Here are my most anticipated films set to release this year (as of right now).

20. The Rip

After a team of Miami cops discovers millions in cash inside a derelict stash house, trust frays as everything — and everyone — is called into question.

The Rip is the latest movie from Joe Carnahan, who previously directed The Grey, Smokin’ Aces, Narc and Copshop. From the trailers, it’s a cop crime thriller with a solid cast in Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Teyana Taylor, Sasha Calle, Kyle Chandler, and Steven Yeun. Cop and crime thrillers are well in Carnahan’s wheelhouse, so as familiar as it looks, I’m expecting an enjoyable action flick at the very least. 

19. I Want Your Sex

When fresh-faced Elliot lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy, his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal and murder.

The main reason that I’m interested in this is that it’s the latest movie from Gregg Araki, who directed the incredible Mysterious Skin. Additionally, it has a good cast with Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, Daveed Diggs, and Mason Gooding, so I’m curious about this.

18. Evil Dead Burn

Evil Dead Burn is the latest standalone entry in the Evil Dead series. No plot details have been given so far, and I’m not familiar with the cast or director Sébastien Vaniček. However, from looking into some of the reactions of Vaniček’s previous horror film, Infested, it sounds like the latest Evil Dead is in good hands. Also, I’ve liked all the installments of the Evil Dead series, so I’m at least interested to check it out, even if I’m not sure what to expect from it so far.

17. Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew

Following the trilogy of Narnia movies in the 2000s and 2010s, there’s going to be a new series of movies, helmed by Greta Gerwig. Along with her directing, there’s a really good cast with Emma Mackey, Meryl Streep, Carey Mulligan, Daniel Craig, and Denise Gough. I am not familiar with the first novel, which Gerwig is adapting, but I’m interested because of the talent attached. 

16. The Bride!

A lonely Frankenstein travels to 1930s Chicago to ask groundbreaking scientist Dr. Euphronious to create a companion for him. The two revive a murdered young woman and The Bride is born. But what ensues is beyond what either of them imagined.

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s follow up to The Lost Daughter is a Frankenstein movie and I’m interested in seeing what she has in mind for her take, especially with a great cast which includes the likes of Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Penelope Cruz, Peter Sarsgard, Annette Bening, and Jake Gyllenhaal. The trailer gives a hint of the atmosphere and tone; it certainly has a distinct style and aesthetic, it feels less like a horror, monster or fantasy story and more of a romance crime and riff on Bonnie and Clyde. It seems to be taking a big swing, and I feel like it’s the kind of thing that ends up either succeeding greatly or failing greatly.

15. Here Comes the Flood

A bank guard, a teller, and a master thief get caught in a deadly game of cons and double crosses.

Here Comes the Flood is a heist movie from Fernando Meirelles, the director of City of God, The Two Popes and The Constant Gardener. It also has a great cast with Denzel Washington, Robert Pattinson, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Danai Gurira and Sean Harris, and with that talent involved, I’m curious to check it out. 

14. Remain

Architect Tate Donovan arrives in Cape Cod to design a client’s summer home. Struggling with the loss of his family, he moves into a historic home where he meets Wren, a mysterious young woman who challenges Tate’s perception of the world.

I am a fan of M. Night Shyamalan, so naturally, I’m interested in his next movie, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor. The fact that Nicholas Sparks is writing the story gives me some pause. However, Shyamalan directing (what seems to be a supernatural love story) has me interested nonetheless. 

13. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

Taking place 24 years before the first film, a young Haymitch Abernathy is selected to compete in the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell, which occurs every 25 years with a twist to the rules. For this Quarter Quell, each district of Panem must send twice the number of tributes to the Capitol, who will fight to the death in the Hunger Games.

Sunrise on the Reaping is the latest Hunger Games movie, based on the prequel novel released last year. Francis Lawrence who directed most of the Hunger Games movies returns to direct, and there’s also a really good cast attached with McKenna Grace, Jesse Plemons, Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close, Elle Fanning, and Kieran Culkin. I haven’t read the novel, but I liked the last Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and so I’m quite interested in this one too.

12. Mother Mary

Long-buried wounds rise to the surface when iconic pop star Mother Mary reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer Sam Anselm on the eve of her comeback performance.

Mother Mary is the latest movie from David Lowery. I really liked Lowery’s work with The Old Man and the Gun, Pete’s Dragon, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, and especially The Green Knight and A Ghost Story. Naturally, his involvement alone had me interested in this psychological thriller, along with the cast which includes Anne Hathaway, Michaela Coel, Hunter Schafer and Sian Clifford. I wasn’t sure what the movie would be like based solely on the plot description, but after seeing the trailer, I’m very intrigued.

11. Send Help

Two colleagues become stranded on a deserted island, the only survivors of a plane crash. On the island, they must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, but ultimately, it’s a battle of wills and wits to make it out alive.

I’m glad to be seeing Sam Raimi making movies again. Following Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, his next movie is a survival horror thriller starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. I am already really into it from the looks of the trailer, it looks thrilling and entertaining. 

10. The Dog Stars

After the world’s population has been ravaged by a pandemic, a man lives a lonesome existence in a Colorado airplane hangar with his dog and a dour gunman he has befriended. When a mysterious transmission comes through on the radio while he’s flying his old Cessna, it sparks a hunt for the provenance of the sound.

I do generally like Ridley Scott’s movies, even if some of them are better than others. So, I’m curious about his next movie The Dog Stars. It also has a really good cast with Jacob Elordi, Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, and Benedict Wong. I can expect this post apocalypse movie to be well directed and performed at the very least.

