Want to beat the heat? Whether you’re heading out to the theaters to see some of the big new releases and bask in the industrial AC or just chilling on your couch to catch what’s now available at home, our weekly reviews roundup is here to walk you through it all. You can witness Nicolas Cage on the big screen in the highly anticipated horror Longlegs and at home doing battle with monsters in the festival gem Arcadian. Romantic comedies more your speed? There’s Fly Me to the Moon with Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum. Let’s dig into all of those and the other movies we’ve reviewed and ranked for your viewing pleasure.

5 Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Directed by Wes Ball
Image via 20th Century Studios

Caesar looms large in Wes Ball’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, a solid new chapter in the iconic franchise about apes and humans living on Earth that dates back generations. With a collection of new characters and a brewing conflict, it’s now something you can see at home if you missed it in theaters. Even as the past casts a long shadow over what the film is going for and it’s far from perfect, there is plenty to swing along with this time around. In his review, Senior Film Editor Ross Bonaime called it “a bit of an overlong struggle with how to blend the past and this series’ future, but there’s enough here to still look ahead with bright eyes.”

REVIEW Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes explores the past while creating a new future, starting this fresh angle on the series to a rocky, but promising start.ProsWes Ball does an admirable job of bridging the different eras of this franchise.The motion-capture performances remain some of the best in film.Even when the story falls short, the film remains visually stunning. ConsThe script lacks the excitement and depth that the last trilogy had.

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4 Longlegs
Directed by Oz Perkins
Image via Neon

It’s Maika Monroe versus Nicolas Cage in a horror journey of pure evil as Oz Perkins’ new haunting serial killer horror film Longlegs creeps its way into theaters where it’s already making quite a splash. The less that you know about it the better time you’ll have watching it, but suffice to say you’re unlikely to see anything quite as sinister this year. Even as it takes a while to settle in, it’s hard not to be impressed by the result. In his review, Bonaime wrote that “it’s an uneasy, unrelenting nightmare that we can’t escape, even if it is a rocky road for a bit.”

REVIEW Longlegs Longlegs is a jarring horror vision from Osgood Perkins, an unsettling tale that takes a bit to find its legs, but ultimately works its way into a satisfying nightmare.ProsOsgood Perkins’ direction makes nearly every scene uncomfortable.The uncertainty of the mystery at hand is just as unnerving as the more straightforward horror moments.The cast, which includes Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage, is excellent at playing off well-known tropes in similar mystery thrillers. ConsLonglegs takes a bit to find its footing, with the first two acts relying too much on shocks that don’t often work.

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3 Arcadian
Directed by Benjamin Brewer
Image via Shudder

Still want more Cage in your life? Well he’s playing your dystopian dad in his latest monster horror, Arcadian, which is now available to stream on Shudder. Following a family who must survive after the world as we know it has fallen and murderous creatures lurk in the night, it’s not entirely about Cage’s patriarch (though he still absolutely kicks ass when it counts). In my review from back when it premiered at SXSW, I wrote that “though its world has fallen into darkness, Arcadian carries the horror torch forward to become a solid monster movie.”

REVIEW Arcadian (2024) Arcadian is a must-see horror film with well-designed monsters that shows Nicolas Cage remains a great actor.A father and his twin teenage sons fight to survive in a remote farmhouse at the end of the end of the world.ProsNicolas Cage gives a performance that is more understated at times, making the moment where he lets loose in the end all the more earned.The character relationships, while confined to only a couple of days, give the eventual chaos of the conclusion real stakes.The monsters are creepy both when we don’t see them and when we get plenty of good looks at them. ConsThe film does hold back a little bit when it comes to gore.

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2 Fly Me to the Moon
Directed by Greg Berlanti
Image via Sony Pictures/Apple Studios

In space, no one can hear you smooch. In Fly Me to the Moon, the new romantic comedy starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, sparks fly between two people as they *checks notes* set out to fake the moon landing. Not only does this bonkers premise work, it also proves to be a fun new entry in a genre that has often felt like it has fallen out of fashion. It sticks the landing, going to some quite interesting places you won’t expect. In his review, contributor Jeff Ewing wrote that the film “is a thoroughly enjoyable, memorably novel rom-com that regularly surprises in a genre that often doesn’t, and we’re all better for it.”

REVIEW Fly Me to the Moon (2024) Fly Me to the Moon is an ambitious, charming rom-com with charismatic performances and a funny script, but some important plot and character pivots could have stronger development.ProsGreg Berlanti’s confident direction and Rose Gilroy’s funny, high-concept script deliver a memorable, novel romantic comedy.Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum have full-tilt movie star chemistry and give excellent performances, anchored by a strong supporting cast.Strong worldbuilding situates the audience in the Cold War-set world well without getting bogged down by needless details. ConsCertain important pivots in the story would benefit from honing in their introduction and development.Some relevant character choices aren’t adequately developed and contexualized.

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1 Chronicles of a Wandering Saint
Directed by Tomás Gómez Bustillo
Image via Hope Runs High

The best movie of the week, Chronicles of a Wandering Saint, is one to die for. Alas, we have to be coy about the wonderful swerve this work of mirthful and magical realism takes. Just trust us when we say it’s worth the ride. Not only will you experience one of the best needle drops of the 21st century, you’ll find yourself wishing you could wander with it just a little bit longer as it all comes into beautiful focus. In my rave review, I wrote “it’s a film that, much like life, relies on you sticking with it, warts and all, to discover the beauty that lies at its core.”

REVIEW Chronicles of a Wandering Saint (2024) Tomás Gómez Bustillo’s Chronicles of a Wandering Saint is a fantastic feature debut and a small miracle of a movie that offers one of the 2024’s most beautiful surprises thus far.ProsWithout giving anything away, the shift that this film takes is delightful as it plunges us into its own distinctly offbeat, frequently absurd, and ultimately melancholic vision.Mónica Villa is magnificent as a woman wandering through her small corner of the world and discovering what it was that she has to lose.Cinematographer Pablo Lozano and composer Felipe Delsart operate in complete harmony with each other to make it all that much more unexpectedly moving.

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