The Summer blockbuster is a contemporary phenomenon in the history of cinema, dating back 50 years this summer with Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” (1975). Since then, blockbusters have been louder, more ambitious, and constantly evolving. This summer was certainly no different, with some real gems, some real stinkers, and many that have left audiences and movie critics alike divided. With so many films to talk about, let’s get into it, shall we?
- Weapons
Starting off our list is the hot-ticket horror movie of the summer, and the second feature film of director Zach Cregger, “Weapons.” Starring Josh Brolin and Julia Garner, “Weapons” centers around a suburban town in Pennsylvania where an entire class of elementary school children went missing in the middle of the night, except for one child. This leaves the entire community spiraling over what caused this bizarre situation and the grief that assaults them. Released on Aug. 8, the movie clinched the number one spot in the box office, beating out “Freakier-Friday,” and grossing $43,000,000 in its opening weekend. The movie has been very warmly received by critics and audiences, who applauded the movie’s interesting setup and dark mystery, as well as its shocking finale.
- Thunderbolts
This summer saw Marvel’s last film in the sixth phase of the MCU with the release of “Thunderbolts,” directed by Jake Schreier. Starring an ensemble cast of Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Thunderbolts” follows Yelena Belova (Pugh), sister of Natasha Romanov (aka Black Widow) as she struggles with an existential crisis years after her sister’s sacrifice during “Avengers: Infinity War.” However, after being betrayed by her boss, she must work together with an unlikely group of renegades and washed-up heroes to get revenge for being betrayed and stop an even greater, super-powered threat. Released on May 8, the film managed a serious windfall, with a gross approximation of $76,000,000 in its opening weekend. The movie has left audiences and critics divided, with some lauding it as an important step in revitalizing the MCU after the slump Marvel has been in since “Avengers: Endgame,” while others disparaged the movie as yet another paint-by-numbers Marvel project.
- Superman
Summer 2025 saw the release of the first Superman movie since 2013, with director James Gun’s “Superman,” starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult. The film follows Superman (Corenswet) early in his heroic career as he tries to reclaim his reputation after being smeared by Lex Luthor (Hoult). This is also while trying to stop a war from breaking out between two countries, and learning who he is and what he wants to be as Superman. Released on July 11, the movie did phenomenally well at the box office, grossing $121,000,000 in its opening weekend. “Superman” also wowed audiences, with many citing it as a strong start for Gunn’s new DC Cinematic Universe, but it did leave some critics divided. On one hand, some critics agreed with audiences about the film being a return to a bright and hopeful take on the world-renowned comic book hero, while others dismissed the movie as bloated and lacking in an interesting plot.
- F1: The Movie
The summer season and racing circuits pair well, which gives us this summer’s latest movie centered around cars: “F1: The Movie.” Directed by Joseph Kosinski and starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris and Javier Bardem, the film follows Sonny Hayes (Pitt), a former Formula One race-car driver drifting from circuit to circuit who comes out of retirement after being approached by an old friend to help his struggling Formula One racing team and mentor a headstrong young driver. The film was released on June 27th and did well, grossing approximately $55,000,000 in its opening weekend. The film was well received by critics and audiences, with special praise reserved for the film’s high-octane racing sequences and impressive visual spectacles, but did receive criticism for the lack of character depth and superficial narrative.
- Jurassic World: Rebirth
People never seem to outgrow dinosaurs or outer space, and as such we had a new dinosaur movie this summer with “Jurassic Park: Rebirth.” Directed by Gareth Edwards and starring Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali, the movie begins five years after the end of “Jurassic Park: Dominion.” Now, dinosaurs are dying out across the world due to unsuitable climate conditions, and with humans growing bored with dinosaurs after they have become so commonplace. However, an expedition of mercenaries and scientists decide to brave a dino-infested Caribbean Island, in the hopes of securing dinosaur DNA that could save millions of lives from heart disease. The film hit theaters on July 2, and managed to gross approximately $147,000,000 on its opening weekend at the box office. The film received mixed to negative reviews from audiences and critics, with some praising the film as being much better than “Jurassic World: Dominion” and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” that preceded it, but also condemning the movie as being formulaic and “too safe.”
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps
With 20th Century Fox getting bought out by Disney and becoming 20th Century Studios, comic book fans were excited to see the Fantastic Four return to the big screen since the 2000s. Fortunately for them, “Fantastic Four: First Steps” seems to have delivered. Directed by Matt Shakman and starring Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby, the movie follows the titular team of super-heroes as they deal with Sue Storm (Kirby) and Reed Richards (Pascal)’s new baby boy, but also the world-ending threat of Galactus. The first Marvel film of the MCU’s seventh phase did well, releasing on July 25 and grossing approximately $117,000,000 at the box office on its opening weekend. The movie was generally well-received by audiences and critics, with moviegoers praising its costumes, set designers, and visual effects, while also praising the chemistry between the team of protagonists. However, the film was criticized for feeling as though the plot was rushed and that Galactus didn’t seem too interesting as a villain.
Kelly Baker is an alumnus.