After a good amount of time, I arrived at thirty-five entries into my list. This is Part 1 of 3. The first two parts, 35-11 are in no particular order. The final entry however features my top ten most anticipated, number one being my most anticipated of them all. But we'll get there. By the time I have all three parts published, at least one of these movies will officially be in theaters (Den of Thieves 2). Anyway...
PART 1
(PART 2, PART 3)
While I have been in no way as critical as most over the last few years of Marvel, I can’t deny there’s been a drop in quality since the days of Iron Man and Thanos. One of the best entries of the entire Infinity Saga is Captain America: The Winter Soldier which features an espionage, rogue spy organization plot which somehow managed to ground the MCU but also escalate its implications within the universe. I’m hoping for a similar approach for Sam Wilson’s first feature outing as the new Cap. And Harrison Ford as Red Hulk?! It should be fun at the bare minimum.
34. Thunderbolts*
I didn’t mention it with Brave New World but I’ll state it here - with the exception of The Fantastic Four (comes up later on my list), my interest in future MCU entries is strictly out of curiosity until a time when they can re-earn our trust and confidence. Thunderbolts looks like a good time, and lord knows I love me some Florence Pugh, and as a Suicide Squad equivalent, I’m in, just cautiously so. Dazzle me, MARVEL! Please.
33. Black Bag
I know very little about the plot of this film beyond a vague description of rogue spies and betrayal. I’m always interested in a globe-trotting spy adventure but you add in Steven Soderbergh as director with Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender as his cast and you’ve grabbed my full attention. Color me curious.
32. Eddington
My favorite horror film is Ari Aster’s Hereditary. His follow-up, Midsommar, is an undeniable modern classic and while Beau is Afraid didn’t quite connect with me, it’s absolutely a prime example of unlimited final say and creativity and Aster has oodles of it. His latest, Eddington, features a stellar cast including Joaquin Phoenix, Austin Butler and Pedro Pascal among others. The premise of a once welcoming town turning sinister come nightfall set during the Pandemic is intriguing. In Ari Aster’s hands it sounds downright exhilarating.
Love him or hate him, when it comes to blockbusters, Dwayne Johnson is a box office force of nature. But the greatest critique of his career has been the lack of diversity in his characters. He plays virtually the same person in everything he does. It is my hope that with Benny Safdie’s latest, The Smashing Machine, it will finally put on full display Johnson's acting chops as he plays a real life figure in the world of MMA. At his side is Jungle Cruise alum, Emily Blunt. As a big fan of Uncut Gems and Good Time, my interest is piqued.
30. Warfare
Tell me Alex Garland is directing and that’s all I need to hear. He returns to A24 with another war thriller, Warfare. This time he’s joined by real life ex-Navy SEAL, Ray Mendoza, who is telling his true stories during his time in the Iraq War. I’m hoping for some jarring, harrowing, scary realism with a real intelligence only Garland can deliver. With a great cast, this is an exciting one.
29. Companion
I’ll be honest, I just discovered this one as I was searching for movies for this very list. After watching the trailer I am all the way in. It gives off a Fresh/The Menu vibe and as someone who quite enjoyed both of those, Companion is certainly on my radar now. It looks twisted and violent and absurdly horrific in a playful, dark comedy kind of way.
28. Presence
It’s none other than Steven Soderbergh again, this time in the unexpected genre of horror aka ghost stories. But as with anything Soderbergh, he has to put his own spin on it and I’m interested/excited to see just what that might look like.
27. The Battle of Baktan Cross (Unofficial title)
P.T. Anderson directed, Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio Del Toro starring. Leo plays an ex-hippie on the run from the law. Sean Penn as the FBI pursues him. That’s all you had to say.
26. Love Hurts
The resurgence of Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan is nothing short of storybook writing. It’s so fantastic to see it happen. This time it’s Quan’s turn in a John Wick-esque action comedy where he is of course the ultimate badass just trying to live his quiet new life, as far away from his old life as possible. Unfortunately for him, the past always comes back. Ke Huy Quan gets to kick ass for ninety minutes?! Hell yeah!
25. Frankenstein
One of the quintessential gothic horror tales finally being directed by one one of the quintessential gothic horror directors. It’s meant to be. Guillermo del Toro directing Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi and Christoph Waltz in a tale about Dr. Frankenstein’s most infamous creation. I expect a deliriously good time with heaps of stylistic glory that only del Toro can conjure.
24. F1
Receiving the Top Gun: Maverick treatment, Joseph Krasinski takes his lessons from Maverick and brings them into the world of Formula One racing starring Brad Pitt. Said to feature thrilling sequences captured by IMAX cameras in the cars with the actors capturing every moment for an experience I hope is just as thrilling as Maverick. Visually speaking, this should be a stunning showcase.
23. Tron: Ares
Having seen the secretive footage from D23 Brazil, the premise has my attention. Yes it stars Jared Leto, give the guy a break. Aside from project choices the last few years, I think he’s a real talent just looking for the right roles. Hopefully this is it. The world of Tron meets our world. Fight for the users!
22. Mickey 17
The long-awaited follow-up to Parasite, Bong Joon Ho finally returns with Mickey 17, starring Robert Pattinson. It looks kooky, funny and refreshingly unique. I can’t wait to see Pattinson really stretch as an actor playing multiple characters, sometimes all at once. Bong Joon Ho as director, it has nowhere to go but up.
21. Alto Knights
This found its way onto my most anticipated of last year but as with many projects in Hollywood, it was delayed. Now on track for a 2025 release, my interest in another crime drama remains. Barry Levinson directs. Robert DeNiro stars. Nicholas Pileggi of Goodfellas fame writes. Mob criminal activities abound. Sounds like a winner to me.
Part 2 Coming soon...