Although the summer brings warm weather and endless opportunities to be outside, it has also offered a slew of movies good enough to make you want to sit inside and watch them.
Here are some of my favorite movies of the summer thus far — perfect for a rainy day in or whenever you’re in the mood.
“Top Gun: Maverick”
The highly anticipated sequel to the classic “Top Gun” was a no-brainer for me.
Tom Cruise reprises his role as navy pilot Maverick alongside Miles Teller as Rooster Bradley, Goose Bradley’s son.
The action scenes were incredible, especially knowing the cast performed their own stunts. The movie triumphed as a true sequel, not only as a standalone film, but also by continuing the franchise effectively, which I don’t see often with sequels.
And of course, as many others may agree on the internet, Teller will “take your breath away.”
“Elvis”
Another movie I was excited for this summer was the Elvis Presley biopic, which follows Presley’s rise to fame and his difficult relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
Austin Butler was a fantastic choice for the role with his electrifying performance alongside Tom Hanks.
Baz Luhrmann’s flamboyant directing style pulled the dazzling musical numbers together, and while the movie sparked controversy over Presley’s favor, I ultimately felt it brought a good conversation to the table regarding the issues of fame in Hollywood and holding stars accountable.
Plus, Doja Cat’s “Vegas” song is pretty catchy.
“Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”
A switch from the typical type of movies A24 produces, “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” is a documentary-style stop motion film following a small mollusk named Marcel.
The movie is an adaptation of a short film by Dean Fleischer-Camp released on YouTube in 2010.
Not only is Marcel adorable and endearing, the storyline is moving as you follow Marcel on a journey to find his family.
The movie is gentle, will bring you joy and will probably make you cry. I somehow walked away from the film with valuable life lessons about loss and community — all from a little shell.
“Hustle”
Unlike the other movies in this list, “Hustle” was a Netflix-exclusive movie released this summer.
Adam Sandler stars as a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers who discovers a player in Spain and sees him as his opportunity to get back into the NBA.
I’m not a huge sports fan, but I decided to watch the movie after I heard raving reviews of Sandler’s performance.
It’s definitely a different style from Sandler’s typical comedic roles, and he did a fantastic job.
The movie brought the heart of the game, and I really enjoyed watching it — even not as a basketball fan.
“Minions: The Rise of Gru”
Of course, this list wouldn’t be completed without a minion cameo.
“Minions: The Rise of Gru” offers the backstory of how the main character, Gru, becomes a villain alongside his minions. It follows the 2015 movie “Minions” and is a prequel to the “Despicable Me” franchise.
Anyone on TikTok has seen the movie take teens by storm — with many people dressing up in suits or minions costumes and flooding into theaters.
The minions will always make a feel-good, fun movie, and this one stayed the same. Although chaotic at times, the movie was funny, and its popularity made it even better.
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