By Danielle Bettendorf, Living & arts editor
With the semester coming to a close, everyone is anxious to get off campus and go home. As some inspiration for the months to come, here are the movies I’m most excited about being released this summer.
“Ocean’s 8,” the spin-off of the “Ocean’s” trilogy will hit theaters on June 8 as an allfemale version of the original movies. The original trilogy follows a group of criminals who pull off complex con jobs and the enemies they run into.
The cast boasts a heavy lineup, from well-known actresses like Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett, to surprises like Mindy Kaling and Rihanna, to newcomers like Awkwafina.
The film will follow the new group as they attempt to rob a celebrity, played by Anne Hathaway, at the Met Gala.
One week later “Incredibles 2” will come to theaters: something everyone our age has been waiting for since we were kids.
The sequel to the 2004 Pixar movie focuses again on the Parr family, all of whom were born with superpowers. It picks up where the first movie left off, with the mom, Elastigirl, fighting a new villain and attempting to prove to the public that superheroes can help society.
In the meantime, the dad, Mr. Incredible, stays at home to help the kids, though things are not as easy as they would seem.
On July 6, the indie film “Sorry to Bother You” will be released after screening at Sundance earlier this year.
The star-studded comedy – which includes Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson and Steven Yeun – combines fantasy and realism when Cassius Green, played by Stanfield, joins a telemarketing company and finds using his “white voice” skyrockets him to success that he never imagined.
While the trailer keeps much of the plot a secret, it promises creativity that it’s sometimes hard to find in modern cinema and a wild ride that will keep you engrossed.
Also screened at Sundance and being released the following week, “Eighth Grade” is the directorial debut of comedian Bo Burnham, who rose to fame from his Youtube videos and began pursuing stand-up comedy.
“Eighth Grade” follows middle schooler Kayla in her last week before high school. Similar to Burnham’s other work, “Eighth Grade” works with multiple themes of teenage insecurity and sense of self in relation to others.
“Crazy Rich Asians” will debut on August 17 and is based on the 2013 novel of the same name.
The rom-com features an allAsian cast, which has not been done in an American film since “The Joy Luck Club” in 1993.
The movie follows couple Rachel and Nick, who visit Nick’s family in Singapore while back for a friend’s wedding. Rachel finds out that Nick’s background is more than she thought it was and must grapple with the new information.
Out of all the movies I’m looking forward to, my picks here are mainly focused on underrepresented groups, especially when it comes to cinema.
“Ocean’s 8” and “Incredibles 2” both build off of previous franchises, but reflect the feminist advances we’ve made since then. “Ocean’s 8” replaces the original near-all male cast with a primarily female cast and “Incredibles 2” allows the mom to save the world while the dad stays at home.
“Eighth Grade” is more subtle in its portrayal of an insecure teenager and how it will deal with women’s emotions.
“Crazy Rich Asians,” while unknown as to how it will address racism, represents cultures and experiences that are often neglected in favor of white stories. “Sorry to Bother You” more directly addresses white-centered stories by literally having its characters “turn” their identities white in order to be more acceptable.
While this is only a handful of movies coming out this summer, hopefully this diversity will continue into the future and show that lesser-heard stories are worth telling in media.