July 2023’s Top 5 New Movies – Great

For some of us movie buffs, July’s the month we’ve been counting down to, because there’s not one but two highly anticipated movies releasing this month. Maybe the biggest decision we make this month is which movie to watch first. Other movies that didn’t quite make the list but are worth checking out are The Lesson and Theatre Camp.

The Lesson stars Daryl McCormack, Richard E. Grant and Julie Delpy. The movie is about a tutor who gets hired to teach the son of his favourite author, who discovers secrets about the family along the way. Theatre Camp is a comedy about children who enter, well, theatre camp. Based on the trailer, the movie looks hilarious and should be a fun time at the movies.

Without further ado, here are the biggest new movies of July 2023.

 

New Movies of July 2023

1. Insidious: The Red Door | July 7th, 2023

We’re all excited for Insidious: The Red Door for a few reasons. Firstly, the original cast is returning. Secondly, Patrick Wilson is in the director’s chair, and this film marks his directorial debut. Wilson first played the character Josh Lambert in the original installment back in 2010 directed by James Wan, and resumed his role in the 2013 and 2018 sequels. Being such a horror veteran – he’s played a pivotal character in The Conjuring movies as well – it seems only natural that he would start his journey as director with a horror film.

The movie takes place 10 years after the events of the first Insidious. Josh and son Dalton, who’s now in college, see various apparitions as they unlock memories from their past after undergoing therapy to forget their dark experiences. They will now need to go deeper into the mysteries of The Further and face their family’s dark past, along with other terrors that lurk beyond the red door.

 

2. Joy Ride | July 7th, 2023

Joy Ride is killing it in early review, with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes currently. This means that so far, out of the 23 reviews that have come in, every single critic enjoyed it and gave it a fresh rating. This is subject to change of course the moment the film has its wide release, but that’s some great numbers, and considering all the praise, I do think it will maintain its course.

Audrey (Ashley Park) has a business trip to China, and since her parents are white, she enlists the aid of her childhood best friend Lolo (Sherry Cola). Along for the ride is her college friend Kat (Stephanie Hsu), and Lolo’s eccentric cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu). The movie is raunchy, yes, but it’s also an uplifting story about identity and friendship. It’s great to see more Asian-centred narratives in Hollywood films, as well as the diversity in the narratives explored.

 

3. Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One | July 12th, 2023

There isn’t much known about the film plot-wise, but the cast comprises of quite a few familiar faces. Tom Cruise is of course reprising his lead role as Ethan Hunt. Besides Cruise, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One will also see the return of Ving Rhames, Henry Czerny, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, and Frederick Schmidt, all of whom will be back in their old roles from the previous films. The film’s primary villain will be played by Esai Morales.

Paramount Pictures also released a behind the scenes look of Tom Cruise doing the biggest stunt in movie history, and it’s amazing. Even if the film doesn’t deliver so much on narrative cohesion, at least there’s the spectacle to look forward to.

 

4. Barbie | July 21st, 2023

Greta Gerwig proved what a filmmaking force she is with Lady Bird and Little Women, and now audiences can’t wait to see what else she has up her sleeve in this Barbie adaptation. Gerwig co-wrote the script with her partner Noah Baumbach, so audiences are expecting something incredible, even if the plot description sounds a bit basic.

The film will centre on a Barbie doll (Margot Robbie) living in Barbieland, who’s forced into exile due to her so-called imperfections. This causes her to set off on an adventure in the real world and discovering along the way that perfection can only truly be found within. Ryan Gosling plays Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken. Other notable actors in the movie are Will Ferrell, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Emerald Fennell, Emma Mackey and Ncuti Gatwa.

 

5. Oppenheimer | July 21st, 2023

Oppenheimer is based on the life of theoretical physicist and “the father of the Atomic bomb” J. Robert Oppenheimer. This is Nolan’s first time attempting a biopic, but obviously considering his modus operandi, don’t expect a standard biopic with this one.

There’s a running joke about the competition between Barbie and Oppenheimer, since both are released on the same day and each film is casting such talented actors. For Oppenheimer we have Cillian Murphy as the titular character, and actors like Kenneth Branagh, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, Jack Quaid and many more.

So which film will reign supreme come opening weekend? I don’t think it matters, because most of us are going to watch both anyway. What a time to be alive.

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