Movies That Will Blow Everyone Away In 2023

The latest film from director Rebecca Miller ("Maggie's Plan") promises to be a star-packed romance unlike anything else we're going to see this fall. "She Came to Me" begins with the story of Steven (Peter Dinklage), a composer who's stuck on his latest opera and, seemingly, stuck in his marriage to his therapist wife, Patricia (Anne Hathaway). Everything changes when he unexpectedly meets Katrina (Marisa Tomei), a tugboat captain with a story to tell and an addiction to romance that insinuates her into Steven's life in unexpected ways.

As the trailer for the film lays out, this all has the makings of a chaotic, surprising, and very warm romantic comedy in which everyone has issues of their own. It all might end in ways we could never predict. Plus, it contains a new original song by none other than Bruce Springsteen. That's more than enough to get us excited.

"She Came to Me" hits theaters October 6.

Another adaptation of a celebrated book coming this fall, "The Marsh King's Daughter" brings together a talented cast under the guidance of "Limitless" director Neil Burger to tell a story of buried secrets, old scars, and new threats.

The film follows Helena (Daisy Ridley), a woman living a normal family life with her husband (Garrett Hedlund) and daughter. But Helena's life is full of secrets, some she hasn't even told her husband — namely, that she was born to a vicious criminal nicknamed "The Marsh King." She's always maintained that her father is dead, but when she learns that the Marsh King has escaped from prison, Helena must face her past, and her long-absent father, or risk losing everything she's tried to build outside its shadow.

Thanks to a trailer full of tense, dark, gothic moments, and the talents of stars like Ridley and Mendelsohn, we can't wait to see how this film turns out. "The Marsh King's Daughter" arrives October 6.

After reinvigorating the "Halloween" franchise with his 2018 legacy sequel, director David Gordon Green is turning his attention to the "Exorcist" franchise, setting the stage for a trilogy of films that will build on the original's story of a young girl possessed by a frightening evil.

In the first installment in the new series, "The Exorcist: Believer," screen legend Ellen Burstyn will return to play Chris MacNeil, the mother of Linda Blair's Regan MacNeil, who was possessed by the evil Pazuzu in the original movie. This time, Chris will be called upon to help two girls who vanished into the woods and have come back with a bit of a demon problem. Joining Burstyn in the film is "Hamilton" breakout Leslie Odom Jr., who will play the father of one of the newly possessed girls. The demonic victims will be portrayed by Lidya Jewett of "Nightbooks" and Olivia Marcum of "Matilda the Musical," and we can also expect to see Ann Dowd of "The Handmaid's Tale," country singer/actor Jennifer Nettles, Raphael Sbarge of "Once Upon a Time," two-time Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz, and artist Okwui Okpokwasili.

Possible spoiler alert: It also seems Linda Blair — who portrayed Regan in the original — will be involved in the film somehow. Above the Line reported that she was seen on set and has claimed she will reprise her iconic part. However, the site has also reported that according to production studio Blumhouse, Blair was there simply as an advisor. So it remains to be seen whether or not Blair will actually appear in the film.

Either way, David Gordon Green's definitely got plenty of experience revisiting horror classics at this point, so it'll be very interesting to see if he can do for possession movies what he did for slashers. The film is set to hit theaters on October 6, 2023.

Martin Scorsese's next film is a highly anticipated reteaming with two of his most frequent collaborators. The legendary director cast both "The Departed" star Leonardo DiCaprio and "Taxi Driver" star Robert De Niro in key roles for "Killers of the Flower Moon," his upcoming adaptation of the true-crime book of the same name by David Grann. Those talented people alone are reason enough to get excited about the film.

Based on a true story, the film is set in Osage County, Oklahoma, in the 1920s, and follows the complex investigations into a series of murders of Native Americans in the area, all connected to discovery of oil by the Osage Nation. The case was one of the first major investigations by the agency now known as the FBI, which gives it plenty of historical weight. That real-life power, the lead performances from DiCaprio and De Niro, and Scorsese's directorial skills are all enough to make it worth watching. Also prepare to see Lily Gladstone ("Certain Women") give the performance of her career as Mollie Kyle, the Osage wife of DiCaprio's Ernest Burkhart, a man suspected for his involvement in everything going down. Plus, Jesse Plemmons ("Breaking Bad," "The Power of the Dog") will play the lead FBI investigator on the case.

