MAY FILM PREVIEW
MAY FILM PREVIEW
A
s we prepare for what is traditionally one of the busiest and most profitable months at the box office, uncertainty looms over Hollywood. Despite expectations for a strong recovery in the film industry, disappointing releases have led to a lackluster year. While Sinners performed better than expected inApril, the question remains: can May ' s blockbusters compensate for the losses? Here’ s what we’ re looking forward to this month.
By Lori Vernon
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie Rated NYR • May 23- In Theaters
Our lives are the sum of our choices. Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Reportedly one of the most expensive films ever made, with a budget estimated at $ 400 million, MI-8 is the latest installment in the action spy film series, which began in 1996. The all-star
cast, led by Cruise, features Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, and Henry Czerny.
Thunderbolts *
Directed by Jake Schreier RatedPG-13 • May2-InTheaters
Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes— Yelena Belova( Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes( Sebastian Stan), Red Guardian( David Harbour), Ghost( Hannah John- Kamen), Taskmaster( Olga Kurylenko) and John Walker( Wyatt Russell). After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine( Julia Louis-Dreyfus), these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
The Surfer
Directed by Lorcan Finnegan Rated R • May 2- In Theaters
In this psychological thriller, a man( Nicolas Cage) returns to the idyllic beach of his childhood to surf with his son. But his desire to hit the waves is thwarted by a group of locals whose mantra is“ don’ t live here, don’ t surf here.” Humiliated and angry, he is drawn into a conflict that keeps rising in concert with the summer ' s punishing heat and pushes him to his breaking point.
Clown In A Cornfield
Directed by Eli Craig Rated R • May 9- In Theaters
In a fading Midwestern town, the local legend of Frendo the clown becomes all too real as teenagers go missing one by one, before meeting spectacularly sticky ends. With chills, memorable set pieces, and messy mayhem aplenty, the film will be sure to electrify both young horror audiences and fans of the classic slasher movies.
Juliet & Romeo
Directed by Timothy Scott Bogart RatedG-13 • May9-InTheaters
Set in 1301, JULIET & ROMEO finds the most famous star-crossed lovers( Clara Rugaard and Jamie Ward) turning the tide on the history on which Shakespeare based his own story, as they reveal the truth to the future of the Empire. The biggest twist is leaving the poetry of iambic pentameter in the past for the original pop music created by E. Kidd Bogart. Music rockets these ever-present themes to the heart of the characters in the most surprising and powerful ways.
Shadow Force
Directed by Joe Carnahan RatedR • May9-InTheaters
Kyrah( Kerry Washington) and Isaac( Omar Sy) were once the leaders of a multinational special forces group called Shadow Force. They broke the rules by falling in love, and to protect their son, they go underground. With a large bounty on their heads and the vengeful Shadow Force hot on their trail, one family’ s fight becomes all-out war. Mark Strong, Da’ Vine Joy Randolph, and Cliff“ Method Man” Smith co-star.
12 illinoisentertainer. com may 2025