Nate at the Movies: June 2026 Roundup 🍿

Hey, Reader! Welcome back another month of movies. Let's find you something worth watching.

🌟 This Month's Must-See Movies

Disclosure Day (2026)

This was the first movie since Project Hail Mary in March to really arrest me while I was watching. No bathroom break, no checking the time, no leaning over to Morgan to talk. I'm not sure why everyone else is more split on this movie, but this was Spielberg summer blockbuster at its finest. "No one shoots a blockbuster like Spielberg, and every car chase (and especially the train scene) had me shaking and smiling in my seat. Every scene felt momentous, and I’m not sure what to attribute that to: the direction, John Williams’ excellent score, or this being my first press screening—I was the press, guys!". Read the full review

Toy Story 5 (2026)

I was definitely one of the countless skeptics of this movie, but as they've done now back-to-back times, Woody and Buzz proved me wrong. Or, more accurately, Jessie did. I loved switching up the lead, and all of the charm of the first four movies was obviously still there!

Tuner (2025)

A movie about a guy with perfect pitch that makes bank as a moonlighting safe-cracker that also dates Havana Rose Liu? You had me at "perfect pitch"—this movie was made for me!

💎 My Favorite First-Time Watches This Month

​Apocalypse Now (1979) was one of my four Director Sampler Summer Series watches this month, and I was blown away. I've seen war movies that show the brutality of war, but never have I seen cynicism and immorality like this put to screen. It was horrible and frustrating, which was a shame, because the movie was beautiful, too.

Though it faces stiff competition in Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, The Lego Batman Movie (2017) may be the funniest movie I've seen this year. I couldn't stop laughing, though in between jokes, there was a surprising and sweet found family story. Lord and Miller, you've done it again!

​Moonrise Kingdom (2012) has long been one of Morgan's favorite movies, and since I had never seen it, we watched it for our 1-year wedding anniversary. Nothing like two kids speedrunning a middle school relationship in the wilderness to make you reflect on your marriage.

🎯 Works in Progress

Adaptation Appreciation (6/12): This month's read was Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King, which (obviously) inspired Supergirl. This was my first comic book I've maybe ever read—at least the first since I was in elementary school—and I quite enjoyed it. The movie didn't quite translate, but both had their moments.

MCU (34/37): We're almost to the end! This month, I watched Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (which was amazing) and The Marvels (which wanted to be Guardians of the Galaxy so bad). I chose to skip Deadpool & Wolverine because I saw that one when it came out in theaters two years ago. I'm guessing my opinions on it would hold, so on to the next!

Harry Potter (3/8): Morgan and I are really taking our time with this franchise, but that's made each movie really feel like an event. The Prisoner of Azkaban was the best of the bunch so far, incorporating dark mystery and excellent direction from Alfonso Cuarón to really change the course of the series.

Summer Series (5/12): I watched four more movies from iconic directors this month! First was Rear Window (good, but probably better if you watched it in 1954), then Seven Samurai (super long, but so worth it), then Taxi Driver (another horrifying and pretty movie), and finally, Apocalypse Now (which became one of 48 movies to receive the 5-star treatment on my Letterboxd!).

🎶 While I Wasn't At The Movies

Unless you've been living under a rock or your heart is two sizes too small, you've heard at least part of Olivia Rodrigo's new album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love. I'm no Grammys expert, but this would be my pick for Album of the Year. Every song is amazing, but I definitely leaned towards the "so in love" section of the album—"stupid song", "u + me = <3", and especially "maggots for brains" (weird title, absolute banger of a song).

🚨 Next Month's Movie Radar

I started reading The Odyssey (2026) the day I finished Supergirl because I was scared that, if I started on July 1, I either wouldn't finish it or I'd explode. At time of writing, I have about 200 more pages before Morgan and I head to the press screening of this soon-to-be masterpiece. I'm actually going to see it twice: first at the screening, then in IMAX 70MM a week later!

There are only a few other movies that really excite me in July: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) (I've watched all the Marvel movies to get to this point!) and Moana (2026). I'm not a fan of all of these live-action remakes, but as long as they don't mess with Lin-Manuel Miranda's amazing music, it should still be a fun watch.

Thanks for reading, Reader. Now go find a comfy theater chair, get a *small* popcorn and a courtesy cup, and I'll see you next month!

Your partner in film,
Nate