Though the film was originally expected to have a 2022 awards season run, it has since been pushed back to late 2023. The film will hit theaters on October 20, and after its theatrical run, "Killers of the Flower Moon" will make its way to Apple TV+. Expect this whopper of a film to run for 3 hours and 26 minutes.

Years after finding tremendous success with their comedy film "Sideways," director Alexander Payne and star Paul Giamatti have reunited for another project, and it looks like a must-see.

Set at a prestigious private academy in the 1970s, "The Holdovers" follows students and faculty who are forced to spend the winter break at the school rather than going home to their families. This year, the winter break supervisor is Paul Hunham, a near universally disliked teacher, and he's forced to look after Angus (Dominic Sessa), one of his most rebellious students. It's a mismatch for the ages, but Paul and Angus are about to find out that they have more in common than they might realize, thanks in part to Mary (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), one of the Academy's cafeteria workers.

The trailer for the film, released over the summer of 2023, promises plenty of throwback comedy hijinks, along with a surprising dose of heart, and it's great to see Giamatti able to throw himself into the quirks of a Payne project again. "The Holdovers" hits limited theaters on October 27, 2023, before expanding wide on November 10.

We may not be getting another season of "Mindhunter" any time soon, but David Fincher's partnership with Netflix is still strong, and in the fall of 2023, the iconic filmmaker will deliver his first feature since 2020's "Mank" on the streaming platform.

Based on the graphic novels of the same name, "The Killer" marks a reunion between Fincher and "Se7en" screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker, and it boasts a cast that includes Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton. As Netflix's official plot synopsis reads, "After a fateful near-miss, an assassin battles his employers, and himself, on an international manhunt he insists isn't personal." Fassbender stars as the title character, an assassin who does his best to remain in the shadows and find his targets, disguising himself as needed along the way. It feels like a great role for the often chameleonic Fassbender, and watching Fincher's take on a man who has to be methodical to avoid getting caught is bound to be fascinating.

"The Killer" arrives November 10 on Netflix, but first, it'll play in select theaters on October 27.

A few years ago, former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama formed their own production company to develop meaningful projects and shepherd them to the screen. In the fall of 2023, that effort will deliver one of its biggest works thus far with "Rustin," a biopic about one of the most fascinating and important figures in the American Civil Rights movement.

Colman Domingo stars in the film as Bayard Rustin, a gay Black man who worked behind the scenes to organize some of the biggest Civil Rights efforts of the 1960s, including the March on Washington with Martin Luther King Jr. Oscar-winner Dustin Lance Black ("Milk") co-wrote the film with Julian Breece ("When They See Us"), and the massive ensemble supporting cast includes Chris Rock, CCH Pounder, Audra McDonald, Jeffrey Wright, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and more. With this kind of talent pedigree, the film seems poised to be one of the year's awards season contenders.

Directed by George C. Wolfe ("Ma Rainey's Black Bottom") and featuring the original song "Road to Freedom" by Lenny Kravitz, "Rustin" starts a limited theatrical run on November 3, 2023 before streaming on Netflix, beginning November 17.

We knew from the moment that "Captain Marvel" hit theaters that Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) would be a major MCU player for some time. However, it turns out her sequel is an adventure too big for just one hero. Directed by Nia DaCosta (2021's "Candyman"), "The Marvels" will unite Carol Danvers with her best friend's daughter, Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), who picked up superpowers during the "WandaVision" series. Plus, they'll be joined with the newly minted Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), who launched her own series on Disney+.

As for the plot, we know these three heroes have gotten their powers entangled. Now, if one of them activates their abilities, all three switch places with one another. What starts off as a major annoyance (e.g. Monica suddenly appears on a barren moon, Carol winds up in Kamala's bedroom, and Kamala ends up floating through space in Monica's astronaut suit) might become a major asset when they're forced to fight Kree revolutionary Dar-Benn. During their cosmic journey, they'll be joined by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Kamala's adorable family (Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh), and Goose the Flerken.

