My 8 Most Anticipated Films of 2023

2023 Movie Posters

The year of 2023 is jam-packed with new and exciting movie releases! Here are my 8 most anticipated of the lot...

8. Sharper

A24 is the production company that has created a number of well-received films over the past decade, such as Everything Everywhere All At Once, Midsommar, The Whale and Swiss Army Man. In 2023, their new film, Sharper, directed by Benjamin Caron will appear on Apple TV+. The synopsis describes it as a "psychological thriller" starring Sebastian Stan and Julianne Moore. "Sharper" follows a young man determined to enact revenge on his family as part of his mission to get rich, defrauding other wealthy people in the process. The cast is small but includes some very talented actors. I doubt this movie will be ground-breaking, but it looks intriguing and sounds like fun.

7. Ant Man & The Wasp: Quantumania

Many of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and shows from the franchise's Phase Four have been underwhelming. I really liked Wandavision, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Eternals, but projects like She-Hulk and Thor: Love & Thunder weren't enjoyable for me. Fans and critics agree that the MCU at the moment relies too much on comedy, lacks a clear direction, and isn't as impressive as its previous phases. The third instalment in the Ant-Man trilogy kicks off Phase 5 of the MCU, so audiences are hoping it will fix some of these issues and be a great start to a new era. The film will set up the MCU's next big villain, Kang the Conqueror played by Jonathan Majors. We've already met Kang in the 2021 TV show, Loki, but this is where we get to see the real villain. I'm curious to see how contrasts with Paul Rudd's comedic character Scott Lang and Corey Stoll's MODOK. It seems like this movie has a very different tone than the others in the Ant-Man franchise, so more than anything, I really hope Quantumania does well and makes me more optimistic for the MCU's future. However, I'm rather concerned that the tones of the characters may clash. We will see very soon!

6. The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Of course, Mario is one of the most beloved and iconic video-game characters of all time. Many were shocked when Nintendo announced that Chris Pratt would play the main character in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, instead of longtime Mario actor Charles Martinet. Hopefully Pratt will bring something new and exciting to the character while staying true to previous Mario adaptations. Pratt will be backed by incredible actors like Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day & Jack Black, and characters will be animated by Illumination (Minions, Despicable Me franchise).The movie's trailer and marketing are excellent and make the movie seem very colourful and flashy - a fun, feel-good animated flick. I look forward to seeing how this Mario adaptation compares to the others, and perhaps we'll have more Nintendo game movies in the future...

5. Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan is widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of recent times, and in 2023 his latest work,Oppenheimer, will hit theatres. This biopic follows physicist J Robert Oppenheimer and his development of the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer is a very interesting man; It is said that after witnessing the test explosion (Trinity) of the bomb, he commented, "I am become death, the destroyer of worlds",citing the Bhagvad Gita. He expressed immense remorse and guilt, as well as self-loathing for his work for the rest of his life. Cillian Murphy will play the lead role and will definitely do a great job. The supporting cast includes the likes of Robert Downey Jr, Rami Malek, Matthew Modine, Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. With so many A-listers signed up for this feature, Nolan's screenplay is sure to be impressive. Nolan partially used IMAX to shoot the film and also used practical explosions to recreate the Trinity nuclear test instead of opting for CGI. This movie is taking on a massive feat, so I can't wait to see how it succeeds.

4. The Killer

One of my all time favourite movies is The Social Network by David Fincher. That's why I can't wait to see what the director will bring to this 2023 film. Written by Andrew Kevin Walker (Seven, Sleepy Hollow), The Killer, based on a series of graphic novels by Alexis Nolent, follows a killer (Michael Fassbender) who has no remorse nor regrets, but is slowly losing his mind. This action/thriller is described as "neo-noir" and from the behind-the-scenes promotional footage, the cinematography (Erik Messerschmidt) looks excellent. The film also stars Tilda Swinton and Arliss Howard, two big names in Hollywood. Not much is known about the film at this point, but it's slated to hitNetflix in November. The plot and main characters intrigue me, and the director's style is bound to make this film a unique take on the genre.

3. Asteroid City

Wes Anderson is a popular director with a very distinct style. His films are known for their symmetrical framing, limited colour palette, use of miniatures and seamless blend of comedy and drama. 2023's Asteroid City is set in 1955, following students and parents at a junior stargazer convention. Roman Coppola (son of Francis Ford Coppola) co-wrote the script with Anderson, and cinematographer Robert Yeoman returns as a regular collaborator of the director. A huge part of the Anderson's quirky aesthetic is his use of colour, production design and costumes. Oscar-winning costume designer Milena Canonero worked on this film, having collaborated with the auteur on The French Dispatch, The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Darjeeling Limited. Many A-listers are set to appear, like Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johansson and Willem Dafoe, as well as up-and-coming actors such as Hong Chau and Maya Hawke. The film is set for world-wide release in June. The MPA gave the film an R rating, however Focus Features (the distributer) is attempting to appeal the rating. I really like a lot of Anderson's past work, however 2021's The French Dispatch wasn't as enjoyable for me - so hopefully Asteroid City succeeds in living up to my expectations.

2. Missing

Missing is the anthology sequel to Aneesh Chaganty's incredible mystery/thriller, Searching. The movie stands out as it is one of few successful "screenlife" films - the audience watches the events of the film unfold from the point of view of various screens, i.e. mobile devices, CCTV, laptops etc. It's one of my favourite films of all time and stands out for its compelling mystery, great performance, plot twists and wonderful storytelling. Was it lightning in a bottle? We'll see this year when Missing releases. Headlined by Storm Reid (Sleight, The Suicide Squad), Missing follows a daughter trying to find her missing mother. I look forward to seeing how the story compares against that of Searching - it would be great to see something more fresh and different, instead of following similar plot beats. Aneesh Chaganty and Sev Ohanian returned to create the story, and the film was shot in 2021. It releases this February and I look forward to trying to solve the mystery with the characters. Hopefully there will be just as many twists, turns and red herrings as the first film!

Honorable Mentions: Kraven the Hunter, Air

How do you make a move solely about a B-list Spider-Man villain? I'm really don't know how they'll make the film engaging, but I'm intrigued to see how they pull it off. After seeing Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Bullet Train and Avengers: Age of Ultron, I'm curious to see what he brings to the titular character.

I enjoy most biographical films, but a movie about a shoe salesman who wants to sign Michael Jordan a deal to wear Nike shoes seemed a little boring to me. Yet, the Superbowl trailer for Air is high-energy and stars Matt Damon and Chris Tucker alongside director Ben Affleck. With A-list names, a great Superbowl trailer and an appealing tone to the film, I now look forward to seeing Air.

1. The Flash

Michael Keaton undoubtedly gave one of the best portrayals of Batman of all time in Tim Burton's 1989 movie. His performance was critically-acclaimed and remains iconic to this day. After seeing The Flash's first trailer, which featured Keaton reprising his role 30+ years later I was hooked straight away. That's without mentioning the appearances of Supergirl, Zod (Michael Shannon is returning as the character!) and Ben Affleck's Batman. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was underwhelming for me, so I hope that DC can do a better job of making a movie surrounding the concept of the multiverse here, and judging by the trailer, things are looking hopeful. I look forward to seeing where the Flash character goes from here, and how the all the heroes will interact with each other. The film will be directed by the talented Andy Muschietti and is written by Birds of Prey's screenwriter Christina Hodson. I'm sure this movie will be a blast, and I can't wait to see Keaton back again as the beloved Batman.