Worst2First: My Most Anticipated Films of Spring 2023

Worst2First:
My Most Anticipated Films of Spring 2023

 Spring is in the air which means warmer weather, longer days, and a wide array of different films hitting theaters during the months of March and April, ten of which I'm the most excited for.

Here are the top ten films I'm most excited to see this spring...

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**
**DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE**

#10

Air

April 5

People might not remember, but there was a time Nike shoes was in the tank, and looked like they would go under due to their more popular competition. Then came an idea so outlandish and crazy that it just had to work: signing an unknown basketball player who's never set foot on the court and making a shoe after him. That player's name is Michael Jordan, and the rest is sports history - but no one knew that then. Directed by Oscar-winning director Ben Affleck and also starring himself alongside Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, and Chris Tucker, "Air" looks to be a soaring dramatic film filled with impeccable performances and a true underdog story.

#9

Inside

March 17

It's incredibly hard for an actor to hold a film, let alone be the only actor on screen. Ryan Reynolds did it in "Buried." Tom Hardy did it in "Locke." Now its Willem Dafoe's turn in "Inside," a psychological thriller about an art thief named Nemo who gets caught inside a New York City penthouse during a robbery - a penthouse with traps set to stop any thief. Nemo must use all his cunning and intelligence to make it out alive, and this looks to be an intense thriller with the always-amazing Dafoe at the helm.

#8

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

March 17

The DCEU (or DCU, or whatever it's called now) is in severe influx, with James Gunn taking on the monumental task of trying to create some sort of cohesive narrative like the MCU has managed to accomplish, and in doing so he's scrapped several films that were once tentpoles of the cinematic universe, and "Shazam!" is one of the casualties. Dwayne Johnson is no longer going to be Black Adam, and it looks like, after this film, Zachary Levi won't be playing Shazam as well, giving this film a less-than-excited feel due to the fact that it won't go anywhere afterward. Still, seeing Levi don the Shazam suit and fight the daughters of Atlas (played by Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren) looks exciting at least, mixed with some fun and humor that Shazam is known for.

#7

Evil Dead Rise

April 21

The original "Evil Dead" film was made on a less-than-shoestring budget and became one of the biggest cult classic horror films of the 80s thanks to Sam Raimi's ingenious directing and Bruce Campbell's career-defining performance that gave birth to the horror hero Ash. The second film was just as well-received, and "Army of Darkness" was a campy horror action classic. 2013's remake was a gamble, but paid off in dividends with keeping to the heart of the franchise: a group of kids at a cabin in the woods find the Necronomicon - the Book of the Dead - which gives birth to flesh-inhabiting demons. "Evil Dead Rise" takes away the cabin in the woods setting and focuses on a high-rise apartment complex, and I'm very cautiously optimistic about it: it could either be a great addition to the franchise, or a cheap cash grab. While I'm leaning to the former, I can see it being the latter as well, as the film seems way too polished and neat for an "Evil Dead" film - but we'll see.

#6

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

April 5

After the disaster that was the live-action film in 1993, Nintendo was wary to give their most well-known character to the big screen again, but Illumination looks like it got it right with the animated "Super Mario Bros. Movie." Mario, Peach, Toad, and Luigi must stop the evil Bowser from finding all the stars and taking over the Mushroom Kingdom, and it looks to be a fun, comedic, action-packed ride that'll be a total fan service for anyone who grew up playing the games, not to mention games like Mario Kart and Super Smash Brothers. Even though Chris Pratt voices Mario and there's been a lot of heat about it, I think he'll manage to pull it off, alongside Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Keeghan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, and undoubtedly the scene-stealer of the show: Jack Black as Bowser.

#5

Renfield

April 14

Poor Nicholas Hoult. He's supposed to headline this film where he plays the titular Renfield, the long-suffering assistant to the famed Count Dracula who finds him fresh blood to keep him alive, but who feels unappreciated and undervalued (what employee never felt that way?). Though it looks like he'll give it his all, hardly anyone is going into the film to see him - but rather Nicolas Cage, who's playing Count Dracula. Even though I doubt he'll be in it a lot, Cage will easily eat up every scene he's in, and who else could play the evil Count with such delicious fervor?

#4

Creed III

March 3

The "Creed" spinoff franchise from the acclaimed "Rocky" series has been a huge hit in no small part due to Michael B. Jordan's committed performance, and now not only does he star in the third film, but it also marks his directorial debut. Firmly established himself outside the shadow of his famous boxing father as well as his mentor Rocky, Adonis Creed is living his best life - until his childhood friend Damian arrives wanting revenge for being stuck in prison for years for a crime they both committed as youths. It all ends in the boxing ring where former friends turn enemies, and the stakes have never been higher. Tessa Thompson returns as Adonis's girlfriend Bianca, and Jonathan Majors - who's already had a major year so far starring as the villainous Kang in "Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania" - plays Damian, looking to showcase his dramatic acting chops as well as flexing his muscles in the ring.

#3

Scream VI

March 10

The Wes Craven-led "Scream" franchise revitalized the slasher genre for a new generation, but it seemed that the franchise died along with the acclaimed director after the fourth installment. Then they "rebooted" the franchise with "Scream" in 2022, and it was a huge hit - so of course a sequel was greenlit immediately. "Scream VI" continues the franchise and focuses on the new crop of survivors from the previous film as they head to New York City in hopes of escaping the memory of Ghostface - but Ghostface himself also has come to the Big Apple as well. While Neve Campbell won't be reprising her role for the first time, Courtney Cox returns as Gale Weathers, and audiences have waited since the fourth film to see fan favorite Kirby (played by Hayden Panettiere) return, and she makes her grand re-entrance here. It looks to be bloodier, scarier, and have higher stakes than the previous films, and hopefully it'll continue in the long line of successful "Scream" films.

#2

Beau is Afraid

April 21

Ari Aster is one of the most unique, talented, and amazing directors of this generation, giving birth to visual horrors "Hereditary" and "Midsommar," so he has a high bar to climb to with his third outing "Beau is Afraid," and by the trailer it looks like he's accomplished that. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Beau, who confronts his greatest fears as he makes his way home after his mother's death. That's the simple premise of the film, but it looks much more cerebral and strange than that, and coming from Ari Aster, I'd expect nothing less.

#1

John Wick: Chapter 4

March 24

It's hard to believe that the original "John Wick" film wasn't supposed to be a success, much less garner a new franchise series, but thanks to the likable charisma and action prowess of Keanu Reeves, that's exactly what's happened. In the fourth film, John Wick sets out to end the High Table once and for all, but along the way encounters a deadly new foe who's army will stop at nothing to see John Wick dead. The franchise isn't known for stellar performances, but it looks to be another action-packed spectacle with Reeves commanding the screen alongside mainstays Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, and Laurence Fishburne as well as newcomers to the franchise Donnie Yen and Bill Skarsgard.