Carol, Monica, and Kamala have a lot of shared comic book history, so we can't wait to see the sparks fly when these three team up. "The Marvels" arrives November 10, 2023.

Todd Haynes ("Carol," "I'm Not There") is one of those filmmakers we always have to watch, and he's poised to deliver another must-see with "May December." The film was already a hit at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the 2023 Palme d'Or. Now audiences will have the chance to see for themselves what got festivalgoers so excited.

The film stars Natalie Portman as an actress heading out to research a role for a film about two people whose love story became tabloid fodder decades earlier. Gracie (Julianne Moore) earned infamy for having an affair with a teenager (Charles Melton) whom she later married, and the pair have since tried to stay out of the spotlight. But with a new chance to tell their story comes the resurgence of the past, and questions that will challenge everything about the way they live now.

The Cannes response to the film, as well as Haynes' reputation and the dual power of Moore and Portman, is more than enough to make us ready for this film. "May December" arrives in theaters November 17, and it hits Netflix December 1.

In 2020, Emerald Fennell made her directorial debut with the thriller "Promising Young Woman," promptly becoming one of the must-watch filmmakers of her era and winning an Academy Award for best original screenplay in the process. It's been a few years, but in the fall of 2023, we'll finally get to see Fennell's follow-up.

Titled "Saltburn," many have compared the film to "The Talented Mr. Ripley," and looking at its plot synopsis, it's easy to see why. According to the official summary, "Saltburn" is a "wicked tale of privilege and desire. Struggling to find his place at Oxford University, student Oliver Quick finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton, who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family's sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten."

As for the cast, Barry Keoghan ("The Banshees of Inisherin") will portray Oliver, and Jacob Elordi ("Euphoria") will star as Felix. Alongside these two young actors, we'll see Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Carey Mulligan, Paul Rhys, and more. A thriller coming from the mind behind "Promising Young Woman" sounds incredibly exciting, and "Saltburn" will play in limited theaters on November 17 before going wide on November 22.

People have been talking about "Good Burger 2" since "Good Burger" hit movie theaters back in 1997. The film has only grown its fanbase in the intervening years, becoming a cult classic for the Nickelodeon generation and the centerpiece of a very specific kind of comedy nostalgia. Now, after years of teasing, stars Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell are finally back behind the counter.

A quarter century after their last "Good Burger" adventure, Dex (Thompson) and Ed (Mitchell) are set to reunite when one of Dex's inventions fails and puts his career as an innovator in jeopardy. Fortunately, Ed is still very much Ed, and he's still got his job at Good Burger. He can set up Dex with a job in his old stomping grounds, but Dex already has his eyes on something bigger — something that might just mess up the good thing Ed's had going for years.

If you're not familiar with "Good Burger" as a concept, you might not get how exciting this is. But if you're a longtime "Good Burger" fan, just seeing the first teaser for the sequel is enough to get you jumping for joy. The long-awaited follow-up finally lands on Paramount+ on November 22, 2023.

After earning major praise as a director and actor with "A Star is Born," Bradley Cooper will once again take the helm of a music-driven feature film project in 2023. "Maestro," which boasts a producing roster that includes Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, will allow Cooper to step into the life of legendary composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, examining both his personal and professional trials and triumphs.

Cooper will play the title role, physically transforming with the help of prosthetics to portray Bernstein, while also directing the film and co-writing alongside "Spotlight" writer Josh Singer. Carey Mulligan will star as Bernstein's wife Felicia Montealegre, who will factor heavily into the story as the film will focus on her complicated relationship with her husband. Additionally, you can expect to see Jeremy Strong, Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, and Sarah Silverman. It definitely has the makings of one of the year's biggest drama releases and probably a major awards contender, though it does not yet have an announced release date.

"Maestro" will play in limited theaters on November 22, 2023, before hitting Netflix on December 20.

