David’s Download: Most-Anticipated Original Summer Movies

The summer movie season officially kicks off in May, and studios have several surefire blockbusters lined up for release. Every summer, you can count on a sequel to come out almost every week, which makes the original films all the more exciting. So, instead of counting down a bunch of sequels, remakes, and spin-offs that you have probably already seen advertised, I want to dive into the original fare that is coming soon to theaters. Check out my most anticipated original movies of the summer below.

Hokum (May 1)

Adam Scott stars in this supernatural horror movie about a man visiting Ireland to spread his parents’ ashes. Unfortunately, the inn he stays at turns out to be haunted.

Director Damian McCarthy has shown a real flare for atmospheric horror and perfectly timed jump scares with his previous films, Caveat and Oddity, so I am excited to see what he does with a larger budget and a well-known actor like Scott. (Oddity has a jump scare in particular that made me shriek!)

It’s refreshing to see NEON betting on an original ghost story and giving Hokum a prime release date to kick off the summer movie season.

Obsession (May 15)

May is chock-full of new horror movies, and Obsession seems like it could be a breakout hit.

The story follows a young man who wishes on a mysterious “One Wish Willow” for his crush to love him more than anything, but gets (horrifically) more than he bargained for.

I haven’t seen the “careful-what-you-wish-for” storyline done quite like this before, and the trailer promises plenty of scares, gore, and camp.

Disclosure Day (June 12)

Disclosure Day made my beginning-of-the-year list of anticipated movies, and my excitement has only increased as we approach its release date.

Steven Spielberg is back to in his E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind element with a new alien story that has been kept tightly under wraps.

With an all-star cast of Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, and Colman Domingo, Disclosure Day is sure to be a modern sci-fi classic.

Stop! That! Train! (June 12)

The world’s most famous drag queen, RuPaul, is back on the big screen this June with Stop! That! Train!, an unhinged comedy about a runaway locomotive. (Think a big, gay, comedic version of Denzel Washington’s Unstoppable.)

Along with RuPaul, the comedy stars numerous drag queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race and features a boatload (or rather, train-load) of cameos, including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Lisa Rinna, and more. If the jokes land, this could become a modern-day Airplane or The Naked Gun.

The Invite (June 26)

This A24 production stars Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton as two couples who have a dinner party that goes awry.

The trailer doesn’t give much away, but the buzz coming out of Sundance Film Festival is highly positive for this dark comedy, which is also directed by Wilde.

Cut Off (July 17)

It is rare for straightforward comedies to get wide theatrical releases these days - most are now relegated to streaming, unfortunately - but Cut Off could start to change that trend.

Kristen Wiig is back on the big screen, alongside Jonah Hill, and a knockout supporting cast including Bette Midler, Nathan Lane, and Camila Cabello.

Wiig and Hill play two spoiled siblings who are cut off by their rich parents and must figure out how to support themselves.

Let’s hope this one channels the same energy as its stars’ previous hits like Bridesmaids and Superbad!

The End of Oak Street (August 14)

After Warner Brothers’ streak of original wins over the past year (e.g. Sinners, Weapons, One Battle After Another), I have high expectations for this sci-fi thriller from director David Robert Mitchell and producer J.J. Abrams.

Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor lead a cast of suburban characters who discover their whole neighborhood has been transported to a mysterious place.

The trailer shows a dinosaur chasing Hathaway and McGregor at the end, but hopefully this isn’t simply a Jurassic Park knockoff and there is more to the otherworldly realm. Regardless, I will be seated!

Other originals and non-sequels coming soon:

Tuner (May 22)

Passenger (May 29)

Backrooms (May 29)

Power Ballad (June 5)

The Dog Stars (August 28)

Idiots (August 28)

Now, go see them so Hollywood keeps producing fresh ideas!