Hollywood movies come out in full force during the summertime. Look forward to everything from the new Marvel movie to a Mr. Rogers flick to the return of everyone’s favorite animated superhero parents. Plus, there’s no shortage of places to watch the classics outside. Below, we've rounded up the top film events and openings for the season, and you can also find a complete list of film events in Seattle this summer on our Things To Do calendar, or check out the rest of our critics' picks from Seattle Art and Performance.
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FILM SERIES & FESTIVALS
June 15–21
Best of SIFF
Missed Seattle International Film Festival audience favorites? They'll be screened again, along with the award winners. (Various locations)
June 16–Aug 18
Seattle Outdoor Cinema
This 21+ series invites you to snack on street food from the night market and relish classic movies like Jurassic Park on second Saturdays. (South Lake Union Discovery Center)
June 28–Aug 29
Movies at Marymoor Park
Watch big hits—recent and classic—on the big screen on various Wednesdays and Thursdays. The lineup includes Wonder Woman, The Princess Bride, The Greatest Showman, Coco, Black Panther, 10 Things I Hate About You, and more. They also promise trivia, food trucks, and other surprises. (Marymoor Park)
June 29–July 1
Seattle Taiwanese American Film Festival
The brand-new festival will screen seven features and a number of shorts highlighting Taiwanese American filmic talent. (Various locations)
July 12-Aug 16
Carole Lombard: Queen of Comedy
The cool, brainy star of 1930s cinema starred in great movies like To Be or Not To Be, My Man Godfrey, and Hitchcock's Mr. and Mrs. Smith. SAM will screen her movies on Thursday evenings. (Seattle Art Museum)
July 14 & Aug 18
Cinema Under the Stars
Watch high-quality, all-ages movies: the best shorts from the Children's International Film Festival (July) and the Academy Award-winning Coco (August). (Columbia Park)
July 28–Aug 25
Movies at the Mural
Park your bum on some blankets in front of the Mural and see free, enjoyable movies, like The Princess Bride, Get Out, and Wonder Woman. Each screening will be preceded by short films by Cornish students. (Mural Amphitheatre)
Aug 23–26
North Bend Film Festival
The hometown of many Twin Peaks shoots debuts a new film festival of strange, Northwest-themed movies. (North Bend Theatre)
Through Aug 30
Peddler Outdoor Movie Nights
Head to Peddler’s outdoor, yet covered, beer garden, where you can watch a movie while enjoying the summer breeze. (You can even bring your dog.) The movies include 10 Things I Hate About You, The Princess Bride, Old School, and many more. (Peddler Brewing Company)
Through Sept 8
Home Movies
Documentary filmmakers dare to reveal their family lives and histories, using experimental and innovative techniques. Watch them at this second Saturday series. (Northwest Film Forum)
Sept 14–16
Conscious Cartoons International Animation Festival
This brand-new fest is a short ferry ride from Seattle, and it sounds worth the trip: It’s got three days of short animated films from around the world, featuring “humanistic themes” and a focus on social justice. (Vashon Theatre)
Through Oct 18
Veracity: New Documentary Cinema
This third Thursday series surveys the current world of documentary cinema. Each event includes a drink special and a discussion with the curator, Jay Kuehner, plus a special guest. (Northwest Film Forum)
TOP FILM RUNS & OPENINGS
Note: Opening dates of wide releases are subject to change.
