2023 is turning out to be an amazing year for movies, especially movies getting released in cinemas. This is the year when production houses are taking the risk of releasing a variety of movies in cinemas instead of releasing them on streaming platforms, which was becoming the norm in the last few years.
In fact, some people argue that too many movies will be released in 2023 around the same time (like Oppenheimer, Barbie), due to which cinema lovers are faced with the dilemma of which movie to watch and which one to skip.
Summer has always been a favorite month for Hollywood to release some of the most anticipated movies and make tons of money at the box office. It is the same case this year. July, specifically, is one such month that is going to be a great time for movie fanatics as more than 15 movies will be releasing and streaming in it.
Whether you are a fan of fantasy comedy films, action adventures, or pure horror movies, you will find your pick in the upcoming movies in July 2023. Let's look at these 15 movies in detail to see why we should be excited about them.
15 Insidious: The Red Door (July 7)
Yes, you guessed it right! The Insidious franchise did not end with Insidious: The Last Key. In fact, Blumhouse Productions has decided to keep cashing in on this series by making various sequels, spin-offs, and possibly crossovers. This plan includes the upcoming Insidious: The Red Door, which will serve as a direct sequel to the foundations of this film series - Insidious and Insidious: Chapter 2.
The original cast of the franchise will be returning "to end the haunting and to put the demons to rest once and for all." Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Dalton (Ty Simpkins), now a college student, will be venturing deep into The Further to face their dark past and unravel the secrets of The Red Door. Considering the horror-filled ride that the previous Insidious movies had to offer, the audience can expect the same from this movie.
14 Joy Ride (July 7)
Joy Ride is the directorial debut of Adele Lim, who is known for writing Crazy Rich Asians and Raya and the Last Dragon. The film follows a group of four friends Audrey (Ashley Park), Lolo (Sherry Cola), Kat (Stephanie Hsu), and Deadeye (Sabrina Wu) who go on an international adventure across China to find Audrey's birth mother.
Just like in Crazy Rich Asians, Lim has explored the themes of self-discovery, love, friendship, and bonding in this movie. If you are someone who loves comedy films filled with lots of adventures and beautiful cinematic shots, you are likely to enjoy this movie.
13 Earth Mama (July 7)
The A24 production company has a long list of successful films, but the last year's Everything Everywhere All at Once, the most-awarded movie of all time, has put it on the map. Earth Mama is one of the upcoming movies from A24. It received good reviews at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and will release in the USA on July 7th, 2023.
This film explores the fight of a pregnant single mother, Gia (played by a newcomer, Tia Nomore), against the foster system as she tries to reclaim her two children while trying to settle in the Bay Area community to protect her unborn child. With A24's history of nailing drama films, it is expected that they will strike the right chords with Earth Mama as well.
12 Biosphere (July 7)
Biosphere is a buddy comedy film set in a dystopian future where only two male best friends - Billy (Mark Duplass) and Ray (Sterling K. Brown) - have survived, thanks to a domed scientific structure capable of supporting life. The addition of comedic elements in a dystopian film is certainly an interesting take by Mark Duplass and the directorial debut from Mel Eslyn could be a lot of fun for the audience.
11 The Out-Laws (July 7)
Produced by Adam Sandler and directed by Tyler Spindel, The Out-Laws will release on Netflix. The film follows Owen Browning (Adam DeVine), a prim and proper bank manager, as he is about to get engaged to Parker McDermott (Nina Dobrev).
But, Browning's bank is held up by a group of criminals called "Ghost Bandits," and he suspects that his future in-laws are behind the robbery. With an impressive cast and the producer's history of hitting the right mark with crime comedy, The Out-Laws seems to be a great film to stream this summer.
10 Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (July 12)
With Tom Cruise still riding on the massive success of Top Gun: Maverick and considering the hype around the Mission Impossible franchise, the new installment in the series, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, is expected to impress the fans and have a huge opening at the box office. Joining Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), Grace (Hayley Atwell), and the rest of the team go on a mission to track down a highly dangerous weapon before it falls into the hands of Ethan's old enemies.
With Christopher McQuarrie at the helm of the film, a lot of action and stunts (including driving a motorcycle off a cliff) will be seen in the film, and it's still not over! It will be followed by Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, which is currently set to release in 2024, but might face delays. Despite the initial news that these two parts are designed as a send-off for Ethan Hunt, McQuarrie said in a recent interview that "the plan always changes," teasing that the franchise might continue.
9 Theater Camp (July 14)
Theater Camp is a comedy film revolving around a group of theater students and teachers in upstate New York. The founder of the theater, Joan (Amy Sedaris), falls into a coma, due to which her son, Troy (Jimmy Tatro), must band together with Amos (Ben Platt) and Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon) to keep the theater running during the summers.
The film is based on a 2020 short film of the same name and is expected to be a good ol' comedy filled with fun and laughter.
8 Bird Box Barcelona (July 14)
Bird Box was a huge hit for Netflix in 2018, so they decided to make its international spin-off. Bird Box Barcelona is a Spanish film releasing directly on Netflix. It is set in the same post-apocalyptic universe as Bird Box, which has been attacked by unknown entities, causing people who look at them to kill themselves.
