Thor: Love and Thunder, Where the Crawdads Sing Among July’s Must-See Movies

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We may have reached the bleakest month of the year, but there are plenty of movie-watching opportunities in the coming weeks to chase those winter blues away.

For those in need of a trip to the cinema, there’s Kiwi documentary Frocks and Divas, Siegfried Sassoon biopic Benediction (both July 7), Irish period drama The Quiet Girl, Kiwi drama Millie Lies Low and horticultural doco The Gardener (all 21 July) .

However, if you’d rather watch at home: Netflix has a new French youthful version of Dangerous Liaisons (July 8), Disney+ offers social media satire Not Okay (July 29), while Prime Video’s lineup also includes Gen Z -of age story Everything is possible (July 22)

After browsing the schedules, Things to watch We’ve put together a list of the 12 movies we’re most looking forward to this month (and one you should definitely avoid).

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The Black Phone (July 21, cinemas)

Ethan Hawke headlines this supernatural thriller about a 13-year-old boy who is kidnapped and locked in a soundproofed basement. While waiting in hopes of rescue, he begins receiving calls on an apparently disconnected phone from his captor’s previous victims.

“Part Stranger Things, part The Lovely Bones, and part that urban myth that scared you when you were little, The Black Phone is a wonderfully eerie legacy anchored by strong performances from children and adults alike,” wrote National Post’s Chris Knight.

Don’t Make Me Go (July 15, Prime Video)

Shot in and around Auckland and Christchurch last winter, this family drama focuses on the relationship between a single father and his teenage daughter.

After discovering that he has a terminal illness, the couple embark on a road trip to find her stranded mother. John Cho and Mia Isaac star.

The drover’s wife (July 20, rental)

Police Rescue and Wentworth star Leah Purcell wrote, directed and stars in this reinvention of Henry Lawson’s 1892 short story. She plays a pregnant mother of four who finds herself in a predicament when an escaped convict (Rob Collins of RFDS ) arrives at her home while her husband is away to move their supplies.

Following in the footsteps of The Nightingale and Sweet Country, this makes great use of the Australian countryside as a backdrop to searing tension.

The Gray Man (July 22, Netflix)

Avengers: Endgame and Infinity War directors Joe and Anthony Russo co-directed and co-wrote this action thriller based on a 2009 novel by Mark Greaney. Court Gentry is the CIA’s most skilled mercenary, but when he accidentally uncovers an agency’s dark secrets, he becomes the target of international hitmen.

The impressive ensemble includes Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Rege-Jean Page, Alfre Woodard and Billy Bob Thornton.

Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between (July 6, Netflix)

Jennifer E. Smith’s 2015 mega-popular novel gets the rom-com treatment with Talia Ryder and Jordan Fisher teaming up for the story of a couple who decided to go on one last, epic date before breaking up their pact to break up. going for college made up for it.

But as they track the steps, highs, and lows of their relationship, the decision may not be as clear-cut — or easy — as it first seemed.

Conviction (July 15, Netflix)

Jane Austen’s 1817 novel is rebroadcast with this latest version starring Dakota Johnson, Cosmo Jarvis, Richard E. Grant, and Henry Golding.

For those unfamiliar with the story, it’s the story of Anne Elliot, who eight years before the action was persuaded not to marry a rambunctious man of humble origins. Will she seize her chance at true love a second time?

The Phantom of the Open (July 14, cinemas)

British fact-based drama about a dreamer and ruthless optimist – Maurice Flitcroft – who managed to gain entry to qualify for the 1976 British Open Golf Championship, turning himself into a folk hero in the process. Mark Rylance and Sally Hawkins star.

“Rylance’s unassuming, twinkling-eyed performance gives the film a charm that elevates it beyond most audience-friendly awards,” Radio Times’ Terry Staunton wrote.

Press Play (July 28, cinemas)

Science fiction-infused romance about a young woman who gets the chance to save the love of her life when she discovers that the mixtape they created together can transport her back in time.

“Here’s a film that works almost entirely because of its dedication to a really intriguing premise,” wrote Spectrum Culture’s Joe Copling.

The Princess (July 1 Disney+)

Joey King, Dominic Cooper and Olga Kurylenko star in this action fantasy about a strong-willed royal who must save her kingdom after the cruel sociopathic lover she rejects is determined to steal her father’s throne.

Vietnamese director Le-Van Kiet’s background in marital art-based productions permeates the story in the form of multiple fight scenes.

The Sea Beast (July 8, Netflix)

New Zealand’s very own Karl Urban speaks to legendary sea monster hunter Jacob Holland in this animated adventure from one of Moana’s co-directors – Chris Williams. Holland has an epiphany after a stowaway befriends the most dangerous monster of all.

The vocal cast also includes Jared Harris, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Dan Stevens and Kathy Burke.

Thor: Love & Thunder (July 7, cinemas)

Taika Waititi returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with this sequel to Ragnarok, set in a post-Avengers: Endgame universe.

Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster returns, the Guardians of the Galaxy movie, while Christian Bale plays the infamous Gorr the God Butcher. Look out for a host of Kiwi actors, including Russell Crowe and Sam Neill, as well as New Zealand singer Jenny Morris.

Where the Crayfish Sing (July 21, Cinemas)

Daisy Edgar-Jones takes center stage in this highly anticipated adaptation of Delia Owens’ wildly popular 2018 novel.

The former Normal People star plays Kya, a woman who grew up in the swamps of the Deep South, who is now suspected of murdering a man she once had dealings with.

THE TO AVOID

Ask for it (July 20, Neon and other rental services)

Vanessa Hudgens, Kiersey Clemons and Alexandra Shipp join forces for this sinister thriller about a small-town waitress who, after being sexually assaulted on a date, is recruited into a vigilante group of “badass women” on a mission to bring down a society they see as being overpowered by corrupt men. The cast also includes Luke Hemsworth, Radha Mitchell and the controversial Ezra Miller.

“Asking for It is too much like its cardboard heroines: tense on the outside, empty on the inside,” wrote Variety magazine’s Jessica Kiang.