It’s a new month, so you know what that means: A fresh slate of films is hitting cinemas in the Triangle Area of North Carolina. Something of a Movie Mecca, NC’s Triangle Area is home to a slew of venues that regularly screen retro classics on the big screen. In June 2026, I had the pleasure of watching “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” and “Spaceballs” back on the silver screen in NC’s Triangle Area.
Here’s your July 2026 roundup of everything that’s playing this month at The Carolina Theatre of Durham, Alamo Drafthouse of Raleigh, Silverspot Cinema in Chapel Hill, The Chelsea Theater in Chapel Hill, The Rialto in Raleigh, The Cary Theater, AMC, Regal, and more.
Carolina Theatre of Durham

The Carolina Theatre of Durham hosts several throwback movie events monthly. Its Retro Film Series double features happen on Fridays, showing a pair of flicks, and tickets are just $12 total. On select Wednesdays, you’ll find three different series — RetroClassics (Golden Age Hollywood flicks), RetroNoir (Noir films) and Kaiju-Quest (giant monster movies). Select Sundays feature Retro Epics (epic films), Retro Rocks (music movies), and the Alfred Hitchcock Film Series (devoted to the late great director). Plus, there are regular film fests on top of the regular weekly series, alongside other throwback cinema screenings.
Here’s everything that’s playing at The Carolina Theatre of Durham in July 2026:
- Wednesday, July 1: The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) — Retro Sileents Film Series
- Friday, July 3: Jaws (1975) & Jaws 2 (1978) — Retro Film Series
- Sunday, July 5: Young and Innocent (1937) — Alfred Hitchcock Film Series
- Wednesday, July 8: The Nutty Professor (1963) — RetroClassics Film Series
- Friday, July 10: The Neverending Story (1984) & Legend (1985) — Retro Film Series
- Saturday, July 11: Spy Kids (2001) — Retro Film Series Free Retro Family Days
- Sunday, July 12: Reality Bites (1994) — Retro Rocks Film Series
- Wednesday, July 15: Phantom Lady (1944) — RetroNoir Film Series
- Saturday, July 18: Walt Disney’s Beauty and the Beast — Retro Film Series Free Retro Family Days
- Wednesday, July 22: The Beastmaster (1982) — RetroFantasma Film Series
- Friday, July 24: The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991) & Airplane II: The Sequel (1982) — Retro Film Series
- Saturday, July 25: The Rugrats Movie (1998) — Retro Film Series Free Retro Family Days
- Sunday, July 26: Barry Lyndon (1975) — Retro Epics Film Series
- Wednesday July 29: Charade (1963) — RetroClassics Film Series
- Friday, July 31: The Muppet Movie (1979) & The Dark Crystal (1982) — Retro Film Series
Also in July 2026 at the Carolina Theatre of Durham is the Escapism Film Series, which, as the name suggests, focused on action-adventure films and comedies with a fantastical flair. Here’s the Escapism Film Series lineup:
- Friday, July 17, Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)
- Friday, July 17 and Sunday, July 19: The Mummy Returns (2001)
- Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18: Back to the Future (1985)
- Saturday, July 18 and Thursday, July 23: Back to the Future Part II (1989)
- Saturday, July 18 and Thursday, July 23: Back to the Future Part III (1990)
- Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Alamo Drafthouse Raleigh

Raleigh’s Alamo Drafthouse hosts a treasure trove of terrific Cinema on the big screen. You’ll find several series, including Terror Tuesday (horror flicks), Weird Wednesday (outrageous genre movies), Guest Selects (films picked by filmmakers and performers). Movie Parties (featuring interactive props and other amenities), Time Capsules (highlighting particular years), Queer Film Theory 101 (exploring queer subtexts in cinema), Alamo Craftouse (movies that let you do a craft, like crocheting, calligraphy, etc. with the lights on), and more.
Here are all the retro movies playing at Alamo Drafthouse of Raleigh in July 2026:
- Wednesday, July 1: Blow Out (1981)
- Wednesday, July 1: Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)
- Wednesday, July 1: The Brady Bunch Movie (1995) — Guest Selects: Programmed by John Early
- Wednesday, July 1: Howard the Duck (1986) — Weird Wednesday
- Friday, July 3: I Shot Andy Warhol (1996)
- Friday, July 3, Monday, July 6, and Tuesday, July 7: Scarface (1983)
- Saturday, July 4: Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
- Sunday, July 5 and Tuesday, July 7: Once Upon a Time in China (1991)
- Wednesday, July 8: Coneheads (1993) — Weird Wednesday
- Monday, July 13: Jurassic Park (1993) — Movie Party
- Tuesday, July 14: Exalibur (1981)
- Tuesday, July 14: The Faculty (1998) — Terror Tuesday
- Wednesday, July 15: Carlito’s Way (1993)
- Monday, July 20: 13 Going on 30 (2004) — Movie Party
- Monday, July 20: Orlando (1992)
- Tuesday, July 21: The Phantom of the Opera (2004) — Alamo Crafthouse
- Tuesday, July 21: Eyes Without a Face (1960) — Terror Tuesday
- Wednesday, July 22: Tiny Furniture — Sad Girl Cinema Club
- Wednesday, July 22: Communion (1988) — Weird Wednesday
- Saturday, July 25: Macho Dancer (1988)
- Sunday, July 26: Rachomon (1950)
- Monday, July 27: Mystery Voyage — A so-called “unhinged extraterrestrial space adventure…written by ‘The American Tolkien'” as Alamo Drafthouse calls it
- Monday, July 27: Elf (2003) — Movie Party
- Tuesday, July 28: Snake Eyes (1998)
- Wednesday, July 29: Casualties of War (1989)
- Wednesday, July 29: The Thing Called Love (1993)
Silverspot Cinema, Chapel Hill

