Welcome to 2023, fellow Space Cadets. I hope y’all had a good New Year. 2022 was not the greatest year for movies in my opinion, but it was for from the worst. There were a lot of really fantastic highlights that included The Batman, The Woman King, Terrifier 2, Top Gun: Maverick, Elvis, and Prey, just to name a few. But there were definitely some real bombs that included Morbius and Jurassic World: Dominion. That’s going to happen with any year, though. It won’t be any different this year, but the stuff coming out THIS year looks incredible. There’s way too much for me to delve into, but I’m going to list the ones that really caught my eye. Be aware that release dates may be subject to change.
Renfield – April 14
Dracula has been a staple in the horror genre for a long time, starting with Bram Stoker’s infamous novel. In 1922, an adaptation of Stoker’s novel was made in the form of Nosferatu. Since then, the infamous Count has been played by MANY actors including Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Frank Langella, Gary Oldman, and Luke Evans. NOW, the vampire is being played by the myth and the legend that is Nicolas Cage. When it was announced that a movie about Dracula’s assistant was being made, people wondered who would play Dracula. Now that Cage is playing Dracula, you probably figured out what kind of movie this is going to be. With actors like Nicholas Hoult and Awkwafina, this looks like an absolute blast. Is it going to be good? Probably not, but it’s going to be a hell of a time at the movies. I’m there.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter – August 11
This is the second movie about Dracula on this list, and this one’s a weird one. If you haven’t read Bram Stoker’s book or seen any of the movies, Dracula had purchased Carfax Abby in London, but he had to sail there. Dracula loaded a ship, the Demeter, with boxes of Transylanian soil so that Dracula could get to his destination. On the way to England, the crew of the Demeter started going missing one by one, until there was no one left on board when the ship arrived. Judging from the title, obviously, this movie takes place primarily on the Russian schooner. I’m of two minds about this. One: Why make a movie about an event to which we already know the outcome? Where would the tension be? My second thought: This could be a very Alien-esque thriller. You have this mysterious force picking off hapless sailors one at a time, while spooking the hell out of everybody. This could be very intense if handled properly. I don’t know if this is going to theaters, but one way or another, my interest is considerably piqued.
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey – February 15
I’m not looking forward to this movie because it’s going to be good, but because it’s going to be an unbelievable train-wreck. Basically, the story in the movie is what happens when Christopher Robin abandons his childhood friends, Winnie the Pooh and Piglet. They turn into murderous psychos. This is NOT going to work, but it’s going to be so batshit crazy that I can’t wait. As long as they try to stay away from CGI effects and rely more on practical ones, this could be enjoyed with an ample amount of alcohol.
Cocaine Bear – February 24
Yes, please. And thank you. Just watch the trailer.
Creed III – March 3
Obviously, this is the third movie about Adonis Creed, the son of Apollo Creed who was killed in Rocky IV. Creed is played by Michael B. Jordan, who was absolutely fantastic in the previous two films, but this marks his debut as a director, and I think he’s got what it takes to make this movie incredible. The character of Adonis is at the height of his popularity when somebody from his past comes knocking, threatening everything he’s built. Of course, I’m going to see this. It could be the last film in the entire franchise, but it looks like it could be one hell of a final film.
A Good Person – March 31
Florence Pugh is a force to be reckoned with as an actress. She’s only been on the scene for less than a decade, but Florence has been incredibly successful with a wide array of roles that she’s taken. Teaming her up with the legendary Morgan Freeman is a no-brainer, in my opinion. This looks like a very charming movie that has equal amounts of humor and drama. Florence plays a young woman who was involved with a tragic accident that took the life of her future sister-in-law. This tragedy brings her together with Morgan Freeman’s character, who was the father of the woman that was killed. I’m surprised at how interested I am in this film. So, yeah, I’m looking forward to it.
