In a movie season worshipped for its CGI-boosted, spiritually bankrupt juvenilia, it's heartening to know that filmmakers still create — and maybe more significantly, that studios still distribute — summer entertainment for grown-ups. Not that those buckets of popcorn are going to empty themselves, but who needs to be reminded of yet another comic-book reboot (The Amazing Spider-Man), unasked-for remake (Total Recall) or Adam Sandler comedy (That's My Boy)? Here are 25 to watch for in the sweltering months ahead, from thought-provoking indies to Piranha 3DD. All opening dates are subject to change.
Moonrise Kingdom (May 25)
Dir. Wes Anderson
Vintage record players! Letter writing! Slow-motion sequences and Euro pop! Anderson's vibrantly meticulous, nostalgia-inducing aesthetic finally gets the '60s period piece it deserves in this small-town dramedy adventure. Twelve-year-olds Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward fall in love and run off into the New England wilderness, much to the chagrin of his scout troop leader (Edward Norton), her folks (Frances McDormand and Bill Murray) and local sheriff Bruce Willis. (Focus Features)
Piranha 3DD (June 1)
Dir. John Gulager
That's pronounced "Double-D," as in the jiggly, eye-popping flesh that'll be chewed up (and spit at the audience) by prehistoric fanged fish, much as it was in the proudly, viciously campy Piranha 3D. Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the waterpark, terror swims anew for survivors Ving Rhames, Paul Scheer and Christopher Lloyd, who must now keep a straight face beside wild cards Gary Busey and David Hasselhoff as — what else? — a celebrity lifeguard. (Dimension Films)
Prometheus (June 8)
Dir. Ridley Scott
Originally conceived as, but not exactly, a prequel to Scott's 1979 sci-fi masterpiece Alien, this mega-expensive, futuristic IMAX thriller instead forges an epic new mythos about our intergalactic origins. Following an ancient star map, a quite face-huggable space crew (including captain Idris Elba, archaeologist Noomi Rapace, android Michael Fassbender and corporate thug Charlize Theron) investigates an extraterrestrial civilization on a distant, terrifying planet. Just don't expect an appearance from Lt. Ripley, believe it or not. (20th Century Fox)
Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present (June 13)
Dir. Matthew Akers
Named for the Museum of Modern Art retrospective on the Serbian performance-art sensation's four-decade body of work, this doc takes a revealing look at Abramovic's complicated relationships with her audience and former lover/collaborator Ulay. From vintage footage of the now 65-year-old radical's public self-flagellation to 2010's main event—a three-month, stone-faced sitting in front of curious, often obsessive museum-goers — the film warmly and perceptively makes a solid case for asking the question: "Is this art?" (HBO Documentary Films/Music Box Films)
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (June 22)
Dir. Timur Bekmambetov
On Broadway, actor Benjamin Walker already reimagined one U.S. president as an emo rock star in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, so why not play Honest Abe as an axe-wielding Abolitionist out to destroy bloodsuckers and slavery? Adapted by hot novelist-cum-screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith (Dark Shadows, whose director Tim Burton serves as producer here) from his own faux-epistolary mashup, this action-packed "secret life" chronicle promises an undead body count of at least four score. (20th Century Fox)
Brave (June 22)
Dir. Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
A strong-willed young woman and expert archer becomes the talk of her rural kingdom when she takes charge of her own destiny...and competes in the Hunger Games? Okay, so Pixar's latest CG-animated fantasy isn't that dark, but it does feature the studio's first-ever female protagonist: Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), a flame-haired, tenth-century princess of the Scottish Highlands whose solo adventure begins after defying a chauvinistic tradition. (Disney/Pixar)
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (June 22)
Dir. Lorene Scafaria
If Melancholia was too glum in its pre-apocalyptic anxieties, the Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist screenwriter's directorial debut offers up an unlikely alternative for those who take the Mayans' predictions seriously: a rom-com! While humanity awaits doomsday by way of an inbound asteroid, a freshly dumped Steve Carell makes an unlikely connection in his neighbor Keira Knightley. Go for it, girl — it's not like you have to worry about commitment issues. (Focus Features)
To Rome with Love (June 22)
Dir. Woody Allen
The Woodman's follow-up to Midnight in Paris — easily his best and biggest hit in over a decade — continues his recent trend of filming in travelogue-friendly, European locales (see also: Match Point, Vicky Cristina Barcelona). Along with the 76-year-old Allen, this year's Windsor-font-emblazoned ensemble includes Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penélope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page and indie darling Greta Gerwig. (Sony Pictures Classics)
Beasts of the Southern Wild (June 27)
Dir. Benh Zeitlin
Punching way above his indie-budget weight, Zeitlin's visually rapturous tale — the Grand Jury Prize and Best Cinematography winner at Sundance 2012 — sees the lawless Louisiana bayou through the imaginative, often blindly optimistic view of a six-year-old girl named Hushpuppy (newcomer Quvenzhané Wallis). Like Where the Wild Things Are as conceived by Terrence Malick, this troubling but tender 16mm opus will permanently stain your brain with its fantastical images. (Fox Searchlight)
