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The Dark Knight Rises out 20 July
Why It’s A Must-See: It’s only the biggest movie of the summer – or, according to some, the whole of 2012. Seven years after Christian Bale first suited up, he’ll be bidding the dark knight adieu. But will he ride off into the sunset or end up six feet under?
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “The perfect trilogy closer – Chris Nolan’s done us proud.”
Don’t Say: “That’s it?”
Ted out 1 August
Why It’s A Must-See: In lieu of a Family Guy movie, this is just as exciting a prospect – the first feature film from FG creator Seth MacFarlane. Also, it’s got Ted, the filthiest, most adorable toy we’ve seen in a long time.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “[ singing ] Fuck you thunder!” etc
Don’t Say: “Ted sounds just like Brian, don’t you think?”
Sound Of My Voice out 3 August
Why It’s A Must-See: It was one of our favourite movies at Sundance 2010, and has taken its sweet time to get here. But trust us, it was worth the wait – think of it as this summer’s Martha Marcy May Marlene .
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Brit Marling’s a genius! All films should be written by her in the future.”
Don’t Say: “Whose voice? What? Wait, what was that?”
Killer Joe out 29 June
Why It’s A Must-See: Matthew McConaughey continues his career revival, sticking two fingers up at the romcoms to play a greasy, manipulative bounty hunter who makes life a misery for Emile Hirsch and Juno Temple.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “I knew McConaughey had it in him!”
Don’t Say: “Fancy a KFC?”
The Amazing Spider-Man out 3 July
Why It’s A Must-See: It’s a whole decade since Tobey Maguire first donned the Spidey suit, and this reboot looks just as good with Andrew Garfield in the role. Think of it as the Batman Begins of the Spidey world.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Geeks are so chic!”
Don’t Say: “Where were the rest of the Avengers?”
A Royal Affair out now
Why It’s A Must-See: It’s a sumptuous Danish period drama with stacks of style. With Mads Mikkelsen having taken the baddie role in Thor 2 , you’ll want to see him playing a good guy in this first.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “That Alicia Vikander’s going to go far.”
Don’t Say: “Danish people sound like they talk with their mouths full, don’t they?”
The Bourne Legacy out 13 August
Why It’s A Must-See: It’s the only way you’ll be able to answer the question: “Can they continue the Bourne franchise without Matt Damon?” If the trailers are anything to go by – featuring a taut Jeremy Renner – we’re hoping the answer’s “yes”.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Matt Damon who?”
Don’t Say: “Let’s do a fifth one with Tom Cruise!”
The Avengers out now
Why It’s A Must-See: It’s Marvel’s big gamble, and one that massively paid off. It’s still playing in cinemas, so go see it again!
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “I thought it would be difficult for Joss Whedon to wrestle all those big characters into one movie, but he made it look easy.”
Don’t Say: “I preferred Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths .”
The Fairy out 29 June
Why It’s A Must-See: Oddities like this often get overlooked at the multiplexes, which is a shame because The Fairy is a gentle, warm comedy with bags of heart.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “That bit with the rooftop dance was awesome! There should be more rooftop dancing in movies!”
Don’t Say: “The dancing was a bit pants, wasn’t it?”
The Imposter out 24 August
Why It’s A Must-See: We caught it at the Sundance Film Festival and loved it. A documentary that’s shot like a feature film, The Imposter is about a family whose son goes missing, only to turn up years later. But is it really him?
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “I can’t believe that’s actually a true story!”
Don’t Say: “Documentaries should look like documentaries.”
Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World out 13 July
Why It’s A Must-See: Steve Carell doesn’t do all-out drama a lot, but when he does he pretty much nails it – just look at Little Miss Sunshine . Also, that pairing with Keira Knightley is so odd it just might work.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Carell should do more drama – he’s not half bad at it.”
Don’t Say: “I want the world to end so I can find a friend.”
The Dinosaur Project out 10 August
Why It’s A Must-See: Britain takes a stab at low-budget found footage films, and the result is this – a tense little jungle flick that, yes, has dinosaurs. Lots and lots of glorious dinosaurs.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “I want a Krypto! I want a Krpyto! I WANT A KRYPTO!”
Don’t Say: “I’m going home to watch Jurassic Park , who’s with me?”
The Hunter out 6 July
Why It’s A Must-See: Willem Dafoe heads into the wilds for one of the most beautiful thrillers you’ll ever see. As he stalks the legendary Tasmanian tiger, the Australian countryside pops right off the screen.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “It made me want to go to Australia. With a gun.”
