Best films to watch in the cinema in June 2023

Jacob Stolworthy runs through the five best picks of the month, including the first great post-pandemic-set film

‘Reality’, ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’ and ‘Asteroid City’ (Vertigo Releasing / Sony Pictures Releasing / Universal Pictures)

The warmer months are here, so you might find yourself wanting to duck for cover in a cool cinema.

Fortunately, there are plenty of films on offer throughout the month of June that would make that trip even more worthwhile.

There’s something for everyone, too. Those looking for scares should give The Boogeyman (2 June) a go, while those after laughs will undoubtedly opt for the Jennifer Lawrence-starring No Hard Feelings (21 June)

Meanwhile, should you happen to be after a dose of nostalgia featuring a rather famous movie character, wouldn’t you know there’s a new Indiana Jones film, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, being released on 28 June?

But below are the five best films you should see in the cinema this month.

Reality

Release date: 2 June

An enticing one-location drama based on a play by director Tina Satter, Reality depicts the FBI interrogation of a possible American intelligence leaker in her home in Maine. The film, essentially a three-hander between Sydney Sweeney, Josh Hamilton and Marchánt Davis, has shades of 2021 Sundance hit Compliance: both films grow more gruelling by the second as character’s intentions become clearer. The film may struggle to escape its play trappings, but it’s a fantastic showcase for the endlessly impressive Sweeney (Euphoria), who clearly has a knack for picking intriguing projects.

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

Release date: 2 June

While not a runaway success like its predecessor, 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, this sequel from Lego Movie duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller is packed to the rafters with cameos, Easter eggs and in-jokes. They’re delivered to the backdrop of animation so decadent it could give you sugar rush. This sequel is brilliant when it doesn’t get bogged down by itself (the first hour could be trimmed to a neat 30 minutes), but Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is such a likeable star, you find yourself following wherever he leads you.

Love Without Walls

Release date: 9 June

Niall McNamee and Shana Swash shine in ‘Love Without Walls’ (Bulldog Film Distribution)

This British drama wins you over the more it went on – perhaps because it has more to say than what the first 20 minutes might lead you to believe. Niall McNamee and Shana Swash share some genuinely lovely moments as a down-on-their-luck married couple; they're needed, too, because writer/director Jane Gull puts them through the wringer. After all, as well as being about the romance at its heart, Love Without Walls is an effective indictment of a country ravaged by a soulless government that's more interested in making the rich richer and leaving the poor to fend for themselves.

Asteroid City

Release date: 23 June

A lower-tier Wes Anderson film, maybe, but a lower-tier Wes Anderson film is still one worth seeing. Asteroid City displays the usual flourishes – pastel colours, beautiful cinematography, huge ensemble cast – with some freshness thrown in for good measure. It’s certainly the most complex of Anderson’s films, with more reversals than you might initially expect, and happens to feature Tom Hanks in his Anderson debut. But it’s Jason Schwartzman who steals the show as Augie, one of many characters who venture to the titular location for a Junior Stargazer convention.

Small, Slow But Steady

Release date: 30 June

Small, Slow But Steady (Nagoya Broadcasting Network)

Boxing films usually come in loud, brash form; that’s until now. Small, Slow but Steady, directed with sensuous flair by Sho Miyake, follows a hearing-impaired boxer, whose dreams of becoming professional are threatened in the wake of Covid-19. Could this be one of the first great post-pandemic-set films? It certainly makes a case for it, with Yukino Kishii elevating an already impressive drama that’s unafraid to play with form.