Over in Chapel Hill, Silverspot Cinema hosts its Silverspot Selects — also known as Flashback Cinema. Here are the retro films playing at Silverspot in July 2026:
- Saturday, July 4 and Sunday, July 5: Jaws (1975)
- Sunday, July 12 and Wednesday, July 15: Mamma Mia! (2008)
- Saturday, July 11, Sunday, July 12, and Wednesday, July 15: My Neighbor Totoro (1988) Dubbed
- Monday, July 13 and Tuesday, July 14: My Neighbor Totoro (1988) Subbed
- Friday, July 17, Saturday, July 18, Sunday, July 19, Monday, July 20, Tuesday, July 21, and Wednesday, July 22: The Neverending Story (1984)
- Sunday, July 26 and Wednesday, July 28: Tremors (1990)
The Chelsea Theater, Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill’s The Chelsea Theater shows a slew of retro treasures back on the big screen. Here’s what you can watch in July 2026:
- Wednesday, July 1: Fargo (1996) — Chelsea Classics – Anniversaries
- Wednesday, July 1 and Thursday, July 2: High School (1968) — Chelsea Classics – Frederick Wiseman (1930-2026)
- Thursday, July 2: Stand By Me (1986) — Chelsea Classics – Cinema Icons: Rob Reiner (1947-2025)
- Thursday, July 2: Riverbend (1989) — Chelsea Classics – Cinema Icons: Robert Duvall
- Saturday, July 4 and Wednesday, July 8: The Candidate (1972) — Chelsea Classics – Cinema Icons: Robert Redford (1936-2025)
- Saturday, July 4, Sunday, July 5, Monday, July 6, and Thursday, July 9: Incident at Oglala (1992) — Chelsea Classics – Cinema Icons: Robert Redford (1936-2025)
- Sunday, July 15 and Thursday, July 9:The Princess Bride (1987) — Chelsea Classics – Cinema Icons: Rob Reiner (1947-2025)
- Monday, July 5: The Sting (1973) — Chelsea Classics – Chelsea Classics – Cinema Icons: Robert Redford (1936-2025)
- Saturday, July 11, Sunday, July 12, Monday, July 13, Wednesday July 15, and Thursday, July 16: ballet (1995) — Chelsea Classics – Cinema Icons: Frederick Wiseman (1930-2026)
- Saturday, July 11 and Wednesday, July 15: High Noon (1952) — Chelsea Classics – Settling the Score
- Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12: The Dark Crystal (1982) & Labryinth (1986) — Chelsea Classics – Late Night
- Sunday, July 12 and Thursday, July 16: The Way We Were (1973) — Chelsea Classics – Cinema Icons: Robert Redford (1936-2025)
- Saturday, July 18 and Wednesday, July 22: Taxi Driver (1976) — Chelsea Classics – Anniversaries
- Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19: Anaconda (1997) & Sleep away Camp (1983) — Chelsea Classics – Late Night
- Sunday, July 19 and Thursday, July 23: Tender Mercies (1983) — Chelsea Classics – Cinema Icons: Robert Duvall (1931-2026)
- Saturday, July 25, Sunday, July 26, Monday, July 27, Wednesday, July 29, and Thursday, July 30: Welfare (1975) — Chelsea Classics – Cinema Icons: Frederick Wiseman (1930-2026)
- Saturday, July 25 and Tuesday, July 28: The Hero “Nayak” (1966) — Chelsea Classics – Art House Special Screenings
- Sunday, July 26 and Wednesday, July 29: Black Girl (1966) — Chelsea Classics – Art House Special Screenings
- Thursday, July 30: Sorry to Bother You (2018) — Chelsea Classics – Art House Special Screenings
The Rialto

