Best films released in the UK this month: July 2024

Elsewhere there's a star-studded sequel to 1996 disaster movie Twister, Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum star in space age-set romcom Fly Me to the Moon, and Eddie Murphy returns to his iconic role as Axel Foley in a new Beverly Hills Cop film for Netflix.

Meanwhile, it's also something of a banner month for horror films: following on from X and Pearl, Ti West closes out his acclaimed trilogy with MaXXXine, while both Longlegs and I Saw the TV Glow arrive in UK cinemas after rave reviews across the Atlantic.

To help you pick out the highlights, we've put together a selection of some of the best films to watch this month – check out the video above or read on for our choices.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Release date: Wednesday 3rd July on Netflix

Eddie Murphy returns to the role which first propelled him to international stardom in this fun sequel – which takes place thirty years after the previous film in the franchise, Beverly Hills Cop 3.

The formula remains the same: following a chaotic operation in Detroit, maverick cop Axel Foley (Murphy) travels to Beverly Hills to take on an assignment with a personal connection. This time around, he’s summoned by his old buddy Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) to investigate a case of police corruption that also concerns his estranged daughter Jane (Taylour Paige).

Unicorns

Release date: Friday 5th July in cinemas

Ben Hardy and newcomer Jason Patel star in this cross-cultural romance romance about a single father and mechanic who unexpectedly falls in love with a drag queen.

The film – which premiered at last year's Toronto International Film Festival – is co-directed by Sally El Hosaini and James Krishna Floyd and shines a light on London's queer Asian scene.

MaXXXine

Release date: Friday 5th July in cinemas

The third film in Ti West's horror trilogy – following on from X and Pearl – once again features a tour-de-force performance from star Mia Goth, who reprises her role as Maxine from the first film in the trilogy.

This time set in 1985, it takes inspiration from the horror films of that era and the moral panic they were greeted by as the titular character tries to make it as a legitimate movie star while also evading the Los Angeles serial killer known as the Night Stalker.

Despicable Me 4

Release date: Friday 12th July in cinemas

Gru and the Minions are back in the latest entry in the Despicable Me franchise – with the reformed supervillain this time raising his newborn son and taking on an enemy from his school days.

That enemy is French criminal Maxime Le Mal (voiced by Will Ferrell), who has recently escaped from prison and is now vowing revenge stemming back to an incident at a school talent show when Gru allegedly stole his song choice.

Fly Me to the Moon

Release date: Thursday 11th July in cinemas

Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum lead this starry romcom set against the backdrop of the space race in the 1960s – with Woody Harrelson and Ray Romano also among the cast.

It follows the fictional relationship that develops between the NASA director in charge of the Apollo 11 launch and the marketing specialist brought in to fix NASA's public image and stage a "back-up" fake Moon landing

Longlegs

Release date: Friday 12th July in cinemas

This much talked about occult serial killer thriller starring Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage is directed by Oz Perkins – and has been billed as the most terrifying film of the year.

It follows FBI Agent Lee Harker after she is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case and finds she has a personal connection to the killer – tasked with stopping him before he strikes again.

Twisters

Release date: Wednesday 17th July in cinemas

A sequel to 1996's Twister, this disaster movie stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos and Daryl McCormack as characters caught up in a deadly tornado season.

It follows Kate Cooper (Edgar-Jones), who is haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado but gets lured back to the open plains by her friend to test a groundbreaking new tracking system. She soon crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Powell), a charming but reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures.

Thelma

Release date: Friday 19th July in cinemas

94-year-old actress June Squibb gets her first ever leading film role in this charming comedy about a grandmother who fights back after losing a huge sum of cash to a con artist.

The film – which was greeted with a warm reception when it premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival – is directed by Josh Margolin and also stars Fred Hechinger, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, Malcolm McDowell and the late Richard Roundtree in his final film performance.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Release date: Thursday 25th July in cinemas

Seven years after bowing out with Logan, Hugh Jackman is back as Wolverine as he teams up with Ryan Reynolds's Deadpool for a new adventure – which marks both of their first outings in the MCU.

As is always the case with Marvel, specific plot details are sparse, but we do know it takes place six years after Deadpool 2 and picks up with Wade Wilson as he reluctantly joins an even more reluctant Wolverine on a mission that will "change the history" of the MCU.

I Saw the TV Glow

Release date: Friday 26th July in cinemas

This highly acclaimed horror film from director Jane Schoenbrun follows events when a teenager is introduced by his friend to a mysterious late-night TV show – that shows a vision of a supernatural world beneath our own.

The two friends soon get sucked into an obsession with the show, which leads to them questioning their reality and identities as their world begins to fall apart.

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