2022 was easily the best movie year since 2019, with good movies in all genres and some unforgettable movie theater experiences. However, a recent Reddit thread revealed a graphic of the biggest movie releases of 2023, and it’s pretty depressing. As one comment pointed out: out of the 29 movies listed, only 4 of them aren’t based on existing IP. Creators like Greta Gerwig, usually known for their inspired work, are making movies like Barbie (I will admit the trailer does look fun). Paul King (Paddington 2) is making Wonka with Timothée Chalamet, and Ben Wheatley (In the Earth) is making The Meg 2???
It’s hard not to immediately feel cynical about the state of modern movies, but I will say after reviewing this year’s slate, there are plenty of originals to look to forward to—and of course, franchise sequels that actually look worthy of your hard-earned money. Here’s a list of my most anticipated movies of 2023.
Honorable Mentions:
Beau is Afraid (previously Disappointment Blvd.), Evil Dead Rise, Ferrari, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Napoleon.
Infinity Pool
Release Date: January 27
Brandon Cronenberg’s directorial debut, Possessor Uncut was a nightmarish thrill ride where viewers got a first-person look at what it would be like to inhabit someone else’s body. Think how they think, feel how they feel, and commit bloody acts of murder. You know, the usual. His next project looks like it will continue to deal with similar themes of identity and depravity with a new twist. Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth, who turned in two of the best performances of 2022, will co-star.
The story is about a couple trying to enjoy a perfect vacation before an accident has them facing the death penalty. What’s so horrifying about that premise? In this world, you can pay to have a clone of yourself die instead, if you’re rich enough. I was sold on the premise alone, and the trailer already has striking images that I can’t stop thinking about. What’s up with those masks? I can’t wait to find out.
Knock at the Cabin
Release Date: February 3
M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film Old, an adaptation of a graphic novel, had a great premise and some isolated moments of tension but ultimately failed to amount to much by the time you get to the signature Shyamalan reveal at the end. This time he is adapting the novel The Cabin at the End of the World about a couple and their daughter that’s terrorized by a doomsday cult. The two main stars, Dave Bautista (Dune) and Jonathon Groff (Manhunter) have been absolutely killing it the last few years, and I’m anticipating their first time working with a visionary like Shyamalan being a worthy thriller.
Cocaine Bear
Release Date: February 24
Sometimes the title just speaks for itself. I had heard rumblings about this movie for some time now, but now we actually have an uncensored trailer for it, and holy shit. Based on a true story of a bear that consumed several grams of cocaine and died, this script asks, “what if that bear went on a coke-fuelled murder spree before it finally kicked the bucket?” Directed by Elizabeth Banks (Charlie’s Angels) and starring a cast with the likes of Keri Russell (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Ray Liotta (R.I.P.), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Den of Thieves), and more, this film that seems perfectly suited for the meme generation looks like a total blast.
Creed III
Release Date: March 3
While Creed II was a little underwhelming with the absence of Creed director Ryan Coogler, the first film was Top Gun: Maverick before Top Gun: Maverick. Meaning, against all odds, it brought to life a dead franchise in a way that was compelling and actually made sense. This time, Michael B. Jordan will direct and star in it, with Johnathan Major playing an old friend fresh out of jail full of anger and resentment at the life Adonis has acquired during his sentence. It’s a bummer that Sylvestor Stallone won’t be in this, but Jordan as Apollo Creed’s son carrying the legacy has overall been a blockbuster success. Here’s to hoping Creed III is a knockout.
Scream 6
Release Date: March 10
Scream (2022) was one of the earliest surprises of the year back in January. It’s not that I wasn’t excited about it, but the franchise was starting to feel stale. This would also be the first movie not headed by Wes Craven after his passing back in 2015. Thankfully, the legacy of the franchise was preserved with a love letter to horror and the groundbreaking foundation that Craven and Kevin Williamson set 25-odd years ago. Directors Radio Silence are clearly fans of the beloved franchise and paid homage to it with easter eggs, the return of Sidney Prescott (Naomi Campbell), Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), and Officer Dewey (David Arquette), but they also brought in interesting new characters played by Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Melissa Barrera, and Jasmin Savoy Brown. The result is a perfect setup for the next installment, where the surviving group of friends will have to spot Ghostface in the crowded subways of New York in just a few short months. See how many horror movie easter eggs you can spot in the trailer!
65
Release Date: March 17
Jurassic World: Dominion might have ruined any chance of me wanting to see another dinosaur movie again—but that was before I was gobsmacked by the trailer for 65. The sci-fi film has Adam Driver playing an astronaut who crash-lands on a prehistoric planet ruled by dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the minds behind A Quiet Place and the haunted house horror gem Haunt, and produced by genre legend Sam Raimi, this has a lot of potential to be great. The merging of futuristic technology and guns with the world of dinosaurs feels like something out of an open-world video game. Simply put: this looks awesome.
