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It’s time to brush up on your movie theater etiquette because it sounds like we’ll be spending a lot of time sardined into cushy seats and inhaling the sweet fumes of stale popcorn in 2023.

What we’re trying to say is, there are a lot of movies are coming out this year. A lot of good movies too, the award-winning, box-office-smashing kind that consume our social media feeds and give us plenty to pick apart at the office watercooler, assuming those are still a thing. And what do we do when there are a lot of things to sort out? Well, we vote, and so we asked some of our critics to tell us which films they were most excited about in the new year, with some surprising results. So get out your calendars and then take a look at where we collectively stand on everything from sci-fi sequels to Scorsese-directed crime dramas, high-speed heists, plastic, fantastic origin stories, and a Nolan biopic of nuclear proportions.

Honorable mentions/others receiving votes: Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, Shazam! Fury Of The Gods, Asteroid City, Little Mermaid, Renfield, Creed III, 65, The Exorcist, No Hard Feelings, Challengers, MaXXXine

8. Magic Mike’s Last Dance

For too long, there has been an absence of horniness in cinema. But not for long: after taking a break for the raunchy sequel Magic Mike XXL, cinema master Stephen Soderbergh returns to the male stripper universe with Magic Mike’s Last Dance. Channing Tatum returns as the titular Magic Mike, who heads to London to lead a steamy show. By his side is a wealthy socialite played by the incomparable Salma Hayek. The trailer promises to leave you… very satisfied, to say the least, most appropriate thing. — Carrie Wittmer

7. (tie) Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan’s next masterwork, Oppenheimer, is centered on the creation of the atomic bomb during World War II and the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man responsible for the success of the Manhattan Project. Cillian Murphy stars as Oppenheimer while Emily Blunt plays his wife, Kitty. Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr. are also on-board, but there are honestly too many big names to list out. With Nolan in the director’s chair and the impressive cast, it’s safe to say that Oppenheimer has the potential to be one of 2023’s best films. — Wongo Okon

7. (tie) Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Scorsese ventures into new territory this year, bringing with him a handful of faithful collaborators to tell another true crime story, this time with Western roots. Based on a best-selling non-fiction book of the same name, Scorsese (along with long-time muses Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro) tackle the tragic murders of dozens of members of the Osage Nation at the hands of a covetous white landowner named William Hale (De Niro) in the 1920s — a years-long assassination plot that eventually led to the “birth” of the FBI. Jealous of the wealth the Osage People accumulated thanks to owning oil-rich land in Oklahoma, Hale and his family – including a nephew named Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio) – orchestrated the killings of at least 20 wealthy Osage tribe members, corrupting police officers and bribing local politicians along the way. It’s a long, winding, and morally-bankrupt tale of greed, prejudice, and deadly entitlement – one that just might score Scorsese and company more Oscar noms. — Jessica Toomer

6. (tie) Cocaine Bear

Subtlety can be a wonderful thing, but also, I enjoy titles that tell you precisely what you’re gonna get, which is what’s happening here: a bear ate about 70 pounds of cocaine and then went on a murderous rampage. Clearly, this will be a masterpiece directed by Elizabeth Banks and featuring Ray Liotta in one of his final roles. And as the trailer shows us, the nice boy from Sweet Tooth (Christian Convery) drops an F-bomb. It will be chaos, I tell you.

Then there’s this: Margo Martindale gets snatched by the bear with no “apple pie” to be found. Justified fans, I am not referencing in a gratuitous way. This matters. Our own Brian Grubb previously laid it all out there: this film is based upon the same real-life story that inspired the Season 4 Drew Thompson arc of the Tim Olyphant show. But the story could be even better in this movie because (although Raylan Givens will not swagger out of the woods and shoot the bear) this story includes the bear. He ate cocaine, and he’s on fire. — Kimberly Ricci

