One movie role based on a popular video game simply isn’t enough for Jack Black. After voicing Bower in the billion-dollar-grossing The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and creating a year-long earworm with the “Peaches” track, Black has signed up to star in the upcoming Minecraft movie, joining star Jason Momoa.
Also in the Minecraft movie cast are Emma Myers, Sebastian Eugene Hansen, and The Color Purple‘s Danielle Brooks. The film will be directed by Jared Hess, who worked with Black previously on Nacho Libre. Black is said to be playing Steve, the most recognizable of the game’s default characters.
Shooting is set to begin soon in New Zealand, but Deadline notes that writing credits are still being figured out. For that reason, plot details remain unavailable. The film is a big-screen take on Microsoft’s record-breaking bestselling video game, which employs an open-world, sandbox structure. Minecraft has sold more copies than any game in history, surpassing Tetris, which also had its own movie released last year.
The Minecraft movie has been building for years. Previously, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s McElhenney was attached to direct, followed by Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist director Peter Sollett.
If you’re like me, you’ve long since lost track of the Game of Thrones spinoffs that are supposedly happening. Some have already been shelved, others are moving forward, and at this point I’m just waiting for them to show up on TV. Well, for those of you who are earnestly following news on this stuff, George R.R. Martin has just revealed that three new projects are underway, and they’re all animated.
Martin revealed the news on his blog while discussing his love for Netflix’s Blue Eye Samurai series. I hear that’s good. Anyway, Martin used that time to confirm that Game of Thrones is about to be animated, too.
“As it happens, HBO and I have our own animated projects, set in the world of [‘Game of Thrones’],” wrote Martin. “None of them have been greenlit yet, but I think we are getting close to taking the next step with a couple of them. When this last round of development started a few years back, we had four ideas for animated shows, with some great talents attached. Writers rooms and summits, outline and scripts followed in due course… but, alas, two of the original projects were subsequently shelved.”
He added, “Work on the other two animated projects continues apace, however…and meanwhile, we have moved, ‘Nine Voyages,’ our series about the legendary voyages of the Sea Snake, over from live action to animation. A move I support fully. Budgetary constraints would likely have made a live action version prohibitively expensive, what with half the show taking place at sea, and the necessity of creating a different port every week, from Driftmark to Lys to the Basilisk Isles to Volantis to Qarth to… well, on and on and on. There’s a whole world out there. And we have a lot better chance of showing it all with animation. So we now have three animated projects underway.”
We’ll see if HBO decides to move forward on all of them, or if something will fall short. To their credit, HBO hasn’t green lit everything Game of Thrones that has come their way, and they’ll likely play it safe here, too.
Martin seems to agree, answering his own question about all three projects moving forward with “No way to know. Nothing is certain in Hollywood.”
True indeed.
The second season of House of the Dragon arrives this summer.
The story of the 1972 crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 in the Andes Mountains has been told more than once on the big screen. The most notable of those is 1993’s Alive, which featured a mostly-white cast of rising star actors (including Ethan Hawke), and became known as that movie with all of the cannibalism. Leave it to us to reduce the harrowing tale of the crash survivors to something so basic. Fortunately, filmmaker J.A. Bayona teamed with journalist Pablo Vierci forSociety of the Snow, a more authentic take on this incredible tale of survival and strength of the human spirit.
Most of us know the details already, but to be honest, until you’ve seen Society of the Snow you don’t have any real idea of the extent of the suffering, the vast chasm of hopelessness the survivors had to cross. The flight carried 45 passengers, many of them members of the Old Christians rugby team, aged in their early 20s. All young men with their lives ahead of them. This was meant to be a simple flight to Chile, one last adventure before many of them would go on to have careers and to lead separate lives.
Then, the crash. It is unlike any plane crash you’ll ever see depicted in a motion picture. The violent savagery of the G-forces and the cold and the wind so sharp it cuts like a razor, the amount of damage it does to a human body is all captured with ugly detail by Bayona. The Spanish filmmaker has a knack for depicting the sheer terror of nature’s fury. Even after all of the movies he’s done, his best film to date remains survival thriller The Impossible, which will leave you slack-jawed in its depiction of a tsunami hitting land. At the screening I attended the gasps echoed throughout the theater as these young ruby players, their friends and family, were tossed about and torn to shreds. When it was over I realized I was holding my breath the entire time.
What Bayona understands better than most is the silence after such a traumatic event. Along with cinematographer Pedro Luque, Bayona reveals the quiet beauty and perilous nature of the snow-covered Andes. Wide shots establish eternal sheets of white, glistening under the sunlight jewel-like that under other circumstances they’d be astonishingly beautiful. But as the survivors, 29 after the initial crash, take stock of their surroundings there’s no beauty in it, only carnage and despair.
