13 Awesome Summer Movies You Probably Missed

9. Keanu

Kubo And The Two Strings Green Room Popstar
Warner Bros.

The Plot: After Rell (Jordan Peele) is dumped by his girlfriend, he discovers and befriends a stray cat which he names Keanu. When Keanu is kidnapped, however, Rell and his cousin Clarence (Keegan-Michael Key) must confront a drug-peddling gang to get him back.

Why It's Awesome: There's more to this movie than a cute cat, even if the marketing might tell you otherwise.

Touting a tone similar to Shane Black's neo-noir movies with all the violence and hilarious banter that implies, Key and Peele manage to riff on what it means to be a black man in modern America all while being hurled through a ludicrous crime caper.

Sure, the central crime plot is pretty forgettable (as it so often is in these movies), but in terms of characters and dialogue, this is an absolute winner.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.