6. (tie) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is not only the best Spider-Man movie — it’s arguably the best comic book movie ever made. (No pressure, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.) But based on everything we’ve seen so far, the sequel looks just as good as the original, if not better, because it has Daniel Kaluuya as Spider-Punk and dozens (hundreds?) of other Spider-People. Across the Spider-Verse will require more than one viewing to take them all in. But, like Into the Spider-Verse, multiple watches won’t be a chore; it’ll be a pleasure. — Josh Kurp

5. Fast X

It feels crazy that it took this franchise 10 movies to find a role for Jason Momoa. Jason Momoa is maybe the most “should be in the Fast & Furious movies” actor currently working in Hollywood. Everything about him screams it. The temptation here is to be angry about that, the thing where we all wasted so much time making these movies without him. The better reaction — the mature one — is to be thankful that it’s finally happening. Especially when you see Momoa describe his character (whose name is “Dante,” which is perfect) as “very sadistic and androgynous and he’s a bit of a peacock.” All of this in a franchise that just sent Ludacris and Tyrese to outer space in a NoS-fueled muscle car. Anything could happen. Dominic Toretto could be a senator by the end of the movie. That’s not an impossible outcome here. There’s something thrilling about that. — Brian Grubb

4. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One

The most frequently punctuated film franchise is back, and not a moment too soon. For the seventh Mission: Impossible movie, and the first since 2018’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Tom Cruise performed the “most dangerous stunt” ever, which involves riding a motorcycle off a cliff. He’s basically Russell Crowe in Gladiator asking “are you not entertained?” except he’s 100 percent serious about wanting to entertain us with his life-or-death stunts. Also along for the ride (not the ride off the cliff, however) are returning favorites Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, and Vanessa Kirby, as well as newcomers Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, and Shea Whigham. Top Gun: Maverick was one of the biggest movies of 2022 — Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One will hopefully be just as massive in 2023. — Josh Kurp

3. John Wick: Chapter 4

Keanu Reeves, man. I could stop there, but I cannot do so. Because Keanu is at the stage of his career where he could, you know, decide to focus on his “craft” or not do a million punches and kicks. Yet here he is, doing that better than anyone else. It’s kind of like Tom Cruise, but there’s a different vibe because Keanu is not inside an airplane with a parachute to save him if things go awry. Instead, he is throwing himself into hand-to-hand combat (while wearing a suit, no less) for our edification. He knows that we want this, and he delivers and happily so.

At this point, John Wick has slaughtered nearly a whole army of criminal underworld dudes, and the franchise has increasingly gone off the rails in the most glorious way possible. Again, this is happening on the strength of the Wick character (every fan knows this by now: do not f*ck with a man’s dog) and whatever he can grip in his bare hands. He’s gonna deal with ninjas and horse-bound gunfights and a new baddie played by Donnie Yen, who was certainly fated to appear in this franchise. And I have complete faith that Keanu would not be doing this movie if it doesn’t top the greatest scene of the franchise thus far: the busting-through-glass-boxes fight scene of Parabellum. I’m ready. I will watch this in IMAX, which is not something I say frequently. Give me the tick-tock and the swords and the rain-soaked battles and that sweet action choreography. Oh, and the mythology. That’s pretty neat. too. — Kimberly Ricci

2. Dune: Part Two

This was always Denis Villeneuve’s plan, to follow up his sub-woofed space opera with a part two that delved even deeper into the mythology and majesty of Frank Herbert’s seminal sci-fi novel. Thankfully, despite simultaneous streaming platform premieres and Covid constraints, we got here. Here, of course, being the next installment in the story of Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, an intergalactic messiah with luscious locks and a terrible destiny. With most of his family dead and his House destroyed, Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) must now partner up with the Fremen of Arrakis to defeat House Harkonnen and fulfill his prophesized destiny – which all sounds very grand and ridiculous. And that’s without even mentioning the whole “riding giant sandworms” bit. We’ve been promised more than a perfume-commercial-break of Zendaya this time around and some new characters played by the likes of Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Christopher Walken. Combine all that with Villeneuve’s passion for serious storytelling and Hans Zimmer’s bone-rattling, bass-heavy score, and this “sequel” will likely translate into one of the more awe-inspiring sci-fi epics of the year, not to mention, the decade. — Jessica Toomer

