Oh man, and I thought 2022’s summer was bad. At least that summer had Top Gun Maverick. 2023’s movie slate looks hella bleak if you’re a fan of superheroes of any kind: as far as I can tell, there’s only 1 movie you should be looking forward to this summer for your cinematic universal needs.
And even if you’re not a superhero fan, there’s really not a lot of bid budget spectacle that’s worth waiting for from what I can see. So for 2023’s summer, just sit back, relax, get some AC, and take a shot on some smaller, interesting swings from the smaller studios, who have some of the most interesting films coming out this summer.
The 2023 Summer Hate Watch Alert: these 4 films are either flirting with outright disaster, irritating pandering, or Ezra Miller:
The Super Mario Bros Movie – I loved the game; and Sonic already got Jim Carrey for their video game adaptation, sorry.
Haunted Mansion – At least Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise are out in nature. This looks like a lame Goosebumps ripoff in one house.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts – I like Anthony Ramos, so get those checks my guy. Forgive my hard indifference to your new franchise, which has nothing to do with you.
The Flash – I feel icky just thinking about this one.
Now that I got those out of my system, here are 5 interesting movies worth checking out over the next 5 months that aren’t quite as good as the Top 10, the Honorable Mentions:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – the better, more exciting video game adaptation because Seth Rogen’s producing.
But here are 10 really great movies coming out this summer, to take a break from (all but one) Marvel and DC superheroes and realize how awesome other stories can be.
| 10 | Asteroid City |
| Wes Anderson and a cavalcade of stars take his twee storytelling style to outerspace. I find Anderson is usually at his best one layer removed from reality (other than Tennenbaums), so here’s hoping the space setting makes the movie hit that Wes sweet spot that turns cuteness into movie magic. |
| 9 | Air |
| Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are back in the high life again, telling the origin story of Nike, and the Air Jordan shoe. The movie’s proximity to a sports film means we will get all the benefits of a sports movie combined with really fun characters like Affleck’s Phil Knight, and Chris Tucker’s Howard White in the gym shoe world that’s exponentially grown in popularity since Michael Jordan got involved. At worst it’s gonna be hella fun, and at best? We could be in for some prime entertainment. |
| 8 | Elemental |
| This latest Pixar should have you with its wonderful Pixar premise: Fire, Water, Land, and Air are living entities and live together. Throw in a plucky heroine, a cute animated love story, and you’ve got the makings of hopefully a film that hits the highs of one of the great storytelling studios today. |
| 7 | Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse |
| Into the Spider-Verse was a flash of animated brilliance when it came out, and has only grown in esteem since. It was only a matter of time for the sequel to arrive, filled with more multiverses, and what looks like a sweet loves story between Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy. Amidst all the superhero drivel, this bright star shines brightest. Can’t wait! |
| 6 | Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret |
| Growing up, reading all sorts of books in school, Judy Blume’s material always stood out, for how well observed, honest, and funny she made life feel for kids everywhere. It’s about time here most beloved novel got a big release, with Rachel McAdams parenting the ship. Everyone wants this movie to be awesome, and I hope so too, for all the tween girls out there who want to see themselves up on the big screen. |
| 5 | How to Blow Up a Pipeline |
| I saw this at a film festival last year, and can’t WAIT for audiences to see it in early April. The movie is a ticking clock thriller, where a random group of oppressed, poor people take it upon themselves to protest big oil by taking out an oil pipeline in Texas. Thrillers that have a point AND are constantly tense and cleverly constructed are always worth giving a shot. Especially this one, trust me. |
| 4 | Oppenheimer |
| A great pairing of story and artist. Christopher Nolan tackles the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who helped create the nuclear bomb. If you’re like me, and convinced Nolan persuaded the US government to detonate a nuclear bomb for this movie for your entertainment, you know this is going to potentially be a spectacle to remember. |
| 3 | Past Lives |
| I love Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy, which looks at love and life over the course of time. A24’s Past Lives is the first movie that game me those similar feelings, adapting Linklater’s Before Sunset into today. Plus, the reviews out of the festivals have been superb, meaning we could be in for a romance for the ages. |
| 2 | Suzume |
| Above the Pixar animated movie always will be a movie by Makoto Shinkai. The Japanese master animator always dazzles the big screen with incredible imagery and visuals that should bring tears to your eyes with their beauty. And if Suzume’s story equals his visuals like Shinkai’s Your Name did? We could be witnessing one of the great films of the year. |
| 1 | Barbie |
| That’s right, the Mattel toy. The minute I saw Greta Gerwig was directing this movie. You know, the director who made two of the greatest movies of the 21st century? The minute I saw that my heart was aflutter with excitement. And the more buzz and images from the sets show that Gerwig looks like she’s going to be 3 for 3 as a director, with this one, creating a big budget cultural critique of wonderful, epic proportions. |