Popcorn Movie Mix July 17: The Lion King, Extremely Wicked Shockingly Evil and Vile, My Letters to Happy, Plus More

With all this rain, the best thing to do is hit the theaters for some good ‘ole screen therapy. This week has everything you need from grins, thrills, and chills with these must-watch movies: “The Lion King,” “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” “My Letters to Happy,” “Dragged Across Concrete,” and “The Haunted.” This playlist will surely be all you need to get by this dreary rainy week.

Movie Mix July 17: Everything You Need In One Playlist

In its premiere week, “The Lion King” crossed the $100 million mark overseas. Forbes says that this marks the second-biggest opening of the year after “Avengers: Endgame” in countries like France, Netherlands, Germany, Australia and New Zealand, among others. The musical film has truly brought people together with its iconic tale and music. Hanz Zimmer, musical genius behind the film’s musical score, was right when he told Variety, “I always thought ‘The Lion King’ brought people together.” Exactly 24 years ago (1994), Zimmer won an Oscar for his musical score for the original animated Disney release of “The Lion King.” All those nostalgic Can-You-Feel-The-Love-Tonight vibes are alive once again, only this time, a live-action film. The film stars the voices of Hollywood A-Listers Donald Glover (Simba), Seth Rogen (Pumbaa), Chiwetel Eliofor (Scar), Billy Eichner (Timon), Alfre Woodward (Sarabi), John Oliver (Zazu), John Kani (Rafiki), Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (Nala), and of course, James Earl Jones (Mufasa) who reprises his role from the original.

“Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” is the true story of the notorious serial killer in the 70s, Ted Bundy, as told through the eyes of his then-girlfriend, Elizabeth Kendall. The film is based on Elizabeth’s 1981 memoir entitled, “The Phantom Prince: My Life With Ted Bundy.” Esquire writes that the book offers “haunting insight into the mind of a killer from the rarely-told perspective of a victim.” Zac Efron plays the role of Bundy while Lily Collins is Kendall.

“My Letters to Happy” is a Pinoy film that is about finding love amidst all “deadlines and deliverables,” as described by Spot.ph.  TJ Trinidad plays a workaholic who does not believe in love but then finds it in her encounter with Happy (Glaiza De Castro). One thing interesting to know is that this the movie where volleyball player Alyssa Valdez debuts into acting.

Neo-noir crime thriller, “Dragged Across Concrete,” tells the story of two overly-aggressive cops (Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn) in the City of Bulwark who get suspended from the Force to appease the media after a drug bust that has gone completely out-of-hand. They resort to getting their hands dirty with the criminal underworld for compensation. Starring alongside Gibson are Don Johnson, Tory Kittles, Michael Jai White, Jennifer Carpenter, Laurie Holden, Fred Melamed, Udo Kier, and Thomas Kretschmann.

“The Haunted” is the horror film that follows Emily’s first shift as a caregiver to an elderly dementia patient. In her run-in-the-mill, she is tormented by a dark and vengeful spirit that reveals the truth about the house’s evil secrets.