1. Barbie

Looming large over the year’s impressive line-up of blockbuster franchises is this maybe-meta exploration of conscious consumerism coated in neon-pink nostalgia about a children’s toy that’s become a cultural icon. Helmed by Greta Gerwig and starring a who’s-who lineup led by Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, Barbie seems almost too smart for a premise that began by asking the simple question, “What if life in plastic wasn’t so fantastic after all?” With few plot details and only a Kubrickian-styled teaser to whet the appetite, we’re still questioning how this Mattel-funded fever dream might play out. Will Barbie be remembered in the pantheon of cinema as the highest-brow of art, a Truman Show-like musing on sentience and self-confidence? Will it be a gluttonous exercise in camp, an oversaturated acid trip of tongue-in-cheek humor that flops at the box office but finds life as a future cult favorite? Will it finally give Robbie the blockbuster star vehicle she deserves? Will it turn Gosling into 2023’s himbo of the year? Half the fun is in the wondering. — Jessica Toomer

It’s a new year and Rosalía is already teasing new music. Yesterday (January 5), the Spanish pop star played a preview of her new song that’s been dubbed “Lie Like You Love Me” on TikTok.

Rosalía is continuing to enjoy her romantic vacation in Tokyo, Japan with her boyfriend Rauw Alejandro. On TikTok, she posted and then later deleted a video of herself cruising through a lake with Alejandro. In the video, she is singing along to an unreleased song. Rosalía repeatedly sings, “Lie like you love me,” which fans have named the track that appears will be in English. Though in English, the preview shows the song has a bit of a flamenco sound to it that she’s known for.

There’s no word yet on when to expect the release of “Lie Like You Love Me.” Last month, Rosalía dropped a remix of her hit “Despechá” with Cardi B. Since then, she has spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve with Alejandro in Tokyo. On New Year’s Day, the Latin power couple had an epic karaoke session where they covered classics like Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro” and Cher’s “Believe.” For the reggaeton fans, they also sang Daddy Yankee’s breakthrough hit “Gasolina” together.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

If there’s one thing that remains true about country music icon Dolly Parton, she never passes up on an opportunity to make music. As a result, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame songwriter has been tapped to sing on the theme song for the upcoming film, 80 To Brady. Based on Parton’s track record of turning out soundtrack bangers (see 1980’s “9 To 5“), expectations have been set high.

The song titled “Gonna Be You” was written by legendary songwriter Diane Warren and will feature an all-star list of vocal cameos similar to the film. Parton will be joined by Gloria Estefan, Debbie Harry, Cyndi Lauper, and Belinda Carlisle.

Warren told Rolling Stone about the inspiration behind the film’s feature track, “I wanted to write a song that celebrated these women’s deep friendship. Since 80 was in the title, I got a crazy idea, why not get some of the most iconic singers from the ’80s, who are still amazing and always will be, to all sing it?”

Despite her impressive resume, Warren was taken when the ladies agreed to be a part of the song, stating, “Everyone I approached said yes and was just as excited as me!”

Although the film has been scheduled to hit theaters on February 3, we’re unsure when “Gonna Be You” will be available for streaming.

Watch the full trailer for 80 For Brady below.

“America’s Got Talent” is back, this time reuniting the best of the best for its “All Stars” season. Winners, finalists, fan favorites and others from across the franchise step onto the stage once more to showcase their talent and compete for the title.

As you can imagine, the bar is set pretty high. On Monday’s premiere, Jan 2, one hopeful act truly shined—not only with another Golden Buzzer winning performance, but their incredible display of resilience.

