Most Anticipated Movies of 2023
Most Anticipated movies of 2023
(a Compilation of 50 Films by Chris Bush)
Part I
50. Havoc
Director: Gareth Evans (The Raid, The Raid 2, Apostle ) Cast: Tom Hardy, Forest Whitaker, Timothy Olyphant, Justin Cornwell, Jessie Mei Li, Yeo Yann Yann, Quelin Sepulveda, Luis Guzmán, Sunny pang, Michelle Waterson, and Tom Wu.
Few filmmakers have elevated the action genre in the last 10 years like Gareth Evans. The Welsh breakout is renowned for introducing the Indonesian martial art of pencak silat into world cinema through his films, which have enthralled audiences around the globe with their brutal and gory violence and exhilaratingly breakneck choreography. After flexing his genre versatility in horror several years ago with Apostle, the director is back with a new action-thriller starring acting heavyweight, Tom Hardy, in the lead role. Hardy will play a detective who must navigate a dangerous criminal underworld to rescue a politician's estranged son, following a drug deal gone awry. His journey through the dark underbelly of his city will force him to confront and untangle a twisted web of conspiracy and corruption, if it doesn't swallow him up in the process first. The film is one of the biggest productions to ever take place in Wales, one that Evans is optimistic will open the door to a new market of filmmaking opportunities in his homeland. As for the movie itself, it sounds like an insanely wild ride, and if anyone can deliver on the promise of its hellraising energy, it's Gareth Evans!
RELEASE: TBA. I'm predicting Netflix will unveil it at SXSW before releasing it sometime in the first half of the year.
49. Wizards!
Director: David Michôd (Animal Kingdom, The Rover ) Cast: Pete Davidson, Franz Rogowski, Naomi Scott, Sean Harris, Orlando Bloom, and Rahel Romahn.
The one-two punch of Animal Kingdom and The Rover made Australian auteur, David Michôd, one of the most exciting breakout directors to emerge within the 2010s decade. Unfortunately, his track record experienced a bit of a lapse during the latter half of those ten years following a brief stint with Netflix that produced two films: the uneven and unfunny mess of a satire, War Machine, and the muscular medieval epic, The King (an improvement over War Machine marred mostly by its ambitious reach exceeding its grasp.) But I'm optimistic about his next film, which finds him reteaming with A24 for the first time since 2014's The Rover, and has a premise that seems to combine a few elements from his first two movies, but filtered through a dark, stoner-comedy romp. The story follows a pair of pot-smoking beach bar owners (Pete Davidson and Franz Rogowski) whose discovery of stolen loot sets off a chain of problems and unintended consequences. Davidson is (obviously) a perfect fit here, but it's Rogowski who is truly the most exciting bit of casting in this ensemble. The acclaimed German actor is known for his exceptional work in films that are more meta and dramatic, working alongside highly respected directors such as Michael Haneke, Terrence Malick, and frequent collaborator, Christian Petzold, and he's been dubbed in some circles as the European equivalent to Joaquin Phoenix. At this point, my only real concern is Michôd's comedy skills, but I'm hoping he's had time to polish them up since War Machine and that having Pete Davidson on board will help Wizards! deliver the laughs that were missing from that film.
RELEASE: IMDb has given the film a release date for April 21st, but that has yet to be corroborated anywhere else. At the very least, I imagine this will premiere at SXSW, especially if that date is indeed correct.
48. Cuckoo
Director: Tilman Singer (Luz ) Cast: Hunter Schafer, Dan Stevens, Jessica henwick, Marton Csokas, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Greta Fernández, Proschat Madani, Kalin Morrow, Jan Bluthardt, and lesley Jennifer Higl.
