The recent release of Jordan Peele's Nope is sure to inspire Twitter and Instagram users to create some memorable memes. In fact, this past month, movie fans have been inspired by both recent releases and iconic films of the past to provide humor to current popular culture.
Whether it is the release of a trailer or a full feature or even stills from movies in production, cinephiles never fail to find the humor within the landscape of film trends. These memes stood out as the most creative and funniest in July 2022.
The Evolution Of The Thor Movies
The two most recent installments of the Thor franchise, both directed by Taika Waititi, are bright, colorful, and humorous, whereas the first two films were more traditional and darker in nature.
Redditor Skavy2507 found the contrast between Richard Madden (right) and Taron Egerton (left) while promoting the Elton John biopic Rocketman to be an apt comparison to the contrast between the Thor films.
Defending The Comedy Of Thor: Love And Thunder
Fans of Thor: Love And Thunder were quick to defend the movie's critical reception and Taika Waititi's humorous aesthetic.
Here, @Surajsekh12 cleverly used images of John Krasinski from The Office to explain how they believed the movie was meant to be seen and interpreted.
The Soundtrack Of Thor Was Perfect
Fans also responded favorably to the soundtrack of Thor: Love and Thunder, which includes hits from ABBA, Mary J. Blige, and Guns N' Roses.
This tweet incorporated a viral moment from Stranger Things to reinforce their love for Waititi's eclectic music choices.
Christian Bale As Gorr
Another inescapable trend during the rollout of Thor: Love and Thunder was the response to Christian Bale's gothic, Voldemort-esque look as Gorr.
This Twitter user quipped at the contrast between Bale's normal look and his appearance as Gorr, likening the latter to an Atheist aesthetic (hence, "Atheist Bale").
This Fourth Of July Meme
The memes on Fourth of July are inevitable, but this one found complementary shots from two very different John Travolta movies to create this hilarious before-and-after contrast.
Travolta's performances in Grease and Pulp Fiction are so different in tone and mood, and @Reflog_18's meme serves as a perfect reminder that great comedy can come from great contrast.
Even The Bros Can't Wait For Barbie
The same Redditor took the Barbie memes a step further to quip about how this movie is going to attract men who otherwise seek out action movies.
In this meme, the three Spider-Men from Spider-Man: No Way Home are showing up to see Barbie when it's released next summer.
Sweaty Elvis On Hot Ones
One of the most viral trends relating to Baz Luhrmann's Elvis involved the revelation of this image of a sweaty Austin Butler as Presley in the latter part of his career.
This tweet took this image and re-imagined Butler as Elvis responding unfavorably to spicy wings on a segment of the hit celebrity Internet talk show, Hot Ones.
Sweaty Elvis Proving He's Human
Another clever use of the "Sweaty Elvis" trend was @jaonmustian's juxtaposition of the now-iconic image with a standard online security image to prove that one is not a robot, in which one has to click on the traffic lights in the photos.
Butler's expression becomes all the more hilarious alongside the traffic lights, as he looks exhausted, tired, and confused.
The Audience Of Minions
The newest installment of the Despicable Me franchise, Minions: The Rise of Gru, inspired a number of memes poking fun at the film's audience.
While many people might think skews quite young, the meme jokes that Minions fans at the box office might actually be comprised of adults. This tweet made clever use of the joke by identifying a series of adult men from media as the "actual audience."
Reactions To Persuasion
The Netflix adaptation of Jane Austen's final novel starring Dakota Johnson became easy fodder for Twitter reactions and memes.
Most critiques centered on the contemporary spin, which Jane Austen fans felt was not true to the source material. One such fan used an image of a mourning Marlon Brando in The Godfather to express their response to Persuasion.
This Defense Of Persuasion
Although many of the memes about Persuasion expressed searing critiques of the film, @keileykaiser admitted her positive response to the Dakota Johnson vehicle.
However, she knew that the general response was overwhelmingly negative, so she expressed her opinions by humorously using an image of YouTuber and makeup artist, Tati Westbrook, in her "Breaking My Silence" video.
Looking Up At The Sky In Nope
Jordan Peele's Nope is all about spectacle, and in one shot in the film, Steven Yeun looks up in wonder at the alien in the sky.
This tweet replaces the alien with a towering sign of numerous American chain stores. The meme cleverly satirizes both the film and American chains.
Marcel The Shell With Boots On
The release of the A24 feature, Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, inspired a considerable amount of nostalgia on social media for the original YouTube videos.
The meme places Marcel on top of an image of Chanel boots. The simple but effective image shows the beloved character with an expression of wonder as he walks in style.
Reactions To The Blonde Trailer
By the end of July, the full trailer for Andrew Dominik's NC-17-rated Blonde was released. @americanamemes took a moment from the trailer featuring Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe and joked about how her life goals were to be "on a mural with Elvis and The Terminator."
Of course, the trailer does not actually use the dialogue, but this is what makes a perfect meme: taking pre-existing material and adding a self-aware creative spin.