If you don’t want to brave the heat and head to a theatre this weekend, good news: Thanks to a narrowing of the theatrical window (the time it takes films to go from theatres to home audiences), some of the biggest (even best) films of this summer movie season are already available digitally for home viewing.
Chris Pratt in Jurassic World Dominion.Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment
Jurassic World Dominion: The new entry in the un-extinctable Jurassic Park franchise answers a lot of questions that you probably never dreamed of asking. What if the Jason Bourne movies swapped out their international assassins for velociraptors? Exactly how many dump trucks loaded with cash and/or cryptocurrency keys would it possibly take to lure original series stars Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern back for one more dino-chore? These questions and more will be asked and answered throughout Jurassic World Dominion, a movie that is as fun as it is stupid, as expensive as it is overly long and as completely unnecessary as its title is in desperate need of a colon. (For rent on-demand, including Apple TV, Google Play, Prime Video, Cineplex Store.)
The Black Phone: For those who know author Joe Hill’s parental lineage (he’s the son of Stephen King), walking into The Black Phone brings some inevitabilities: namely, a super-creepy atmosphere and expert mix of the supernatural with the emotional. In director Scott Derrickson’s adaptation of Hill’s short story, great care is taken in setting up the film’s late-1970s Middle America setting – an environment as comforting as it is sinister – while the young actors Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw give tough, sturdy performances alongside a rare villainous turn from Ethan Hawke. (For rent on-demand, including Apple TV, Google Play, Prime Video, Cineplex Store.)
Crimes of the Future: David Cronenberg’s long-awaited return to the big screen is many things. A tender love story. A darkly hilarious satirical riff on the ineffable power of art in the face of tragedy. A self-referential noir-tinged tour through the sicko-cinema Cronenbergian canon. Crimes of the Future is all these things and more – but mostly, it is a testament to the twisty, squishy, uncompromising vision of a brilliant filmmaker whose imagination is endless. (For rent on-demand, including Apple TV, Google Play, Cineplex Store.)
The Bob’s Burgers Movie is streaming on Disney+.Courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Courtesy of 20th Century Studios
The Bob’s Burgers Movie: While this feature-length spin on the long-running Fox prime-time cartoon is designed for long-time fans – complete with narrative callbacks, recurring side characters, and more retail signage puns to fill Bob’s burger-of-the-day chalkboard from here till eterni-brie – there is enough gentle comedy, clever music and emotionally effective beats to welcome complete newbies, too. The animation is slicker, the original-songs budget more generous (the movie is, like the series, half-comedy and half-musical), and the guest stars are plentiful. It is ideal lazy summer viewing. (Streaming on Disney+.)
Plan your screen time with the weekly What to Watch newsletter. Sign up today.
Barry Hertz