Editor’s note: The following story includes discussion of R-rated movies, which require people under 17 to be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.
Let’s face it — you’re bored. School’s out, and by this point in summer, friends are spread out across the nation, busy with summer programs, jobs and family vacations. But you refuse to give TikTok any more hours of your break, so what’s there to do?
It’s time to go see a movie.
Despite speculation, streaming services and AI haven’t shut down the entertainment industry, so it’s the perfect time to catch a flick (or five)! There’s something magical about sitting in a dark, air-conditioned theater and laughing along with everyone at a funny scene, or jumping during a scary one.
So, if you have a couple of bucks to spend, here are five newly-released and upcoming movies to consider for the dog days of summer.
“Toy Story 5” (June 19 — theaters)
Alongside “Frozen” and “The Incredibles,” “Toy Story” is the movie of our collective Gen Z childhood. Audiences all over the country know what it means to say “Andy’s coming,” and have phrases like “to infinity and beyond” etched into collective memory.
The latest iteration, “Toy Story 5,” delights with its spot-on commentary about pre-adolescent life. In the movie, Bonnie gets a tablet, and so the ragtag team of toys must prove their importance in an increasingly digital playworld. Like several of the earlier “Toy Story” movies, the gang goes on an adventure and meets other toys to help a now elementary school-aged Bonnie make friends in real life. The usually star-studded cast is now joined by a few new voices including Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (Bad Bunny), Greta Lee and Conan O’Brien.
If you’re ready for a nostalgia trip (and to complain about the iPad kid epidemic), this is the movie for you.
“The Odyssey” (July 17 — theaters)
In this R-rated film adaptation of Homer’s classic, Odysseus (Matt Damon) must outsmart and overcome mythical monsters on his perilous journey home after the Trojan War. At the same time, his wife, Queen Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), have to defend his throne from usurpers while awaiting his return after many years.
The movie is ridiculously star-studded: Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Elliot Page, Jon Bernthal and Lupita Nyong’o also join the cast. And it’s directed by Christopher Nolan, who, depending on the type of fan you are, also directed your favorite “Batman” movies. Its runtime sits at a hefty 172 minutes, but don’t let that scare you off; it’s likely to be a visual feast. Filmed for IMAX, this movie guarantees all of Nolan’s epic (haha) landscapes, props and other dramatics but bigger.
“Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender”(July 25 — primarily Paramount+)
Lovers of the early 2000s “Avatar” cartoon rejoice: There’s a new plot to follow. This animated film continues the story of the Gaang (Aang and his friends) past the original series and puts them on a quest to find an ancient power to save the Airbender culture from extinction. The Gaang are all grown up here and yet again working together for the greater good.
A word to the wise: This movie is the only one on this list you will probably have to stream. After some back and forth about when and how it’d be released — and after the entire movie was leaked on X this April — Variety reported yesterday that “Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender” will be released in select LA and New York theaters July 24 to July 30, alongside its planned release on Paramount+ July 25.
The animation looks beautiful, and our favorite found family will be brought to life with a talented voice cast that includes Steven Yeun (any “Invincible” fans here?).
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (July 31 — theaters)
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has won his place in many hearts over the years, but we seem to like watching him struggle — It feels like each Spider-Man movie is somehow angstier than the last.
In this upcoming film, Peter Parker has been forgotten by the whole world, even his love interest M.J. (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). On top of this, he goes through a sort of arachnid evolution — get excited for organic webbing — and has to fight an immensely powerful new enemy. (When does this guy get to catch a break?)
The trailer also tantalized fans with clips of the Punisher (Jon Bernthal) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), sparking even more excitement for the newest installment in the Spider-Man series.
“One Night Only” (August 7 — theaters)
TikTok editors, get ready: Callum Turner is in a romcom! You may have seen him in “The Boys in the Boat” (2023) or “Eternity” (2025), and if you didn’t fall in love with him then, you will now. In this weird, semi-dystopian near-future where sex is legal only one night per year for single people, Turner and Monica Barbaro play two strangers searching for love on this very night, a quest which sends them on a string of unexpected adventures.
The cast of this R-rated movie is stacked: Turner and Barbaro will be joined by Maya Hawke, King Princess and Molly Ringwald. Fans of director Will Gluck’s previous films “Anyone But You” (2023) or “Easy A” (2010) will probably be in for lots more awkward, funny, sexual shenanigans.