The tricky part is not letting the film fall so far into tragedy that it can never dig its way out. This being an ensemble affair, we are introduced to the passengers in brief snippets of their lives back home. More importantly, is who they become after the crash. Some are natural-born leaders, like Numa (Enzo Vogrincic), who more than any other could be considered a lead character. The team aspect of their previous lives comes into play in the building of their makeshift shelter, and they become something closer than family. Still, as conditions worsen, and they definitely do, we see their faith tested in unimaginable ways. And yes, there comes a point when the lack of food leads the survivors to eat whatever flesh is available, but Bayona does not make a crass meal of this terrible thing they must do.
While a bit hefty at 2 hours and 20+ minutes, Society of the Snow rarely feels stuck in place. That’s quite a feat for a film that is largely set in the same patch of icy land. Michael Giacchino’s incredible score is a definite plus, in particular, has a knack for knowing when music is necessary and when it isn’t. Sometimes he hits you with a silence so deafening it’ll buckle your knees, only to hit you in the face with an emotional beat as the survivors overcome one unfathomable hardship after the next. It can be exhausting the hardship these people endure, and many times you’ll think this is one thing too many. But the human will to survive is resilient, made stronger by the bonds forged with others, and out of respect to those who are lost. And in those moments of triumph, Society of the Snow is tremendous for what it reaffirms about all of us.
Society of the Snow hits Netflix on January 4th 2024.
NOTE: This review was originally part of our Middleburg Film Festival coverage.
The relationship between Kevin Hart and Netflix has been a fruitful one, with the comedian leading his share of comedy specials, as well as the filmsMe Time and The Man from Toronto. This partnership continues in 2024 with the heist flick, Lift, which sees Hart and his crew attempting to pull off a crime at 40,000 feet.
The premise is super simple: Hart leads a team of thieves as they attempt to steal $500M in gold from a passenger plane at 40,000 feet. This is a crime comedy but it doesn’t look nearly as silly as Hart’s usual capers alongside other stars, such as Dwayne Johnson.
Hart is joined in the cast by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D’Onofrio, Úrsula Corberó, Billy Magnussen, Jacob Batalon, Jean Reno, Burn Gorman, Kim Yoon-ji, and Sam Worthington. So a lot of star power, and it extends behind the camera where Matt Reeves (The Batman) and Simon Kinberg (the X-Men films) are producers.
Behind the camera is F. Gary Gray, known for The Italian Job, The Fate of the Furious, Straight Outta Compton, and Friday. His skills are varied, but he knows his way around both comedy and action so he seems like a perfect fit.
Another year is almost done, another year of peak, prestige, and awesome TV in 2023. With endless streaming options (in addition to network, basic cable, and premium cable), it’s been another year where we were glued to our TVs consuming endless content. Many cultural events happened from television this year, and it will probably only be bigger next year!
As 2023 comes to a close and everyone is making their “best of lists” it’s a little difficult to nail down a definitive list for the simple fact that there was just way too much TV to consume. That’s why I’d opt to make my list of NEW shows that premiered in 2023. So sorry, no Succession, Barry, The Bear, or anything else that didn’t premiere this year. But trust me, there are more than 80 new shows to choose from, so nailing down even a top 15 list proves to be challenging, but here’s a list of the best new TV shows to premiere in 2023.
2023 TV
1 of 16
Honorable Mention: I’m A Virgo
How does Amazon (the most capitalist company in the world) partner with anti-capitalist Boots Riley to give an obscure sci-fi/superhero/anti-capitalist miniseries about a world where a giant named Cootie lives in Oakland? ‘I’m a Virgo’ is absurdist as hell, but knows what it wants to tell. Some great performances by Jharrel Jerome, Olivia Washington, and Walton Goggins make this absurd premise believable. I’m A Virgo dips its toes into the world of the fantastical with giants, speedsters, Iron Man-like superhero/villain, while at the same time, it’s also being hyper-political against the capitalist political system. Boots Riley finds a way to be informative, political, non-offensive, and entertaining at the same time.
15. Castlevania: Nocturne
When Netflix first did ‘Castlevania’ back in 2017, all of us old-school Nintendo heads rejoiced at the idea of an adult animated show surrounding the lore of the video games and it hit it out of the part. When a spin-off was announced focusing on Trevor Belmont’s descendant Richter Belmont, fans were eagerly excited. ‘Castlevania: Nocturne’ had vampires during the French Revolution and tackled the idea of vampires preparing for the “Vampire Messiah,” and only Richter and his new friends would be able to stop it. The show explored the slavery connection between France and Haiti which made right-wingers get imaginarily pissed about “woke,” so I loved it.
14. Hijack
Idris Elba getting his Jack Bauer on? Sign me up! ‘Hijack’ brought back the “real-time” terrorism format to TV as a passenger on board a plane that’s been taken over by terrorists. Instead of being a one-man wrecking crew, Elba’s character Sam is a high-stakes business negotiator on board the flight and is forced to use his brain as well as his brawn to outsmart and beat up the terrorists during the show’s 7-hour flight told over 7 episodes. Great performances by Elba as well as the supporting cast to make the premise believable.
