10 Anticipated Films of 2023
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
2022 is done.
Okay so we’re kind of out of the pandemic era (not quite, I suppose), but the backlogging can still be felt. Hell, a ton of films, ranging from David Fincher’s The Killer to Wong Kar-wai’s Blossoms, still haven’t been released yet (that I posted about on old editions of lists of anticipation). Some of the films that have been released have been disappointing as well (I’ll not step on any toes and bring up what those are, but you can feel free to course through my previous lists here and here and decide for yourself). Nonetheless, I still like to look ahead and speculate about what some of the best films of 2023 may be, because sometimes I do get excited about works that turn out to be great. That’s the payoff: waiting, waiting, and waiting on films that blow me away. Let’s see if we can make magic happen again. Here are ten of the films I’m most excited for in 2023 (I won’t bring up films I’ve already discussed that aren’t out yet in previous lists).
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
Even though we’re going through these ten films in alphabetical order, let’s start off with a film that we will shortly get acquainted with (during this year’s Sundance Film Festival): Raven Jackson’s All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt. Produced by Barry Jenkins and Adele Romanski, and under A24’s protective umbrella (as both production house and distributor), this film may be an independent hit destined for greatness (if all the right people and companies are in full support of this film).
Asteroid City
Okay, I may have been a bit let down by The French Dispatch, but that doesn’t mean that I’ll turn my nose up at any upcoming Wes Anderson release. Asteroid City seems a little more streamlined than Anderson’s previous effort (despite this upcoming feature also boasting a typically massive cast, ranging from Anderson veterans like Tilda Swinton and Adrian Brody to newcomers Margot Robbie, Maya Hawke, and Bryan Cranston, amongst many others). Maybe some focus will bring us back to what Anderson does best: making quirky, idiosyncratic films that connect with us via an instant connection to our heart.
Barbie
I think it goes without saying that Greta Gerwig’s Barbie will be far more intellectual than a straight-up Mattel-produced family film, given how thought provoking Lady Bird was (and how nicely, uniquely adapted her Little Women was, to the point of feeling absolutely necessary). I’m picturing a commentary on capitalism, superficial societies, and the need to break stipulations in order to lead toward a more inclusive civilization. I guess we will have to wait and see, no matter how many brightly-coloured pieces of promotional material are tossed our way.
Beau Is Afraid
Admittedly, I didn’t bring up Ari Aster’s latest feature, then known as Disappointment Blvd., on an earlier iteration of this list, because there frankly wasn’t much information that I felt tangible enough to work with. The film wasn’t released in 2022, but now it is slated for 2023 (and it’s even got a new title, apparently: Beau Is Afraid). It is apparently a three hour comedy drama horror with Joaquin Phoenix at the forefront (and, according to the first official poster and the numerous promotional shots, Phoenix may be hopping around in age). Who knows what the hell to expect, but that’s kind of the point with Ari Aster: let’s go in blindly and see where he wants to take us.
Dune: Part Two
The reason why I am so excited for Dune: Part Two is that, well, I want to have that closure that I didn’t quite get from the first part (which I still thought was great despite it clearly being the first half of a complete story). This isn’t really me not knowing what to expect and hoping for the best. Dune: Part Two is the follow up to a technically brilliant epic that spent hours building up towards this payoff, and it will soon be here (and with some new cast members, including Florence Pugh and Austin Butler). There isn’t much more to say: let’s finish this picture and see where Denis Villeneuve’s Dune (as a whole) lands amongst the best epics of the twenty first century.
Hot Milk
Rebecca Lenkiewicz has made quite a name for herself, having co-written Paweł Pawlikowski’s Ida and last year’s under-seen She Said. Her upcoming release, Hot Milk, is our turn to see how she fares as a director, which is already worth one’s interest. Then, there is her promising cast full of brilliant stars that left impressions on us in recent memory, including Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread) and Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter). This film is still in the pre-production stage, but consider me ecstatic to see how this will play out nonetheless.
How Do You Live?
We all know that Hayao Miyazaki is a workaholic, and some of us were skeptical that The Wind Rises would actually be his final feature (to be fair, it has already been a startling ten years since that animated film dropped). We know very little about this upcoming feature outside of a cryptic poster, its involvement with the 1937 novel of the same name, and the fact that, well, it’s a Miyazaki film released through Studio Ghibli (of course): what else do you need to know?
Killers of the Flower Moon
One reason why I really want to see Killers of the Flower Moon is because Martin Scorsese’s latest feature was originally slated for a 2022 release (how I missed it on last year’s list, I have no clue). It was held off to make a bigger splash in 2023 (perhaps so it could be ready for Cannes Film Festival consideration?). It’s a Scorsese film that finally features both of his biggest stars (Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio) and is based on David Grann’s western novel (of all the genres Scorsese has tackled, his take on the classic American western has somehow not happened until now). The final selling point? This is an Apple TV+ original, and the streaming giant has hit quite a few home runs lately in both film and television.
Oppenheimer
People joked that Christopher Nolan — perhaps the biggest naysayer of CGI — would actually detonate a real bomb while filming Oppenheimer: his biopic of J. Robert Oppenheimer (and his role in the creation of the atomic bomb). Well, the crazy bastard apparently did just that (once you discover the wonders of practical effects, you never go back, I suppose). Nolan has yet to win major Academy Awards (hell, he’s barely even been nominated), and the usual key to the awards season is to go with a familiar story. Then again, I don’t expect Nolan to make a conventional biopic with Oppenheimer, and that may be the best aspect to be excited about.
Showing Up
While this film has already made its festival rounds, Kelly Reichardt’s latest film, Showing Up, still hasn’t been released on a wide scale. She directs Michelle Williams again (previously they worked together in Meek’s Cutoff and Certain Women), and the star is joined by the highly underrated Hong Chau (may she please be nominated for The Whale this year). Showing Up seems a little more rooted in everyday life than Reichardt’s previous journeys and observations, as we follow a sculptor’s struggles with both her personal and artistic sides. The reception so far has been quite high from critics and so-so from the masses, but that’s almost always been the case with Reichardt’s filmography and this won’t deter me one bit, considering that I am quite a fan of her work.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.