Don’t Say: “Steve McQueen hasn’t aged well.”
Brave out 17 August
Why It’s A Must-See: If you’re anything like us, you’ll want to erase the memory of Cars 2 forever – and what better way to do it than with Pixar’s latest, awesome-looking animated treat?
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “How did they make Merida’s hair look so real?!”
Don’t Say: “You’d have to be brave to sit through that again.”
Dredd out 7 September
Why It’s A Must-See: Nigh on 20 years after Sly Stallone’s ill-advised adaptation of the comic made us laugh and cry, director Pete Travis has taken a new pop at the material. It looks dark and delicious.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Finally a loyal adaptation of the comics – this kicks ass!”
Don’t Say: “Why does Dredd sound like Batman?”
Looper out 28 September
Why It’s A Must-See: Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a younger version of Bruce Willis. Talk about a hook. Throw in some assassin action and some convincing prosthetics for JGL, and you’ve got yourself a quirky summer hit.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “I now truly believe that JGL is going to grow up to look like Bruce Willis.”
Don’t Say: “Why didn’t JGL shave his head like he did in 50/50 ?”
Moonrise Kingdom out now
Why It’s A Must-See: Wes Anderson’s latest swept the festival circuit, was nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and has been generally well-received as one of the auteur’s best works. Also, any film that stars Bruce Willis and Bill Murray has got to be good.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: "Anderson is the king of kooky comedies."
Don’t Say: "I wish it was stop-motion animation."
Total Recall out 29 August
Why It’s A Must-See: The trailer was surprisingly good, despite widespread apathy. And even if it does look a bit Blade Runner meets Minority Report , there’s at least one saving grace - hovercars!
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Solid sci-fi and Colin Farrell was great as an action hero.”
Don’t Say: “Arnie’s lost weight, hasn’t he?”
The Five-Year Engagement out now
Why It’s A Must-See: Two people… Emily Blunt and Jason Segel. While this romantic comedy doesn’t exactly break the romcom mould, those two get plenty of LOL-worthy moments.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “It’s the funniest wedding movie I’ve seen in ages! Eat that Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway!”
Don’t Say: “When’s Bridesmaids 2 out?”
Prometheus out now
Why It’s A Must-See: Still out, still good. Prometheus has been one of the most talked about movies of the past six months, so go see what all the fuss is about and make up your mind for yourself.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “That bit with the xxx was so gross! And that bit with the xxx! And what did the xxx mean?!”
Don’t Say: “I wonder if David’s anatomically correct.”
360 out 10 August
Why It’s A Must-See: City Of God director Fernando Meirelles is behind the camera, while Rachel Weisz, Jude Law and Anthony Hopkins are in front of it, alongside an impressive cast of foreign unknowns like Vladimir Vdovichenkov.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “That was really clever – I loved how all the different plot strands interlinked.”
Don’t Say: “It’s just like Love Actually , isn’t it?”
Jackpot out 10 August
Why It’s A Must-See: If you liked Headhunters , you’ll love this. Based on a story idea by Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbø, it’s just as twisty-turny, with some outrageous set-pieces and more than a hint of a Coen Brothers vibe.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “I love that it was under 90 minutes long – that made it really punchy and enjoyable.”
Don’t Say: “Show me the money!”
Take This Waltz out 17 August
Why It’s A Must-See : Another unconventional couple unite – this time it’s Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen. That’s sort of the point in this indie dramedy, though, as Williams’ dreamer considers having an affair with her neighbour.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Michelle Williams is such a good actress – why hasn’t she won more awards?”
Don’t Say: “Did you see Sarah Silverman’s knockers?!”
Searching For Sugar Man out 27 July
Why It’s A Must-See: Another Sundance favourite, Searching For Sugar Man may be a boringly ambiguous title, but this is definitely a must-see. Helmed by first-time director Malik Bendjelloul, it’s a globe-trotting doc that attempts to track down ‘70s singer Rodriguez.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “I’m going to buy Rodriguez’s album – the dude abides.”
Don’t Say: “Old men smell.”
ParaNorman out 14 September
Why It’s A Must-See: It’s from the same guys who made Coraline , which means ParaNorman should be equally as twisted, hilarious and gorgeous to look at. From what we’ve seen in the trailers, this won’t disappoint.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Who needs the Ghostbusters when you’ve got ParaNorman?”
Don’t Say: “Where’s Ghostbusters 3 ? WHERE’S GHOSTBUSTERS 3 ?!”