Light Balance Kids, a dance group from Ukraine made up of mostly kids, earned their first Golden Buzzer back in 2019 after wowing judges with their robot themed light-up routine. Since that victory, their home country has been in the throes of war. One member even noted that some had to travel to the show alone. “Some of our parents, like my father, are still in the war in Ukraine. He’s fighting for our country for independence and freedom,” she explained.

She went on to share that she’s been woken up at 4 a.m. so that her family could flee to an underground station, overwhelmed by the sounds of “bombs and rockets everywhere.” Needless to say, no child should ever have to experience that.

Another dancer added that after not dancing together since 2019, returning to AGT is an “opportunity to remember what it’s like to have peaceful times.”

She concluded with yet another powerful statement before the group began: “We want to show the world that light always wins.”

The group proceeded to do just that—performing a stunning video-game inspired number that earned a standing ovation from the audience.

Watch below:

The impressive spectacle was dubbed by judge Simon Cowell as the crew’s best. “If anything defines an All-Star, it was that performance, really,” he said, adding that their touching story on top of such talent made it all the more “poignant.”

Howie Mandel seconded, saying, “There’s such an amazing message here. Where you come from, at this point it’s arguably the darkest place in the world, and you come across the globe to bring us light.”

Then he hit that coveted Golden Buzzer button, and joined them on stage as the confetti dropped, telling the group they’re his “favorite act ever!”

With a show like this, seeing astonishing talent is inevitable. But what makes it even more worthwhile is witnessing remarkable displays of humanity. It takes courage and strength to choose hope when surrounded by darkness. These kids have that in spades, along with some super cool dance moves.

The painting of an old devout man praying over a bowl of gruel and a loaf of bread in front of a Bible is one of the most popular pieces of 20th century American art. The piece is called “Grace” and you’ll find it in homes, churches and even restaurants.

I clearly remember there was a copy of it hanging on the wall at my corner burger joint, Mack’s Burgers, in Torrance, California, in the ’80s. Sadly, it’s been torn down and is now a Jack in the Box.

However ubiquitous the photo may be, a new video by pop culture YouTube user Austin McConnell shows that “Grace” isn’t really what it seems.

“Grace” was originally a photograph taken in 1918, during World War I, by Eric Enstrom, a Swedish American from Bovey, Minnesota. Enstrom was preparing some photographs to take with him to a convention when Charles Wilden, a salesman selling boot scrapers, came to his door, and he know he had to take his photo.

“There was something about the old gentleman’s face that immediately impressed me. I saw that he had a kind face… there weren’t any harsh lines in it,” Enstrom said. “I wanted to take a picture that would show people that even though they had to do without many things because of the war they still had much to be thankful for,” he added.

“There was something about the old gentleman’s face that immediately impressed me. I saw that he had a kind face… there weren’t any harsh lines in it,” Enstrom said. “I wanted to take a picture that would show people that even though they had to do without many things because of the war they still had much to be thankful for,” he added.

Enstrom posed Wilden in front of a loaf of bread, a bowl—which may have been empty—and a large book that many assume to be the Bible. But, as McConnell notes, the book is far too large to be the good book, as most people assume. The Grand Forks Herald claims that a receipt for payment from Enstrom to Wilden reveals that the book is a dictionary.

The photograph went on to be a huge hit at the convention and Enstrom began selling copies about town. After many requested copies of the photo in color, Enstrom’s daughter, Rhoda Nyberg, began hand-painting them in oils and added a streak of light on the left side of the painting. This is the version that people have come to love.

u201c@BrentTerhune The artist who hand- colored u201cGrace,u201d a photo showing a white-bearded man bowed in prayer before a simple meal, was Rhoda Nyberg, the daughter of Eric Enstrom. Rhoda’s father took the photo in his studio in Bovey, Minnesota in 1918.nnRhoda Nyberg died at the age of 95. in 2015.u201d

— Brent Terhune in Akron Jan 6 & 7 (@Brent Terhune in Akron Jan 6 & 7)
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“The intent of the photo is fairly obvious,” McConnell says in the video. “Enstrom wanted an image that conveyed to people that even though they had to do without many provisions because of the ongoing war, there was still much to be thankful for. A picture that seemed to say ‘this man doesn’t have much of earthly goods, but he has more than most people because he has a thankful heart.'”