Most people have never heard of German filmmaker, Tilman Singer, or his directorial debut/horror feature, Luz. And that's perfectly understandable. Luz was simply intended to be Singer's thesis project for film school, but when it was selected to screen at the 2018 Berlin Film Festival where it was met with positive reviews from critics, the director created with it a calling card that signaled the arrival of an exciting new voice, graduating from music videos and commercials to rising indie filmmaker in less than a year. And although it's far from perfect, I found the director's homage to 80s European horror films to be quite fascinating, as it experiments with a surrealist narrative structure and sound design in bold ways that are surprising and confident for a newly minted filmmaker fresh out of school. That's a huge part of the reason I have his upcoming sophomore feature, Cuckoo, on my radar. Cuckoo continues Singer's foray in the horror genre, though any specifics as far as story and plot are still very vague and carefully guarded at this point. What I do know is that the film is produced by Neon (extinguishing any concerns I might have had about Singer's edge and vision as an artist being compromised for mainstream palatability, as that is not what the indie studio's brand and respected filmography are known for) and that it's led by Euphoria breakout, Hunter Schafer, alongside a few other exciting names such as Dan Stevens and Jessica Henwick. Frankly, that's enough to whet my appetite for now, but I'll definitely be following this one closely in the months to come.RELEASE: IMDb has a release date for September 29th, but I'm still waiting for more confirmation on that. I am predicting it will follow the same course as Luz and have its debut at the Berlin Film Festival. If not there, Fantastic Fest is my next best bet.
Director: Peter Sohn (The Good dinosaur ) Cast: Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie.
There was a period of time when Pixar was the default head honcho of the animation field. With each new hit, they continued to set the bar higher, telling boldly innovative and imaginative stories driven by heartfelt characters and emotional drama (not to mention, excellent comedic timing.) But somewhere along the line, they hit a creative roadblock and have been struggling to recapture that same mojo that defined their most iconic classics and made them soar to infinite and beyond. Occasionally, they get awfully close (Inside Out, Soul), but most of the time it's ranged from good to serviceable (Coco, Luca) and even downright mediocre (Onward.) Still though, the optimist in me continues to hold out hope the studio will make a huge stride that puts them back on the level of their glory days, and Elemental (their next full-length feature) is beginning to look very promising. It's a wonderfully neat concept, and the animation teased in a recent trailer looks gorgeous! The story follows the relationship of Ember and Wade, who both reside in a city where fire, water, land, and air residents coexist, as they navigate the ways in which their polar-opposite personalities bounce off each other as well as find common ground. In a time when our country has never felt more divided, this could be just what the doctor ordered, and if we're lucky, we may just get a new animated masterpiece from the studio along with it. The Good Dinosaur, which is the first (and only) Pixar feature to come from Elemental's director, Peter Sohn, is certainly not my favorite offering from the studio's filmography of the last decade, but I did admire it for taking some big risks in its narrative, even if they didn't fully pay off. Hopefully, Sohn has brought his A-game this time and applied any lessons he might have learned from the experience of making his last film, because this one looks like it has a lot of potential.
RELEASE: June 16th.
46. Landscape With Invisible hand
Director: Cory Finley (Thoroughbreds, Bad Education ) Cast: Asante Blackk, Kylie Rogers, Tiffany Haddish, Clifton Collins Jr., Michael Gandolfini, Josh Hamilton, Brooklynn MacKinzie, William Jackson Harper, and Christian Adam.
Although Cory Finley only has two feature films under his belt so far, the director's track record has been nothing if not solid. Thoroughbreds is a very assured and well-made debut, and Bad Education took a scandalous (and timely) story and gave it a human, character-driven pulse that likely might have been absent in another director's hands. However, it's his next film that will really put his abilities as a storyteller to the test, as it finds him tackling the trickiest and most ambitious material he's had to deal with thus far. Based on a novel by M.T. Anderson, the story takes place in a near future where an alien species, called the Vuvv, have taken over Earth and now have control over the world's economy. In the wake of the Vuvv's new labor-saving technology, a teenage artist and his girlfriend hatch a scheme to make money by broadcasting their dating life to an audience of fascinated aliens. But what starts out as a profitable artistic venture soon morphs into a series of complications when the two teens slowly begin to hate one another, eventually realizing that they can't break up without bankrupting their families. This is definitely...very different, especially for Cory. Depending on how you look at it though, perhaps it's not too different from a movie like Thoroughbreds, which also navigated a story about two teenagers in ways that were complex and unexpected. That being said, it's still out there; but I can't deny that it's piqued my interest. While I have not read the book it's based on, I've learned that Anderson is an award-winning author who is known for his use of witticisms and sarcasm that he deploys in his books, as well as advocating for young adults (his target audience) as intelligent and capable individuals with mature comprehension (also something reflected in his work.) Landscape With Invisible Hand could very well end up being some well-intended misfire blundered by a misjudgment in execution, however, if it's done right, it could be a real hit with critics and audiences alike. Every exciting talent behind the camera is entitled to at least one ambitious misfire that swings too hard for the fences, but I'm really hoping this one isn't Finley's, because it sounds very original and unique.
