It’s 2023! A new year means listing which are the most anticipated upcoming films and TV shows. Keep in mind that several of the entries on this list will probably be delayed to next year or so. Also, note that not everything on the list will turn out to be any good (Transcendence anyone?), and some properties that don’t make the lists will be among this year’s best offerings. So with that…
2023 Films
10. Evil Dead Rise
The newest Evil Dead film has a new and interesting twist with its setting in an urban environment instead of the usual remote woods as seen with the previous films.
9. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
One of the first of many films delayed from last year will also be the final film of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Jason Momoa reprises his role of the Atlantean ruler and superhero for the last time.
8. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
The trailers blew away many fans of the beloved video game franchise with its dazzling visuals that accurately adapted the fantasy world of the Mario Brothers. Let’s hope the actual film delivers an epic animated fantasy as promised by the trailers.
7. The Flash
Long delayed and hampered by behind-the-scenes calamities, The Flash will bring back Michael Keaton as Batman and probably set up a new cinematic universe thanks to the time traveling antics of the title hero.
6. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) kicks off with the third Ant-Man film that will be a huge event as it introduces the next big MCU uber foe, Kang the Conqueror.
5. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
It’s the final outing for the great Harrison Ford as the legendary archaeologist. Taking place in the 1960s and featuring Nazis and mystical MacGuffins, this film looks like an exciting conclusion to the Indy Jones saga. However, without Steven Spielberg or George Lucas, the film has to deliver, but it probably will.
4. 65
Adam Driver stars as a space explorer who crash lands on a primordial world and struggles to survive. The catch is he is on Earth 65 million years ago and dealing with deadly dinosaurs and the incoming doomsday comet that wiped out all dinosaurs. It’s a great concept for a film that promises lots of thrills and adventure.
3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
The sequel to the classic animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse looks like an even wilder journey into the multiverse. The recent trailer had Miles Morales meeting more and fantastic versions of Spider-Man, including Spider-Man 2099. If it can match the groundbreaking nature of the original then we’ll have another animated classic.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3
Director James Gunn bids farewell to the MCU with his conclusion to the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. The trailer had many viewers reaching for their hankies as they beheld the final shots of the beloved and goofy Guardians. The film will close chapters with the Guardians while potentially opening up new ones with new heroes and villains.
1. Dune, Part Two
Visionary director Denis Villeneuve concludes his two-part adaptation of the classic Frank Herbert novel about Paul Atreides and his ascendance into a spiritual warrior and savior in the far future. Dune, Part One was instantly recognized as a groundbreaking and immersive sci-fi epic that properly captured the scope and nuance of the novel. We can only expect more of this with Dune, Part Two.
Other Upcoming Films:
Beau is Afraid; Blue Beetle; Distant; Elemental; Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel; Haunted Mansion;The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes; Knock at the Cabin; The Marvels; Shazam! Fury of the Gods; True Love
2022 is done and it is time to briefly look back at the best genre films and television shows that came out in 2022. Of course, every reader’s preference and ranking will be different and everyone will have their opinions about these lists and are entitled to them. Drop a comment if you agree with the rankings or have different ones.
TV Shows
It is clear that we are in the middle of a Golden Age of genre TV shows given there so many high-quality shows that came out in just one year. Many of the streamed or aired TV shows are genuine classics with the top three shows being virtually tied for first place and their ranks can be interchanged.
10. The Peripheral
Loosely based on William Gibson’s book, this was one sci-fi show worth watching. Chloë Moretz Grace stars as a VR gamer in the near future caught up in a mind-bending conspiracy involving time travel and alternate realities.
9. The Sandman
This turned out to be a remarkably faithful adaptation of the classic DC/Vertigo dark fantasy comic book. More like a traditional episodic show with standalone stories, The Sandman was inventive, colorful, disturbing and brilliant.
8. Peacemaker
James Gunn sojourn into the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) took a hysterical turn with the first (and possibly final) DCEU TV show. It took one of the least likeable anti-heroes from The Suicide Squad and turned him into a relatable and emotionally complex character.
7. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Director James Gunn delivered an awesome, heartfelt and funny holiday special starring the Guardians of the Galaxy. In between the gooey holiday scenes were moments of pure laughter as the alien Guardians went to Earth to kidnap the actor Kevin Bacon to present as a Christmas present. The songs were great, too.
6. The Boys
With the introduction of Soldier Boy, The Boys took a turn at satirizing the Marvel Comics heroes with his clear similarities to Captain America. Meanwhile, the series continued to be outrageously violent with gross-out humor and in-your-face commentary about our times.