In Raleigh, The Rialto plays a solid lineup of retro films each month, including regular Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings.
Here are the classic films you can watch at The Rialto in July 2026:
- Thursday, July 2: Jaws (1975)
- Monday, July 6: Stop Making Sense (1984)
- Wednesday, July 8: Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
- Friday, July 17: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
- Friday, July 31: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
The Cary Theater

The Cary Theater (which is in Cary, NC, as the name suggests) has a great lineup of movies on the docket for July 2026:
- Sunday, July 5: Flight of the Navigator (1986) — Summer Family Series
- Friday, July 10: Miracle (2004)
- Saturday, July 11: The Big Trail (1930) — Cinematic Summer School
- Sunday, July 12: The Cat From Outer Space (1978) — Summer Family Series
- Friday, July 17, Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19: Tekkonkinkreet (2006) — Remastered 4K
- Saturday, July 18: Johnny Guitar(1954) — Cinematic Summer School
- Sunday, July 19: Explorers (1985) — Summer Family Series
- Saturday, July 25: The Searchers (1956) — Cinematic Summer School
- Sunday, July 26: Short Circuit (1986) — Summer Family Series
- Thursday, July 30: Network (1976)
The Lumina
Over in Chapel Hill, The Lumina plays a smattering of retro movies. With the weather warming up, The Lumina will be showing some retro movies on the lawn as part of its Movies at the Green series. Here’s what you can watch in July 2026:
- Tuesday, July 7: Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)
- Saturday, July 11: The Goonies (1985) — Outdoor
- Tuesday, July 14: The Angry Birds Movie (2016)
- Saturday, July 18: School of Rock (2003) — Outdoor
- Tuesday, July 21: The Lorax (2012)
- Saturday, July 25: The Wizard of Oz (1939) — Outdoor
- Tuesday, July 28: Hop (2011)
Fathom Events

Fathom Events brings a smorgasbord of cinema classics to select theaters. Participating Fathom Events Triangle Area NC locations include AMC Southpoint 17, Regal Brier Creek, Paragon Theaters Fenton + Axis 15th Extreme, Cinemark Bistro Raleigh, Regal Crossroads and IMAX in Cary, Regal North Hills in Raleigh, and Marquee Cinemas Wakefield Commons 12 in Raleigh.
Here are the throwback films Fathom Events is bringing back to the box office in July 2026:
- Sunday, July 5 and Wednesday, July 8: Citizen Kane (1941) — 85th Anniversary
- Saturday, July 11, Sunday, July 12, Monday, July 13, Tuesday, July 14, and Wednesday, July 15: My Neighbor Totoro (1988) — Studio Ghibli Fest 2026
- Sunday, July 26 and Monday, July 27: The Fifth Element (1997)
Regal Cinemas

Over at Regal Cinemas, you can watch select retro movies on the big screen. There are several Regal movie theatres in the Triangle Area, including Regal Brier Creek in Raleigh, Regal Crossroads in Cary, and Regal North Hills in Raleigh.
Here are the throwback movies coming to Regal in July 2026:
- Sunday, July 5 and Wednesday, July 8: Citizen Kane (1941) — 85th Anniversary
- Saturday, July 11, Sunday, July 12, Monday, July 13, Tuesday, July 14, and Wednesday, July 15: My Neighbor Totoro (1988) — Studio Ghibli Fest 2026
- Monday, July 13: American Psycho (2000) — Fangoria Presents
- Wednesday, July 22: The End of Evangelion (1997) — Subtitled
- Sunday, July 26 and Monday, July 27: The Fifth Element (1997)
AMC

AMC features retro cinema back at the box office. You can find several AMC Theatres in the Triangle Area, including AMC Southpoint 17 in Durham, AMC Park Place 16 in Morrisville, and AMC Dine-in Holly Springs 9.
Here’s what you can watch in July 2026 at AMC:
- Sunday, July 5 and Wednesday, July 8: Citizen Kane (1941) — 85th Anniversary
- Saturday, July 11, Sunday, July 12, Monday, July 13, Tuesday, July 14, and Wednesday, July 15: My Neighbor Totoro (1988) — Studio Ghibli Fest 2026
- Monday, July 13: The Lego Movie (2014)
- Monday, July 20: Mob Psycho 100 (2016) — 10th Anniversary Screening, featuring 5 episodes of the anime series back on the big screen
- Sunday, July 26 and Monday, July 27: The Fifth Element (1997)
What film(s) are you most excited to see on the big screen this month? Comment below to let us know what you’re planning to watch!
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