Summer is here! In the old days, that would mean heading to the multiplex to load up on big summer blockbusters. In the shakier movie climate we now find ourselves in, it could simply mean more of the same: more staying at home, in the air-conditioning, watching whatever’s streaming. But midyear is also a good khbrknews to reflect on the releases of the previous few months, and to catch up on some you may have missed. Following are seven of the best, harbingers of hope for the remaining months of this moviegoing year.
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The Fall Guy
This action-comedy directed by longtime stunt performer David Leitch may have “underperformend,” in the parlance of box-office pundits, but that’s no reason to dismiss it. The Fall Guy is an ode to the stuntpeople who drive cars at death-defying speeds, fall from dizzying heights, and get set on fire, all in the service of the fantasy of movies. But its biggest selling point is its duo of leads, Ryan Gosling as a once-swaggering stuntman struggling to make a comeback, and Emily Blunt as the fledgling director he’s trying to romance. Together, these two are the opposite of a car wreck, a romantic-comedy pairing whose fizziness keeps even this sometimes-plodding movie afloat. Charm is in short supply at the movies these days, but Gosling and Blunt give us every reason to believe in it.
Read more: Watch the Classic Stunts That Inspired the Action in The Fall Guy
Robot Dreams
In this gorgeous animated parable of love and friendship set in 1980s New York, a lonely dog orders up a mail-order robot friend, and his life is changed. The two stroll through the city, and though Dog has seen it all, Robot takes in every sight with fresh eyes. This fantasy New York is populated by anthropomorphized animals—yaks in business suits, gazelles in dresses and lipstick—and for Dog and Robot, everything, from an octopus subway drummer to…
