Summer catch-up: 15 best films of the year so far, and where to find them
(Left to right) Millie Bobby Brown as Enola Holmes, Ryan Gosling in Project Hail Mary and Adam Scott in Hokum.
Chloe Zhao’s powerful, dramatic film brought us a history-making Best Actress Oscar win for Killarney’s Jessie Buckley and strong support from Paul Mescal. Told through the eyes of Buckley’s Agnes Shakespeare — and based on Maggie O’Farrell’s bestseller — it’s a tale of parental grief and the redemptive power of storytelling. Buckley is bewitching and sensational throughout.
A group of friends are reunited and decide to get their garage band back together — three decades later — in Frank Shouldice’s spirited and thoughtful documentary. Reunited at a funeral, The Panic Merchants are reborn as The Southern Sons of Ulster as they gear up for a reunion gig despite living in three different continents. It’s a lovely rumination on friendship and the power of music.
Purists may have preferred if it had ended as a trilogy but shows there are still plenty of ideas for Woody, Buzz and co three decades after they first came to our screens. Jessie and her charge, shy youngster Bonnie, take centre stage in a movie co-written and directed by Pixar stalwart Andrew Stanton ( ). What follows is a timely tale of toys v tech peppered with wonderful sequences about the power of playtime.
There’s a joie de vivre to Richard Linklater’s ( ) French language film that dances in monochromes to a Parisian beat. A homage to French New Wave cinema, it’s a tale of the making of French movie classic ( ). Linklater gives us characters that are good company to hang out with, and its sense of fun and mischief is infectious.
Ireland’s first feature film told entirely through sign language, this charming documentary focuses on three couples as they share the stories of their romance through Irish sign language. They include a forbidden romance due to religious divisions, an LGBT+ couple navigating parenthood, and a deaf boxer faced with a challenging choice along with his hearing girlfriend. Garry Keane ( ) does a fine job of bringing their stories to screen.
West Cork filmmaker Damian McCarthy follows his international horror hit with another well-crafted slice of tension. Shot at West Cork Studios and in and around his native Bantry, McCarthy cast star Adam Scott in the leading role. He’s a reclusive novelist staying at a remote Irish hotel as he scatters his parents’ ashes. The Cork filmmaker again shows his knack for dark humour, Irish folklore and jumpy scares in the tale that unfolds.
Lensman and activist Misan Harriman examines how photos — and the power of protest —can change the world in a thoughtful and timely documentary. In the film, the popular and acclaimed photographer explores the high-profile protests he has captured on camera over the years, and leans into the history of photography that helped fire his own imagination.
The charismatic Millie Bobby Brown reprises her role as the young English sleuth in the latest instalment of this fun family action drama. Solid on story and lavishly designed, Irish costume designer Consolata Boyle is one of the brains behind this good-looking escapist period adventure, featuring a female-centred character and a modern bent. Director Philip Barantini ( ) is at the helm.
Curry Barker’s smash horror hit cost a million dollars or so and is already flying north of $200 million at the box office, making it one of the year’s great success stories. It centres on a romantic who makes a wish that his crush would fall in love with him, only to discover that you should be very, very careful what you wish for. What emerges is an original blend of horror, gore and dark comedy delivered by a spirited cast.
In movies such as and Irish filmmaker John Carney has always believed in the power of a song. Here, he harnesses a cast that includes Paul Rudd and Nick Jones for the tale of a wedding singer who embarks on a jamming session with a boyband star, only for the resulting song to become a contentious hit. The leads are US A-listers and the humour is wittily Irish throughout.
The King is back in a blend of documentary and concert movie brought to our screens by top filmmaker Baz Luhrmann ( ). The performer and director prove to be a beguiling combination in this film, featuring restored footage of Presley performing at Las Vegas in the height of his colourful, musical and gyrating power.
Steven Spielberg directs a big-name cast including our own Eve Hewson in a blend of mystery and sci-fi that makes for a strong summer blockbuster. The less audiences know going in the better, but the plot revolves around a meteorologist (a very good Emily Blunt) who involuntarily broadcasts an alien message, and resulting efforts by a group of people to expose a cover-up. Though not among Spielberg’s very best, it’s a dense and entertaining thriller carried by an up-for-it cast.
Ryan Gosling is transformed from science teacher to astronaut for the greater good in an immersive space thriller from Phil Lord and Christopher Miller ( ). Gosling proves a wise choice of casting for this blockbuster with environmental elements as Ryland, a reluctant hero who stays relatable throughout. It’s the lead star who holds audience attention in this good-looking film throughout its 156-minute running time.
Creatives at Pixar take a high concept — and run a mile with it — in this witty and highly entertaining animation. When scientists discover a means of applying human consciousness to robotic animals, a precocious youngster, Mabel, goes along for the adventure. It’s a wild premise that works, thanks to a wacky sense of humour and surrealism throughout.
Cillian Murphy — aided and abetted by a cast that includes Barry Keoghan — shows there is more life in the storytelling of while setting it in a new timeline. Directed by former series director Tom Harper for Netflix, the action is set in Birmingham in 1940, as WW2 chaos makes its presence felt. The Peaky Blinders gang is now being run by Tommy’s son Duke (Keoghan) in what is a clever and fresh reboot.
