16 summer movies that serve as perfect blockbuster counterprogramming
Experiencing superhero fatigue? Ask your doctor what these original offerings can do for you
Film News Sundance Film Festival
From left: 892 (Courtesy Bleecker Street Media), Pleasure (Courtesy Neon), Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris (Liam Daniel / 2021 Ada Films Ltd – Harris Squared Kft), Men (A24), Cha Cha Real Smooth (Courtesy Apple TV+). Graphic: Allison Corr Graphic: Allison Corr
So you want to go to the cinema this summer, but you’re all blockbuster-ed out? Suffering from superhero or rom-com fatigue? Looking for alternative programming, indie storytelling, perhaps a capital-F Film over a tackily mainstream Movie? You’ve come to the right place: The A.V. Club has plenty of great suggestions for counter-programming over the next few months. Some of our “anti-blockbusters” have already dazzled film festival audiences, while others have yet to do more than demand attention with an intriguing premise. Read on for the rundown on titles that are guaranteed to bring originality to the big screen this summer.
16 Comments
Everything Everywhere All at Once / end list
This is the correct answer
“….as well as Nicole Beharie and Selenis Levya as his bank teller captors….”‘captives’, natch.
The Last Victim’s marketing team sure thought it was a country for old men.
Hadn’t heard of 892, but I remember just how good Boyega was in Attack The Block so can’t wait to see him in a much more dramatic role
A fair amount of these movies look like straight to video releases.
A fairly meaningless critique in 2022
Hate to say it, but these days that’s a valid point….
I saw the name Ninja and thought she was the child of some weird nerd parents but it turns out that is a common Swedish girls name. I assume the ‘j’ is pronounced more like a ‘y’
Shouldn’t you be ranting about how Jack’s personally bullying you and attacking you be he dared say that superhero films are fatiguing?C’mon. We wanna see your Mountain Dew and Doritos-infused spittle fly in defence of the comic book movies around which you’ve formed your entire identity.
Does insulting others make you feel better about yourself?
Are you ok? Do you need us to call someone for you?
Nin-yah? Nin-yaaah!
Why the fuck would I enter the tyranny of other people to see any of this shit?
Caught 892 at the Milwaukee Film Festival last month and it was pretty trite, and a boring slog in spots. Boyega’s performance was the only real highlight. There was a better film in there somewhere but it really got lost.
So any movie that is not a superhero movie is “anti-blockbuster counter-programming?” Okay…