13. The Walking Dead Spinoffs (Dead City & Darryl Dixon)
‘The Walking Dead’ may have ended in 2022, but The Walking Dead Universe continues. We already had ‘Fear The Walking Dead,’ ‘The Walking Dead: World Beyond,’ and ‘Tales of the Walking Dead.’ This year we got to add two more spin-offs to The Walking Dead Universe: ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ which focuses on Negan and Maggie (who royally hate each other) have to team up to save Maggie’s son in a desolate New York City, and ‘The Walking Dead: Darryl Dixon’ who somehow ends up in France after going to look for Rick (who’s been missing since Season 9). Both shows feature fan-favorite characters, and both shows expanded the lore of the series in interesting ways. I look forward to the second season of both shows.
12. Poker Face
Rian Johnson is now our modern-day Hitchcock. In addition to his ‘Knives Out’ films, he’s dipping his toes into murder mysteries on the small screen. ‘Poker Face’ follows Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale a casino worker in Las Vegas who has to go on the run after seeing something she shouldn’t have. Charlie has a special gift, she can “just” tell if someone is lying. While she’s on the lam, she goes from town to town and happens upon murders and other crimes that she helps solve under the radar. While the show follows the serialized format technically, it operates more like a “Case of the Week” show as each episode introduces a host of new characters for her to interact with plenty of guest stars to pop in (including Adrian Brody, Ron Pearlman, Hong Chau, Lil Rel Howery, Chloë Sevigny, Tim Blake Nelson, and S. Epatha Merkerson to name a few).
11. Jury Duty
I’m not the biggest fan of Reality TV, but ‘Jury Duty’ is absolutely the exception. Amazon’s sleeper hit focuses on Ronald Gladden who signed up for a Reality Show about being a juror for a trial. The only problem: it’s not a real trial. In fact, the entire thing is fake: he’s the only one who doesn’t know that! All the other jurors, the lawyers, the judge, the bailiffs, everyone involved are all actors! Everyone involved goes out of their way to make the situation crazier and crazier. James Marsden plays a version of himself that’s absolutely hilarious and will probably get an Emmy for his performance. I haven’t laughed that hard in quite some time. The ending when it’s revealed that it’s a hoax is funny and heartwarming at the same time as it truly displays that Ronald is a genuinely good person who wants to do the right thing.
10. Scavengers Reign
Good God ‘Scavengers Reign’ was visual poetry. The animated show follows a group of separated survivors who have crash-landed on a hostile alien planet and are trying their best to survive on a planet where everything seems to want to kill you: plant, animal, doesn’t matter. The world-building in ‘Scavengers Reign’ is beautiful and terrifying at the same time. In fact, the cutest alien on the planet is the most dangerous and terrifying one there. Each frame of the show showcases peak animation as even though the aliens and plants displayed on the show are terrifying, they are beautiful in every frame.
9. Found
NBC’s ‘Found’ has an interesting premise as it sheds light on different people who go missing that don’t make the headlines. Recovery Specialist Gabi Mosley and her team of crisis managers spend their days helping advocate and help those missing who usually slip through the cracks (indigenous, homeless, old, black, interracial, etc) of the police’s attention. Gabbi herself was someone who was kidnapped and forgotten, and each member of her team is also traumatized by kidnappings and dedicates their lives to making sure that doesn’t happen to anyone else. The real hook of the show is that Gabbi has secretly kidnapped her kidnapper, has him chained up in her basement, and is forcing him to help her on her cases almost like her mini-Hannibal Lecter. Shanola Hampton, Kelli Williams (her coworker whose son has been missing for 15 years), and Mark-Paul Gosselaar (as her locked-up kidnapper) deliver great performances as well.
8. Silo
Apple TV’s newest sci-fi show (and they have a lot of them) ‘Silo’ is a dystopian story of humans living in underground silos under authoritarian rule. Based on the book of the same name, ‘Silo centers on engineer Juliette who becomes the community’s sheriff after the previous one decided to leave for the surface (which everyone has been told is a toxic environment) after uncovering a conspiracy that the surface might not be as dangerous as they believe and everyone is being kept in the silo through fear and control. Juliette then follows the conspiracy to learn about the history of the silo and try to understand why everyone’s being kept in them and in the dark about what’s going on the surface. Some questions get answered, which leads to more questions and one hell of a cliffhanger as we wait for Season 2.
7. Swarm
What if the Beyhive had a member so devoted to Beyonce that she committed murder in her name? That’s what Amazon’s ‘Swarm’ wants to explore. Dominque Fishback is Dre, a fan of “Ni’Jiah” (the popstar that’s supposed to be Beyonce basically), but Dre is a little… unbalanced to say the least. She tracks down and murders people who tweet mean things about her favorite star. Each episode is her on the run from the authorities while still stanning her favorite artist. God help you if you say something bad about her in the middle of a conversation, you just might just take a hammer to the head! The penultimate episode deviates away from the style and does a “True Crime” documentary about all the events of the show in a very creative fashion. It’s no surprise Donald Glover is attached to ‘Swarm.’
