Films and series on the winter watch list for 2023

Now that I have finally accepted that Succession is over and Sunday nights have been replaced with Sam Levinson’s ‘The Idol’ (still trying to decipher my feelings on this one, so far … not positive) here are a few films and series that I am really looking forward to.

Priscilla 

Anything with Sofia Coppola involved is immediately added to my watch list, she is the genius behind Marie Antoinette, The Bling Ring, Lost in Translation and The Virgin Suicides. Daughter of none other than Francis Ford Coppola, this is my royal family. You can spot a Sofia Coppola film from a mile off by its aesthetics, impeccable styling, hazy, dreamlike screengrabs, effortlessly cool soundtracks and always prioritising the female gaze. Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’ was an ecstatic, bold and horny fever dream, Coppola’s take will likely be very different. The film won’t focus on Elvis but on his wife Priscilla Presley and her 1985 bestselling memoir ‘Elvis and Me’. Once again backed by A24, Coppola has bought on other past collaborators, Costume Designer Stacey Battat, Editor Sarah Flack and Production Designer Tamara Deverell will all be involved. Elvis will be played by none other than Australian heartthrob Jacob Elordi and Priscilla by Cailee Spaeny. 

There’s no release date for Priscilla as of yet but the trailer came out yesterday and I will be waiting in anticipation for more.

The Bear Season 2

The highly anticipated return of The Bear is finally here, the first season follows “Carmy” (Jeremy Allen White AKA swoon) a young chef who leaves the world of fine dining to run his family’s sandwich shop in Chicago. It’s an all-encompassing drama about food, families and the tumultuous day-to-day happenings of the hospitality industry. Whether you watch it for the plot, the food or to drool over Jeremy Allen White, this is an anxiety-inducing must-see. Season one ended on a cliffhanger but we don’t have to wait too much longer to find out what happened to the team at ‘The Original Beef of Chicagoland’ and if you haven’t seen the first season, this is the perfect weekend to have a binge. 

The Bear Season 2 is available to stream on Neon from the 19th of July 2023. 

Asteroid City

There’s no one quite like Wes Anderson, I’m potentially biased here as a die-hard fan of his work but I do think it’s safe to say this will be a film worth seeing. For the last decade, Anderson’s style and wit has convinced some of the world’s biggest film stars to show up for even a minute of screen time. Astroid City has been a semi-secretive project long kept under wraps, from the trailer we can expect to see a non-traditional plot, dry humour and the visual dreamscape Anderson is famous for. Astroid City will feature some Wes Anderson veterans along with some new faces, we’ll see the return of Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Tony Revolori and my number one heartthrob Adrian Brody. Maya Hawke will be joining the cast for the first time and I can’t think of a better fit. 

Astroid City will be released in NZ cinemas on the 10th of August 2023. 

Barbie

This magenta-toned biopic is an obvious choice, and for me, it’s all about Greta Gerwig. The American actress, director and screenwriter is famous for her dialogue-driven independent films. She directed Lady Bird and Little Women (both incredible) and plays Maggie alongside Ethan Hawke in one of my favourite films, 2016’s ‘Maggie’s Plan’ (if you haven’t seen this, add it to the watch list too). Barbie will centre around a doll living in Barbie Land who’s forced to leave due to “imperfections” She sets off on an adventure into the real world and discovers that perfection can only be found from within….it sounds painfully cliché but with Greta Gerwig at the helm this is sure to be anything but what we are expecting and I can’t wait. 

Barbie will be released in NZ cinemas on the 20th of July 2023.