Enstrom convinced Wilden to sign over his rights for $5, which gave him the sole copyright. He then licensed the image to the Lutheran-affiliated Augsburg publishing house, which distributed the image across the country.

According to McConnell “thousands and thousands” of copies of the photo were sold. The image entered the public domain in 1995.

Although not much is known about Wilden, it is believed that he lived a hard life. “He was living in a very primitive sod hut near Grand Rapids, eking out a very precarious living,” retired history professor Don Boese told the Grand Forks Herald. It’s also likely that he wasn’t the devout man we imagine in the photo. “The stories about him centered more around drinking and not accomplishing very much,” Boese said.

So the painting was actually a photo. The Bible, a dictionary, and the subject was more likely to be the town drunk than a saint. But, in the end, does it matter? McConnell believes that its meaning rests in the eye of the beholder.

“If you found out today that everything you thought you knew about this iconic image was actually wrong, would you take it off your wall?” McConnell asks at the end of the video. “Or would you accept that the value in a piece of art isn’t merely derived from the knowledge of how it was made? Or who made it?”

Charles Barkley very famously does not like Skip Bayless. Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, is the fact that Barkley took advantage of the opportunity to make fun of the Fox Sports personality who has come under fire in recent days for an insensitive tweet he posted in the immediate aftermath of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin going into cardiac arrest during the team’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bayless offered a strange statement on the episode of Undisputed that aired on Tuesday, which did not feature Shannon Sharpe. The Hall of Fame tight end returned to the desk on Wednesday, but while he tried to issue a statement that included him expressing how disappointed he was in the tweet, Bayless interrupted him, which led to an argument between the two. Barkley has never been one to turn down the chance to get off a few jokes at the expense of the Undisputed crew, and on Thursday, he and Shaquille O’Neal did just that.

Poor Ernie Johnson had to (as usual) try to keep the peace but (as usual) failed, because Chuck and Shaq were (as usual) having way too much fun here. This is a far cry from how Barkley usually addresses Bayless, as he has said that he would put him in “a full body cast” if they were ever in a room together.

The Nepo Babies controversy has been around for quite some time — famous artists have long since, either explicitly or through simply existing, helped their progeny get a leg up — but of course you’ve probably heard the more focused conversation lately. Vulture recently detailed the Nepo-Baby Verse by amassing a list of some musicians and actors who may or may not be in their current position due to their parents. As expected, this did not happen without a fuss. Some artists like Willow weren’t bothered at all while Lily Allen feels “scapegoated,” and Kate Hudson pushed back slightly but ultimately said that she “doesn’t care.”

Whereas Jack Quaid, who some people didn’t even realize was the son of Jack Quaid and Meg Ryan, previously admitted that he had considered changing his name since he anticipated people thinking that he didn’t deserve roles. Now, everyone’s Dad, Tom Hanks (who has been married to fellow actor Rita Wilson forever), has been asked to weigh in on whether the “nepotism” argument is fair and whether it applies to his family. Hanx and Wilson are, of course, parents to one fine actor, Colin Hanks, as well as Chet Hanks, who has, well, dabbled in different areas. In addition, Tom cast another of his sons, Truman, in the recently released A Man Called Otto.

Here’s how Hanx responded (while speaking with Reuters via The Sun and The Hollywood Reporter) to the fuss:

“Look, this is a family business… This is what we’ve been doing forever. It’s what all of our kids grew up in. If we were a plumbing supply business or if we ran the florist shop down the street, the whole family would be putting in time at some point, even if it was just inventory at the end of the year.”