5. Obi-Wan Kenobi
Ewan McGregor reprised the role he made his own in the Star Wars prequels. The series served as both a sequel to those films and a prequel to the original Star Wars. Despite some flaws, McGregor elevated the show with his brilliant performance as a fallen Jedi who has to rediscover his faith.
4. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Despite some Star Trek shows that faltered in 2022, Star Trek: Strange NewWorlds breathed new life in the franchise. This was due to smart scripts that emulated the original Star Trek, a charming cast, and a back-to-basics approach with its storytelling that favored standalone episodes.
This Star Wars show was the ultimate slow burn as the prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story centered on the anti-hero Rebel agent, Cassian Andor. Separate arcs thoroughly examined Andor’s personal growth and the people around him. It also realistically depicted of how a rebellion grows in an authoritarian society.
2. House of the Dragon
Many who were disappointed by the final season of Game of Thrones were pleasantly surprised by this fascinating prequel that focused on the dragon-worshiping Targaryen royal family. Despite its prequel limitations, the show quickly captivated audiences who were drawn back to the fantasy world of George R.R. Martin.
1. Stranger Things 4
The fourth season of Stranger Things managed to reinvigorate the series with fascinating origin stories and situations, and new and memorable characters. At the same time, this season focused on the core characters that were so beloved and who were allowed to grow as they faced terrifying new threats from the Upside Down dimension.
Honorable Mentions:
Doom Patrol; For All Mankind; Halo; The Handmaid’s Tale; Love, Death + Robots; Moon Knight; The Orville; Raised By Wolves; Severance; She-Hulk: Attorney At Law; Snowpiercer, Star Trek: Picard; Star Trek: Prodigy; Superman & Lois; Tales of the Jedi; Titans; Werewolf By Night; The Umbrella Academy; Undone
Films
Surprisingly, the genre offerings for 2022 were not as plentiful as in previous years. Superhero films still dominate the release schedule though many other genre films (horror, animated, sci-fi, fantasy) have made their presence felt as well in a solid year for genre films.
10. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
The sequel film delivered the best family film of the year. It was also an exciting, colorful and largely faithful live-action adaptation of the classic Sega video game hero and his expanded roster of friends and foes.
9. The Black Phone
This film by Scott Derrickson proved why he is one of the best visionary horror directors today with The Black Phone. He cleverly combined classic horror elements from serial killers to psychic phenomenon to ghosts.
8. Nope
Director Jordan Peele’s latest genre offering was an intriguing and original take on the U.F.O. phenomenon. Nope had its fair share of suspense, horror and the contemplative character studies Peele is known for, as well as elements of a neo-Western.
7. Prey
The Predator franchise was unexpectedly revived with the latest film that took the franchise in a new and fresh direction. Placing the film centuries ago, Prey amped up the thrills as the human characters had to rely on their wits and skills instead of technology against the inhuman Predator hunting them.
6. Everything Everywhere All at Once
Michelle Yeoh turned in a fantastic performance as several variations of the same character in this film that gave us a true multiverse of madness. The film truly went out there with its sometimes bizarre depictions of colliding parallel universes.
5. Jurassic World: Dominion
The conclusion to the second Jurassic Park film trilogy ended on a high note full of dinosaurs rampaging in modern-day society. However, the film’s true high note was when it had the main heroes from both trilogies meeting and teaming up to save the world from extinction.
4 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Director Ryan Coogler pulled off the impossible with a sequel that does not feature the star or main character from the original film. This film was full of depth as it explored grief and loss, while expanding the popular Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with the introduction of one of Marvel’s best anti-heroes, Namor.
3. The Batman
We actually got to see the Dark Knight Detective do some actual detective work in this grounded and gritty version of Batman. The dark and brooding film delivered intense action, intrigue and a horrifying version of the Riddler that rivaled classic cinematic serial killers.
2. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
While the year’s top MCU film did not exactly deliver a multiverse of madness, it was a fun deep dive into the MCU with chilling horror elements and wild visuals. Sam Raimi was an inspired choice of a director who utilized his horror and comic book film background to full effect.
1. Avatar: The Way of Water
The sequel to Avatar, the biggest box office hit of all time, surprised many who dismissed it for being an empty special effects-heavy sequel. However, director James Cameron’s breathtaking vision of an alien world and its solid world building and characters helped propel Avatar: The Way of Water into a must-see event.
