Summer blockbuster season is just around the corner, and this year it is bursting at the seams with sequels and remakes – and that is no exaggeration. Take your pick from over 20 redos, including Transformers 4: Age of Extinction, 22 Jump Street, How to Train your Dragon 2, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and The Expendables 3, to name just a few. While Hollywood may seem obsessed with rehashing old stories, there are still movie-makers out there who possess creativity and talent and in turn gift us film lovers with brilliant storytelling. So if you’ve had enough of seeing the same old stuff on the big screen, here are just a few independent offerings to watch out for this summer…
Hellion (June 13th)
Director: Kat Candler
Starring: Aaron Paul, Juliette Lewis, Tanner Beard, Annalee Jefferies
Grab your hankies for this one as it deals with a grieving single dad (Paul) struggling to raise his two sons, the eldest of whom decides to enter into the world of motocross racing… as if things weren’t tough enough. Eesh! Kids these days…
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A Most Wanted Man (July 25th)
Director: Anton Corbjin
Starring: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright, Willem Dafoe
Based on John le Carre’s 2008 best-seller of the same name, this psychological thriller follows German spy Gunther Bachmann (Hoffman) as he tracks down a Chechan-Russian immigrant on the run. Chock-full of tension and intrigue, the story continues to get deeper and darker as Bachmann gets closer to exposing the truth while fighting to maintain his integrity.
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Boyhood (July 11th)
Director: Richard Linklater
Starring: Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawk
This ground-breaking film was shot over short periods from 2002 to 2013 in a total of 39 days. It covers 12 years in the life of a family and centres on the son, Mason, as we follow him from age 7 through to his teenage years. Even cooler is our protagonist was played by the same actor (Ellar Coltrane) throughout so we literally watch him as he ages. This highly-anticipated project is a definite must-see.
Magic in the Moonlight (July 25th)
Director: Woody Allen
Starring: Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Marcia Gay Harden
Set in the 1920s in the South of France, you can already imagine the beauty captured in this Woody Allen rom-com. Stir in a suave Englishman in the form of Mr. Firth and the ever adorable Ms. Stone and we should be on to a viewing win.
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Happy Christmas (July 25th)
Director: Joe Swanberg
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Lena Dunham, Mark Webber
A Christmas movie in the middle of July?! At least, that was my first thought. Well it turns out that it is not a Christmas movie. In fact, the festive season plays little part other than to give our protagonist, Jenny (Kendrick), reason to shack at her brother’s house with his wife and their 2-year-old son. Of course, Jenny is the worst house guest of life with her incessant partying, immaturity, and total disregard for anyone but herself. But my guess is [POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT] that with a little help from her neurotic friend Carson (Dunham), everyone will learn a lesson and be better off for the experience. We love us some solid chick flick banter, and with these so-hot-right-now actresses taking center stage this should provide us some easy yet entertaining cinematic awesome sauce.
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Which Indie flicks are you most excited for this summer? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.