9. Disclosure Day

I’m interested in whatever Steven Spielberg makes, and the fact that his latest movie seems to be about aliens has me interested. This is helped further by a great cast including Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, and Wyatt Russell. The recent teaser trailer didn’t reveal too much, but it appears to be reminiscent of Spielberg’s 2000s sci-fi movies like Minority Report and A.I. Artificial Intelligence than his 70s work like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which if anything has me more curious.

8. Cry to Heaven

Set in 18th-century Venice, the film follows the paths of two unlikely collaborators: a Venetian noble and a castrated singer from Calabria, both trying to succeed in the world of the opera.

Cry to Heaven interests me mainly for the fact that it’s Tom Ford’s latest movie, I liked his work on Nocturnal Animals. I’m not familiar with the Anne Rice novel it’s based on but the premise does sound interesting. I also like the ensemble cast, which includes Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ciarán Hinds, George MacKay, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Paul Bettany, Owen Cooper, Hunter Schafer, Thandiwe Newton, and Lux Pascal. With all that talent involved, I am very curious to see this.

7. Resident Evil

There have been plenty of live action Resident Evil films, from the series started by Paul W.S. Anderson and led by Milla Jovovich, to the 2018 Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City which attempted to get closer to the games it is based on. Now it’s Zach Cregger’s turn, and after Barbarian and Weapons I’m certainly interested to see his take. Not many details have been given about the plot, Austin Abrams, Paul Walter Hauser and Zach Cherry have been confirmed to star. It also seems to be an original Resident Evil story with original characters set in the Resident Evil universe instead of adapting the mainline games or featuring the classic game characters like Leon Kennedy or Jill Valentine (but will no doubt have some connections that makes it fit right in the universe). All of this already has me interested.

7. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma

A queer filmmaker is hired to direct a new installment of a slasher franchise. The director fixates on the prospect of casting the ‘final girl’ from the original movie, and the two women descend into a frenzy of psychosexual mania.

I liked Jane Schoenbrun’s work with We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, and loved their last film I Saw the TV Glow. I don’t know too much about their latest horror film beyond them directing and Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson starring, but I am already interested in it.

5. Digger

The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s saviour before the disaster he’s unleashed destroys everything.

I’ve liked the movies I’ve seen from Alejandro González Iñárritu, and so I’m curious about his latest. With the plot being about the most powerful man trying to save the world, and said man being played by Tom Cruise sounds just about perfect, I’m interested to see the collaboration between the two. Plus there’s also a good ensemble cast with the likes of Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Jesse Plemons, Riz Ahmed, Michael Stuhlbarg, Emma D’Arcy, and Burn Gorman. The released teaser trailer definitely hinted at it being far more of a comedy and didn’t really reveal anything more outside of Tom Cruise seemingly wearing prosthetics, but I’m kind of excited for this one.

4. Werwulf

After Robert Eggers’ recent vampire movie with his version of Nosferatu, now he’s directing a werewolf horror movie. No plot details have been revealed beyond being a werewolf horror film set in 13th Century England, with dialogue true to the time period (of course). It’s got a great cast too, with returning Nosferatu actors Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Lily-Rose Depp, Willem Dafoe, and Ralph Ineson. I don’t know the plot, and I know that not everyone vibes with Eggers and his commitment to being period accurate. However I loved what he’s done with his movies, and I’m interested to see how his portrayal of the werewolf will be, especially since it’s apparently meant to be his darkest film yet.

3. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Dr. Kelson finds himself in a shocking new relationship – with consequences that could change the world as they know it – and Spike’s encounter with Jimmy Crystal becomes a nightmare he can’t escape.

I loved 28 Years Later, it was such a surprising film and one of my favourites from last year. As it turns out, a direct follow up titled The Bone Temple was also filmed back to back by Nia DaCosta. Returning from the last movie is Alfie Williams, Ralph Fiennes, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jack O’Connell, the latter of whom is in a central antagonist role following his intriguing surprise entrance in the first movie. Nia DaCosta is a great director and I am already loving how the movie looks, which appears to be going in a very different direction from a typical zombie movie even by the standards of this series. The Bone Temple received such enthusiastic praise from an early screening that a third entry in the planned 28 Years Later trilogy was greenlit. I can’t wait to see what this movie has in store. 

2. Dune: Part Three

The third and final installment in Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy. Based on Frank Herbert’s novel Dune Messiah.

Following his two great adaptations of Dune, Denis Villeneuve returns once more to direct his adaptation of the direct sequel to the original novel, Dune: Messiah. From what I understand about the book, it is a very different kind of story and not exactly audience friendly. So, I’m already curious to see how it’ll turn out, especially since Dune Part 2 seemed to be already setting up things for the next film. Some of the cast members from the previous movies will return with Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and Anya Taylor-Joy, and Robert Pattinson will also be a new addition to the cast. I am excited to see how this will all play out and what Villeneuve has in mind for the conclusion to this trilogy.

1. The Odyssey

Odysseus, the legendary Greek king of Ithaca, embarks on a long and perilous journey home following the Trojan War, chronicling his encounters with mythical beings such as the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch-goddess Circe.

Christopher Nolan’s latest ambitious project following Oppenheimer is an adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey. That alone had me interested, but there is also a stacked cast with Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Jon Bernthal, John Luguizamo, Charlize Theron, Himesh Patel, Elliot Page and Mia Goth. The really solid teaser trailers seemed to be keeping much of the film close to the chest, no doubt the best is yet to be shown in the actual film. I’m looking forward to seeing Nolan’s take on The Odyssey, no doubt a fantastical and spectacular epic and one of the highlights of this year.