6. Ahsoka
Another of Dave Felloni’s “Mandoverse” spin-offs centers on ‘Clone Wars’ and ‘Rebels’ fan favorites Ahsoka. ‘Ahsoka’ features our favorite non-Jedi Jedi as she is in search of Grand Admiral Thrawn to prevent him from rebuilding The Empire. If you are a fan of ‘Rebels’ you will LOVE this show as it’s basically a live-action sequel to the beloved cartoon. Rosario Dawson was born to play this role and kills it, but a welcome addition to the Star Wars universe was the late Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll as a former Jedi working for the bad guys. The show is full of ‘Clone Wars,’ ‘The Mandalorian,’ and ‘Rebels’ Easter Eggs, but the greatest thing they did was bring back Hayden Christenson as Anakin Skywalker as he absolutely nailed returning back as the character after such a long time away from the role. We might have hated his performance of the character in the prequels, but that wasn’t his fault (hint hint: it was Lucas’ directing) and he absolutely kills it as Anakin. Now I want a live-action Clone Wars show!
5. The Last of Us
Based on one of the greatest video games of all time, ‘The Last of Us’ breaks the “video game curse” as the show is exceptional. Set 20 years after the outbreak of a fungal virus that turns people into “clickers” (basically zombies, but not zombies), ‘The Last of Us’ centers on Joel who after losing his daughter when the outbreak begun has to transport Ellie across state lines to “The Fireflies” (a group of people rebelling against Federal Disaster Response Agency (FEDRA) and their authoritarian rule) as Ellie is the only person on the planet to survive a bite and not get infected and she may be the cure. Everything awesome about the video game is recreated flawlessly on the show and the third episode surrounding Bill and Frank from the video game may be one of the best episodes of television ever made. ‘The Last of Us’ is storytelling at its best!
4. Gen V
'The Boys' kind of came out of nowhere and floored us with a world where superheroes were giant pricks out for a paycheck who did drugs, killed people, and were protected by corporate interests. When it was announced that they were going to do a spin-off and have it center on a superhero college, some thought Amazon was about to get into CW territory. But ‘Gen V’ does everything ‘The Boys’ does right, and even pushes the envelope further. In fact, ‘Gen V’ might be one of those cases where the spin-off is better than the original. Centering on a group of young superheroes who discover something’s not quite right at their college, and they start to uncover the mysteries at their college and the college's corporate benefactors. The cast led by Jaz Sinclair as Marie is outstanding as they navigate college life (drugs, partying, and sex) while also trying to do the right thing as superheroes, but the good type of superheroes. Everything from gender identity (one character is a “gender-shifter” and can change from female to male with ease) to the MAGA movement is explored on the show. Because ‘Gen V' is so connected to ‘The Boys,” expect to see some of these characters in the parent show as well.
3. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
Godzilla is having a hell of a year. We got the trailer for the new ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ movie, ‘Godzilla Minus One,’ and now ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.’ Apple TV’s show focuses on the sinister organization that tracks Godzilla and other titans as well as a group of young people caught up in it as well. Unlike the Godzilla movies, you actually care about the humans on this show, because the serialized format of TV allows you to get to know them on their globe-trotting journey. ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ also gives you your weekly dose of monsters as well. Speaking of the monsters, Apple is not penny-pinching as the CGI is just as good as the theatrical films. We’ve seen the big guy a few times throughout the series, as well as get to meet new monsters on the show as well. As a Godzilla nut, this show delivers on everything you want from the show and more.
2. One Piece
I have been told by all my anime friends “You gotta watch ‘One Piece’” and have not gotten around to watching a show with more than 1000 episodes, but I decided to take a stab at Netflix’s live-action adaptation of the beloved anime. Man!!! This show hooked me in from the first episode! Ninja pirates with superpowers?!? Sign me up! ‘One Piece’ is just a chef’s kiss of fun, great characters, an awesome world, awesome fight choreography, and just one hell of a ride. Sure, the world is fantastical and at times ridiculous (snail phones and stretchy Mr. Fantastic powers), but man if each episode doesn’t deliver and give you the same excitement of wonder and adventure that ‘The Pirates of the Caribbean’ films did. I started to watch the anime and I want to join the Straw Hat Pirates!!!
1. Blue Eye Samurai
At first, I thought ‘Blue Eye Samurai’ was going to be an animated copycat of Tom Cruise’s ‘The Last Samurai,’ but boy was I wrong! Blue Eye Samurai focuses on Mizu a half-white half-Japanese female samurai who is on a quest of vengeance four white men (one of whom is her father) who remained in Japan after the country closed their borders to outsiders in the 17th century. Shunned by everyone in the country for having blue eyes and being a “demon,” Mizu is on a rampage to bring them to justice, and God help anyone in her way. The show is beautiful, the animation is wonderous, the fight scenes are bloody, and there’s a fair amount of sex (don’t watch with your kids as it’s DEFINETLY TV-MA) in each of the hour-long animated episodes (a rarity for amines which usually are 30 minutes). ‘Blue Eye Samurai’ is one of the best shows Netflix has come out with in quite some time and is flawless in its execution.