RELEASE: The film is slated to premiere at Sundance, with a theatrical release still to be announced.
45. House of Spoils
Directors: Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy (Blow the Man Down ) Cast: Ariana DeBose, Barbie ferreira, Arian Moayed, and Imola Gáspár.
Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy made quite a splash with their 2019 debut, Blow the Man Down. The directing duo delivered a taut and artistic black comedy/thriller with ripples of films such as Fargo, Blood Simple, and Shallow Grave, but with a wholly original feel, premise, and sense of place. It looks like they'll be keeping things within that same general wheelhouse for their next film, House of Spoils, which is being led by West Side Story breakout and Oscar-winner, Ariana DeBose. Doubling down on the eerie thrills of their first film, House of Spoils has been marketed as a psychological horror/thriller that finds DeBose playing a chef who has just opened her first restaurant. In between battling kitchen chaos, a dubious investor, and repetitive instances of crushing self-doubt comes another nefarious horror in the form of a powerful specter who (in life) once owned the estate, hellbent on tormenting and sabotaging her at every turn. Hmm could this possibly be some kind of allegory about how older generations sometimes try to hold back younger generations from success, discrediting their performance and aspirations as second fiddle to theirs? Or perhaps how white people (even from beyond the grave) continue to gatekeep minorities from achieving the American dream? Both are entirely possibly. Regardless, it sounds very promising, and Blumhouse- who are producing the project- are generally pretty reliable, every now and then greenlighting a genuine, bona fide hit (The Black Phone, Get Out.)
RELEASE: TBA. Assuming it follows the same path as Blow the Man Down, this could be ready for Tribeca this summer. If not, then TIFF would be my next best guess.
44. A Different Man
Director: Aaron Schimberg (Chained for Life ) Cast: Sebastian Stan, Renate Reinsve, Adam Pearson, Lawrence Arancio, Marc Geller, Eleanore Pienta, Juney Smith, Billy Griffith, Miles G. Jackson, Martin ewens, Trenton Hudson, and Christopher Spurrier.
I really liked Aaron Schimberg's last film, Chained for Life: an artful and thought-provoking allegory that deftly explores our culture's commodification of beauty and how we define it, and the impossibility of actors inhabiting the roles of identities they'll never truly understand, as well as the narcissism of believing they could even fathom those lived experiences in spite of their privilege. Although the film deals specifically with the disabled/malformed community and how they're represented on screen, it's clear this criticism extends to any marginalized group being portrayed by someone who fits within society's standard of "the norm." But perhaps more important is the way the film skewers the narrow way in which Hollywood has often chosen to tell these stories and represent such folks, which generally confine them to the most rudimentary, one-dimensional, and even disrespectful storytelling clichés: from the exploitative, side-show trope that utilizes them for shock value, to the sensationalized, cloyingly sentimental stories that reduce them to vessels for audiences to project fake sympathy onto (usually to feel better about themselves.) Schimberg's film boldly and empathetically holds a magnifying glass up to all of it, interrogating the way movies and, in turn, ourselves have internalized stereotypes and misconceptions about people in a community or demographic that isn't part of the mainstream. His upcoming psychological thriller, A Different Man, seems to be further expanding upon those themes. The film stars Sebastian Stan as Edward, a man formerly disfigured before he underwent a facial reconstructive surgery, who becomes fixated on an actor (Adam Pearson, reunited with Schimberg following his deeply humane performance in Chained for Life, and who suffers from a real-life disfigurement) playing him in a stage production about his life. Also starring is Renate Reinsve, following her breakout performance in The Worst Person in the World as Edward's love interest.
