Summer is a wonderful time in which students all across the country can relax and try to forget about the worries of academic life. If you are having trouble doing this or just prefer air-conditioned buildings on sunny summer days, then the movies may be the place for you. Let the cinema transport you to a better place, at least relative to the stress of Berkeley with these movies coming out during the summer.
Out now:
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”: Who doesn’t want to revisit the kindness and innocence of one’s childhood. This documentary follows Fred Rogers and the production of his show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and highlights the kindness and life lessons of Rogers. So, if you want a reminder of someone who still cares about you unconditionally, then listen to the words of Fred Rogers.
“Ocean’s 8”: If documentaries bore you to death and you want something with more excitement and intrigue, then this heist movie is for you. The film is about a team of eight women stealing millions of dollars in the form of a diamond necklace, and because of the ensemble all-star cast of personalities, it begs the viewer to put themselves into the shoes of the criminals. So watch this movie if you want to feel like a confident criminal who doesn’t worry about money.
Out June 13:
“Incredibles 2”: Pixar again gives viewers a way to visit their childhoods while also dealing with adulthood in this sequel to its 2004 animated superhero film. Not only does it give an excuse for the viewer to imagine what their superpower would be, but it also shows that adulthood can be figured out, even if it involves taking care of a baby who uses every single superpower.
Out June 15:
“Tag”: Everyone’s group of friends has at least one quirky thing about them — for the friends in this movie, it’s a 30-year-long game of tag. This movie immerses the audience in the silliness of trying to tag one person, which seems to me the perfect escape from the realism and dullness of normal life.
Out July 4:
“Fireworks”: This anime movie, originally released in 2017, is making its comeback in theaters for a limited time this July. Not only is it a way to tell your friends you saw fireworks on the Fourth of July without having to go outside at night, but its story of changing time in order to spend a day with a girl is heartfelt and should get viewers to forget about their own regrets for a little while.
Out July 6:
“Ant-Man and The Wasp”: Here is a classic Marvel movie with the return to the superhero whose power is that he can be really small. This is a film where a giant salt shaker knocks somebody out, so that’s definitely an indication that this movie has a lighter tone than some of the previous Marvel movies. It’s a nice break that can be fun to watch and enjoy the silliness.
Out August 3:
“Christopher Robin”: If you want characters from your childhood to be revived in your new, boring adult life, then this is the film for you! This movie has the “Winnie the Pooh” characters re-entering the life of an adult Christopher Robin. It can help show that childhood whimsy can still be a place people can escape to even if they are adults.
Out August 15:
“Crazy Rich Asians”: Coming right before the start of the fall semester is this film about a woman discovering she is dating Singapore royalty and dealing with that fact. If you religiously followed all the news surrounding the British royal wedding and wished you could enter that world of romance and opulence again, then this movie is the perfect escape. Not only that, but this movie stars a full Asian cast. Cheers to diversity finally making its way into media!
If you have the summer blues and some money to spend, why not grab a couple of friends and escape into the joy displayed in movies — all while sitting in a nice air-conditioned room.