The Campaign out 28 September
Why It’s A Must-See: Will Ferrell. Versus Zach Galifianakis. If that doesn’t make you giggle, you’re in the wrong place. Luckily, this comedy from Jay Roach looks like it’ll tick everybody's funny boxes – something to tide us over until Anchorman 2 .
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “That Ferrell cracks me up every time!”
Don’t Say: “I’m going to set up a campaign to get The Campaign banned from cinemas.”
Magic Mike out 11 July
Why It’s A Must-See: Have you not SEEN the trailers? Needless to say, there’s manflesh aplenty, what with Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer and the god that is Matthew McConaughey all stripping down to their smalls. And word is it’s actually pretty good.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Bunilicious! It was like a hotter Full Monty!”
Don’t Say: “Can’t wait for the freezeframe screenshots to go online…”
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter out now
Why It’s A Must-See: How often do you get to see a historical figure like Abraham Lincoln handing vampires their arses on a plate? Well, not often, so make the most of it.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “I totally believed that Lincoln could have been a vampire hunter!”
Don’t Say: “Does this mean all the history books now have to be rewritten?”
The Expendables 2 out 17 August
Why It’s A Must-See: The cast is even better than before, this time with added Schwarzenegger! Whereas the Austrian Oak and Bruce Willis only made cameo appearances in the first Expendables , this time they’re star players – and rightly so.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Simon West didn’t disappoint – this is up there with Con Air !”
Don’t Say: “Where was Mickey Rourke?”
Savages out 28 September
Why It’s A Must-See: This could be Taylor Kitsch’s celluloid salvation. After both Battleship and John Carter flopped (both critically, one commercially), this Oliver Stone crime drama could prove he can carry a movie. Fingers crossed.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Benicio Del Toro owns.”
Don’t Say: “Was that the chick from Gossip Girl ?”
Lawless out 7 September
Why It’s A Must-See: It’s directed by The Road’ s John Hillcoat, and it has a staggering cast that includes Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Gary Oldman and Guy Pearce. It’s also bloody as hell, and boasts a fantastic soundtrack.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “I’m impressed – Shia was actually really good!”
Don’t Say: “Have you seen that music video where Shia LaBeouf gets his wang out?”
Premium Rush out 14 September
Why It’s A Must-See: It’s about Joseph Gordon-Levitt cycling furiously through New York City, attempting to evade Michael Shannon’s dirty cop. We spy the beginning of a Fast & Furious -style action franchise all about bikes.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “I never thought an action film about a biker could actually work – until now.”
Don’t Say: “Two wheels bad. Four wheels good.”
Harolds Going Stiff out 6 August
Why It’s A Must-See: That title’s one of the coolest of the year, for a start. It’s also being pitched as one of the most moving zombie flicks since 2008’s Colin .
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Super original, a character-driven pseudo-horror that has real punch.”
Don’t Say: “Gnnnnrrr aaaaarrghh…”
Killing Them Softly out 21 September
Why It’s A Must-See: Dreadful title aside, this is the latest team-up between Brad Pitt and his Jesse James director Andrew Dominik, which is all kinds of exciting. It already screened at Cannes, where it received rave reviews, too.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “An auteur is born – Andrew Dominik is going places.”
Don’t Say: “Where was Lauryn Hill?”
Keith Lemon: The Film out 24 August
Why It’s A Must-See: It’s so off-the-walls bonkers it might end up being a work of utter genius, as Leigh Francis transports his Saturday night creation to the big screen.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Keith Lemon’s my hero!”
Don’t Say: “It weren’t as good as Spice World , were it?”
I Am Bruce Lee out 20 July
Why It’s A Must-See: Any film that celebrates the legend that is Bruce Lee is simply begging to be watched, and this doc comes from the guy behind the awesome likes of Life In The Time Of AIDS and Facing Ali .
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Lee was so inspiring I think I’ll take up boxing.”
Don’t Say: “Was Bruce related to Christopher Lee, then?”
Friends With Kids out 29 June
Why It’s A Must-See: We’ve seen the Avengers assemble, but in this dramatic comedy, it’s time for the Bridesmaids team to reassemble – which is surely worth the ticket price alone.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Kristen Wiig did it again! My face hurts from laughing so much!”
Don’t Say: “Why weren’t there any scenes where somebody shits in the street?”
Shadow Dancer out 24 August
Why It’s A Must-See: Its opening scene – in which a bomb is set off on an underground train – is an expertly crafted tension-cranker, and the rest of James Marsh’s Troubles drama doesn’t disappoint either.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Andrea Riseborough may just be my new favourite actress – she’s phenomenal!”