It was a huge December for Warner Bros., closing out the year with three huge hits. The biggest of the bunch at this point is Wonka, which after three weeks has $134M domestic, $142M if you include the four-day weekend, and $387M worldwide.
2. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom– $19.5M/$77.8M
The final DCEU movie ever, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, is going out with a whimper. That said, this is the strongest performer of the year for them, with $84M domestic after two weeks and $258M worldwide. Consider that The Flash, an epic flop, ended its entire run with just $270M globally, while Shazam: Fury of the Gods had half as much with just $133M, and lower-budgeted Blue Beetle ended its run with $129M.
3. Migration– $17.2M/$54.3M
Despite opening with the lowest weekend ever for Illumination, Migration is actually performing pretty decently. I mean, nobody expected it to be Minions , Super Mario, or Despicable Me, right? The mallard family adventure has $59M after two weeks, and has cracked the $100M mark worldwide.
Opening on Christmas Day, the eight-day total for Blitz Bazawule’s musical The Color Purple is $50M. Reviews have been strong for the adaptation of the Broadway show, led by Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Taraji P. Henson, and more. Crowds have been packed at every showing I’ve been to (I’ve seen it multiple times at this point), and considering it’s already performing ahead of The Greatest Showman, this film could have staying power into the new year.
George Clooney’s uplifting sports drama The Boys in the Boat opened on Christmas Day, and after a week it’s already doing better than the entire run of Suburbicon, which was his last theatrical wide release. The rowing film led by Callum Turner has $24.6M after eight days.
7. The Iron Claw– $5M/$16.3M
Well, it doesn’t look as if Sean Durkin’s excellent, and well-reviewed, The Iron Claw will top The Wrestler‘s $44M to become the highest-grossing wrestling movie ever. That said, it’s still doing well after two weeks with $16.3M, or $18.2M if you include the Monday holiday.
Michael Mann movies don’t really command big box office anymore, and his passion project Ferrari is no different. The Adam Driver-led film about Enzo Ferrari has just over $12M domestic and $14.6M worldwide. At least this one is performing better than Mann’s underrated 2015 film Blackhat which only made $19M for the entirety of its run.
9. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes– $2.9M/$159.8M
2023 was somewhat of an uneven year for movies in general. While the Box Office did bounce back from the endless cycle of “should we even be at the movies” during Covid, it did have its share of disappointments/letdowns, especially for pop culture flicks. In fact, this is the first year that everyone started whispering, “Is the superhero movie finally dying off?” Well, no (it’s not going anywhere anytime soon) as you’ll see on my list!
However, 2023 did deliver on all sorts of fun, engaging, films that entertained us. Now, I didn’t get the chance to go in person as much as I wanted to, which led me to discover all sorts of interesting films that premiered on the big and small screen this year that otherwise would be overlooked. After watching countless films this year, here’s my top 20:
In an age of endless superhero movies and reboots plenty of people online have said “Why can’t Hollywood make something original?” Well, Gareth Edwards of 'Monsters,' 'Godzilla,' and 'Rogue One' fame put out an original and timely story about AI, prejudice, and war in 'The Creator.' John David Washington is an undercover soldier encamped with AI sympathizers as the Western Nations want to eradicate them after a devastating attack. Soon enough he’s in charge of safeguarding “Alpha O” who he was told was a weapon, but is instead is the AI version of Jesus. 'The Creator' has incredible world-building and everyone involved took a big swing at telling an original and interesting story. Too bad no one went to the theaters to see this!
19. Blue Beetle
Told you superhero movies would make this list! Blue Beetle is a rather obscure DC superhero that even I needed to do a customary Google search on (for the new version, not the old one), but overall 'Blue Beetle' was a genuine surprise this year. Despite being “DC’s Venom and Iron Man” rolled into one film with all the superhero tropes (complete with a boring villain), 'Blue Beetle' told a tight and personal story about a Latino family and their community as they deal with gentrification as well as the fact that their son Jamie inherited an alien AI scarab that gifts him with superpowers. The family dynamic with Jamie and his family elevates the film beyond being a “regular superhero movie.”
18: The Super Mario Bros. Movie
When it was announced that Chris Pratt and Charlie Day were headlining a Super Mario Bros movie, plenty of people were holding their breaths to see if this would be any good. Suffice to say, this was a fun ride. Littered with hundreds of Easter Eggs for the hard-core Nintendo fans, and a fun story for the casual moviegoer, The Super Mario Bros movie was a great movie full of fun, action, and humor. It’s no surprise it’s one of the top grossing films of the year, second to only another movie on this list. PS: Jack Black is the GOAT for singing “Peaches” and I REALLY hope he sings it at this year’s Oscars.
17. Fast Charlie
'Fast Charlie' was a movie that probably no one saw as it was primarily direct-to-video in which Pierce Brosnan plays a “fixer” (really a hitman) who after his whole crew is betrayed and murdered he goes on a revenge tour with the ex-wife of a guy he just killed to take out the bad guy who did this to him. Fast Charlie should suck as it’s a cheesy concept, but the directing, fun kills, and Pierce Brosnan and Morena Baccarin's chemistry and charm elevate the movie beyond what it should be.
