Forget Frozen 2 and side-step Star Wars, the Cinema Sisters bring you a list of other films to look out for in the second half of 2019

It may seem like we’ve already had a billion films this year (and certainly there have been more than a few billion dollars in box office receipts) but we are actually only six months in and still have a whole host of cinematic offerings awaiting us. The summer may have got off to a rocky start – Dark Phoenix and MIB International among some of the higher-profile disappointments – but the good news is the Cinema Sisters are here to guide you through the the films you should be looking out for for the rest of 2019!

Midsommar (3 July)

Alex: Hereditary was one of my favourite films of 2018 so I’m excited to see what writer/director Ari Aster has up his sleeve for Midsommar, which sees a group of 20-something Americans travel to Sweden for a festival, only to find themselves at the mercy of a pagan cult. Early reactions suggest this one is not for the faint-hearted, but I’m sold on the idea of a brightly lit horror flick. With a cast that includes Will Poulter, William Jackson Harper (star of my favourite Netflix show, The Good Place) and girl-of-the-moment Florence Pugh, this one is sure to be on everyone’s list of summer must-sees.

Emily: Having been terrified by Hereditary, I may need to wait for the DVD so that I can watch it from behind the sofa.

Never Look Away (5 July)

Emily: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s story of an artist living in West Germany but hounded by the memories of his childhood in the East, first under the Nazis and subsequently the Communist regime. The Director of The Lives of Others, will be hoping to erase any last memories of his embarrassing sophomore effort The Tourist in returning to Cold War-era Germany and judging by the trailer he will do just that. The recent history of that country is so unique and has been a strange burden for its people to bear, so it is fascinating to see it portrayed in cinema.

Alex: Emily is the resident expert in German cinema, I defer to her superior opinion.

The Dead Don’t Die (12 July)

Alex: The latest offering from indie legend Jim Jarmusch, it features Bill Murray, Adam Driver and Chloë Sevigny as small town cops faced with protecting their neighbourhood from an invading zombie horde. Tilda Swinton plays a character called Zelda Winston, which I assume means she’s appearing as her own doppelgänger? The reviews have been so-so, but I think the premise and talent is intriguing enough to warrant a trip to the cinema.

Emily: I loved Only Lovers Left Alive both for Jarmusch’s vision and brilliant performances all round (certainly one of my favourite from Tom Hiddleston). From an intimate story of two lovers who… happen to be Vampires to a tale of humans defending their small corner of the earth from the supernatural – sounds interesting to me.

The Lion King (19 July)

Alex: This one needs no introduction. Jon Favreau’s remake of Disney’s animated classic is all but guaranteed to be the biggest box-office hit of the summer. As we’ve noted, Disney remakes have been hit and miss, but fingers crossed this one won’t disappoint.

Emily: I’m on board as long as they haven’t cut ‘Be Prepared’.

Non-Fiction (19 July)

Alex: A new comedy from Olivier Assayas (Personal Shopper, Clouds of Sils Maria), about two couples dealing with infidelities and mid-live crises, set against the back drop of the Parisian publishing world. It all sounds very French… in a good way. Expect lots of witty dialogue and discussions about the place of literature in the modern world.

Emily: Binoche and Canet go together like Paris and Literature or French Cinema and a poster with five people on a bed.

Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (14 August)

Alex: Never one to shy away from a controversial or provocative topic, for his latest film writer/director Quentin Tarantino tackles the infamous Manson Family murders. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as TV star fighting obsolescence (and alcoholism) in the Golden Age of Hollywood, and Brad Pitt as his long-time stunt double/best friend, the film received a seven minute standing ovation when it premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. DiCaprio may have one his Oscar for The Revenant, but I still think that his performance in Django Unchained was by far the best and most unexpected of his career, so I’m looking forward to seeing him team up with Tarantino again.

Emily: I mean… Tarantino. Just, Tarantino.

The Souvenir (30 August)

Alex: I first heard about this one back in 2016 when I went to a screening of Joanna Hogg’s Archipelago, during a Q&A after the film she mentioned that her next feature would be inspired by her time at film school, and would be her most personal work yet – I’ve been looking forward to seeing it ever since. Hogg has an uncanny ability to capture the subtlety and often excruciating awkwardness of human behaviour, it might not be to everyone’s taste, but I’m already sold.

