Here Are the Movies to See (and Skip) in Canadian Theatres This July

BY James Keast and Josiah HughesPublished Jun 28, 2018

July is peak pit-sweat season, meaning you'll be desperate to bask in some of that sweet, sweet air-conditioning provided by your local movie house. There are plenty of movies coming out this month (and, depending on just how pretentious you are, plenty of films too), so we've delivered a batch of highlights and lowlights for you to check out.

We've organized the releases by date, then ranked them in order of how important they are for you to see. Happy viewing — and please don't forget to turn off your cell phone (or at least put it on silent).

July 6

TOP PICK: Ant-Man and the Wasp
Directed by Peyton Reed
Starring Hanna John-Kamen, Paul Rudd, Evangaline Lilly, Michelle Pfeiffer, Walton Goggins



Marvel Studios smartly avoided some uncomfortable conversations when they bypassed the original Ant-Man, Hank Pym (here played by Michael Douglas) — the character has a bad history of domestic violence in the comic, involving his wife Janet van Dyne (Pfeiffer), the original Wasp. For the MCU, Janet's daughter Hope (Lilly) teams up with prodigy Scott Lang (Rudd) and a delightful action-comedy of shrinking and embiggening continues without such touchy complications. (Marvel)

The First Purge
Directed by Gerard McMurray
Starring Marisa Tomei, Lex Scott Davis, Luna Lauren Velez



A prequel about the origins of the annual crime night seems obvious, but The First Purge has smarter ambitions in mind. Taking over from series director James DeMonaco is Gerard McMurray (Fruitvale Station), who takes this opportunity to examine exactly how this bacchanal of violence specifically impacts African-American families. Whether prompted by current political concerns or not, The Purge movies just got a lot more interesting. (Universal)

July 13

TOP PICK: Sorry to Bother You
Directed by Boots Riley
Starring Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Armie Hammer



Through his music, the Coup mastermind Boots Riley has been telling us stories about the dangers of unchecked capitalism for decades, so it should come as no surprise that he's managed to pull off a seriously immersive masterpiece for his debut film. Insane humour, absurd plot twists and bright, vivid backdrops don't change the fact that Sorry to Bother You is a pointed work of political prowess. The revolution starts now. (eOne)

Eighth Grade
Directed by Bo Burnham
Starring Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson



Standup comic Bo Burnham makes his narrative directorial debut with Eighth Grade (which he wrote), the story of Kayla (Elsie Fisher) as she struggles through the final days before transitioning to high school. (Elevation)

Whitney
Directed by Kevin Macdonald



Director Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) chronicles the incredible talent and troubling life of Whitney Houston. Having become so associated with her drug-addled end — and aspiring divas belting her hits on the likes of American Idol — the doc is sure to be revelatory just for the force of her talent alone. (D Films)

Three Identical Strangers
Directed by Tim Wardle
Starring Eddy Galland, David Kellman, Robert Shafran



A documentary about three men who, at age 19, discover that they are triplets separated at birth is a remarkable story — and one that make international news in 1980. This documentary unveils some deeper secrets about why this happened, and what shady dealings were hidden all these years. (Mongrel)

Skyscraper
Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Pablo Schreiber, Neve Campbell



Dwayne Johnson is a veteran (who lost a limb) now working as a security consultant for skyscrapers. (A job, apparently.) When he moves his family to the biggest one in the world, in Hong Kong, he's faced with the greatest security threat of his career — and his life. (Universal)

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky
Starring Adam Sandler, Kathryn Hahn, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez



Lonely Dracula wants to give up his fright-oriented ways and meet someone special, so his compatriots take him on a cruise in order to get away. Turns out that the ship's captain is a member of the vampire-hunting Van Helsing family and the whole vacation is a trap. (Sony)

July 20

TOP PICK: Unfriended: Dark Web
Directed by Stephen Susco
Starring Colin Woodell, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Betty Gabriel



Honestly, they may as well make webcam movies every month. After all, we've all got cameras watching us all the time — who needs an Arri Alexa? Unfriended: Dark Web is a sequel to the so-dumb-it-worked 2014 flick Unfriended, and will likely include plenty more footage of hot teens screaming into their laptops. Why the hell not. (Blumhouse)

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Directed by Ol Parker



Starring Lily James, Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Cher
Surely greenlit the moment that someone coined a title for this ABBA hit machine, this Greece-set sequel seems to involve, simultaneously, flashbacks to the early life of Meryl Streep's Donna (played by Lily James), the marriage of Amanda Seyfried's Sophie and the surprise arrival of Cher as the outcast grandmother. (Universal)

July 27

TOP PICK: Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Starring Rebecca Ferguson, Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill



Perhaps making M:I movies is how Tom Cruise pays for the blood of children he uses to maintain his youth; it's been 22 years since Cruise first emerged as Ethan Hunt and for movie number six, it seems like his past is coming back to haunt him. The plot details (maybe related back to 2015's Rogue Nation?) seem inconsequential relative to the incredible action set pieces. (Paramount)


Teen Titans Go! To the Movies
Directed by Peter Rida Michail and Aaron Horvath
Starring Greg Cipes, Scott Melville, Khary Payton


If you haven't talked to a little kid in a while, you might not know that Teen Titans Go! is one of the hottest properties out there. The comedic look at DC's sidekicks is finally getting its own movie, so you'll finally have something to do the next time you're forced to look after your niece or nephew. (Warner Bros.)

Latest Coverage