While we all wait for the (hopeful) arrival of Dune and No Time To Die, these are the summer films we're watching

[View this email in your browser]( [Open Ars Technica in your browser]( If you're not into [the Olympics](, good luck to you these next two weeks. In the US, at least, it seems like all other forms of entertainment have agreed to hit "pause" and allow the global competition to have very little competition for our collective downtime. After things like [A Quiet Place, Part II]( and a new [Fast and the Furious movie]( seemed to indicate Movies Are Back™, now maybe they aren't for a bit (and that's before you even consider what increasing [COVID-19 infections]( may do). Of course, that doesn't mean there are no new movies out there waiting for curious watchers. While [the]( [big]( [releases]( still await everyone in the fall at the moment, this week has some noteworthy titles hitting theaters (or streaming services of your choice) until we can all (hopefully, safely) venture to the local screens for [Free Guy]( or [Candyman]( in a few weeks. So for this edition of the Orbital Transmission, we're heading to the cinema while we still can in order to enjoy some Olympic counter programming. Nothing out right now may have us as excited as even the upcoming remake of [The Guilty]( from our pal [Jake Gyllenhaal]( (eta: September 2021), but there are plenty of things worth your time at the moment—from the world's best genre festival to one of the craziest stories in the world (pre-COVID, at least). —[Nathan Mattise]( Dealmaster's Deals of the Week Dealmaster's Deals of the Week [Support the best science and tech journalism on the Internet]( OK, the Dealmaster is technically on vacation this week, so we don't have a genuine discount on a product we love to highlight here. However, you like Ars Technica, right? You'd like the site to keep up the great work and take on ambitious projects? You (yes, you!) can help make that happen as an Ars Pro subscriber. [For as low as $25/year](, you get some nice perks like ad-free reading and full text RSS access. But really, the prize is ensuring Ars stays Ars (and gets even Arsier) going forward. [See the full list of deals here]( Orbital Transmission 07.28.2021 Orbital Transmission 07.28.2021 [(image) ]( Old—a solid existential thriller about aging, mortality—has an M. Night ending [Read Full Story »]( Old—a solid existential thriller about aging, mortality—has an M. Night ending Director M. Night Shyamalan has a well-known fondness for his signature surprise twist endings. It's great sometimes (see Sixth Sense or Unbreakable). But when the twists don't work—well, if you're lucky, you get something like his new film, Old. In this new thriller, a family on a tropical holiday discovers that the secluded beach where they are relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly. Everything that comes before the M. Night ending is sufficiently compelling, so much so that you can almost shake off a jarring final twist that feels so forced, it's almost like it belongs in an entirely different movie. You can certainly do worse for your summer blockbuster fare, but be warned. [Read Full Story »]( [(image) ]( Henry Golding deserves so much better than this Snake Eyes movie [Read Full Story »]( Henry Golding deserves so much better than this Snake Eyes movie Poor Henry Golding. The success of Crazy Rich Asians was built largely upon his undeniable charm, so it was only a matter of time before he landed at the top of the marquee for another blockbuster. Unfortunately, Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins is most definitely not Golding's next worthy blockbuster. It's not even a "so bad, it's good" special like this year's Mortal Kombat remake. This film aggravates some GI Joe diehards (who apparently exist) by significantly changing the backstory of Snake Eyes from the comics, and then it loses everyone else by offering a nonsense plot, stilted dialogue, and average action sequences that don't make up for what this overlong film offers elsewhere. If he wants an action stunner, can someone get Henry Golding's people to nudge [Christopher Nolan's people]( next time? [Read Full Story »]( [(image) ]( The Silk Road has finally gone from headlines to serviceable summer blockbuster [Read Full Story »]( The Silk Road has finally gone from headlines to serviceable summer blockbuster "To this day, there's so much we had to leave out. Really, what this needs is a six-hour limited series," film producer Duncan Montgomery tells Ars. He's talking about one of the biggest (pre-COVID) stories in the Ars world: the rise and fall of online drug emporium, Silk Road. The multi-year saga involved FBI sting operations, alleged hitmen orders, crooked cops, and oodles and oodles of drugs being shipped to and from anonymous users. It took almost a decade, but the story of the Silk Road finally made it to the screen this year through Montgomery's High Frequency Entertainment. It wasn't an easy transition (which is why high profile projects from royalty like The Coen Brothers never materialized), but the resulting work is now on Hulu and totally worth your time if you're into serviceable, sub two-hour criminal capers. [Read Full Story »]( [(image) ]( Fantasia Fest will infuse some weird and wonderful genre film into August [Read Full Story »]( Fantasia Fest will infuse some weird and wonderful genre film into August If the three other films discussed in this newsletter don't give it away, it's still a weird time for movie releases in the US. For now, there are some exciting titles still on the schedule for the fall—James Bond! Dune!—but the COVID-19 situation across the country is getting bad again. Up in Canada, however, they've generally taken a more cautious approach to the global pandemic, and that trickles down to cinema, too. The country's Fantasia Fest—one of the best genre festivals in the world—was already planning on being a combination of in-person limited screenings *and* remote watch-at-home options. If you're able to access it, [the lineup looks like it'd be worth the trouble](. If you can't, well, some of the 2020 festival's best films are readily available via streaming, like the Pepe documentary, [Feels Good Man](, or the wonderful online trolls revenge comedic thriller, [The Columnist](. [Read Full Story »]( [(image) Condé Nast Spotlight | The breaking news and top stories everyone is talking about. All in one place. The most popular stories from Vogue, GQ, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Wired, Architectural Digest and more. 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