Emily: Hogg sounds like a contemplative director who I imagine draws deep performances from her actors. I look forward to discovering her work.

Hustlers (13 September)

Emily: J-Lo is an ex-stripper leading a band of her former co-workers in a plot to shake down their wealthy Wall Street clients. With added Usher! Give your brain a break because the con is most definitely on.

Alex: I have no interest in this film. The only people being conned are likely to be the paying audience.

The Kitchen (20 September)

Alex: Set in Hell’s Kitchen in the 70s, it follow three women (Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Moss and Tiffany Haddish), who take over when they’re gangster husbands find themselves behind bars. I’m mainly excited to see Haddish tackle her first major dramatic role – I am working on a theory that comedians make the best dramatic actors… watch this space.

Emily: Straight Outta Compton and straight into The Kitchen for writer and first-time director Andrea Berloff. It looks like a blend of Widows and Netflix’s Good Girls, and should probably be chosen over the Charlie’s Angels remake.

The Woman in the Window (27 September)

Alex: Joe Wright has a good track record with translating page to screen (let’s all agree to forget Pan), so expect good things from this adaptation of A.J. Finn’s bestselling thriller. Amy Adams plays an agoraphobic New Yorker who witnesses something disturbing while spying on her neighbours. Joining Adams are Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman (who won a long overdue Oscar for his performance in Wright’s last film, Darkest Hour) and Anthony Mackie. Add to that a screenplay by Pulitzer prize winner Tracy Letts, and you can expect to be hearing a lot from this film come awards-season.

Emily: After Atonement and Anna Karenina, Joe Wright has once again teamed up with a playwright, in this case Tracy Letts, for his film adaptation, which bodes well. His work has shown a real understanding of how to put enough of the source material in to stay faithful, whilst making the most of the fact that he has a talented cast and crew to create cinema beyond the book.

Joker (4 October)

Alex: DC films have been a mixed bag. The Nolan Batman trilogy aside, they have struggled to find the right tone and direction for their superhero properties. Shifting the focus away from the shared-universe, and focusing instead on their standalone films is an excellent move on their part. Judging by the first trailer, Joaquin Phoenix is on form and giving a suitably deranged performance (he is playing a murderous clown after all), and I’m intrigued by the idea of director Todd Philips stepping away from his usual overgrown-frat-boy comedies. If Jared Leto’s performance in Suicide Squad left a bad taste in your mouth, this film might serve as a nice palate cleanser.

Emily: Oh boy did that trailer get me to put on a happy face. It’s inverted Chaplin with echoes of Scorsese and will no doubt be choc-ful of meta-textual references for film and comic-book fans alike. The director of The Hangover trilogy finally growing up? Anything’s possible, if you just smile.

Judy (4 October)

Alex: Hollywood loves two things: itself and a good biopic. So this film about a Hollywood legend is bound to be a hit. Also, who knew Renée Zellweger could look so much like Judy Garland?

Emily: I’m calling it – the Renée-ssance. Thank me later.

Zombieland: Double Tap (18 October)

Alex: It’s been ten years since the first Zombieland hit cinemas and no doubt some will wonder why it took Sony so long to make a sequel. Have they left it too long to capitalise on the success of the first instalment? I doubt it. And the long gestation period will be worth it, if it means they’ve taken the time to produce a quality film. I take it as a good sign that all the original creative team are back for the sequel, including director Ruben Fleischer and screen writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who this time are joined by Dave Callaham (he’ll be one to look out for in the next couple of years, his upcoming writing credits include DC’s Wonder Woman 1984, Marvels’ Shang-Chi and Into the Spider-verse 2). Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin will all be returning, and even Bill Murray is on board to reprise his now legendary cameo. For those keeping score, that’s two Bill Murray zombie movies in one year.