Don’t Say: “James Marsh should stick to making documentaries.”
The Watch out 29 August
Why It’s A Must-See: Ben Stiller. Vince Vaughn. Jonah Hill. TF ’s very own columnist Richard Ayoade. Even if the film’s trailer wasn’t exactly the be all and end all, that cast alone means you simply can’t miss it.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Let’s go, er, watch it again!”
Don’t Say: “I hate Ben Stiller.”
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry out 10 August
Why It’s A Must-See: It won the Special Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and is a riveting examination of the life of Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Now that’s how all artists should be. Whatta guy.”
Don’t Say: “Ai-ai-ai!”
Ice Age 4: Continental Drift out 13 July
Why It’s A Must-See: You’ve come this far (presuming you have), so why stop now? This fourth entry in the series has our prehistoric troupe hitting the high seas – and encountering Peter Dinklage’s Captain Gutt.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: "The kids loved it... and so did I, for entertaining them for two hours."
Don’t Say: “You know, all the characters in Ice Age are technically all dead now anyway...”
The Sweeney out 12 September
Why It’s A Must-See: If you’ve been pining for a little Jack Regan action ever since the 1970s TV version of The Sweeney stopped airing, you can finally relax – Ray Winstone’s bringing him to the big screen. We can’t wait.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Winstone was ace. John Thaw would be proud.”
Don’t Say: “I didn’t think Johnny Depp was very good in that.”
Undefeated out 3 August
Why It’s A Must-See: It’ll be the documentary everybody’s talking about by the end of the summer, by all accounts a stirring look at one football coaches attempts to turn around the fortunes of his team.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Go Tigers! Go Tigers! Go Tigers!”
Don’t Say: “Why do American footballers wear all that projective stuff? They’re like wimpy rugby players.”
The Lorax out 27 July
Why It’s A Must-See: It’s got a voice cast to die for (Danny DeVito and Betty White), and early word has it that this Dr Seuss adap is a million times better than the abysmal Cat In The Hat .
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Betty White is the new Meryl Streep.”
Don’t Say: “I hate rhymes.”
On The Road out 21 September
Why It’s A Must-See: Walter Salles is in the driving seat, having impressed previously with The Motorcycle Diaries . This guy knows how to make a road movie, and this one looks like a blinder.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “So good I might actually go and read the book again!”
Don’t Say: “I wonder if Kristen Stewart and Kirsten Dunst had fights over the spelling of their names…”
Resident Evil: Retribution out 28 September
Why It’s A Must-See: Fans brayed for more, and they got it with this fifth entry in the videogame-inspired franchise, which sees the return of director Paul W. S. Anderson. The critics don’t exactly love these films, but they’re made for the fans, so that’s OK. Right?
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “I got action. I got Milla Jovovich. And I got dead things. I am happy.”
Don’t Say: “Why? Whyyyyyyy?”
God Bless America out 4 July
Why It’s A Must-See: It’s directed by Bobcat Goldthwait, who gave us the snarky delight that was World’s Greatest Dad (starring Robin Williams). America continues Bobcat’s obsession with the darkside of America, and when we say dark, we mean dark - the plot revolves around a guy who’s murdering society’s duds.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Satirical, pithy, delightfully dark… everything I wanted in a movie about a ruthless human exterminator.”
Don’t Say: “I’m gonna go buy me a gun…”
Anna Karenina out 7 September
Why It’s A Must-See: Not only has it got Aaron Johnson in it (donning the world’s suavest ‘tache), but it’s Keira Knightley reuniting with her Atonement director Joe Wright. This should have substance to go with the sumptuous visuals.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Keira is the queen modern period dramas, and long may she rule.”
Don’t Say: “Russians suck.”
Katy Perry: Part Of Me out 5 July
Why It’s A Must-See: It’s Katy Perry’s big screen debut (not counting her voice work on The Smurfs , of course), and the popstress has nothing to hide, this being a behind the scenes doc that gives you unlimited access to that kookiest of stage performers. If nothing else, she’s bound to fire off a few really rude one-liners…
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “Baby she’s a fiiiirewooooork…” etc
Don’t Say: “I'm Team Russell.”
Ping Pong out 6 July
Why It’s A Must-See: Like playing ping pong? Your obsession levels are probably nowhere near those of Les D’Arcy, an 89-year-old who’s off to China to compete in the over 80s Table Tennis Championships.
Do Say When You’re Walking Out: “When I’m 89, I want to be that cool.”
Don’t Say: “Snoooooooore.”