RELEASE: TBA. Possibly Cannes or Toronto, but I wouldn't even be surprised if it debuts at either Fantasia or Fantastic Film Fest, where Chained for Life had some if its first screenings.
Director: Rose Glass (Saint Maud ) Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy M. O'Brian, Dave Franco, Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, David DeLao, Keith Jardine, Mikandrew, Lily Harris, and Jerry G. Angelo.
I should clear the air upfront and admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of Saint Maud, the debut feature from breakout director Rose Glass, which received almost unanimous widespread acclaim when it was released (the film garnered two BAFTA nominations, and won two British Independent Film Awards.) Personally, I found the character of Maud to be under-baked and the film's narrative a bit too nihilistic and one-note, however, there's no disputing Rose Glass' undeniable vision and craftsmanship behind the camera, which is why I'm really hoping her next film, Love Lies Bleeding, will be a much bigger improvement over her last. Kristen Stewart and Katy M. O'Brian co-lead the upcoming romantic thriller produced by A24, which is set in the world of competitive bodybuilding, centering on a romance fueled by ego, desire, and the American dream. It sounds unique and very ambitious, and Stewart has proven to be very smart and selective about the projects she's chosen post-Twilight. I just hope Glass has a script as strong as her directing chops this time around.
RELEASE: TBA. My guess is Toronto, where Saint Maud debuted.
42. Saltburn
Director: Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman ) Cast: Rosamund Pike, Jacob Elordi, Barry Keoghan, Archie Madekwe, Richard E. Grant, Carey Mulligan, Paul Rhys, Alison Oliver, Reece Shearsmith, Sadie Soverall, Millie Kent, Aleah Aberdeen, and Michelle Thomas.
Promising Young Woman proved to be a very solid debut, foreshadowing a very "promising" career ahead for its writer/director, Emerald Fennell. Within a short span of time, she's already managed to build an impressive resumé that includes (in addition to her feature film debut) showrunning the second season of Killing Eve, multiple awards and nominations (she currently has an Oscar and two BAFTAs under her belt), and even some acting credits (she's known mostly for her portrayal of Camilla Parker Bowles on seasons 3 and 4 of The Crown, and she's set to appear in Greta Gerwig's hotly anticipated Barbie movie this summer.) That resumé will soon include her upcoming sophomore feature, Saltburn, and although the plot details still remain a bit scant, the facts we do know seem to indicate that it will be a razor-sharp spiritual successor to her scorched-earth revenge drama. The film stars Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl), Jacob Elordi (Euphoria), and Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin), and has been described as a story of "obsession" that centers around an English aristocratic family. During an interview with IndieWire, Fennell stated that her projects beg the question: "How would we all justify ourselves, when the angel of retribution comes to your door? In a very general sense, we all know we are not good, to some degree, and we're frightened of being asked to explain ourselves." Very intrigued to find out what kind of "retribution" she has in store for a family of wealthy and privileged elites.
RELEASE: TBA. Venice and Toronto seem like the mostly likely of bets.
41. Napoleon
Director: Ridley Scott (Gladiator, The Duellists ) Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Youssef Kerkour, Tahar Rahim, Matthew Needham, Edouard Philipponnat, Ludivine Sagnier, Paul Rhys, Gavin Spokes, John Hollingworth, Jonathan Barnwell, and Sam Crane.
Ridley Scott is a master filmmaker. And although his career has waned within recent decades, there is no way anyone could dispute his massive contributions to cinema, or the holding power of classic works such as Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator, which continue to enthrall audiences to this day. It's for these reasons that there's still many out there (myself included) that pray to the gods of cinema that he still has one golden egg left to give. Could his upcoming Napoleon biopic possibly be that final masterpiece, the kind of magnum opus that's so good, he could retire afterwards knowing he went out with a thunderous bang? Who knows! But I'm an optimist, and the idea of Scott reunited with Joaquin Phoenix for the first time since Gladiator as Napoleon Bonaparte himself sounds just too good to overlook. Almost a few months back, a test screening was held for the film in LA, with one viewer breaking the code of silence on the internet to call it a "mind-blowing [and] cosmic masterpiece," featuring a fantastic "Brando-like" performance from Phoenix. Sold! The story covers (in sweeping fashion) the story of Napoleon's life, from his origins in the army during the French Revolution to his ruthless climb to emperor, told through the prism of his addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife, Josephine (the always radiant, Vanessa Kirby.)
