20 Movies on My Radar in 2023

Greetings! It’s Oscar Sunday and I thought it might be a good idea to have a post about the 2023 movie slate. Honestly, my free time is being gobbled up by errands and gaming. I haven’t seen a single movie this year, but that will change eventually. Next week, I’ll give you my reactions to the Oscars. I’ve lost faith in the Academy Awards, but the aftermath might be worth discussing. In the meantime, let’s check out 20 movies on my radar in 2023. Enjoy! 

65
This sci-fi action film came out a couple days ago. 2023 has a huge schedule, but I’m keeping my expectations very low. I had too many disappointments from the past few years. Now I’m just looking for some basic entertainment on digital or streaming. 65 seems like the right type of movie to scratch that itch. We’re talking about time travel, guns, and dinosaurs. Count me in!

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
I suppose the sequel to Aquaman is finally coming out during the holiday season. What’s going on with the DC universe? I hope they reboot the entire franchise pretty soon. Regardless, I really enjoyed the first Aquaman film and The Lost Kingdom could be one of the stronger sequels in the DC catalogue. I want to remain optimistic with this one because it might be the final entry in the current DC universe. 

The Boogeyman
You’re going to see a handful of horror movies on my post. I always thought the concept of boogeyman lore was really interesting and creepy, but we don’t see many film adaptations. Originally, this movie was going to be a Hulu exclusive. It’s getting a theatrical release instead, which might be a good sign. Film studios will often move their streaming titles to theaters if the content is good. 

Cocaine Bear
I have to admit, this comedy horror film didn’t hit my radar until it received great reviews from critics and movie buffs. The idea of a bear high on cocaine is absurd, but weird things happen because this one was actually based on a true story. I heard the script is pretty good, which is surprising for any modern horror movie. I’ll wait for Cocaine Bear to drop on Peacock. It sounds like a fun popcorn viewing. 

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Truthfully, I think the trailers and marketing look really bad. However, I can’t resist a Dungeons & Dragons movie. All of the prior films adaptations of D&D were awful, but they have a certain level of charm and entertainment value. In today’s streaming landscape, dumb and fun is perfectly acceptable. Honor Among Thieves is coming out at the end of the month, so get ready for an adventure with CGI dragons. 

Evil Dead Rise
I’m a huge fan of the Evil Dead franchise. However, it had recent missteps with the Ash vs. Evil Dead tv show and Evil Dead: The Game. Maybe Evil Dead Rise will bring some fresh material to the franchise. However, I feel skeptical because the red band trailer was super weird. I’m not sure what’s going on in this film. Hopefully, it’s just going to be a decent horror movie instead of an arthouse flick with excessive social commentary. 

The Expendables 4
Is this action movie going to be good? I doubt it, but that’s not the point. The Expendables was always a parody and ode to blockbuster actions flicks. Again, I don’t have a problem with dumb fun. It might be a decent experience on the big screen for those of you who are still participating in theatrical attendance. Make sure you see it in IMAX! 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
There was a time when I was excited for the third Guardians of the Galaxy movie. It still looks okay, but the trailers aren’t impressing me. Lately, Marvel is experiencing a decline and it makes me wonder if this film will be a shadow of the previous Guardians of the Galaxy entries. I’m pretty sure it will be the final movie with the original cast, so let’s see what happens. I’ll wait for digital or Disney+. 

Haunted Mansion
Here’s another Disney film that’s giving me conflicted thoughts. The ambiance, ghosts, and visual effects look perfect for a Haunted Mansion movie. Seriously, it’s one of my favorite rides at Disneyland. Unfortunately, the characters look terrible. It seems like the human characters might be bland and out of place in this type of movie. Hopefully, I’ll be wrong about that part. For some reason, Haunted Mansion is debuting in late July instead of the Halloween season. 
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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
I have to laugh. Harrison Ford needs to retire from this role. Granted, it won’t stop me from watching this movie. Dial of Destiny looks underwhelming, but you never know. Trailers aren’t always an accurate measure of a film’s quality or entertainment value. I’m pretty sure this movie will either relaunch the Indiana Jones ​franchise or put it in the grave for good. 