Emily: err… actually haven’t seen the first one yet. Oops

Doctor Sleep (31 October)

Alex: The latest in a slew of Stephen King adaptations, Doctor Sleep is based on his 2013 sequel to the Shining. The first teaser dropped just a couple of weeks ago, and it seems to borrow heavily from Stanley Kubrick’s iconic adaptation of the Shining, which is interesting given that King was notoriously not a fan of that film. Trying to mimic a great auteur’s work can be a misguided venture (as Gus Van Sant learnt with his ill-conceived short-for-shot Psycho remake), so here’s hoping the nods to Kubrick are kept to a minimum.

Emily: Think I’ll be calling it an early night.

Brittany Runs a Marathon (1 November)

Alex: At first glance this looks just like the kind of movie that studios churn out every couple of years; a feel-good comedy about an overweight woman (not actually overweight, Hollywood overweight, so actually normal size), who goes on a journey of self-discovery/improvement and learns that it’s what’s on the inside that counts. But this one premiered to rave reviews at this year’s Sundance Film Festival (and walked away with an audience award), so there might be more to it than meets the eye.

Emily: Jillian Bell was a hoot in the so-so TV show Idiotsitter, so I am pleased to see her being given a lead role in a feature film. Expect laughs.

Luce (8 November)

Alex: A psychological drama starring Noami Watts and Tim Roth as parents whose world is turned upside-down when a high school teacher (Octavia Spencer) comes forward with a disturbing accusation against their son, Luce (Kevin Harrison Jr), who they adopted from a war zone. During a Q&A at Sundance, director Julius Onah had this to say about the film: “This is partially a story about being forced to live your life on a symbolic level. It’s a story about power and privilege and who determines who has to live on a symbolic level to be accepted.” I’m intrigued.

Emily: Interesting premise. I’m mostly sceptical about Watt’s role choices, but I really hope this one can actually showcase her talents. Also, LOVE Octavia Spencer.

Knives Out (29 November)

Alex: The official synopsis doesn’t give much away, but it earns a spot on the list purely for it’s stellar cast which includes Chris Evans (the superior Hollywood Chris?), Jamie Lee Curtis (enjoying a bit of career renaissance of late, with last year’s Halloween sequel and a scenery-chewing role in hit TV show Scream Queens), Michael Shannon (almost invariably the best part of any film he’s in), Toni Collette (see my comment about Michael Shannon), Lakeith Stanfield (unsettling as hell in a small but memorable role in Get Out, and brilliantly serving up some major social satire in Sorry to Bother You – incidentally, that’s a great double-bill), and Christopher Plummer (who will always be Captain Von Trapp).

Emily: I liked Looper and The Last Jedi (two other Rian Johnson films), plus the secrecy around the plot makes me hope that perhaps there is some kind of sci-fi element to it (?) Also starring Miss Piggy aka Frank Oz. Make of that what you will.

Jumanji Sequel (13 December)

Alex: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was a surprise hit of 2017, so it’s certainly no surprise that Sony was quick to green-light a follow-up. Sequels are a tricky beast, especially when their existence seems as reactionary as this one does, and they usually offer diminishing returns (in quality, if not at the box-office). But I’m willing to give this one the benefit of the doubt, simply because its predecessor was such an unexpected delight.

Emily: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*** UPDATE *** As of 2nd July the next film in the Jumanji reboot will be called “The Next Level” and from the trailer it looks like the everyone except Karen Gillan is getting a whole new personality (she’s clearly awesome just as she is)

Cats (20 December)

Alex: I’m no fan of the musical, but everything I hear about this adaptation seems so completely bonkers, that I think they might just pull it off. For starters there’s the cast, which includes Idris Elba, Judi Dench, Taylor Swift and Rebel Wilson. Then there was the announcement in April that the actors would be shot in motion-capture suits and rendered to look like actual cats! Just imagine, Judi Dench, as a cat, in extreme closeup (it’s a Tom Hooper film, there will be closeups aplenty). All credit to Hooper, he pulled off the seemingly impossible with 2012’s Les Miserables, taking a cheesy and melodramatic stage production and making it feel gritty and real – time will tell if he can work that same magic with Cats.

Emily: Anyone who has seen Kimmy Schmidt will have a whole new take on this. I’m pretty sure it’s just a seriously elaborate prank. I’m glad Tom Hooper is enjoying himself with musicals, but I would love to see something more in the vein of The Damned United next.