weeks has been a pleasant surprise.