Comedian-actor-filmmaker Tig Notaro and her wife Stephanie Allynne (who worked on Notaro’s TV series One Mississippi) co-direct Am I OK?, a well-timed-for-Pride-Month comedy. Dakota Johnson stars as Lucy, who is finally figuring out her romantic and sexual identity with the help of her roommate (Alex Garland-regular Sonoya Mizuno, recently seen in Civil War). It’s stacked with fun supporting players (Molly Gordon, Sean Hayes, Kiersey Clemons, Odessa A’zion, Notaro herself) and is debuting on Max after premiering at Sundance 2022. Many Letterboxd members are recognizing themselves in the story: Dodi says it “brings ‘relatable’ to a whole other level. It was made for me, because Lucy is me.” “It’s rare to see myself so fully in a film,” hails Sara, who says it “captures everything [she’s] ever felt. All the anxieties and pressures.” Or as TheDayoftheDot puts it, “Lesbian Dakota Johnson is the best Dakota Johnson.” Now on Max in the US.

Following the unexpectedly muscular box office for 2020 legacy sequel Bad Boys for Life—one of the last pre-pandemic hits—a fourth Bad Boys movie instantly became a foregone conclusion. The resulting film, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, arrives in a very different world to its predecessor, and stands as the first real test of Will Smith’s pulling power after that little incident at the Oscars. Those who’ve seen it seem to like it, though. “Martin and Will’s unparalleled chemistry remains impeccable!” celebrates Panda-Man. Marcus says “the action scenes are absolutely insane.” Tayyib reckons returning directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah ensure the film “strikes a perfect balance between nostalgia and innovation, making it a standout entry in the series.” Now in theaters the world over.

Having cut her directing teeth on episodes of her father’s TV show Servant, as well as unit work on Old and Knock at the Cabin, Ishana Night Shyamalan makes her feature directing debut with a high-concept genre movie that, at first glance, could understandably be mistaken for one of her dad’s. Adapted from A.M. Shine’s 2021 novel of the same name, The Watchers stars Dakota Fanning as a young artist who becomes trapped in a house in the middle of a lush Irish forest, along with three strangers who are tormented every night by mysterious creatures. Samantha says that “Ishana knocked it out of the park”, while JD acknowledges that her “debut feature has a lot of the hallmarks of her father.” According to Cvnela, Ishana “brought a beautiful, dark and whimsical story to life” and Dagny is confident that the younger Shyamalan “has a special, exciting and long career in front of her.” Now in theaters in most territories, opening elsewhere June 13.

Nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes 2023, Banel & Adama marks the feature debut of French Senegalese filmmaker Ramata-Toulaye Sy, who wrote and directed the romantic drama. Khady Mane and Mamadou Diallo play the titular devoted married couple—they live in a remote village in Northern Senegal, where old customs challenge their union. Darren says it’s “about love in a time of disaster, tangled together when decisions of the heart face consequences from nature.” “There’s an infectious charm and mellowness within the visual poetics,” assesses Avinaba. Mollie describes it as “a compelling retelling of the ‘star-crossed lovers’ trope, with some spurts of magical realism paired along with a gorgeous score.” Now in select US theaters.

With Hollywood handwringers stressing out about blockbusters underperforming this (Northern Hemisphere) summer, everyone is looking to Pixar to rejuvenate the industry with a sequel to one of its most beloved (currently fourth in our Pixar popularity rankings), and as-yet-unsequelized, films. Inside Out 2 takes us back inside the head of sensitive San Franciscan Riley, now thirteen years old and consequently feeling all sorts of new emotions beyond the five from the first installment. So, joining Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger are a group of new voice performers we could almost call the Letterboxd All-Stars: Anxiety (Maya Hawke!), Envy (Ayo Edebiri!), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos!) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser!)—not to mention new member Kyle MacLachlan reprising his role as Riley’s mustachioed dad. Clearly, the Pixar people are lurking around here. Hello there! Make Incredibles 3, please! In US theaters June 14 with other territories to follow.

Another second-generation filmmaker makes her feature-directing debut this month alongside Ishana Night Shyamalan. Alice Englert—daughter of Oscar-winner Jane Campion (The Piano, The Power of the Dog)—writes and directs Bad Behaviour, and also co-stars as a stunt performer struggling to emerge from the shadow of her overbearing, former child-star mother (Jennifer Connelly). Definitely some autobiographical threads to untangle there, but the film is mostly focused on Connelly’s character as she attends a wellness retreat under the guidance of a guru played by Ben Whishaw. BeBraveMorvern calls it “a wild debut—daring, harsh, astonishing for the conflicting tones layered onto a single scene or moment.” “Let’s all welcome Jennifer Connelly to her Rebecca Hall era,” is Russell’s cryptic response. Our editor-in-chief Gemma Gracewood spoke to Connelly about the role late last year for Journal. In select US theaters and on VOD June 13.

You could never accuse A24 of being predictable. The red-hot boutique studio’s latest release, Tuesday, stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Lola Petticrew as a mother and her terminally ill daughter who are visited by Death in the form of a talking parrot. Nathan says it’s “a surprisingly profound and ambitious directorial debut”, and Connor was rendered “quite speechless after this one”, going on to call the fantasy-drama “imaginative, surreal and trippy”, and observing that “the script is contained and never overtly maximalistic”. “A beautiful gem,” says Erik, “my favorite kind of lo-fi sci-fi, a fable somewhere between Edgar Allan Poe and C.S. Lewis with gorgeous visual effects and a fantastic Julia Louis-Dreyfus.” In select US theaters June 13.