5 Must-See Movies for July
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Peter Howell
Movie Critic
We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto, but we are fully into summer. Quests both Oz-inspired and Homeric, sexy couples and a reborn web-slinger are coming to theatres in July, with my five picks for the month comprising three Sundance standouts and two blockbusters.
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass (July 10)
“Wizard of Oz” riffs are more numerous than dancing Munchkins, but no previous homage has had plot turns based on sexual payback and pineapple coconut pancakes. It’s all part of the gonzo esthetic of co-writer/director David Wain, who with myriad willing co-conspirators has been mixing straight and delirious comedy beats since “The State” MTV sketch series in the 1990s and the cult film “Wet Hot American Summer” in 2001. Wain’s latest is built around the “sex pass” parlour game in which couples name the celebrity hotties they’d bed if given the chance. Nobody expects it to happen, of course, which is why wide-eyed Kansas hairdresser Gail (Zoey Deutch) is in a twist over a surprise boldfaced bedding by her insensitive fiancé (Michael Cassidy). Seeking to clear the air before their wedding, she decamps to L.A. in the company of her co-worker/pal Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley), searching for the star of her dreams. Tinseltown isn’t shocked by her quest — L.A. has seen weirder things — but that doesn’t mean the trek is going to be easy. It is, however, riotously funny, a bit raunchy and loaded with star cameos, among them “Weird Al” Yankovic, Elizabeth Perkins, Henry Winkler, Paul Rudd, a “Friends” star and a couple of “Mad Men” who truly believe in selling the sizzle.
What’s the buzz: It caused a stir at its Sundance ’26 world premiere in January, drawing enthusiastic notices for Deutch’s fizzy lead performance and Wain’s reliably anarchic comic sensibility.
Why I’m excited: Deutch’s sweet-and-sassy lead performance and Wain’s wild comedy instincts make a potent combo. As a bonus, it’s a chance to see Jon Hamm be funny in something other than TV commercials.
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: https://www.thestar.com/gift-redeem?t=04a2af4b-de68-4512-b85d-3b545c533edd