Honorable Mentions:
Barbarian; Beavis and Butthead Do the Universe;Black Crab; Chip ‘n’ Dale Rescue Rangers; DC League of Super Pets; Lighthyear; Moonfall;Puss in Boots: The Last Wish; Smile; Strange World; Thor: Love and Thunder; Turning Red
The fourth phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) turned out to be a mixed bag in terms of quality. It was also different in that the MCU now officially incorporated TV shows and as a result, we had plenty to watch and enjoy. Some of the films and TV shows were bonafide gems, others were hugely disappointing. As we prepare for Phase Five, let’s look back at Phase Four of the MCU and rank them. If anyone has a different list order, please feel free to drop a comment.
18. Ms. Marvel
Where to start with this MCU TV show? Not only does it turn Ms. Marvel into a poor person’s Green Lantern, it betrays her comic roots by making her a mutant. Then it commits the deadly sin by veering too much into dull Pakistani family drama that took up valuable screen time.
17. Eternals
This is a contender for being the worst MCU film. It’s dull, plodding and pretentious. What’s worse is that it insults comic book legend Jack Kirby’s original vision of these superheroes by changing their origin and purpose. It ranks higher than Ms. Marvel only because its special effects and cinematography were better.
16. I Am Groot
Basically, it was a cute animated show. Actually it was a bunch of five-minute segments featuring Baby Groot doing silly antics. So, pretty much it was geared for kids and the young at heart, but otherwise, it’s harmless fluff for the rest of us to skip over or watch to kill a few minutes of time.
15. Moon Knight
Despite Oscar Isaac’s winning performance as the title character and some good fight scenes, the show was too uneven. It seemed as if the showrunners could not decide if Moon Knight was a psychological mystery, an Indiana Jones-type of adventure story or a downright fantasy. What we got was a narrative mess.
14. Loki
This show that first expanded on the concept of the multiverse is a perfect case for showing not telling. It did have some interesting concepts and the introduction of Kang was chilling, the show was weighed down by too many scenes of exposition that was not particularly engaging.
13. She-Hulk: Attorney At Law
Unlike other uneven MCU TV shows that fell apart at the end, this one stuck the landing hard. Unfortunately, many episodes of this supposed comedy were simply not funny. Still, Tatiana Maslany turned in an endearing performance as the title character while she went through the downside of being a superhero celebrity.
12. Black Widow
A film set during Phase Three starring a now-dead character was an unusual way to start the film side of Phase Four of the MCU. Some complained the film was unnecessary, but it cannot be denied that it was an exciting spy thriller with some memorable characters.
11. Hawkeye
This could have been one of the greatest superhero TV shows due to onscreen buddy chemistry between Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld and presenting the physical and emotional toll Hawkeye suffered from the MCU films. But, the writing and directing was inconsistent, though some episodes were terrific.
10. Thor: Love and Thunder
While it is not as good as Thor: Ragnarok, the fourth Thor film was downright hysterical and enjoyable at times. However, it was hampered with its uneven tone that made too light of some sober themes like cancer and deity worship that were often overwhelmed by poorly timed slapstick scenes.
9. Werewolf By Night
After the uneven results of its MCU TV shows, Marvel Studios tried a new approach with a one-off TV special. It not only worked spectacularly, but the special expanded the MCU with more horror elements and intriguing new characters that must be brought back again.
8. What If…?
This animated series sometimes went wild with its exploration of the multiverse with interesting alternate MCU worlds that led to an epic showdown at the end of the season that teamed up several familiar heroes with new twists. Unlike Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Ultron featured in this series was truly terrifying.
7. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Both funny and heartfelt, this holiday special from director James Gunn is everything a holiday special should be. Aside from presenting the usual heart-tugging and whimsical elements of a holiday special, it also served as an excellent way of preparing us for the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3.
6. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
The second MCU TV show did a great job of examining the impact of the events from Avengers: Endgame on the world and several Captain America-related characters. What made the character moments so memorable were that they were so grounded and relatable to viewers, and touched on real-world issues.
5. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
This action fantasy film is a perfect example of taking an obscure character and turning him and his world into a popular sensation. The film impressed all of us with the stunning and exciting fight sequences and its eye-popping fantasy scenes were quite breathtaking and wondrous. It’s easy to see why its director was tapped to film the next Avengers film.
4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
The sequel to Black Panther proved to be a worthy followup to the original film, even without its main character. Director Ryan Coogler co-wrote this heartfelt and somber film that dwelled on the devastating aftermath from the loss of Black Panther as felt by his loved ones and his nation. Also, Namor was a brilliantly presented anti-hero/antagonist with a thought-provoking back story.
3. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
While the multiverse was not exactly mad in the second Doctor Strange film, the concepts of other realities was well explored with a visual relish by director Sam Raimi. Drawing from his horror film repertoire, Raimi infused the film with chilling horror elements and imagery, and fantastic (forgive the pun) references to other Marvel Comics properties and Marvel film universes.
2.WandaVision
The very first MCU TV show is still the best one to date. Elizabeth Olsen gave a genuine standout performance as the emotionally fragile Wanda Maximoff dealing with immense grief in an unusual way. The show quickly became must-see viewing as we pondered the mystery of what was going on with Wanda’s reality that was presented by amusing takes of American sitcoms through the decades. WandaVision also expanded the MCU in an organic, supernatural way that did not feel forced and teased us of what was to come.
1. Spider-Man: No Way Home
The third MCU Spider-Man film turned out to be one of the best MCU films ever as the film truly opened up and introduced audiences to the concept of the multiverse. Fans were elated over Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire reprising their roles as Spider-Man, as well as the return of classic Spider-Man villains like Doctor Octopus and the Green Goblin (reprised by the actors who originated the roles: Al Molina and Willem Dafoe). What made the film truly stand out was its deeply emotional core as Spider-Man is forced to learn that with great power, comes great responsibility.
Video game players know quite well there are tons of horror video games out there in the market. Naturally some are better than others, while a select few are so well developed and memorable that they helped define the genre of horror video games and even crossed over into other media. These are the best horror video games to play in the dark, by yourself, or maybe not…
10. Outlast
This game has an investigative journalist going to an asylum that is overrun by homicidal patients. The first-person perspective makes this experience truly frightening as you are chased by people who have been subjected to terrible mind control experiments, which turned them into dangerous lunatics. The sequel also has a journalist investigating a creepy cult in the desert that has also been subjected to similar experiments. The stealth action and lack of weapons makes this series of games a truly frightening experience.
9. Alan Wake
In a story that features a quirky town in the Northwest, Alan Wake is an author that goes in search of his missing wife while fighting shadow men that attack in the dark. Players have to run to areas of light amid dark forests and highways while using their flashlight to keep enemies at bay before destroying them. This makes the action both tense and interesting. The DLC Alan Wake’s American Nightmare continues the story and the upcoming sequel is finally coming out after more than a decade in the making.
8. The Evil Within
This game from the creator of Resident Evil has a detective trapped in a dream world induced by a machine that can access people’s dreams. It causes their subconscious to create horrific creatures based on the persons’ own fears. While investigating a mass murder, he is caught in this strange cycle of nightmares and monsters while questioning his own sanity. This title is a great blend of horror and action and is a call back to classic survival horror games.
7. F.E.A.R.
F.E.A.R., or First Encounter Assault Recon, is a horror first-person shooter that has an elite army unit investigating a private military company’s secret research program where they encounter a powerful psychic girl named Alma who can kill with her thoughts. Her appearance is reminiscent of Sadako from The Ring movies and the ability of the player to slow down time while fighting makes this franchise a unique FPS experience.
6. Castlevania
This classic series features the Belmont clan fighting Dracula and his minions. The ongoing saga spans centuries and numerous side scrolling adventures, as well as some less regarded 3D action titles. The first game showcased Simon Belmont and his trusty whip, storming Dracula’s castle and confronting the Grim Reaper as well as Dracula himself. Subsequent games featured both his ancestors and descendants still fighting the forces of evil. There is also a highly regarded animated series on Netflix that revitalized the franchise and has fans hoping for more entries of vampire-busting action.
5. Fatal Frame
An Asian horror story franchise, these games feature female protagonists that actually combat ghosts with their mystical cameras. This unique spin on the survival horror genre gives it a different feel. The spooky atmosphere and tales of sacrifice and hauntings in Japan are a real treat for fans of films such as The Ring and The Grudge. This series has numerous sequels as wel,l and hopefully this original series will see more installments in the future.
4. Doom
This series is more of an action game, but its setting with demons invading Mars shows its horror roots, especially with Doom 3, which is basically a survival horror FPS. Its numerous sequels have gamers literally traveling to Hell to confront the demonic creatures that threaten to destroy Earth. The numerous strange looking beings that arrive through inter-dimensional gates in the Doom games are always a terror to behold.