John Wick: Chapter 4
Release Date: March 24
Aside from Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves is the best action star alive right now (sorry, Rock), and he’s doing it at almost 60! The John Wick franchise all started with the death of a dog, and the body count has only escalated from there. That may sound like every other actioner, but the fight choreography and “gun-fu,” as it’s been lovingly referred to, is so much better than the usual old-man action shit that is served out every year from guys like Sylvestor Stallone and Liam Neeson. The Wick universe is just so rich. When every person is a potential hitman, and every object is a potential weapon, the action never loses its entertainment value. God bless Tom Cruise and Keanu Reeves for keeping the action genre alive and well.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Release Date: May
This one is going to be short: Martin Scorsese has a new film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. This will be Scorsese’s first film since his maligned masterpiece The Irishman in 2019. The plot deals with the murder of members of the Osage tribe in the United States under mysterious circumstances in the 1920s. There’s no release date or trailer yet, but I will 100% be getting Apple TV+ to watch what three masters of their craft create.
Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio in “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple TV+)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Release Date: June 2
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse revolutionized the way animation is done across the industry, and its impact is still being seen in modern animated releases today. This was originally planned for 2022 but got pushed back to this year. It’s been a rough year for superhero movies as of late, as so many have been focused on setting up multiverses, usually with shotty visual effects. The trailer for Across the Spider-Verse smartly focuses on a conversation between Miles Morales and his mom, putting the characters at the center and focusing on Miles’ growth into a teenage superhero. That’s not to say that there isn’t web-swinging action and multiverses, but at least it looks visually interesting. Miles Morales is also the Spider-Man I wish I had growing up, one who listens to rap music and wears Jordans but who is still a smart teenager trying to find his own way in the world. Across the Spider-Verse is my No Way Home.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Release Date: June 30
I know, I know. We’ve tried doing an old-man Indiana Jones movie before, and the results were more than disappointing. Still, I’m holding out hope for this one. Firstly, when they announced that James Mangold would be taking over for Steven Spielberg, I immediately thought that he was the perfect fit. Coming off of the period racing drama Ford v Ferarri, he’s proved that he can film a heart-pounding car chase, and Logan (my favorite film of 2017) showed that he can take a beloved preexisting character like Wolverine and make something that hasn’t been done before with him.
The de-aged Harrison Ford in the trailer is some of the best use of technology to date, and the addition of Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Solo: A Star Wars Story) makes this a movie to look out for this year. The iconic John Williams score makes everyone in the theater sit up when it plays before a new movie. The cameos and references to the original movies are appreciated, and that button at the end where his Indy’s whip is outnumbered by a hoard of guns is a funny gag. Hopefully, it all amounts to more than the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Which isn’t asking for much…
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning — Part One
Release Date: July 14
Tom Cruise released one of the best movies of 2022 with Top Gun: Maverick, a stunt that not even I thought he could pull off. Now he’s back promoting his leading franchise with part one of the next installment with insane videos of him flying through the sky without a fighter jet. When the trailer leaked online, it was like an event, and only Tom Cruise has that kind of impact with modern blockbusters. Throw Hayley Atwell and Vanessa Kirby into the mix, and this is a must-see theater movie in 2023.
Oppenheimer
Release Date: July 21
Christopher Nolan’s Tenet will be remembered for being one of the few theatrical releases of 2020 more than it will be remebered for actually being a good movie. Like modern day James Cameron he’s a visually gifted director who sometimes gets in his own way, with convaluted plots that can feel like homework. That being said, his movies are theatrical events that are worth going to the local theater to see, and Oppenheimer is no different. I’m happy that Cillian Murphy gets to lead his own Nolan movie after years of turning in solid supporting parts for him, but that doesn’t mean he’s cheaping out on the side roles in his absencse.
The cast of Oppenheimer stars everyone from Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr. and Gary Oldman and half of Hollywood taking on the story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb. Rest assured, Nolan’s love of practical effects there will be real explosions and from the trailer they look stunning. If his other World War II film Dunkirk , his best film of the last ten years, is any indication Oppenheimer could be a highlight of the year.
Dune Part Two
Release Date: November 3
I mentioned how Dune was one of the only standout moviegoing experiences of 2021 in my “best of 2022” list, and that remains true. Denis Villeneuve crafted a modern sci-fi epic out of Frank Herbert’s novel in a much more cohesive way than David Lynch’s version (no disrespect to the king). With some of the best visual effects and sound design seen in ages—there’s a reason it swept all of the technical categories at the Oscars last year—the all star-cast of the first will grow even more with the additions of Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Christopher Walken and more. While returning to Avatar’s Pandora was a theme park experience, Arrakis is the world I’m excited to explore further.
(Cover photo: Warner Bros. Pictures)
