10 Movies to Watch in June

      While the summer movie season began more robustly than last year, June is somewhat lacking in major blockbusters. However, a closer look reveals several noteworthy films, from the standout title that premiered at Sundance earlier this year to the eagerly awaited revival of a zombie franchise, as well as compelling documentaries and a thrilling shark movie.

      10. F1 (Joseph Kosinski; June 27)

      Following his less-heralded follow-up to Top Gun: Maverick with Spiderhead, Joseph Kosinski returns to grand-scale filmmaking with F1. While the idea of branded entertainment featuring a sports league may seem less exciting compared to his previous work that boldly showcased U.S. military propaganda, the $300 million budget may well allow Kosinski to deliver thrilling, high-octane action.

      9. Hot Milk (Rebecca Lenkiewicz; June 27)

      Emma Mackey is set for a significant year with Julia Ducournau’s Alpha and James L. Brook’s highly anticipated return in the upcoming Ella McCay, not to mention future roles in projects by J.J. Abrams and Greta Gerwig. She began the year at Berlinale with Hot Milk, written and directed by Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Ida, Disobedience) and featuring a cast that includes Vicky Krieps, Fiona Shaw, Pasty Ferran, Yann Gael, Vangelis Mourikis, and Vincent Perez. Savina Petkova noted in our Berlinale review, “Lenkiewicz has a deep connection to the source material that inspired her screenplay and directorial vision and has enlisted perfect collaborators to bring this project to life: cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt, editor Mark Towns, and a cast that includes Mackey, Shaw, and Krieps, who portrays Sofia’s intriguing love interest, Ingrid. This adaptation emphasizes externalized emotions that resonate strongly, captured in long takes and precisely timed cuts that maintain the intensity without overflowing, accompanied by performances that vividly bring the characters to life.”

      8. Materialists (Celine Song; June 13)

      Fresh off her Best Picture-nominated debut, Past Lives, writer-director Celine Song presents her romantic comedy follow-up, Materialists, this month. The film features a strong cast, including Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal, and follows a young, ambitious matchmaker named Lucy (Johnson), who grapples with the choice between her ideal match and her imperfect ex. A24 has chosen a wide release instead of a festival debut; we’ll soon find out if this strategy pays off.

      7. 7 Walks with Mark Brown (Pierre Creton and Vincent Barré; June 20)

      One of the most beautiful titles I encountered at last year’s New York Film Festival was Pierre Creton (A Prince) and Vincent Barré’s serene, rejuvenating documentary 7 Walks with Mark Brown. The film follows paleobotanist Mark Brown on seven walks through Normandy’s flora, presenting a captivating second half best enjoyed unspoiled. It will be released in the U.S. starting June 20 at BAM in NYC.

      6. Dangerous Animals (Sean Byrne; June 6)

      With Jaws marking its 50th anniversary, a summer movie season would be incomplete without a shark film. Sean Byrne, known for The Loved Ones, returns after a decade to deliver Dangerous Animals, the most noteworthy entry in the genre since Jaume Collet-Serra’s The Shallows, while also incorporating elements of a serial killer narrative. The film shines due to Jai Courtney’s memorable portrayal of a villain, who finds innovative ways to deliver his victims to perilous waters. While it might merely serve as a 90-minute thrill ride, the direction exhibits enough skill to make it feel like a genuine summer entertainment experience.

      5. The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire (Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich; June 6)

      A visually captivating directorial debut that destabilizes narrative conventions, The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire emerged as one of my standout finds from last year’s New York Film Festival. This post-biopic on Caribbean surrealist Suzanne Césaire interrogates the process of translating a life into film, with Cinema Guild set to release Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich’s feature on June 6 at BAM, launching a special 35mm print tour. David Katz noted in his NYFF review, “The Ballad of Suzanne Césaire strives to highlight its primary literary and historical context but draws more attention to its dreamlike elements and natural phenomena—such as the ‘wind in the trees.’ The titular character and her husband Aimé were key figures in the négritude movement, which sought to engage Francophone literature with African heritage. Through extensive research and collaboration with academics and the Césaire family, Hunt-Ehrlich’s bold formal structure often keeps us from fully grasping these efforts, as ‘feeling’ often overshadows comprehension. The vibrant Caribbean soundtrack emphasizes its identity as