3. Dead Space
A perfect combination of outer space horror and cults that spawn hideous creatures, this series is also on the rebound with an upcoming remake of the original from 2008 that showed an astronaut going to an outpost overrun with parasitic creatures that reanimated corpses and transformed them into deadly and horrific monsters. Legendary filmmaker John Carpenter is a fan of the franchise and has expressed interest in making a movie of it, which shows how far reaching this game is. If only a film studio would let Carpenter actually film it a live-action version of Dead Space, the film could wind up becoming an instant classic.
2. Silent Hill
More of a psychological horror tale as opposed to Resident Evil’s focus on action yarn, the haunted town of Silent Hill has unnerved gaming fans since the original game showed Harry Mason looking for his lost daughter in the fog and creature infested town, while traveling to a creepy and eerie alternate dimension. Its sequel is regarded as one of the best games of all time. The just announced remake of Silent Hill 2 has generated huge excitement and is seen as a comeback for the dormant franchise.
1. Resident Evil
The ultimate horror video game zombie franchise, this game has spawned dozens of sequels, as well as movies and TV shows, and is still going strong to this day with a highly anticipated remake of Resident Evil 4 coming next year and a just released movie and Netflix series. The original story of a police SWAT team known as STARS getting trapped in a decrepit mansion filled with not only zombies, but other mutated creatures still terrifies fans to this day, and its evolving story of corporate intrigue and bio-terror is a true horror video game classic.
The recent news that director Jon Watts left the upcoming Fantastic Four (FF) film by Marvel Studios was a big surprise for fans of the Marvel Comics property and apparently the film studio itself. Unlike Ant-Man and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness where the original directors of those films were replaced fairly quickly, it seems as if Marvel Studios is taking its time and keeping to its vest who the replacement will be. There are many possible choices and rumors of who will take over. The popular talk was that John Krasinsky, who appeared as an alternate version of Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic in the latest Doctor Strange film was the frontrunner and one reason why Watts left the project. But those rumors have died down since it is not clear that the actor will even be cast as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) version of Richards.
When choosing the replacement director for the Fantastic Four, the president of Marvel Studios,Kevin Feige, has to pick a solid director with a proven track record. Unlike some other MCU films, the Fantastic Four truly has to be phenomenal because the superhero team is one of Marvel Comics’ top properties and the previous vilm versions of the Fantastic Four have been major letdowns. So, Marvel Studios has to get this film right and cannot afford a misfire. The latest rumor has it that Feige prefers to have a proven veteran filmmaker tackle the film instead of an up-and-coming director. That makes sense because for every Joe and Anthony Russo, who blossomed with MCU films, there have been forgettable picks like Alan Taylor.
With that let’s look at some possible choices, which will include the latest rumored potential directors and some suggested possibilities for the Fantastic Four. Of course, bear in mind Kevin Feige may tap someone completely unexpected for the task.
John Krasinski
As noted above, Krasinski is considered the frontrunner for the job, at least among fans, given all the fan art of his casting and his directing resume. He has shown the ability to not only direct. but star in genre films, as seen with A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place, Part II. One hindrence is that the actor/director may not want to commit to a long-term film deal. At best, he may only star and direct one Fantastic Four film and hand off the directing duties to someone else for the sequels.
Bryce Dallas Howard
She is the latest rumored frontrunner for the directing task, and for the role of Susan Storm. Fueling the rumors are her recent acclaimed directing of the better episodes of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Currently she is set to star in and direct a remake of Flight of the Navigator, so this may prevent her from taking the job, but then again she may jump ship for a higher profie job.
Peyton Reed
The director of the Ant-Man films famously pitched a Fantastic Four film back in the noughties to 20th Century Fox that would have taken place in the 1960s and would have been a comedy. For some time it was rumored that the superhero team would debut in Reed’s upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but that is doubtful since there has been no news or updates and the film’s release has been moved up to early next year. So there goes Reed’s chance to direct the FF, but, given his interest with the property and his MCU background, Reed would be a perfect choice.
Sam Raimi
After a long absence, the Spider-Man director made a superhero film comeback with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness where he proved he could still deliver an enjoyable superhero venture. His Spider-Man films were very whimsical and adventurous with the unique Raimi camera tricks that should go well with the FF. Plus, Bruce Campbell could cameo as the Impossible Man or some other comedic role!
Chris Columbus
Back in 1995, Columbus was attached to write and direct an adaptation of the Fantastic Four, but unfortunately left the project due to the astronomical cost for the special effects, which would have been difficult to pull off in that time period. The director has solid genre credentials, most famously with the early Harry Potter films, and should be considered.
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