5 best new films in July, from Marvel and Disney+’s Black Widow to HBO Max’s Space Jam: A New Legacy, starring Scarlett Johansson and LeBron James

Jul 5 , 2021

Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, in Marvel Studios’ Black Widow, in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access. Photo: Marvel Studios

Jungle Cruise, inspired by the Disneyland theme park ride, stars Dwayne Johnson while Bugs Bunny and NBA legend LeBron James team up in the new Space Jam

Chris Pratt leads The Tomorrow War, a sci-fi flick about time travellers and aliens, and M. Night Shyamalan’s Old follows a family beach holiday gone very wrong

With the film industry slowly finding its feet in a pandemic-stricken world, big movie releases are starting to rev up. And this month is no exception. Here’s the biggest new flicks to hit cinemas and streaming platforms in July.

Old: in theatres July 23

“This summer, visionary filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan unveils a chilling, mysterious new thriller about a family on a tropical holiday who discover that the secluded beach where they are relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly ... reducing their entire lives into a single day.”

Space Jam: A New Legacy: in theatres and on HBO Max July 16

“Basketball champion and global icon LeBron James goes on an epic adventure alongside timeless Tune Bugs Bunny with the animated/live-action event Space Jam: A New Legacy, from director Malcolm D. Lee and an innovative filmmaking team including Ryan Coogler and Maverick Carter. This transformational journey is a manic mash-up of two worlds that reveals just how far some parents will go to connect with their kids.”

Jungle Cruise – in theatres and on Disney+ Premier Access July 30

“Inspired by the famous Disneyland theme park ride, Disney’s Jungle Cruise is an adventure-filled, rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton. Lily travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank’s questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila – his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities – possessing the power to change the future of medicine.”

The Tomorrow War – on Amazon Prime Video July 2

“In The Tomorrow War, the world is stunned when a group of time travellers arrive from the year 2051 to deliver an urgent message: thirty years in the future mankind is losing a global war against a deadly alien species. The only hope for survival is for soldiers and civilians from the present to be transported to the future and join the fight. Among those recruited is high schoolteacher and family man Dan Forester (Chris Pratt). Determined to save the world for his young daughter, Dan teams up with a brilliant scientist (Yvonne Strahovski) and his estranged father (J.K. Simmons) in a desperate quest to rewrite the fate of the planet.”

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 51 per cent

What critics said: “Watching Chris Pratt fight to save the future has a certain appeal, but in the here and now, he can’t even save the movie.” – CNN

Black Widow – in theatres and on Disney+ Premier Access July 9

“Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.”

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 83 per cent

What critics said: “I think I can say for the first time in years about a Marvel property that the next chapter can’t come soon enough.” – Slate

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