June 15–July 5
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Remember how badly you miss Mr. Rogers as you watch this documentary about the TV host, Presbyterian minister, and public broadcasting champion's ethics and influence. (SIFF Cinema Uptown)
Opening Fri June 15
Incredibles 2
Elastigirl has a new job and Mr. Incredible becomes a stay-at-home dad in the brilliantly animated sequel to the 2004 hit. (Wide release)
On Chesil Beach
Based on Ian McEwan's novella and directed by Dominic Cooke, longtime artistic director of the Royal Court Theatre, this is a film about British sex in the 1960s, just before the sexual revolution, with Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle. CARL SPENCE (Various locations)
Superfly
The 1972 blaxploitation classic returns in a remake by Director X., starring Trevor Jackson. (Various locations)
June 22–24
Here to Be Heard: The Story of the Slits
Revisit the heady career of the first all-female punk band in the UK in this documentary that's unmissable for fans of the genre. (Northwest Film Forum)
June 22–28
Nancy
Andrea Riseborough and Steve Buscemi (The Death of Stalin) star in Christina Choe's thriller about a woman who becomes convinced she was a child kidnap victim. (SIFF Cinema Uptown)
June 22–July 1
The Gospel of André
A retrospective on the fashion designer, from his roots in Jim Crow South to fame and influence. (Northwest Film Forum)
June 29–July 5
Let the Sunshine In
Claire Denis is one of the most important living French filmmakers, and Juliette Binoche one of the best-known French actors. Together, they take on the romantic comedy in a story about a divorced Parisian artist searching for love among less-than-perfect men. (SIFF Cinema Uptown)
Opening Fri June 29
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard return to Jurassic World to save them rompin’-
stompin’ dinos from a big volcano! Will Bryce remember her saurian-stalking footwear this time? (Wide release)
Sicario: Day of the Soldado
Stefanio Solima directs this sequel to the widely praised 2015 thriller about two US agents fighting the brutal drug trade along the US-Mexico border, with Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro in the leads once again. (Wide release)
Opening Fri July 6
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Two teeny-weeny superheroes have to work together to take on a new challenge. Aw. (Wide release)
Sorry to Bother You
A black telemarketer (Lakeith Stanfield) discovers a magical talent for "white voice" in Boots Riley's debut film, an absurdist comedy also starring Tessa Thompson and Armie Hammer. (Wide release)
The Spy Who Dumped Me
Audrey (Mila Kunis) and her roommate Morgan (Kate McKinnon) are embroiled in a far-ranging conspiracy when Audrey's boyfriend crashes their apartment with assassins in pursuit. (Wide release)
July 6–12
The King
On a road trip in Elvis Presley's Rolls Royce, filmmaker Eugene Jarecki examines themes of American decline. (SIFF Cinema Uptown)
July 13–19
Damsel
Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska star in this zany postmodern Western by the Zellner brothers (Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter). (Northwest Film Forum)
Opening Fri July 20
The Equalizer 2
A sequel to the action film, also starring Denzel Washington. (Wide release)
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
A sequel to the 2008 film, starring Amanda Seyfried and Meryl Streep. (Wide release)
Opening Fri July 27
Blindspotting
In rapidly gentrifying Oakland, Collin (Daveed Diggs) is trying to survive his last three days of probation, when the slightest infraction will send him back to jail. However, his best friend Miles (Rafael Casal) is white, wild, and reckless. Collin should avoid Miles, but he doesn't. While trying to get home before curfew late one night, he witnesses a rogue cop pursue and shoot a fleeing black man. CARL SPENCE (Wide release)
Mission: Impossible — Fallout
The latest in the apparently immortal franchise (starring the apparently ageless Tom Cruise) has all the stunts, glamorous women, and stirring soundtrack beats of the previous installments. (Wide release)
Opening Fri Aug 3
Christopher Robin
An adult Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) rediscovers his childhood sense of imagination with some help from Pooh and company. (Wide release)
The Darkest Minds
Teenagers start developing powers, and terrified adults imprison them, sparking their resistance. (Wide release)
Mile 22
A secretive government agency that "gets things done" must protect a police officer with important knowledge in a foreign country. With Mark Wahlberg. (Wide release)
Puzzle
Marc Turtletaub (producer of Little Miss Sunshine, Safety Not Guaranteed, and Loving) wonderfully directs this sweet journey of a woman who discovers her uncanny knack for puzzles and has an awakening to pursue a more extraordinary life beyond the confines of her ordinary family. CARL SPENCE (Wide release)
Aug 10–23
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
A young girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) cAught making out with the prom queen is sent to gay conversion "therapy" camp by her conservative parents. (SIFF Cinema Uptown)
Opening Fri Aug 10
The Meg
It's "meg" as in "megalodon."
As in very large shark. As in Jason Statham hunting the crap out of said shark. (Wide release)
Opening Fri Aug 17
Alpha
A Cro-Magnon boy wounded in a hunt befriends an injured wolf. (Wide release)
Crazy Rich Asians
A young Chinese American woman goes to Singapore to meet her hot boyfriend's family and discovers that he's a scion of incredibly wealthy—and not super friendly—family. (Wide release)
The Happytime Murders
Brian Henson's murder mystery takes place among cloth puppets that may resemble the cast of your favorite '80s kids' show and features the voices of Jimmy O. Yang, Melissa McCarthy, and Elizabeth Banks. (Wide release)
Opening Fri Aug 24
A-X-L
A teenage boy befriends a gigantic military dog robot. (Wide release)
Opening Fri Sept 7
The Nun
Another movie setting out to prove that nuns are the creepiest. (Wide release)
Peppermint
Jennifer Garner stars as a vengeful young mother. (Wide release)
Opening Fri Sept 14
The Predator
The bad-tempered alien predators are back after a little boy somehow causes them to crash-land, and they're "upgrading on every planet that they visit!" (Wide release)
A Simple Favor
When beguiling, stylish Emily (Blake Lively) disappears mysteriously, her mommy vlogger friend Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) investigates. Directed by Paul Feig. (Wide release)