Oppenheimer – July 21
I love history, and I love movies about historical figures. I’ve also had an unhealthy obsession with nuclear weapons when I was a kid. I’ve grown out of that, thankfully. But I’ve always had an interest in the creation of the original atomic bomb. Well, leave it to Christopher Nolan to make a movie about the man who invented the bomb that helped end World War II. Cillian Murphy plays J. Robert Oppenheimer, a physicist who had an incredibly important role to play in the Manhattan Project, which created the first atomic bomb. This looks incredibly fascinating, and it’s also the first movie the Christopher Nolan has made outside of the Warner Bros. studio.
Barbie – July 21
Not once in my life did I ever think that a movie about a girl’s doll would be a good idea. How could they possibly make it compelling? Judging from this teaser, it looks almost like a parody. Obviously the movie is geared towards a certain demographic, and I’m definitely not a part of that demographic. But I’ll be damned if this doesn’t look bonkers. I have no idea what the story in the film is, we’re not given enough information, but it’s strangely intriguing. You’ve got a solid cast here with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, respectively. This looks like a musical comedy. Honestly, I don’t see this being worse than the G.I. Joe movies that the boys got a few years back. It looks a lot better, actually.
Evil Dead Rise
If there’s one franchise out there that has always delivered for me in one form or another, it’s Evil Dead. This venerable franchise that was created by Sam Raimi took on a life of its own after 1981. Evil Dead Rise is the fifth film in the franchise, and it takes the action out of the forest and into a high-rise apartment building where somebody reads from the Necronomicon ex Mortis. You would think people would know better, but there would be no movie. I really dig the make-up effects, as they are not as over-the-top as in previous movies. I love the previous movies as well as the show, so I’m totally on board with this.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
I have a confession to make: I like Michael Bay’s Transformers movies. Except for Revenge of the Fallen. That one was awful. But I did like Dark of the Moon, Age of Extinction, and The Last Knight. Nobody wrecks things the way Michael Bay does. But Bumblebee was more than just a mindless action movie. There was some real character development in that one, and it was pretty damned good. This new one looks to side-step the last few and take the franchise in a new direction, which it needed to go. I still have no idea what the story is, but the trailer looks amazing, and for fans of Beast Wars, this could be really cool. So, yeah, I’m on board. Autobots: Roll out!
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Honestly, how was this movie NOT going to be on the list? While we don’t necessarily have the story details, Dial of Destiny is clearly going to involve some form of time travel, because Indy’s going up against Nazis again. Again, the cast is outstanding. Mads Mikkelsen is playing the main villain. John Rhys-Davies is coming back as Sallah, and we’re getting appearances from Antonio Banderas and Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena. This is the first Indiana Jones movie that’s not being directed by Steven Spielberg, but James Mangold is no slouch. I think he’s got what it takes. This is also going to be the last appearance of Harrison Ford as Indy, so the pressure is on to make this movie as awesome as possible.
Dune Part 2
THIS is the movie that I’m looking forward to the most, as is a lot of people. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune was incredible. As someone who loved the 1984 movie, I loved how more expansive Denis’ film was. It delved more into the political and religious aspects more and it was simply spectacular on a visual level. I couldn’t recommend this movie enough. It’s one of the best science fiction movies of the last 5 years. While Part 1 was about setting up the conflict between the Atreides and the Harkonnens, Part 2 is going to see that conflict explode with the Emperor caught in the middle. The cast has expanded with Austin Butler playing Feyd Rautha, Florence Pugh playing Princess Irulan, and Christopher Walken playing Emperor Shaddam IV. THIS is the movie to beat this year. If it’s successful, we could see Denis Villeneuve take on the next book in Frank Herbert’s series, Dune Messiah, and possibly Children of Dune. Expectations are very high for this one.
These are my big picks for the year, but they’re not the only movies coming out. There’s also bound to be a number of movies that’ll come out of nowhere. That’s what happened with The Woman King which ended up being my movie of last year. So, you never really know what’s coming. Still, 2023 is looking to be one of the best years for movies since 2018. I’m excited.