John Wick: Chapter 4
This action movie is on the top of my list for 2023. The John Wick franchise is infamous for exciting and innovative action scenes. It might not be heavy on the storytelling, but that’s not the main reason why people love this franchise. Keanu Reeves is a great fit for the titular character and I hope Chapter 4 can justify keeping the franchise alive. There comes a point when a movie has too many sequels and I hope the newest release won’t hit a roadblock. 

Knock at the Cabin
Yeah, I’m late to the party for this unusual horror film. Knock at the Cabin is part of the M. Night Shyamalan catalogue, which means I expect it to be really weird. I’m a huge fan of the post-apocalyptic genre and this movie seems to be showcasing a doomsday prophecy. So far, I’ve avoided spoilers. At some point, I’ll either buy it digitally or wait for a release on Peacock. It might be interesting. 

Kraven: The Hunter
Naturally, I expect this movie to be quite bad. How can I expect anything less after watching both Venom films and Morbius? That doesn’t mean I’m not curious. I thought Kraven was an excellent Spider-Man villain who was underutilized in live action media. We still haven’t seen him in a mainline Spider-Man movie, which is ludicrous. I suppose this spinoff is better than nothing. 

The Last Voyage of the Demeter
Universal Pictures is on a roll. The plot for this film is under wraps, but it seems like a blend of mystery and horror. I was always fascinated by mysterious disappearances, like the Bermuda Triangle phenomenon. Perhaps, The Last Voyage of the Demeter will explore this concept. I just know this movie is about a doomed merchant ship. That’s all I need for now. 

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning- Part One
I was considerably more excited for this film during the beginning of the pandemic. At this point, I’m getting tired of waiting. I must admit, Top Gun: Maverick was a pleasant surprise and the next Mission Impossible movie has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, I have a bad feeling because it has a dreaded label of Part One. That’s usually a terrible direction for filmmaking. I want to see a complete film instead of a prologue to something else. Hopefully, Paramount will surprise me.

The Nun 2
It seems like The Conjuring universe is in a steep decline. I wasn’t impressed with The Nun, but it’s watchable. Again, The Nun 2 might be a decent streaming movie. Nearly all of the films on today’s post are theatrical releases, but hardly any of them seem like significant experiences for the big screen. I’m keeping my expectations in check and maybe this one will be a little better than the first Nun movie. 

Peter Pan & Wendy
Disney is releasing the live action Peter Pan film directly on Disney+. Should we be worried? Streaming services are usually a dumpling ground for bad movies. On the positive side, the debut trailer looks really interesting and a bit edgy. I’m not typically a Peter Pan fan, but this version might be in my wheelhouse. Disney is over-saturating the market with live action remakes and some of them could probably boost Disney+ subscriptions. 

Scream VI
The most recent Scream film is in theaters now. I really enjoyed the previous entry in the Scream franchise, so I’m pretty excited for this one. Scream VI takes place in New York City, which is an entirely different setting for this IP. I actually think it’s a good idea because we have six Scream movies and a little bit of variety can keep franchises in good shape. At the moment, I’ll wait for this film to drop on Paramount+. 

Shazam! Fury of the Gods
I adore the first Shazam! movie, but this long awaited sequel is making me feel nervous. The trailers looks pretty shaky.  It just seems like Warner Bros. is having issues with the DC brand. They struggled with Wonder Woman 1984, Birds of Prey, and Black Adam. It doesn’t give me a lot of confidence for the upcoming Shazam! film. Again, I just want it to be entertaining. I’m crossing my fingers.  

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
Sure, the Transformers series is a total disaster. That doesn’t mean we can’t have a decent entry once in a while. Like many films this year, Rise of the Beasts is coming in the near future with minimal advertising. That usually means the film studio knows their movie has problems. Will it satisfy me? It might. I’m just looking for robot animals and explosive action scenes. It’s a pretty low bar. 

That’s it! You’ve seen my current list of anticipated movies in 2023. Later in the year, I might give you a revised post. It seems like we’re getting quantity over quality in 2023, but Hollywood might prove me wrong. What are your most anticipated films this year? Are you planning to see any of these movies in theaters or waiting for streaming? Leave a comment. I’ll write my post about the Oscars next week. Most likely, the Oscars will be a huge mess, but that’s part of the fun. Be safe and I’ll see you again next week. Have fun watching the Oscars!