Through films like "Take Shelter," "Mud," and "Midnight Special," Jeff Nichols has established himself as one of the most interesting directors of his generation. Now, he's chasing yet another compelling story with an all-star cast, and we can't wait to find out more.

Inspired by a photo-book by Danny Lyon, "The Bikeriders" tells a fictional story of a group of friends who start a small motorcycle club in the Midwest in the 1960s. What starts as a group of like-minded people who just enjoy riding bikes evolves into something else over the years, eventually giving rise to something darker and more violent.

Nichols both wrote and directed the film, and he assembled a cast of superstars to bring it to life. "The Bikeriders" is set to start Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook, Damon Herriman, Mike Faist, and Norman Reedus, among others. That list alone is enough to get us excited.

"The Bikeriders" is set to hit theaters December 1, 2023.

The Sundance Film Festival presents an impressive slate of acclaimed films each year. In 2023, several movies made an impact at the festival, but one of the biggest was undoubtedly "Magazine Dreams." Starring "Creed III" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" star Jonathan Majors, "Magazine Dreams" follows a young and ambitious bodybuilder as he charts a course to stardom, no matter what it takes. Along the way, he struggles to maintain his humanity as a world driven by aesthetics and fame threatens to consume him and his own determination begins to destroy his body.

Co-starring Haley Bennett, Taylour Paige, Mike O'Hearn, and more, "Magazine Dreams" premiered at Sundance in January 2023 and was met with critical acclaim, particularly for Majors' performance. "Magazine Dreams" hits theaters December 8, 2023 ... probably. In light of recent allegations against Majors, it will be interesting to see if this film holds on to that release date or if it's shuffled back into 2024.

Director Jonathan Glazer's first feature film in a decade, "The Zone of Interest" has already earned critical acclaim from film fans around the world, thanks to its Grand Prix-winning debut at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Near the end of 2023, just in time to catch eyeballs for awards consideration, the film will finally get a wide release.

Loosely based on Martin Amis' novel of the same name, "The Zone of Interest" is the story of the commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp (Christian Friedel) and his wife (Sandra Huller), who live next door to the infamous site of Nazi atrocities. The camp is, of course, a death factory home to some of the greatest crimes against humanity ever committed. But within their home, the commandant and his wife are just trying to have a nice life together and push back against the darkness of the commandant's job. What this means for both of them, and for the world at large, is the stuff of challenging storytelling.

"The Zone of Interest" was widely praised as one of the most powerful films of the year when it hit Cannes back in the spring. Soon, we'll all get to see why. The film hits theaters December 8.

A Willy Wonka prequel movie might seem far-fetched, but we're getting one by the end of 2023. Moreover, when you start to look closely at the talent involved, you might just realize it's something worth getting excited about. 

Simply titled "Wonka," the new film will tell the story of the legendary candy maker (Timothee Chalamet) — particularly, the time before he opened his legendary chocolate factory. What was Wonka doing while he built his reputation? What dangers did he face? How did he shape what would become a world-famous candy brand? These are the questions the musical film sets out to explore, with a beloved young star embodying the confectionery titan previously played by Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp.

Behind the camera as both director and co-writer is Paul King, who's best known as the mind behind the near-universally beloved "Paddington" and "Paddington 2," so you can expect plenty of whimsical fun onscreen. Plus, King has surrounded Chalamet with a massive and charming ensemble cast that includes Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson, Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key, Jim Carter, Matt Lucas, Natasha Rothwell, and many more talents. That's including Hugh Grant, who's actually playing an Oompa Loompa. "Wonka" arrives to sweeten the holidays on December 15, 2023.

For several years now, writer-director Zack Snyder has teased "Rebel Moon," his new genre epic that began life as his pitch for a new "Star Wars" film. Lucasfilm wasn't interested in picking up the idea, but with a few story tweaks, Snyder was able to keep the concept alive. Thanks to a major new partnership with Netflix, the filmmaker now hopes to build a whole space opera franchise on the streaming service.

