U.S. Release Date: 2021-09-17
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Profanity)
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Joe Callahan
Cast: Gerard Butler, Frank Grillo, Alexis Louder, Toby Huss, Ryan O’Nan
Among the best Tarantino-influenced thrillers to have made it to theaters in the last quarter-century.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-09-10
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Profanity, Mature Themes)
Genre: Musical/Drama
Director: Jonathan Butterell
Cast: Max Harwood, Lauren Patel, Richard E. Grant, Sharon Horgan, Sarah Lancashire, Shobna Gulati, Ralph Ineson, Samuel Bottomley
A lively, crowd-pleasing story with heart to go along with the glitter and glitz.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-09-03
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence)
Genre: Action/Fantasy
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Cast: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Meng’er Zhang, Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen, Ben Kingsley, Benedict Wong, Florian Munteanu
For the most part, this movie features a different way of doing things even if it eventually loses some of that originality in order to conform to the comic book aesthetic.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-08-27
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Gore, Profanity)
Genre: Horror
Director: Nia DaCosta
Cast: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Toyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo, Kyle Kaminsky, Vanessa Williams, Tony Todd
Would that more genre films were as thoughtful and thought-provoking, mixing substance with splatter in a fashion that builds uneasiness on more than one level.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-08-20
MPAA Rating: "R" (Disturbing Images, Profanity, Sexual Content)
Genre: Horror
Director: David Bruckner
Cast: Rebecca Hall, Sarah Goldberg, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Evan Jonigkeit, Stacy Martin
A quietly intense alternative to generic horror movies that provides its share of scares without the need to splatter the screen with blood and viscera.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-08-13
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence, Profanity, Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama
Director: Liesl Tommy
Cast: Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Audra McDonald, Saycon Sengbloh, Hailey Kilgore, Brenda Nicole Moorer, Marlon Wayans, Marc Maron, Kimberly Scott
Hudson’s powerhouse performance gives "Respect" more passion and energy than what one often encounters in a straightforward biopic.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-08-06
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Gore, Profanity, Sexual Content, Nudity)
Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: James Gunn
Cast: Margot Robbie, Juan Diego Botto, Peter Capaldi, Alice Braga, Sylvester Stallone, David Dastmalchian, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Daniela Melchior, John Cena, Idris Elba, Joaquin Cosio
From a pure entertainment perspective, "The Suicide Squad" is one of the most entertaining comic book movies in recent years.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-08-06
MPAA Rating: "PG"
Genre: Animated
Director: Kirk DeMicco
Cast: Ynairaly Simo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Zoe Saldana, Juan de Marcos Gonzalez, Michael Rooker, Brian Tyree Henry, Nicole Byer, Gloria Estefan
While a majority of the movie is a rambunctious road trip, there’s heart in the evolving relationship and a solid emotional payoff at the end.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-07-30
MPAA Rating: "R" (Violence, Sexual Content, Nudity)
Genre: Fantasy
Director: David Lowery
Cast: Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie, Ralph Ineson
Sheds conventional fantasy adventure tropes in exchange for a moody, trippy approach that transforms the well-known Arthurian tale into something offbeat and surprising.
U.S. Release Date: 2021-07-30
MPAA Rating: "PG-13" (Violence)
Genre: Action/Adventure
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, Paul Giamatti, Veronica Falcon, Edgar Ramiez
The filmmakers show a keen understanding of what worked in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and pilfer shamelessly from the formula, coming up with 2021's equivalent of "Romancing the Stone."