From films that circulated through major European festivals, such as Venice and Cannes, to Marvel’s new bet on the franchise Thor, July has exciting releases in theaters. Check out 5 productions that hit the screens this month and that are worth a look:
Thor: Love and Thunder (07/07)
Directed by Taika Waititi, responsible for giving more shine to the franchise’s films, the new Marvel film will follow the (clumsy) saga of the God of Thunder in search of inner peace towards retirement. But along the way, he has to face the galactic assassin Gorr (Christian Bale), better known as the Butcher of the Gods. To fight the villain, who wants to exterminate all the gods, Thor will have the help of a providential female addition to the pantheon of Marvel heroes: ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) now assumes the persona of the Mighty Thor.
The event (07/07)
In 1963, 23-year-old student Annie Ernaux became pregnant with the boyfriend she had just met. Unable to count on his or her family’s support, she alone faced a crucifixion in an attempt to have an abortion in France, at a time when the procedure was still illegal. Based on the book of the same name written by Ernaux, now 81 years old, the film – more current than ever – portrays in a raw and emotional way the dangers encountered by the protagonist during her harrowing journey. The production won the Golden Lion for best film at the 2021 Venice Film Festival.
Elvis (07/14)
Starring Austin Butler as Elvis Presley, the biopic will follow the singer’s life and rise to fame from his relationship with controlling businessman Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). Well-received by audiences during its North American release, the production will also explore the rock king’s relationship with Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge), who became a source of inspiration for the singer and later his wife.
crimes of the future (07/14)
Director David Cronenberg’s long-awaited return to the screen made those with weak stomachs drop out of the screenings at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Set in a future in which humans can modify the biological composition of their bodies, the film follows the life of a couple of artists who exhibit in performances the metamorphoses their organs have gone through. In the midst of this, a young woman decides to track them down with a single objective: to find out what the next phase of human evolution will be. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux and Kristen Stewart, the film contains many horror sequences and grotesque scenes.
the black phone (21/07)
Inspired by the eponymous short story by Joe Hill, son of horror king Stephen King, the film tells the story of Finney Shaw, a 13-year-old boy kidnapped by a serial killer and held captive in a soundproof basement. The scenario changes when a black telephone, the only object in the place, rings and the boy begins to hear the voice of the killer’s previous victims, trying to help him escape. Starring Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames, the production is directed by Scott Derrickson, of the excellent The entity.