The 7 Best New Movies To Watch This Weekend (2024)

The summer movie season is officially here, but things are starting off a little differently from previous years. There are no Marvel movies or action blockbusters out just yet, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of great films to check out this weekend. Here are the seven best new movies you should be watching.

'The Bikeriders'

Where To Watch: In Theaters

Over the course of a decade, a Midwestern motorcycle club evolves from a gathering place for local outsiders to a sinister gang, threatening the original group's way of life. The Bikeriders features a talented cast led by Jodie Comer (Killing Eve), Academy Award nominee Austin Butler (Elvis), Academy Award nominee Tom Hardy (Venom), and Mike Faist (Challengers).

As strong as the cast is, they could not carry a pretty lackluster script. Emma Kiely explains in her review: The Bikeriders could have been decent, but it gets lost in its pursuit of an epic story that just isn’t there. While Comer makes a committed effort to carry the film, it falls flat in its excessive filler, undeveloped characters, and symphony of bonkers accents.

The Bikeriders

R

Drama

Crime

410

Follows the rise of a midwestern motorcycle club as it evolves over the course of a decade - from a gathering place for local outsiders into a more sinister gang, threatening the original group's way of life.

Release Date

June 21, 2024

Director

Jeff Nichols

Cast

Jodie Comer , Austin Butler , Tom Hardy , Michael Shannon , Mike Faist , Norman Reedus

Runtime

116 Minutes

Main Genre

Drama

Writers

Jeff Nichols

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'Kinds of Kindness'

Where To Watch: In Theaters

Yorgos Lanthimos and two-time Academy Award winner Emma Stone reunite for yet another fantastic film. Kinds of Kindness focuses on three stories: a man who tries to take control of his own life, a policeman whose wife seems like a different person, and a woman who searches for someone with a special ability.

Seeing the evolution of Lanthimos' career has been quite the journey, and Kinds of Kindness is the next step forward. Chase Hutchinson says: In every intense closeup or stilted line of dialogue, we see a new vision from Lanthimos that feels like a genuine step forward. Whatever he does next, one can only hope it's more like this.

Kinds of Kindness (2024)

Comedy

Drama

810

A man seeks to break free from his predetermined path, a cop questions his wife's demeanor after her return from a supposed drowning and a woman's quest to locate an extraordinary individual prophesied to become a renowned spiritual guide.

Release Date

June 21, 2024

Director

Yorgos Lanthimos

Cast

Emma Stone , Jesse Plemons , Willem Dafoe , Margaret Qualley , Hong Chau , Joe Alwyn , Mamoudou Athie , Hunter Schafer

Main Genre

Comedy

Writers

Yorgos Lanthimos Efthimis Filippou

Studio(s)

Film4 , Element Pictures , TSG Entertainment

Distributor(s)

Searchlight Pictures

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'I Used To Be Funny'

Where To Watch: On VOD

Rachel Sennott (Shiva Baby) has often shown her outstanding comedic chops, but I Used To Be Funny allows her to remind us how great she is at balancing humor and drama in this dramedy. Stand-up comedian Sam (Sennott) struggles with PTSD and considers joining the search for a missing teenage girl she used to nanny.

Emma Kiely praised the film, saying: It is a beautiful, haunting, and heartwarming look at the tidal wave that trauma brings not just to one person but their entire circle. With subtle but sharp notes on MeToo, cancel culture, online trolling, and sexual assault, I Used to Be Funny is a searingly relevant film without making that its main objective. It’s about Sam, her journey back to her hilarious self, and the unbreakable bond between two young women, but incidentally offers up a universal exploration of today’s issues.

I Used to Be Funny (2024)

NR

Comedy

Drama

810

Sam, a once-promising stand-up comedian, struggles to reclaim her sense of humor and purpose after a traumatic event derails her career. As she navigates through therapy, unexpected encounters, and reconnections with old friends, Sam confronts her past and finds new ways to express herself.

Release Date

June 7, 2024

Director

Ally Pankiw

Cast

Rachel Sennott , Olga Petsa , Jason Jones , Sabrina Jalees , Caleb Hearon

Runtime

105 Minutes

Main Genre

Comedy

Writers

Ally Pankiw

Studio(s)

Barn 12 , Partizan Films , Téléfilm Canada , Ontario Creates

Rent on Prime Video

'Fancy Dance'

Where To Watch: Limited Theatrical Release

Oscar-nominee Lily Gladstone offers us another wonderful performance in Fancy Dance. Since her sister's disappearance, Jax (Gladstone) has cared for her niece, Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson), by scraping by on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma. Every spare minute goes into finding her missing sister while also helping Roki prepare for an upcoming powwow.

