Without further ado:
1. Tenet (July 17)
Christopher Nolan has a reserved spot on any of my Top 10 lists. From The Dark Knight Trilogy to Inception to Interstellar to Dunkirk and even The Prestige, Christopher Nolan makes interesting movies. I can only guess from the trailer what this movie is even about but Nolan has earned the right to give it a look.
2. No Time to Die (April 8)
Daniel Craig and Sean Connery were in different eras so it isn't actually fair to compare their different James Bond portrayals. Daniel Craig has come as close as possible to being able to reinvent an almost 60 year old character as an actor can. He's had some good Bond movies (Casino Royale, Skyfall) and some bad Bond movies (Quantum of Solace, Spectre) so if the pattern follows this should be a good one!
3. Soul (June 19)
Almost all Pixar movies are good. All of the Pixar movies directed by Pete Docter are great. I think this trailer may be trying to throw the audience for a loop but like Christopher Nolan, Pete Docter has earned the right for me to judge him by his movie rather than the trailer alone. His movies have increasingly pushed past your average "being different is good" and into deeper truths and the fact that he is going into the realm of human souls tells me that this will follow that same path.
4. Black Widow (May 1)
Don't worry, Marvel is on the list! Fans have wondered why they waited so long to make a Black Widow movie and it looks like it was worth the wait. Hopper from Stranger Things as a Russian, Black Widow being able to do Black Widow-y things without any of the Avengers, back story into her character- it should be a fun ride.
5. Onward (March 6)
Almost all Pixar movies are good. All of the movies starring Chris Pratt and Tom Holland are great. If there is one thing that Pixar excels at in general it is world building and putting strange characters into worlds that look just enough like ours to recognize it but different enough to make it entertaining. The twist in the trailer makes this movie look just weird enough to rise above the average Pixar movie and be as memorable as some of the greats.
6. In the Heights (June 26)
Lin-Manuel Miranda is fantastic. He's the mind behind the Hamilton musical, which pre-2016 was acknowledged as being the musical that everyone could enjoy. I'm not a hip-hop fan and when I went to see the show I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to follow along. I was incredibly wrong. Miranda's skill as a song-writer and playwright makes any style of music interesting. Miranda's politics are different from my own but what I most appreciate about Lin is his contagious optimism. I hope the movie challenges, encourages and inspires me even more than I think it will now.
7. Wonder Woman 1984 (June 5)
The whole DC vs Marvel thing doesn't make any sense to me. My favorite superheroes as a kid were Batman, The Flash and Spider-man. My favorite superhero movies are The Dark Knight and Spider-man: Homecoming. Liking one thing doesn't mean that you need to hate another thing just to prove how much you like that thing. Wonder Woman is a great example. I loved the original movie even though I couldn't even finish Batman v Superman and skipped Justice League altogether. The reason that the original Wonder Woman movie works is that they made the character interesting. It was a fun movie and I hope it continues in that same vein.
8. Jungle Cruise (July 24)
It's been so long since the original Pirates of the Caribbean movie that it's possible to forget that a good movie can be based on a theme park attraction. The main draw of this movie, however, is The Rock. Dwayne Johnson is more than an action/comedy star, he's an action star who knows how to have fun in his roles. I think the pairing with Emily Blunt (Mary Poppins Returns) will bring a lot of that sense of fun and adventure to this one as well.
9. Mulan (March 27)
Let's get down to business... to defeat... the Huns! I keep going back and forth about this one because at a certain point, they have to take a break from making live-action versions of Disney animated classics. On the other hand, the original was great and I normally end up enjoying the live-action versions!
10. West Side Story (December 18)
No Trailer Yet
A 2nd musical on the list?? Yes! This one is directed by Steven Spielberg (hopefully his last movie before Indiana Jones 5) and is a remake of a classic. I'm interested to see how Spielberg puts his own spin on the movie but above that, I'm really just thankful that Steven Spielberg is still making movies. It seems like a solid choice to see on Christmas.
Honorable Mention: Artemis Fowl (May 29)- I've read a few of the books and it'll either be really fun or really weird.
Well, that's it! I hope you have a Happy New Year and I look forward to being surprised by what movies I like in the next decade!
