Movies

Movies to watch this week: Yesterday, Spider-Man, The Hunger Games and more


Hello, and welcome to our weekly pick of movies that you can feast your eyes upon over the next week – both on the big screen and at home (via freeview channels, streaming and Blu-ray/digital downloads).

With so much movie goodness available across so many platforms – as well as all the new TV shows on offer – it can be tough planning your viewing schedule. But don’t worry: below, you’ll find a variety of new theatrical and home entertainment releases, as well as some of our favourite golden oldies and modern classics that can be found on streaming services and on the traditional telly channels.  

So, here’s our round-up of the best movies available to watch between Friday 28 June and Thursday 4 July. And don’t forget to pop back next week for more recommendations.

At the cinema

Yesterday

Out now

Two Brit-flick titans team up for this crowd-pleasing musical romcom, directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire) and written by Richard Curtis (Four Weddings And A Funeral, Love Actually). Himesh Patel (of Eastenders fame) plays Jack, a struggling musician who, after an accident during a freak event, wakes up as the only person in the world who remembers The Beatles. Seeing an opportunity, he starts claiming the band’s greatest hits as his own. But when superstardom beckons, Jack has to decide whether to take the credit or come clean with the world. Read our review.

Apollo 11

Out now

One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind… The space mission that sent Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon is retold in spectacular style in this buzzy documentary. Comprised completely of digitally enhanced archive footage, director/editor Todd Douglas Miller uses some ingenious cutting to piece together a tense, thrilling and immersive version of events without the need for narration, talking heads or dramatic recreations.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

Out 2 July

Picking up after the events of Avengers: Endgame, the second solo outing for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man sees our friendly neighbourhood wallcrawler dealing with the aftermath of the death of his mentor, Tony Stark, by heading off on a European vacation with his classmates, including the girl of his dreams, MJ (Zendaya). It’s not long before Nick Fury recruits him for world-saving duties once again, though, as the destructive Elementals make their MCU debut. Luckily, he’s given a helping hand by his fishbowl-headed new super-friend, Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). Keep your eyes peeled for two key extra scenes mid- and post-credits. Read our review. 

On streaming

The Hunger Games

Netflix, 1 July

With the news that a prequel novel from author Suzanne Collins – and, probably, a movie adaptation – is on the way, you can now reacquaint yourself with the adventures of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a contestant in the titular murder trials who turns into the symbolic leader of a rebellion against Donald Sutherland’s totalitarian government. The full quadrilogy – The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay Part 1 and Part 2 – are all coming to Netflix, so you can hunker down for a proper dystopian teen sci-fi binge.

Atomic Blonde

Netflix, 4 July

Charlize Theron kicks all of the ass in this neon-soaked adap of Antony Johnston’s graphic novel, directed by David Leitch – whose next movie, Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw, is revving into cinemas this summer. Theron plays Lorraine Broughton, an MI6 agent sent to Berlin to recover a stolen list of the identities of her fellow British spies. Double-crosses and impressively bruising fight sequences ensue, in a slice of down-and-dirty, John Wick-style action.

Venom

Sky Cinema/Now TV, available now

Will Venom ever cross over with the MCU’s Spider-Man? Who knows, but now could be a good time to revisit the Spidey spinoff, which picked up some poor reviews but defied all expectations to power its way to a $855 million box office haul. Tom Hardy brings some Jekyll and Hyde weirdness to the role of Eddie Brock – a down-on-his-luck journo who bonds with a gooey alien symbiote to become the titular anti-hero. This is the first instalment in a planned shared-universe series featuring Spidey’s supporting characters – next up is Jared Leto’s Morbius, followed by the now greenlit Venom 2.

Spider-Man: Homecoming 

Netflix, available now

With Spider-Man: Far From Home finally here, now’s a good a time as any to catch up with its predecessor. The 16th film in the gargantuan Marvel Cinematic Universe, Homecoming was the first solo MCU movie for Tom Holland’s webslinger (after his introduction in Captain America: Civil War), but it’s arguably Michael Keaton’s villain, the Vulture, who steals the show.

On the telly

Captain America: The First Avenger

Channel 4, Saturday 29 June, 8pm

Still not over Chris Evans hanging up his red, silver and blue shield at the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame? Console yourself by rewatching his first outing as Steve Rogers in this WW2-set actioner, in which Cap takes on the villainous Red Skull (Hugo Weaving). This film also marks the first appearance of an Infinity Stone in the MCU – the Tesseract would go on to cause no end of trouble for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

Hellboy

Dave, Saturday 29 June, 9pm

After the underperformance of the disappointing Neil Marshall-directed reboot (and the news that it’s unlikely to get a sequel), it’s probably worth giving Guillermo del Toro’s first adaptation of Mike Mignola’s cult comic series a go. Ron Perlman was born to play the titular big red demon, who’s recruited by the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense to take on supernatural evildoers. 

Raw

Film4, Saturday 29 Jun, 10:45pm

This ace, allegorical and gory coming-of-age tale became a cult hit a couple of years back, and rightly so. Garance Marillier plays Justine, a staunch vegetarian who starts to crave meat – and not necessarily of the non-human kind – after being subjected to a humiliating ritual when she attends veterinary school. Highly recommended.

Blade 2

5*, Sunday 30 June, 9pm

Our second Guillermo del Toro recommendation of the week comes in the form of this superhero sequel, which sees Wesley Snipes eponymous daywalker reluctantly teaming up with a vampiric commando unit in order to stop a killing spree by rogue bloodsuckers. Some of the CG doesn’t quite hold up, but Luke Goss’ athletic baddie is still a highlight.

On Blu-ray and digital download

Fighting With My Family

Out 1 July

The Rock returns to his wrestling roots, producing and taking a small role in this dramatisation of the rise of WWE star Paige (played by Florence Pugh), from her humble beginnings in Norwich’s amateur circuit to becoming the youngest Divas champion in history. The film is written and directed by Stephen Merchant, who was introduced to the story by his pal and Tooth Fairy co-star Johnson, and stars Lena Headey, Nick Frost and Jack Lowden as Paige’s wrestling-obsessed family. Vince Vaughn appears as the WWE talent scout who coaxes Paige to try her luck in the US, while Johnson pops up as her unlikely mentor.



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