RELEASE: TBA. Some have predicted this to debut at Cannes before getting released sometime during the summer.
40. Peter Pan & Wendy
Director: David Lowery (The Green Knight, Pete's Dragon) Cast: Alexander Malony, Ever Anderson, Joshua Pickering, Jacobi Jupe, Yara Shahidi, Jude Law, Jim Gaffigan, Noah Matthews Matofsky, Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez, Skyler and Kelsey Yates, Florence Bensberg, Caelan Edie, Diana Tsoy, Felix de Sousa, Alyssa Wapanatâhk, with alan Tudyk and Molly Parker.
Disney's new wave continues to push more remakes of their most classic and iconic films, hoping to bank on the nostalgia of their now grown-up audience while trying (and mostly failing) to make them feel fresh again for a new generation of children. Their upcoming remake of Peter Pan directed by David Lowery (whose magical and joyous remake of Pete's Dragon stands out as a welcome exception amongst their cash-grab drivel) actually looks quite promising though. J.M. Barrie's classic tale is one of many stories in Disney's fantasy canon that seems like it's been adapted for the screen as often as we get a new update of smart phone; the only difference is, I don't think there's ever been a truly fantastic and definitive take of Barrie's timeless play-turned-book (the most iconic and beloved probably being Disney's 1953 animated film, harmful racist stereotypes aside of course.) But if there's anyone who could give the material a fresh sprinkling of pixie dust, David Lowery would definitely be the auteur to do it. Lowery has repeatedly demonstrated a keen eye for magical realism and poetic lyricism (most recently with his phenomenal rendering of The Green Knight), and his success with Pete's Dragon has me confident that the director is much more interested in making an actual film instead of indulging the studio's corporate branding and marketability demands. Without these qualities, I doubt yet another adaptation of Peter Pan would be able to soar into the stratosphere, let alone make it off the ground. Furthermore, it doesn't hurt that Lowery has a strong personal connection to the material as well. When I met Lowery at the 2017 Seattle International Film Festival and asked him about the project (which at the time was still in the very early stages of development), the filmmaker told me that it was very close to his heart and there was so much pressure to get every detail just right. Almost six years later, it's clear that his attention to those details were indeed no exaggeration, and last year the director opened up in an interview about the upcoming project with some very encouraging words. Not only is he calling it his most adult (mature) film to date, it's also apparently his favorite and most personal that he's made too (something he would not have expected prior to entering production.) "I went into it thinking that my entryway into this movie was that I've got a classic case of Peter Pan syndrome. I don't want to grow up. Who does? And I thought that was what was going to appeal to me about it, but in making it, in writing it, and now directing it and seeing it come to life, I've realized that this is a movie about me letting go of that. Whether that's good or bad, I haven't processed yet, but it's the first movie I've made from an adult perspective, if that makes any sense." Makes perfect sense to me, and I cannot wait to finally see what he's made for us.
RELEASE: TBA. It's reportedly going to be a Disney+ exclusive, so sadly any chance of watching it on a big screen may be out of the question. That'd be something though if they gave it a two-week theatrical run before it's premiere on the streaming platform. With Bob Iger back in control of Disney, perhaps he can course correct this ship.
39. Eileen
Director: William Oldroyd (Lady Macbeth ) Cast: Thomasin McKenzie, Anne Hathaway, Shea Whigham, Marin Ireland, Owen Teague, Jefferson White, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Sam Nivola, and Tonye Patano.
