Summer movie season is upon us, and with it comes blockbusters and superstars galore. This summer is filled with big movies that look like a ton of fun – Suicide Squad, The BFG, and R-rated animated comedy Sausage Party, just to name a few. But every summer there are those smaller, less flashy releases that can’t help but get a little lost in the shuffle. Some of the best reviewed films of the year include festival favorites such as Weiner, Dheepan and The Lobster – all getting theatrical releases this summer, and all absolutely deserving of your time. As lovers of all movies big and small, our team here at the Festival got together and selected their personal picks for their most anticipated under-the-radar films of the summer. Read on to find out what movies you shouldn’t let pass you by in the coming months, and let us know what you’re most looking forward to in the comments section below.
Jaie Laplante, Executive Director & Director of Programming:
Dheepan (June 3)
The Cannes Palme d’Or and Miami Film Festival 2016 Knight Grand Prize winner finally makes it to theaters, where it should be seen in all its big-screen, operatic glory. A year has only made it more timely, topical and moving. A MUST!!!
Andres Castillo, Festival Programmer:
Swiss Army Man (June 24)
Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe star in this existential fantasy-adventure about a man stranded on a deserted island until he finds a dead body who he befriends. Think of Tom Hanks and Wilson in Cast Away, only this time, Wilson would be a dead Daniel Radcliffe!
Eloísa López-Gomez, Associate Director, Industry & Programs:
The Lobster (May 27)
The Lobster is that kind of film that stays for you long after you leave the theater. Lanthimos invites you into his absurd world where love is rational and you just can’t stop watching. Artfully crafted, this is a real gem.
Rachel Bleemer, Associate Director, Brand:
The Neon Demon (June TBD)
Nicolas Winding Refn, the director of Drive (one of my favorites), is making a movie about cannibalistic supermodels. I’m so in, and willing to overlook his last effort, Only God Forgives.
Betsey Greene Freeman, Associate Director, Administration & Miami Film Society:
Captain Fantastic (July 8)
What happens when loss forces a family to leave the idyllic paradise in which they have lived and enter a society where they don’t fit but must? Captain Fantastic takes a bold and clever look at parenting, family and fitting in. Funny, sweet and heartbreaking.
Jaqueline Proctor, Membership & Events Coordinator:
Disorder (August 19)
Directed by Alice Winocour (Co-writer of last year’s Oscar contender Mustang), this 2016 Festival title promises plenty of tension with Diane Kruger and Matthias Schoenarts in the leading roles and soundtrack provided by Gesaffelstein. Schoenarts plays a French soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder and a new job handling security for a wealthy family.
Lauren Cohen, Promotions Coordinator:
Tickled (June 17)
I first heard about the documentary Tickled when it premiered at the most recent Sundance Film Festival. On paper, it sounds like bizarre, innocent fun. Journalist David Farrier sets out to explore the world of Competitive Endurance Tickling after finding a video of the peculiar “sport” online. But as he starts digging for answers, he discovers a dark underbelly to this internet discovery, one that is far more sinister than we ever could have imagined.
