Clockwise from top: Elle, Silo, X-Men ‘97, and Minions & Monsters.Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Apple TV, Disney, Prime, Universal
Happy four(th)-day weekend! Nothing like extra time to yourself to figure out how to avoid the absolute heat wave incoming. While the holiday itself will present a variety of activities, there is one surefire way to stay out of the heat: escaping into a movie theater. And we’ve got Minions & Monsters, a movie that seems to ditch Gru for the magic of cinema; a gloopy orange monster; and a voice role for George Lucas. Movies, they’re so beautiful
At first, the idea that these yellow nubs will introduce your kids to classic cinema sounds like a scoffable notion — but it seems that Minions & Monsterspulls that off while also being quite enjoyable. The third Despicable Me spinoff focuses on Gru’s henchmen as they land in 1920s Los Angeles and become enraptured by the glamour of film
In theaters
showtimes
When this series premiered in 2024, it proved that nostalgia can grow up. Its approach to themes introduced in the ’90s animation, like the appeal of separatist politics and the government-approved othering of ethnic groups, was mature and thoughtful. Now, season two divides up the X-Men and scatters them through time
Twenty-five years ago, Reese Witherspoon starred as lawyer-in-training Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, and now this prequel series zooms back to her teen years. Lexi Minetree plays young Elle, an absurdly wealthy high-school student who moves from Los Angeles to Seattle after her father gets a new job. Everyone’s a goth weirdo slouching in a rainy city; she’s the blonde in bright pink
Streaming on Prime Video
Prime Video
Brian Lynch, screenwriter, suggestsMargo’s Got Money Troubleson Apple TV
Brian Lynch.
Photo: Unique Nicole/Getty Images
I co-wrote Minions & Monsters, which is an all-ages movie, and at first blush, the show I’ve been obsessed with couldn’t be further from that. It’s calledMargo’s Got Money Troubles,and it’s about a single mother who starts an OnlyFans account to make ends meet. But, hear me out, both Minions & Monsters and Margo are about artistic, misunderstood souls who find an outlet for their creativity and ultimately get to show their works of art to the world with help from friends and family. Of course, in my movie, it’s a minion who makes monster movies with actual monsters, and in Margo, she’s … expressing herself in more adult ways, but look, creativity takes many forms. It’s full of the most brilliant actors (Elle Fanning, Nick Offerman, and Michelle Pfeiffer, for goodness’ sake) giving career-best performances. And if you need any more convincing, Nicole Kidman plays a wrestler.
Rebecca Ferguson’s nuclear-grade glare returns. The latest run of this adaptation of Hugh Howey’s postapocalyptic sci-fi novels promises a big ol’ flashback, building on last season’s closing scene at a notable pre-apocalyptic Capitol Hill. Answers will be given! Maybe!
Streaming on Apple TV
apple tv
A French reimagining of the story about an outlaw who defends the poor, Indigenous, and downtrodden from the rich and powerful? Sure, why not. It stars Academy Award winner Jean Dujardin as the man who puts the mask on after 20 years away and maintains the original’s 19th-century California setting and swashbuckling vibe
Streaming on MHz Choice
MHz Choice
Last year’s acclaimed Ken Burns documentary, co-directed with Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, makes for the ideal Fourth of July weekend time killer. Through rigorous research and lively voicework (from Samuel L. Jackson, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, and Matthew Rhys, among dozens of others), it takes an earnest but fact-based and unsentimental look at the founding of these United States — all without eliding topics like slavery, the treatment of Native Americans, and infighting among the patriots. You’ll probably learn a thing or two. —Eric Vilas-Boas
Streaming on PBS
PBS
Having already earned back 33 times its production budget, Backrooms is back in theaters for a classic Hollywood double dip. The liminal horror hit’s Everything Must Go extended cut will include 16 minutes of “theatrically exclusive” bonus footage
In theaters
showtimes
Filmmaker Elvira Lind’s beautifully intimate documentary follows her husband, Oscar Isaac, and his friend and collaborator, the director Sam Gold, during the months before they stage Hamlet at the Public Theater in 2017. In that time, Isaac loses his mother and becomes a father, and those two life experiences transform his approach to the Danish prince. It’s revealing to see Isaac explain the different Hamlet translations he’s inspired by and worry about his little tummy, but King Hamlet reaches into your chest when the play’s cast discuss how they connect toHamletas an interrogation of grief. —Roxana Hadadi
Streaming on Letterboxd Video Store
Letterboxd Video Store
The story of Ryan Gosling saving the universe alongside his lovable rock companion, Project Hail Mary became one of the buzzier movies of the year and is now landing on Prime ahead of the holiday weekend. It’s the perfect family movie (if you ignore the claustrophobic idea of being stuck in space looming over Gosling’s Ryland Grace) to gather everyone around to watch between fireworks
Streaming on Prime Video
Prime Video
As we put it in the wake of its world premiere, this sequel “hates evil rich people so, so much.” Having endured the guest-hunting gauntlet of the first Ready or Not, Samara Weaving’s Grace MacCaullay faces another as a shadowy organization of wealthy elites conspires to track her down and kill her
Streaming on Hulu
hulu
➽ Plus Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is now on David Zaslav’s HBO Max
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The 10 Best Movies and TV Shows to Watch This Weekend