We owe a great deal of thanks to director William Oldroyd. His twisted and sensual gothic thriller/debut, Lady Macbeth, helped land Florence Pugh on everyone's radars (of course, her incredible, star-making performance had lot to do with that as well), and since then the rest of the world has had the privilege to watch her talent shine in films such as Midsommar and Little Women (she's so good, she almost convinces you that Don't Worry Darling is great cinema.) It's been almost six years since Lady Macbeth, and the director is now finally about to follow-up his debut act with his upcoming sophomore feature, Eileen. Described as a dark, psychological thriller/mystery set in 1960s Boston, the film stars Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace, Jojo Rabbit) as the titular Eileen, a lonely young woman who works at a prison facility where she's been ostracized by her fellow coworkers and keeps mostly to herself. That all changes when an elusive woman (Hathaway) joins the staff and befriends Eileen, whose lack of human connection blinds her to the nefarious intentions of her new friend, even as Eileen becomes entangled in one of her deadly schemes. Lots of support and word of mouth about the book. Really looking forward to this one!
RELEASE: TBA. The film is slated to premiere at Sundance, with a theatrical release date still to come.
38. The Greatest Hits
Director: Ned Benson (The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby ) Cast: Lucy Boynton, David Corenswet, Justin H. Min, Austin Crute, Evan Shafran, Tom Yi, Rory Keane, Jenne Kang, and Mary Eileen O'Donnell.
Ned Benson! Now there's a name that's been absent from the film news world for more than a hot minute. Back in 2013, Benson made a huge splash at the Toronto International Film Festival, where he debuted his stunning first feature (or features I should say), The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby. The film, which chronicles the relationship of two lovers and its demise following a terrible tragedy, was told through two parts through two different perspectives, titled Him and Her. Reception for the film(s) was rapturous, with people praising Benson's two-movie strategy, which gave the story more depth and allowed it's two leads to deliver even more layered, fully realized performances. Unfortunately, Weinstein picked up the rights and had them spliced into a single cut titled, Them (completely squandering the whole point of what makes Him and Her so profound), believing audiences wouldn't bother watching two separate films, and thereby adding yet another thing to the laundry list of atrocities that the infamous movie mogul committed in his too-long career. Fast-forward ten years later, and Benson is finally back again with another film! Described as a love story with a musical element, The Greatest Hits explores the connection between music and memory and how they transport us, sometimes literally. Josephine Decker's latest film, The Sky is Everywhere, had a few scenes that briefly touched upon this idea (an aspect which everyone who saw the movie collectively agreed it SHOULD have leaned more into, and sadly didn't), so I'm hoping Benson's movie takes it and goes further in ways bolder and more experimental than Decker's did. Something tells me he will.
RELEASE: TBA. My money in on Toronto, or maybe even Cannes, where the Them cut premiered.
37. Infinity Pool
Director: Brandon Cronenberg (Possessor, Antiviral ) Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Cleopatra Coleman, Jalil Lespert, Thomas Kretschmann, Amanda Brugel, Caroline Boulton, John Ralston, Roderick Hill, and Jeff Ricketts.
They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and in the case of Brandon Cronenberg that just may be accurate. The son of legendary auteur David Cronenberg, Brandon has already begun to carve out a distinct name for himself, one that honors the sci-fi body-horror tropes established by his father's work while still standing out for his own unique aesthetic and vision. His next film is backed by Neon, the indie studio that's been on a winning streak the past couple years ever since Parasite miraculously (and rightfully) picked up the Oscar for Best Picture, and who have continued to put a spotlight on artful, auteur-driven entertainment. Infinity Pool stars Alexander Skarsgård and Cleopatra Coleman as a couple who get invited to an all-inclusive romantic beach getaway on the fictional island of La Tolqa, where a fatal accident exposes the resort's perverse subculture of hedonistic tourism, reckless violence and surreal horrors. Sign me up!
RELEASE: January 27th, following its Sundance debut.
36. Memory
Director: Michel Franco (Sundown, New Order ) Cast: Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard, Elsie Fisher, Josh Charles, Merritt Wever, and Jessica harper.
Mexican auteur, Michel Franco, has proven to be a very provocative artist and complex storyteller. His films can be cold, cynical, and a trifle distant, but there's something arresting about his voice that recalls the great works of Michael Haneke. And he understands cinema. Not much is known about the plot of his movie, Memory, other than it's set in New York and revolves around a couple taking a staycation, but the cast is excellent and it's clear with each new project the filmmaker continues to expand the scope and ambition of his storytelling.
RELEASE: TBA. Likely Cannes, maybe Venice.
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