The top 10 summer indies

Teen angst, a biography of a modern genius, a bit of Shakespeare and the annual Woody Allen feature are among the 10 most promising small-budget fi lms to be released in the next two months. Brief descriptions follow, along with approximate release dates.

The Kings of Summer (July 5) was an audience favorite at this year’s Sundance Film Festival as it examines the summertime adventures of three runaways who build their own house in a nearby forest…Sofi a Coppola’s The Bling Ring (July 12) looks at the group of aimless Hollywood teens who, a few years ago, thought it would be a good idea to break into the homes of Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan and the like…The Way, Way Back (July 12) looks at a teen boy’s (Liam James) efforts to come into his own over the course of one summer as he must deal with his mom’s (Toni Colette) new passive aggressive boyfriend (Steve Carell)…Fruitvale Station (July 19), the other breakout fi lm from Sundance, is a true account of the tragic shooting of a young black man from Oakland (Michael B. Jordan) that touched off riots and led to reform in the city’s police department… So, what do you do after you making the third most successful movie of all-time? Why, put a modern spin on a Shakespearean classic, which is just what director Joss Wheadon (The Avengers) has done with Much Ado About Nothing (July 19)… Ryan Gosling reteams with his Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn for the violent revenge fl ick Only God Forgives (July 19)… Blue Jasmine (July 26) fi nds Woody Allen directing Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Louis C.K. and Andrew Dice Clay (!?!) in a story about a woman who must reconnect with her estranged sister when a tragedy occurs…The Spectacular Now (Aug. 2) looks at teen alcoholism as a young man (Miles Teller) tries to fi nd salvation with his fi rst love (Shailene Woodley)… Still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Ashton Kutcher will be playing the founder of Apple Computers in Jobs (Aug. 16)…Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch try to come to terms with their lives while repairing isolated roads in Prince Avalanche (Aug. 16). –Chuck Koplinski