It's no surprise that Lily Gladstone carries the film, but she once again cements herself as one of the best actors in Hollywood. Chase Hutchinson explains: Gladstone can say more with just her screen presence than other actors could do with pages and pages of dialogue. With even a steely stare or minute change in expression when she encounters yet another obstacle, Gladstone gives Jax so many dimensions that she feels like a real person you have come to know. It is a performance that contains multitudes in every single moment that the film is worth seeing for alone.

Fancy Dance

Not Yet Rated

Drama

910

Following her sister's disappearance, a Native American hustler kidnaps her niece from the child's white grandparents and sets out for the state powwow in hopes of keeping what is left of their family intact.

Release Date

January 21, 2023

Director

Erica Tremblay

Cast

Lily Gladstone , Isabel Delroy-Olson , Ryan Begay , Shea Whigham , Audrey Wasilewski

Runtime

90 minutes

Main Genre

Drama

Writers

Erica Tremblay , Miciana Alise

Cinematographer

Carolina Costa

Producer

Deidre Backs, Erica Tremblay, Heather Rae, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Tommy Oliver

Production Company

Gloria Sanchez Productions, Picturestart, Topic Studios

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'Sometimes I Think About Dying'

Where To Watch: On VOD

Based on Stefanie Abel Horowitz's short story of the same name, Daisy Ridley stars in the dark comedy Sometimes I Think About Dying. Ridley plays a lonely and socially awkward woman who tries to make a connection with a friendly new co-worker who takes her out on a date.

Ross Bonaime praised Ridley's performance and Rachel Lambert's direction, saying: Sometimes I Think About Dying is a dark comedy of restraint and quiet, but that silence holds an incredible amount of power and emotion. Ridley gives what might be her best performance, and Lambert knows exactly how to balance the delicate mood of the film.

Sometimes I Think About Dying

PG-13

Comedy

Drama

Romance

810

Fran, who likes to think about dying, makes the new guy at work laugh, which leads to dating and more. Now the only thing standing in their way is Fran herself.

Release Date

January 26, 2024

Director

Rachel Lambert

Cast

Katy Wright-Mead , Daisy Ridley , Dave Merheje , Parvesh Cheena , Marcia DeBonis , Meg Stalter , Brittany O'Grady

Runtime

91 minutes

Writers

Kevin Armento , Stefanie Abel Horowitz , Katy Wright-Mead

Studio(s)

Sweet Tomato Films , Page Fifty-Four Productions , Point Productions , Mirror Image Films

Distributor(s)

Oscilloscope Laboratories

Rent on Prime Video

Ghostlight

Where To Watch: In Theaters

When melancholic construction worker Dan (Keith Kupferer) drifts from his wife and daughter, he discovers community and purpose in a local theater production of Romeo and Juliet. As the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life, he and his family are forced to confront a personal loss.

Ghostlight is an authentic look at how we deal with trauma, making for a touching story. Chase Hutchinson said in his review: It’s often charming and more than a little chaotic. However, if done well, it represents a cathartic way to send us all back into the world to navigate our own stages before we return to the ones we’ve built to practice what it means to be alive.

Ghostlight

Drama

Comedy

710

When a construction worker unexpectedly joins a local theater's production of Romeo and Juliet, the drama onstage starts to mirror his own life.

Release Date

January 18, 2024

Director

Kelly O'Sullivan , Alex Thompson

Cast

Dolly de Leon , Katherine Mallen Kupferer , Keith Kupferer , Tara Mallen

Runtime

110 minutes

Main Genre

Drama

Writers

Kelly O'Sullivan

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'Thelma'

Where To Watch: In Theaters

Thelma Post (June Squibb) is a 93-year-old grandmother who loses $10,000 to a con artist on the phone. With help from a friend and his motorized scooter, she soon embarks on a treacherous journey across Los Angeles to reclaim what was taken from her.

Ross Bonaime said: Thelma knows not to make fun of its concept, but rather, embrace the possibilities within limitations, in a role that finally gives Squibb her first starring role. In her nineties, Squibb proves that she can be an effective action star and a great lead—hopefully, this won’t be the last time we get to see her front-and-center.

Thelma (2024)

Comedy

Action

710

When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her.

Release Date

January 18, 2024

Director

Josh Margolin

Cast

June Squibb , Fred Hechinger , Richard Roundtree , Parker Posey , Clark Gregg , Malcolm McDowell

Runtime

97 minutes

Main Genre

Comedy

Writers

Josh Margolin

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