It feels like we’ve blinked and we’ve gone from mid-March to the start of June as we’re hoping to see the light at the end of the tunnel during this pandemic.
As we spend our next few evenings coming to the conclusion that we don't have five friends to invite round to sit in the garden, streaming services have been working hard to secure some big-name films to deliver to their platforms in June.
The Downton Abbey Movie deserves an honourable mention (released on Sky Cinema June 26), but while I’m unable to track the type of audience this blog gets, it probably doesn't fulfil the target audience - despite it being a 5* film.
Open that diary, there’s some great films available to stream in June.
Enjoying these articles? Check out more - Netflix Hidden Gems, Fun Summer Films and TV Series to Binge.
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) – Netflix - (Available June 26)
Director: Ol Parker – 114mins – Age Certificate: PG
After the incredible success of 2008’s Mamma Mia – the highest grossing UK film of the year, trouncing The Dark Knight and Quantum of Solace – it was only a matter of time that ABBA would earn some more royalties and release a second film.
It took ten years, but nevertheless Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again hit cinemas in summer 2018, with only Avengers: Infinity War making more money at the UK box office that year. Critics seem to rate this film higher than the original, which is good going for a prequel/sequel.
This musical rom-com flashes back to 1979 and focuses on Donna Sheridan’s (Lily James is Meryl Streep’s youthful counterpart) arrival on the Greek island of Kolokairi and how she met her daughter's three potential fathers.
This film is glittered with A-list starts including Piers Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried, Julie Walters and Cher. It's s a fun, feel-good summer flick which will get the whole family singing and dancing.
Mamma Mia is currently not available on any streaming service, so check your DVD collection or you can rent it for £2.50 on Amazon, YouTube, Rakuten, Chili and Google Play.
Dating Amber (2020) – Amazon Prime Video - (Available June 4)
Director: David Freyne – Run Time: TBC – Age Certificate: TBC
Amazon Prime look they’ve got a hidden gem on their hands when this Irish coming-of-age LGBT rom-com is released on June 4.
Starring the excellent Fionn O’Shea (the super dislikeable Jamie from Normal People), Eddie agrees to embark in a fake relationship with Amber (Lola Petticrew) to avoid questions about their sexualities at school.
Despite focusing on what could be seen as a sensitive subject, the film looks fun and light-hearted and I imagine it will be hit that will be highly discussed on social media as millennials seek another unconventional couple they can fall in love with during the pandemic.
As with most Amazon Original films, Dating Amber would’ve been released in cinemas on a small-scale, but Amazon will be reaping the rewards of lockdown by releasing this straight to their streaming service. Make sure you give this a watch.
Hereditary (2018) – Netflix – (Available June 15)
Director: Ari Aster – 127mins – Age Certificate: 15
Ari Aster’s big screen debut won rave reviews from critics across the globe when Hereditary was released back in 2018.
Starring the superb Toni Collette (Knives Out, Miss You Already), this horror follows a family that is haunted by a mysterious presence after their secretive grandmother passes away.
Parts of the script are based on real-life stories, but Toni Collette’s performance is the serious standout from this film. There were even calls for her to be nominated for Best Actress in the 2019 Academy Awards.
If you enjoy this, then check out Aster’s second feature film; Midsommar - available on Amazon Prime Video.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) – Netflix - (Available June 5)
Director: J.A. Bayona – 128mins – Age Certificate: 12
The fifth film in the Jurassic franchise sees Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) reprise his role as Owen Grady in J. A. Bayona’s 2018 blockbuster.
Following on shortly from Jurassic World (also available on Netflix), the dinosaurs living on the fictional Isla Nublar are in danger as a volcanic eruption looms that could kill them all.
After the US Senate rejects the decision to save them, Owen and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) team up to try and save their reptile friends.
It struggles to live up to 2015’s Jurassic World, mainly down to the relatively weak storyline, however the visuals are still stunning. If you do enjoy it, you’re in for a treat as Jurassic World: Domination is due for release in June 2021- COVID dependent.
Gemini Man (2019) – Sky Cinema - (Available June 19)
Director: Ang Lee – 117mins – Age Certificate: 12
Will Smith stole the show in the live-action Disney remake of Aladdin last year, but despite a huge marketing campaign, Ang Lee’s (Life of Pi, Brokeback Mountain) Gemini Man seemed to fly under the radar for many cinemagoers last October.
Smith plays assassin Henry Brogan, who after 72 different missions, is preparing to call it a day on his career until he realises the repercussions of his final assassination and all of a sudden a younger, more mobile cloned version of himself is after him.
It’s a high-paced action film that was released in cinemas in 3D with a higher frame rate. While you won’t be able to make the most of this inside your own home, it’s worth two hours of your time.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) – Disney+ and Sky Cinema - (Available June 5)
Director: Joachim Ronning - 118mins - Age Certificate: PG
After the 2014 release of Maleficent, I can’t imagine too many parents were leaving the cinema thinking “hopefully, they’ll make another one.” But, it's Disney and so a sequel is here.
Angelina Jolie returns as Maleficent (the treacherous godmother from Sleeping Beauty with a bit of a twist), with Ed Skrein (Deadpool), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave, The Lion King) and Michelle Pfeiffer (Hairspray, Scarface) joining cast.
Maleficent goes to celebrate Aurora’s upcoming wedding to Prince Phillip, but discovers that her soon-to-be mother-in-law is manoeuvring a plan to destroy the land’s fairies. You can watch the first Maleficent on Disney+ and Sky Cinema now.
Game Night (2018) – Amazon Prime Video - (Available June 10)
Director: John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein – 100mins – Age Certificate: 15
On paper, this film had every ingredient to be absolutely terrible and certainly don't judge this film by the trailer. Game Night follows a group of friends whose murder-mystery game night sees one of the members actually kidnapped in an apparent burglary.
Starring Jason Bateman (Horrible Bosses, Juno), Rachel McAdams (Mean Girls, About Time) and Sharon Horgan (Military Wives, Man Up), Game Night is light-hearted and fun but also has a sharp script and boasts some intriguing twists.
The Party’s Just Beginning (2019) – Sky Cinema (Available June 16)
Director: Karen Gillan – 91mins – Age Certificate: 15
Karen Gillan (Jumanji, Guardians of the Galaxy) turns director, writer and actress in this 2018 comedy drama The Party’s Just Beginning.
Liusaidh (pronounced Lucy) is 24 and living in Inverness. She works on the cheese counter at her local supermarket and is struggling to get over her best friend’s recent suicide. The film feels important to current society as it addresses the rising suicide rates among young men in the UK.
Gillan was born and raised in Inverness, so could this film be slightly biographical? It received a limited release back in December 2019, taking a mere $4,000 at the box office, but those who have seen it do rate it highly.
Enjoying these articles? Check out more - Netflix Hidden Gems, Fun Summer Films and TV Series to Binge.
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