The two-part film follows the residents of Veldt, a peaceful world of farmers who must rise up to defeat a tyrant who'd like them all to submit to his will. To achieve this, they turn to a mysterious woman (Sofia Boutella) who must venture out to neighboring worlds to find warriors willing to fight on Veldt's behalf. So, we're looking at "Seven Samurai" meets "Star Wars," with Snyder's visual style presiding over all of it. Moreover, in March 2023, we learned we'll get R-rated extended cuts for both halves of the two-part story when it lands on Netflix.

In addition to Sofia Boutella, the all-star cast for the film includes Charlie Hunnam, Ed Skrein, Ray Fisher, Djimon Hounsou, Jena Malone, Cleopatra Coleman, Corey Stoll, Cary Elwes, Michiel Huisman, Doona Bae, Rupert Friend, Stuart Martin, Alfonso Herrera, and Anthony Hopkins. Combined with the other ingredients that make this film, it sounds like a must-see adventure. The first installment, "Rebel Moon Part I: A Child of Fire" arrives December 22, 2023, with the follow-up film, "The Scargiver," arriving on April 19, 2024.

The story of "The Color Purple" begins in 1982, when Alice Walker released her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about one Black woman's struggle for love, acceptance, and hope in an unforgiving world near the turn of the 20th century. Three years later, Steven Spielberg created a major turning point in his filmmaker career when he adapted Walker's novel for the screen. Two decades later, the novel was adapted yet again, this time as an acclaimed stage musical reimagining the story for new generations.

Now, "The Color Purple" will enter yet another phase of its pop culture life, as the musical becomes a new feature film. Directed by performer and filmmaker Blitz Bazawule and produced by powerhouses like Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Quincy Jones, the film will once again follow the life and struggles of Celie Johnson (Phylicia Pearl Mpasi and Fantasia Barrino) while filling her story with celebrated songs.

Alongside Barrino for this musical epic is a star-packed cast that includes Colman Domingo, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Halle Bailey, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Louis Gossett Jr., and many more. "The Color Purple" hits theaters Christmas Day, 2023.

George Clooney doesn't get behind the camera to direct all that often, but when he does, it's usually something special. "The Boys in the Boat" feels like no exception in that regard. A sweeping true story with a major historical event at its center, it's the kind of film that feels poised to make a splash come awards season.

Based on Daniel James Brown's book of the same name, the film follows the University of Washington men's rowing team who ended up representing the United States at the summer Olympics in Munich in 1936, in the shadow of Adolf Hitler's rise to power. The crew came from a largely working-class background, rather than being elite youth who'd always seemed destined for greatness, and their rowing style set them apart from the rest of the athletes, all building to a legendary finish.

The ensemble cast of the film includes Callum Turner, Joel Edgerton, Jack Mulhern, Sam Strike, Peter Guinness, and more, and Clooney's involvement signals a certain degree of attention that should be paid to the film from the beginning. "The Boys in the Boat" hits theaters Christmas Day 2023, which primes it for an awards run if it turns out as good as it sounds.

Though he's definitely still a major presence on the big screen, Dwayne Johnson has seen and reached for plenty of potential in the streaming market in recent years, and he looks to continue that in 2023 with "Red One." It's directed by Johnson's "Jumanji" collaborator Jake Kasdan and written by his "Fast & Furious" comrade Chris Morgan from a story by Johnson producing partner Hiram Garcia. The film is being described as a reinvention of "holiday mythology" (via Deadline), giving us a new action-oriented twist on the Christmas movie, with lots of built-in potential for a franchise if the film turns out to be a major success. Beyond that, we really don't know much about the story just yet.

What we do know, though, is that "Red One" will be absolutely packed with star power. Johnson takes the leading role of Callum Drift, the "commander of the E.L.F.," which could be some sort of North Pole security force — although we're just guessing there. He'll be co-starring alongside Chris Evans, who's starring as someone named Jack O'Malley. They'll be joined by the likes of Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Nick Kroll, and Mary Elizabeth Ellis. Plus, J.K. Simmons and Bonnie Hunt have signed on to play holiday icons Santa and Mrs. Claus, so you know the North Pole is going to be a great spot to visit — other than the Krampus that Johnson will have to fight.

"Red One" arrives on Prime Video during the 2023 holiday season.