My mission, and I choose to accept it, is to list nine movies in addition to the obvious “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One” that are worth seeing in Summer 2023. Here are my selections, along with arguments on why they will be good:
“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (May 5)
The pedigree: Director/co-writer James Gunn found a mainstream audience without sacrificing his goofy (and sometimes dark) comedy stylings on the first two “Guardians” films, in 2014 and 2017. The long layoff came about because Disney temporarily fired him over old offensive tweets. Fan backlash brought Gunn back, but he had already signed on to do other projects – elite DCEU film “The Suicide Squad” (2021) and its TV spinoff “Peacemaker” (2022), which is better than it has any right to be.
“The Boogeyman” (June 2)
The pedigree: No, it’s not the latest John Wick movie, but rather the latest Stephen King adaptation (no summer slate is complete without one). This year’s entry is one of King’s earliest short stories (from 1973) and – although the title makes it sound pretty basic — it hasn’t been made into a major motion picture yet. Director Rob Savage (2020’s “Host”) has gained acclaim for achieving scares with a low budget, and “Yellowjackets’ ” Sophie Thatcher heads up the cast.
“No Hard Feelings” (June 23)
The pedigree: Director/co-writer Gene Stupnitsky, the “Office” veteran who brought us 2019’s “Good Boys,” returns with his next juicy premise. A pretty adult woman (Jennifer Lawrence) is hired to build up the confidence of an awkward teen boy. If Stupnitsky’s Apatow-esque ability to blend crass humor with heart is on display again, this could be one of the year’s best comedies.
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (June 30)
The pedigree: Approach with cautious optimism. This fifth “Indy” film is the first without Steven Spielberg and the first under Disney, rather than the standalone Lucasfilm banner. However, it does star Harrison Ford and it’s directed and co-written by James Mangold, whose last three films are respectable: “The Wolverine,” “Logan” and “Ford v Ferrari.” Spielberg collaborator David Koepp is on the writing team.
“Insidious: The Red Door” (July 7)
The pedigree: I need to do an “Insidious” series rewatch before this fifth entry. But I do recall they’ve all been decent, if not quite worthy of year-end top 10s. Because Patrick Wilson – who takes the director’s chair in “The Red Door” while maintaining acting duties – later landed a leading role in the “Conjuring” series, “Insidious” (which started in 2011) has been subsumed by the “Conjuring” Universe (which launched in 2013) in my brain. Series creator and lead writer Leigh Whannell remains on board, so there’s no reason to think this is merely an IP cash-grab.
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One” (July 12)
The pedigree: Now on its seventh installment, the “M:I” films have been on a dominant winning streak since part four. “Ghost Protocol,” “Rogue Nation” and “Fallout” were three of the elite action films of the 2010s. Director/co-writer Christopher McQuarrie is back from the latter two. Tom Cruise continues to build his case as the all-time greatest action star, and the supporting cast boasts a bevy of attractive and talented actresses, with Hayley Atwell the latest to sign up.
“Barbie” (July 21)
The pedigree: I’m a sucker for fish-out-of-water comedies, and this appears to be a good one. The first major motion picture featuring the popular girls’ toy line finds Barbie (Margot Robbie) thrust into the real world. In other words, she’s a Barbie girl not in a Barbie world. Coming from creative supercouple Greta Gerwig (director and co-writer) and Noah Baumbach (co-writer), “Barbie” slides into a sweet spot: It’s a safe, mass-appeal premise that also has room for edgy humor and social commentary.
“Oppenheimer” (July 21)
The pedigree: Although director/co-writer Christopher Nolan’s catalog took a slight dip for me with “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Interstellar” and “Tenet,” he’s still Christopher Nolan. In his second dive into well-known history (following “Dunkirk”), he tackles the inventor of the atomic bomb, who some say is the most important figure in human history. Cillian Murphy has the title role, and he’s joined by a cast list that’s the acting equivalent of an All-Star team.
“The Meg 2: The Trench” (Aug. 4)
The pedigree: Steve Alten’s prehistoric-shark novels aren’t very good, but that didn’t matter much on 2018’s “The Meg.” Star Jason Statham and the writing team return for what will likely be more megalodon mayhem. Less pedigreed director Ben Wheatley takes over from Jon Turteltaub. Among shark flicks, it’s a safe bet “Meg 2” will at least be in the 50th percentile, with good special effects and absurdity-driven chuckles.
“The Nun II” (Sept. 8)
The pedigree: Although they haven’t dipped into being outright bad, the Conjuring Cinematic Universe films have hit a string of mediocrity in the last four of the eight entries. Two of them – “The Curse of La Llorona” (2019) and “Conjuring 3” (2021) – were helmed by Michael Chaves, who directs this sequel to “The Nun” (2018), another of the mediocre ones. But the team of writers is new to the franchise, so maybe they’ll bring a fresh perspective.