That’s a fair point, but also, it’s fair to say that a successful acting career (and being fortunate enough to tell stories for a living) is cushier than running a retail business, so the Nepo Baby discussion is not unwarranted. Still, Hanks believes that “[t]he thing that doesn’t change no matter what happens, no matter what your last name is, is whether it works or not.” He continued: “That’s the issue anytime any of us go off and try to tell a fresh story or create something that has a beginning and a middle and an end. Doesn’t matter what our last names are. We have to do the work in order to make that a true and authentic experience for the audience.”

In other words, Hanx is “not trippin,’” so that runs in the family, too.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Now that the new year has kicked off and people on Twitter are voting for which trends are going to be “in” and “out” this year, Indiecast returns to share their predictions about the state of indie music in 2023. Will Sky Ferreira finally release Masochism this year? Who is the next artist to work with Jack Antonoff? Find out Steve Hyden and Ian Cohen’s predictions in the latest Indiecast episode.

Of course, Steve and Ian had to start the episode off by recapping all the music news they missed over the holidays. Sorry to any listeners who thought “talk less about Matty Healy” was on their 2023 resolutions because a video of The 1975 singer hanging out with Phish’s Trey Anastasio dominated social media a few weeks ago, so it of course needs to be discussed. Some other noteworthy news items include Courtney Love talking sh*t about Kurt Cobain in a podcast interview, Bob Dylan admitting he’s seen Metallica twice, and new music by Mac Demarco and The Hold Steady.

In this week’s Recommendation Corner, Ian gives a shout out to Detroit band Fireworks, who just dropped the album Higher Lonely Power. Steve tells listeners to check out rising country star Zach Bryan’s latest live album, titled All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster, which was recorded at Red Rocks in Colorado.

New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 120 here or below and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at [email protected], and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.

North West has been garnering a lot of attention with controversial TikToks on her joint account with her mom Kim Kardashian. Yesterday she danced with Kim to “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift, who is quite obviously her dad Kanye‘s archenemy. She’s back with another video that’s nothing short of viral.

In the new TikTok, North is dressed up as Kanye, wearing a black hoodie and beanie and what appears to be a beard drawn with sharpie. Kim stands next to her posing, clad in big shades. The comments on the original video are turned off (all of their TikToks have disabled comment sections), but of course conversation was sparked on Twitter, with many users wondering why Kim would go along with this.

Since the launch of the joint account, which boasts over 12 million followers, Kanye wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post, “Since this is my first divorce I need to know what I should do about my daughter being put on [TikTok] against my will?” This followed an interview in which he spoke up against North using the app: “Tell her don’t have my daughter wearing lipstick on TikTok and don’t have her on TikTok at all if I don’t approve that.”

Despite racking up an insane amount of views, Netflix has yet to pull the trigger on Wednesday Season 2, which led to panicked speculation over the holidays that the show might make the jump to Amazon. (The shopping behemoth/entertainment conglomerate purchased MGM who owns the rights to The Addams Family.) However, recent reports have tamped down those rumors, and now, Netflix appears to be leaning into the fan frenzy.

In a new clip posted to Netflix’s official Twitter account, Jenna Ortega‘s Wednesday can be seen working on her book at Nevermore Academy. As she reaches the final page, she noticeably types “The End” before adding a question mark. In an extremely subtle move, Netflix also captioned the video with “???????” in case the implication wasn’t clear that the first season was not the end of Wednesday’s tale.

You can watch the clip below:

As for the Amazon drama, a recent report claims that the acquisition will not affect Wednesday‘s status on Netflix. In fact, the show is already preparing for Season 2 even though an official renewal order hasn’t been issued yet. That order is believed to be “inevitable,” according to Deadline:

Producers are starting to talk to writers about joining the second season’s writers’ room and mulling season two locations, and even though MGM has been restructured into Amazon Studios, under Jen Salke, no one expects that to derail future seasons. While there are things the two new partners will have to work out, insiders expect renewal talks to go pretty smoothly.

Wednesday Season 1 is currently streaming on Netflix.

(Via Netflix on Twitter)