Materialists to 28 Years Later: 10 of the best films to watch this June

Materialists

Celine Song’s bittersweet debut, Past Lives, was nominated for two Oscars in 2024. For her follow-up, Song has moved from a delicate semi-autobiographical drama to a glamorous romantic comedy with an A-list cast. Dakota Johnson plays a New York matchmaker who is blunt about her clients’ value as potential partners: what matters, she says, is exactly how rich, tall and good-looking people are. But in her own love life, should she choose her poor ex (Chris Evans) over a wealthy new suitor (Pedro Pascal)? Materialists may be more conventional than Past Lives, but Song told Time that she wanted to make a film about the pursuit of love. “When people say it’s not important, I ask, ‘Not as important as what?’ When you watch a movie, we don’t all know what it’s like to save the world. But we know what it’s like to fall in love. It’s the biggest drama in our lives. It’s vital, and we need to talk about it more.”

Released on 13 June in the US, Canada, India, Poland and Turkey

The Life of Chuck

The Life of Chuck begins at the end – specifically, at the end of the world. Two ex-spouses, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan, reunite to watch the Earth crumble and the stars blink out of existence – but why are there suddenly posters everywhere celebrating the mild-mannered Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston)? Flashbacks to Chuck’s younger days unravel the cosmic mystery, but the best way to watch this inspirational Stephen King adaptation is not to know anything else about it in advance. “It’s surprising and upsetting, funny and profound,” says Kristy Puchko in Mashable. “I laughed hard, cried ’til my eyes ached, and once gasped so loud that I heard it echo across a theatre struck silent by a moment both shocking and tender. The Life of Chuck is glorious.”

Released on 6 June in the US and 11 June in France