‘The Odyssey’ and more: all the best summer films at the cinema

There is also a lot of interest in Ridley Scott’s new feature film, “Dog Stars”, due for release on 26 August, which boasts a truly all-star cast: Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong and Guy Pearce.

Una scena tratta dal film «Hokum»

As is often the case, summer cinema goes hand in hand with horror films. Whilst 8 July will see the release of “The House – The Burning of Evil”, the latest instalment in the “Evil Dead” saga, is set to hit cinemas on 8 July, the real highlight for fans of the genre will come on 5 August with the release of “Hokum” by Damian McCarthy, a director who has already demonstrated great talent with his previous films “Caveat” and “Oddity”.

August also sees the release of a new instalment in the “Insidious” saga, entitled “Beyond the Other Side” (19 August), as well as a film leaning more towards science fiction: “The End of Oak Street” (12 August) by David Robert Mitchell (director of “It Follows” and “Under the Silver Lake”), starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor.

Given that Christopher Nolan is widely regarded as the major filmmaker bringing a summer highlight, two other highly intriguing feature films due for release in July are also worth mentioning: the French film “Love Letters” (1 July), an intense debut from Alice Douard, as well as a surprising debut feature such as “L’hangar rosso” (9 July) by Juan Pablo Sallato, a Chilean film set just a few hours before the coup d’état that would bring an end to Salvador Allende’s government in 1973.

Una scena tratta dal film «Love Letters»

On 19 August, however, the spotlight will be on the powerful “Camp Miasma – Adolescence, Sex and Death’ by Jane Schoenbrun, chosen as the opening film for the Un Certain Regard section at the latest Cannes Film Festival: a feature film that blends horror, thriller and meta-cinema with a heavy dose of references for fans of genre cinema.

In the run-up to the Venice Film Festival, scheduled for 2–12 September, there are countless festivals and film events taking place across the peninsula during the summer months.

A special mention goes to the Giffoni Film Festival, taking place from 17 to 25 July, now in its 56th edition and which continues to be the leading festival for children’s cinema.

Looking beyond Italy’s borders, one cannot fail to mention the Locarno Film Festival (5–15 August), one of the world’s most important events for industry professionals and film enthusiasts, which this year celebrates its 79th anniversary and whose initial announcements already point to a truly impressive programme.