16: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
If you asked me what would probably make my “worst” list of 2023 after seeing the initial trailer, I would have told you Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves would be on that list. There’s never been a good Dungeons & Dragons movie (unless you count Stranger Things as a D&D adaptation: which it is!), so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this fun flick. This movie has comedy, fantasy, heists, and everything in between. It’s almost a checkbox for things my inner 14-year-old self loves. Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and the rest of the cast are a big bucket of fun as a ragtag group who go on a heist and end up becoming a found family who take on a warlord to save the day. This movie shouldn’t have been as good as it was!
15. Barbie
Another movie I did not expect to really, really, REALLY like! Barbie has pretty much been a part of the conversation this year, that and Oppenheimer, as with both being released on the same day drew everyone into a frenzy and became a part of the public lexicon. But that said, Barbie is actually a well-made film that explores our notions of gender, patriarchy (to the point the movie broke up couples), womanhood, and of course, a famous doll from the last 64 years. Both Ryan Gossling and Margot Robbie shine and will rightfully get nominations this awards season. PS: “I’m just Ken” is another song that needs to be sung at this year’s Oscars!
14. Huesera: The Bone Woman
Other obscure movie no one probably saw, but Huesera: The Bone Woman is a fascinating exploration of the anxiety of motherhood as well as examining post-partum depressions through the lens of body horror. The film follows Valeria and her husband Raul as she navigates her first pregnancy. However, Valeria starts to lose her mind through the pressures of pregnancy and child rearing and starts to see images of her as “La Huesera” of Mexican folklore (who collects bones) and the audience is treated to some disturbing visuals of body contortions and gore and she starts to unravel. Huesera: The Bone Woman is technically a “horror” movie due to the images, but it operates more like a psychological thriller as there’s no “real” monster, just images in Valeria’s mind. Fantastic performances across the board as well as stunning visuals makes this movie a must see!
13. Return to Seoul
'Return to Seoul' is a great character study. Cambodia’s Oscar submission follows Frédérique “Freddie” Benoît, a French adoptee originally from South Korea who has no connection to her history or culture (because she’s never been to South Korea). After tracking down the adoption agency, she embarks on a quest to search for her birth parents and in doing so, she ends up finding herself. 'Return to Seoul' showcases that many families had to willingly give up their children for adoption in order for them to have a better live away from them, but also displays the city of Seoul, South Korea almost as its own character. Going on this journey with Freddie as she learns about he birth family (warts and all), but also grows as a person as she finally have meaning and purpose in her life. Actress Ji-Min Park shines in her debut acting role as well.
12. Love Gets A Room
I’m a musical/theater nerd, so at least one musical was gonna make this list. 'Love Gets A Room' showcases a musical production being put on by Jews holed up in a Warsaw Ghetto under the watchful eyes of the Nazis. The entire movie runs during the entire 103-minute runtime of the play the actors/actresses are putting on to help give those under Nazi occupation just an hour or so relief from the terribleness of their daily lives. The main characters navigate their love lives, the occupation, and their dreams of escape as they are putting on a production play. If you like the ins and outs of how a live-action play proceeds, you get a front row seat to how the ins and outs of putting on a play would be in real time. The actors not only put in great performances for the play, but for the movie as well.
11. They Cloned Tyrone
A modern day blaxploitation film done to perfection, 'They Cloned Tyrone' is a masterclass in putting on an entertaining social commentary. The film follows drug dealer Fontaine, Slick Charles, and Yo-Yo as they discover a conspiracy of the government cloning black people in the hood to maintain the status quo of neglect for their communities. Everything from fried chicken,to haircare products, to malt liquor are all a government run conspiracy to keep black people in their place. John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and Jamie Foxx absolutely kill it leading the film and delivery great performances. While a Netflix film, this should have gotten a theatrical release and this would have done great numbers with black audiences given the subject matter.
10. John Wick: Chapter 4
The John Wick series is a masterclass in action filmmaking. The plot is literally from the 80s or 90s and shouldn’t work today, but each subsequent film slaps! This time our titular character John Wick is taking on the High Table and the action ramps up even more than the previous films (which all already had outstanding action setpieces) as John Wick tears Paris with some of the most brilliant action choreography a new one as he has to face off against “The Marquis” and his minions of assassins. While the ending states that it’s the “final” John Wick movie, I wouldn’t mind seeing yet another movie as Keanu Reeves is just great in this role!
9. No One Will Save You
Another streaming movie that would have made gangbusters in theaters. 'No One Will Save You' takes the “silence” that worked so well in 'A Quiet Place' and applies it to a home invasion movie… only the invaders are aliens. The film follows Brynn, who is reclusive in her own home after the death of her best friend. Because of how her neighbors shun her, it’s clear it’s Brynn’s fault. While she’s trying to navigate the pain of grief, there’s an alien invasion going on. Because 'No One Will Save You' has almost no dialogue through the entire movie (there’s maybe 2 lines in the whole movie), the atmosphere is tense as well the entire 93 minutes of the film. Actress Kaitlyn Dever carries the entire film as she has to defend her home from the aliens that are taking over the town and the entire film’s a pleasant surprise.
8. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Despite it being a “bad” year for Marvel, you can’t deny that 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3' was a great film. Closing out James Gunn’ trilogy before he went off to be the Co-CEO of DC Studios, 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3' gives a great conclusion for the ragtag found family of heroes. This time instead of saving a planet from a warlord, or defeating a planet to save the galaxy, they must save one of their own as Rocket almost dies from an injury. Each character has a great moment as well as a perfect sendoff. This movie will make you almost cry over a talking raccoon as well as has the best Marvel hallway fight since the Daredevil Netflix show. Marvel even has a compelling villain as the High Evolutionary is terrifying. There’s an argument to be made that this film cements the Guardians trilogy as Marvel’s best trilogy because of the conclusion of this film!
7. The Smell of Money
You know there’s gotta be a documentary on this list as well. 'The Smell of Money' is a great exploration of the Hog industry and how they have consistently screwed over the black residents of east North Carolina through their factory farms. Instead of just giving us a run by the number documentary about the industry, 'The Smell of Money' focuses on the actual people impacted by the environmental racism, especially activist Elsie Herring who dedicated her life to combatting the hog industry. The documentary is just as informative as it is emotional as not all the interview subjects make it out alive due to the diseases the farming industry has unloaded on the community.
6. Little Richard: I Am Everything
Little Richard is the innovator, the originator, the emancipator, and the architect of rock ‘n’ roll! 'Little Richard: I Am Everything' takes its time to give the audience a history lesson about just who Little Richard was. He helped define a genre, and yet never won accolades for them. He was gay, but deeply religious. The documentary explores not only the history of Little Richard as an artist, but also as a human being showcasing his struggles as well as his accomplishments both in song and in life. We even get to learn the explicit origins of his most famous song “Tutti Frutti!”
5. Mending The Line
'Mending The Line' focuses on an Afghanistan War vet John Coltier as he was dealing with PTSD after coming back to civilian life. While the film initially starts with a bang showcasing the hell of war, the rest of the film is quiet as it instead focuses on the healing of trauma in the form of fly fishing. Teaming up with grumpy Vietnam vet Ike, John learns the patience of fly fishing as a way to past the time instead of focusing on the trauma, instead the stillness of the wilderness can help him achieve some inner peace. Ike also doesn’t want anyone to fish with, but the two build a friendship as a result. The film is predictable, but the performances of Sinqua Walls and Brian Cox elevate the film to be much better than it should be. You feel the pain and sadness the two are harboring, and relief as they go through their journeys to become better people.
4. When Evil Lurks
A world without God, demons possessing everyone, dogs mauling children… sign me up! The Argentinian 'When Evil Lurks' horror film produced some of this year’s most unsetting scenes this year. In a world where demonic possession is just a thing that can happen, we follow two brothers trying to outrun an infestation of demonic possession of “rottens” in their rural community. The film in incredibly disturbing as it sits with you long after the film has ended. If you wanted a possession movie filmed with plenty of gore and unsettling images, don’t see 'The Exorcist: Believer,' instead go see 'When Evil Lurks!'
3. Brother
Clement Virgo’s directorial debut about being young and black in Canda is an exceptional film. The film focuses on brothers Francis and Michael as they navigate high school during the 90s living in a housing project in Scarborough, just outside of Ontario. The film shows that the hood is the hood no matter what country you live in. They have to steer clear of local gangs, as well as the police that assume every black man is in a gang as well. Michael, the bookworm has to lean on his brother for help from bullies and gangsters, while his brother Francis has to also navigate his sexuality that he’s discovering, and Francis has to remain “hard” despite his attraction to members of the same sex and the stigma that comes along with it. Because Brothers takes place in the 90s, hip hop is also a big influence in the film, not just for the audience, but the characters as well. Great writing, great directing, great acting, and great music: 'Brother' is a complete package!
2. Godzilla Minus One
I’m the biggest Godzilla nut there is. Godzilla and the X-Men cartoon were my go-to Saturday morning activities as a child. I even make excuses for the Legendary Godzilla movies! So when I heard Toho was making another Godzilla movie, I would at least owe it to myself to see how Japan was still doing Godzilla and hope it could compete with the big-budget American ones. Good God 'Godzilla Minus One' was a friggin masterpiece!! This is the first Godzilla movie I’ve seen where you actually care about the human characters. Usually you want to just skip to the big monster, but the human story was just as captivating as watching Godzilla trash the city. Speaking of Godzilla: he’s scary as shit! No longer the nice monster helping defend people, this Godzilla is a serial killer! 'Godzilla Minus One' has the best iteration of his atomic breath ever put to screen, so much that my theater was so silent you could hear a pin drop during “that scene.” I seriously did not have a Godzilla movie not only being “good”, but “flawless” on my 2023 Bingo Card, but 'Godzilla Minus One' is damn near perfect!
1. Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
Sorry not sorry. 'Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse' is the best movie of the year!
The first film 'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse' was an exceptional film. That film was a masterpiece. So when they announced that a sequel was being made, I tempered expectations. It couldn’t possibly be a good as the first one… it was even better!!! The entire movie is a flex of creativity. New Spider-People who you will absolutely fall in love with an introduced, as well as a villain that at first seems weak, but turns out to be an Avenges Level Threat. The entire movie my face hurt from smiling so hard. Everything that was great from the first film was dialed to a 10. I don’t know if I will be able to contain myself when I go see 'Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse' because now the bar is just TOO high and I know the creative team will exceed my expectations at this point. Lord and Miller, Joaquim Dos Santos
Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson showcased that they know what they are doing! 'Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse' proves that “superhero fatigue” is a myth, because this movie was just one giant flex of exquisite storytelling!
Very sad news as 2023 comes to a close. Beloved actor and two-time Oscar nominee Tom Wilkinson has died at the age of 75. Deadline was the first to report the news.
Wilkinson was best known for his role as factory worker Gerald Cooper in 1997 classic The Full Monty. His final performance was a reprisal of that role in the Disney+ streaming sequel series earlier this year.
It was Wilkinson’s roles in Michael Clayton and In the Bedroom that would earn Wilkinson two Academy Award nominations. He won an Emmy for his role as Benjamin Franklin in HBO’s 2008 John Adams miniseries. His roles in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Shakespeare in Love, Sense and Sensibility, and The Grand Budapest Hotel helped establish him as one of our finest character actors.
In 2005, Wilkinson had a role as mob boss Carmine Falcone in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. While a refined British actor known for his dramatic work, Wilkinson took on a lot of fun blockbuster films, as well. He made a cameo in Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol, while also appearing in The Green Hornet and The Lone Ranger.
We here at Punch Drunk Critics send our condolences to Tom Wilkinson’s friends and family.
Marvel isn’t wasting any time giving fans of What If…? exactly what they want. With the season two finale set to air tomorrow, Marvel has already dropped a teaser clip from season three! It’s like Kang has reached into the future and brought this footage to us in the present.
The clip features Winter Soldier and Red Guardian hitting the road until they are confronted by law enforcement. Of course, a chase ensues and one has to figure the two Super Soldiers are going to have the upper hand in that.
We’ll get a chance to see the two characters meet in live-action when the Thunderbolts movie arrives. They’ll be played by Sebastian Stan and David Harbour, respectively, although I’m unsure if they’re providing the voices in this What If…? clip. I would think so?
Check out the clip below, and tune in to Disney+ tomorrow for the season two finale of What If…? Following that, new episodes will begin “streaming soon”, whatever that means.
The whole conceit of Sony Picture Classics’ latest Oscar bait offering is that groundbreaking neurologist Sigmund Freud hosted an Oxford professor in his London home in 1939. It was the start of World War II and two weeks before the psychotherapist would take his own life. While it is unknown who this visitor was, Freud’s Last Session imagines this encounter as a religious and verbal match of wills between beloved British author C.S. Lewis and the atheist Freud.
Based on Mark St. Germain’s stage play (which was based on the nonfiction book The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life), the film opens with Freud (Anthony Hopkins) waking up from his infamous therapy couch by his daughter, Anna, who readies him for the day. Hopkins plays the older man with commanding zeal, letting his arrogance guide the conversation.
As Anna (Liv Lisa Fries) leaves him for the day, she runs into C.S. Lewis, who has been painfully aware of Britain’s impending war involvement on his journey into London. His introductions with Dr. Freud cut short as they quickly enter a debate over one of Lewis’ books.
You can feel the film’s stage play origins when Freud and Lewis are sparring. Matt Brown doesn’t do much cinematic in those moments. However, when characters recall dreams or inner fantasies, he draws up some of the most beautiful images of the year. From forest scenes to the blueish hues of prewar London, Brown knows how to immerse his audience into the story. Those moments don’t seem to happen enough, as the story feels weighed down by the logos of their debate and not the pathos.
Matthew Goode proves himself as a reliable character performer as Lewis. Squaring off against Hopkins is no easy feat, but the actor holds his own with quiet determinedness. Hopkins is at his most interesting when his character wrestles with his daughter’s lesbian relationship with fellow academic and future life partner, Dorothy Burlingham (Jodi Balfour). Holding on to the now-antiquated idea that her sexuality is due to a failing on his part, the veteran actor plays up the character’s struggle to balance his insecurities with his psychoanalytical knowledge.
While the debate about God’s existence has been made before, Freud’s Last Session intellectualizes it in an accessible that humanizes these looming figures. In an overcrowded Oscar race, it’s doubtful this British period drama will grab any of the nominations but for a contemplative, quiet, and thoughtful drama that’s perfect for the Christmas season, Freud’s Last Session is just what the doctor ordered.
Freud’s Last Session is playing in theaters. Watch the trailer below.