Even though Bird Box Barcelona is not a direct sequel to Bird Box, its plot has some significant similarities. It follows Sebastián (Mario Casas) and his daughter Sophia (Naila Schuberth) teaming up with other survivors and trying to survive the apocalypse by not looking at the entities that have invaded the earth.
7 Oppenheimer (July 21)
Christopher Nolan received great reviews and his first Oscar nomination as a director with his historical drama, Dunkirk. He is expected to repeat history with Oppenheimer, which has already been in the news for the last few months for its elaborate atomic bomb scenem in which Nolan used practical effects instead of CGI.
Unlike Nolan's previous films, Oppenheimer is a biographical thriller that explores the controversial life of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy). With an ensemble cast of A-listers like Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Rami Malek, Matt Damon, and Robert Downey Jr, some of the most powerful performances of the year can be expected in Oppenheimer.
6 Barbie (July 21)
Barbie is the first live-action Barbie film after a long list of animated films in the franchise. The film has an extensive ensemble cast, led by Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling). Many different variations of Barbies and kens will be seen in the film, played by a highly talented cast consisting of Kate McKinnon, Dua Lipa, Nicola Coughlan, Emma Mackey, Alexandra Shipp, Hari Nef, Simu Liu, Scot Evans, Ncuti Gatwa, among many others. Not much has been revealed about the film's plot, except that it will follow Barbie as she enters the real world after getting expelled from Barbieland for being an imperfect doll.
Interestingly, Barbie was previously in development by Universal Pictures in 2009, but Sony Pictures got its rights in 2014. Different actresses like Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway were attached to the project during these years before Sony lost the rights to Warner Bros. Pictures, and Robbie was cast in 2019. Greta Gerwig came on board as director and co-writer in 2021 and said that she was terrified of directing the film because she thought it could be a "career-ender" but eventually decided to take the leap. Considering the kind of highly acclaimed films (Lady Bird, Little Women) Gerwig has directed, it will be interesting to see her take on Barbie and how she ended up causing a global shortage of pink paint.
Related: IMAX's CEO Discusses Battle Between Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Mission Impossible
5 Cobweb (July 21)
Cobweb is a horror film directed by first-time director Samuel Bodin. As the film name suggests, the plot revolves around a web of lies and mysteries as an eight-year-old Peter (Woody Norman) hears constant taps from inside his bedroom wall while his parents (played by Lizzy Caplan and Antony Starr) try to convince him that he's just imagining things.
Though Peter believes his parents are hiding a dangerous secret in their house. The film has the potential to be a good summer horror flick, with great acting from Emmy-nominated Lizzy Caplan and BAFTA-nominated Woody Norman.
4 They Cloned Tyrone (July 21)
They Cloned Tyrone is a science fiction mystery comedy film helmed by Juel Taylor in his directorial debut. It has an interesting cast led by John Boyega as Fontaine, Teyonah Parris as Yo-Yo, and Jamie Foxx as Slick Charles. The plot revolves around the trio trying to unravel a government cloning conspiracy. The film opened at the American Black Film Festival on June 14, 2023, and received good reviews. It will release worldwide on July 21, 2023, by Netflix.
3 Haunted Mansion (July 28)
Haunted Mansion is the reboot of the 2003 film of the same name. It has been in development since 2010 with different directors attached to it. Finally, Justin Simien, known for directing Dear White People, is getting the opportunity to bring his vision to life. The supernatural comedy film has an impressive cast of actors like LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chase W. Dillon, Rosario Dawson, and many others.
Gabbie (Dawson) and Travis (W. Dillon) are the residents of the haunted mansion, and they hire a team to exorcise the mansion and eradicate the ghosts. Dan Levy and Winona Ryder also have undisclosed roles in the film, so you can expect some great cameos. Just like the original film, this one is also likely to be filled with lots of fun and humor with great cinematography and VFX. The film overall seems to have all the characteristics of a potential summer blockbuster.
Related: Haunted Mansion Director Used Eddie Murphy’s Flop To Make a Better Movie
2 Sympathy for the Devil (July 28)
Sympathy for the Devil is a psychological horror film written by Luke Paradise and directed by Yuval Adler, best known for the 2013 film Bethlehem. The film follows The Driver (Joel Kinnaman), who is forced to drive The Passenger (Nicolas Cage) at gunpoint, leading The Driver into highly dangerous, mysterious, and confusing circ*mstances. The synopsis of the film seems interesting, and if it is well-directed, it can turn out to be a great summer psychological film.
1 The Beanie Bubble (July 28)
Beanie Babies are one of the most popular lines of stuffed toys not only in the USA but in various international regions as well. The worth of Ty Warner, the man behind Beanie Babies, catapulted to $5.9 billion as per Forbes, mainly due to the success of Beanie Babies. So, if you have ever wondered about these toys coming into being, you should definitely watch The Beanie Bubble in select theaters on July 21, 2023, or on Apple TV+ on July 28.
The film explores how Ty Warner (played by Zach Galifianakis) was helped by three women - Robbie (Elizabeth Banks), Sheila Warner (Sarah Snook), and Maya (Geraldine Viswanathan) - to turn his stuffed animals into a popular '90s trend and become the successful businessman that he is today. Keep in mind that the film is a comedy-drama and not exactly a biography or documentary, so when you watch it, you should take its scenes and specific events with a grain of salt.
Considering all of these amazing movies releasing in July 2023, every cinema lover is likely to have something to look forward to.
