Summer Movies: What’s Hot and What’s Not?


“The Big Sick” is a hip romantic comedy that follows the origin and development of stand-up comic Kumail Nanjiani’s real-life romance with his current wife Emily Gordon. (Amazon Studios / Lionsgate)“The Big Sick” is a hip romantic comedy that follows the origin and development of stand-up comic Kumail Nanjiani’s real-life romance with his current wife Emily Gordon. (Amazon Studios / Lionsgate)

As August approaches, so does the inevitable end of summer—but there’s still plenty of time to catch this season’s hottest films.

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And what better way to escape the sweltering heat than hunkering down with some popcorn in a chilly, air-conditioned movie theater?

From superheroes to war heroes, getaway drivers to girls’ trips, several summer movies earned big box office dollars while also captivating critics.

In his WWII film “Dunkirk,” director Christopher Nolan vividly portrays the visceral chaos and commotion of an extensive effort to rescue hundreds of thousands of Allied troops stranded in northern France and targeted by German airstrikes.

The fast-paced and action-packed “Baby Driver” casts Ansel Elgort as a young, stylish getaway driver who relies on his soundtrack to navigate daring car chases on behalf of his domineering crime boss Doc, played by Kevin Spacey.

And like every year, this summer brought its share of commercial and critical flops, like the modern-day reboot of “The Mummy” and the fifth installment in the “Transformers” live-action series.

So which summer movies should you see and which should you shun? Joining host Eddie Arruza with their professional opinions are three Chicago film critics: Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune, Andrew Lapin of NPR and Allison Shoemaker of Consequence of Sound.

Follow Evan Garcia on Twitter: @EvanRGarcia


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