June movies are all about legacies and tradition. This month's new releases include a debut feature by the daughter of a famed filmmaker, a sequel to a beloved animation, a prequel to a popular monster flick, an addition to the canon of an auteur starring his usual cohort of actors and an epic in which Kevin Costner returns to the American West.
'The Watchers' (June 7)
Director M. Night Shyamalan is famous for his spooky stories and twist endings in movies like "The Sixth Sense" and "The Village" — and it seems the apple does not fall far from the tree. Shyamalan's daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan, is making her directorial debut with "The Watchers" (her father also produced it). Dakota Fanning stars as a woman stranded in a remote Ireland forest. There, she finds shelter, but it turns out to be more of a trap, as she and several strangers are watched and stalked by mysterious creatures who will kill them if they try to escape. "I think it's very clearly the first of many films she will make," Fanning said of Shyamalan's burgeoning talent. If the movie is good, then nepotism be damned.
'Inside Out 2' (June 14)
Pixar — or as I like to call it, the emotional terrorism machine — rarely misses. The studio is consistent with making high-quality animation that appeals to both children and adults, with storylines that do not tug at your heartstrings so much as rip them out slowly, one by one. "Inside Out 2" is the sequel to 2015's "Inside Out," and once again follows a girl named Riley as she navigates childhood with the help of five capital-E Emotions existing only inside her own brain. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust are back, but several new characters are joining the party in Riley's mind this time. With teenagerdom comes the delights of Anxiety, Envy, Ennui and Embarrassment.
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'Kinds of Kindness' (June 21)
Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos is known for his odd and absurdist films that tend to feature a whole lot of A-list actors. His last, 2023's "Poor Things," won Emma Stone her second Oscar for best actress. And apparently she has remained Lanthimos' muse, as she also stars in "Kinds of Kindness" alongside Jesse Plemons and Willem Dafoe. Few specifics about the plot have been leaked, but we do know it is a dark comedy described as a "triptych fable," consisting of three loosely connected stories.
'A Quiet Place: Day One' (June 28)
The third installment in John Krasinski's "Quiet Place" series is a prequel that takes place before the first film. Lupita Nyong'o stars as Sam, who is innocently wandering the streets of New York City with her cat when the alien creatures from the first two films descend. It is probably not a spoiler to reveal that the monsters have extra-acute hearing, so everyone must stay extremely quiet in order to avoid being brutally attacked. In "Day One," the apocalypse has only just begun, so the characters presumably do not yet know how to avoid them. Krasinski did not direct this one, but he served as a producer with director Michael Sarnoski. Bet you won't feel brave enough to crunch your popcorn loudly.
'Horizon: An American Saga' (June 28)
Kevin Costner is no cinematic stranger to the Wild West. "Horizon: An American Saga" marks Costner's fourth time in the director's chair. He also directed 1990's "Dances With Wolves," which won the Oscar for best picture. "Horizon" is a four-part epic also starring Costner, focusing on the 15-year period of pre- and post-Civil War expansion and settlement of the American West. The story will explore the "lure of the Old West and how it was won — and lost," said the film's official synopsis. "Horizon" chapters 1 and 2 get a dual theatrical release from Warner Bros., with the first film out June 28 and the second out August 16. The ensemble cast includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jena Malone and Luke Wilson, and the trailer previews stunning vistas, towering buttes and Costner's formidable mustache.
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