TAGGED AS: blockbusters, movies, Superheroes
Once again, we have a unanimous pick as the most anticipated movie of the month, but this time around, the runner-up was also a unanimous No. 2 across all of our social media polls. After that, a pair of blockbuster sequels tied for the third spot, and two more films tied for the fourth, though they trailed far behind the rest of the pack in terms of votes. Read on for the most anticipated movies opening in June 2023!
#1 on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube
Release Date: June 2
Back in late 2018, the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse took the world by storm, earning near universal acclaim from both critics and audiences en route to an Oscar win for Best Animated Film and, thanks to its fresh and inventive art style, arguably changing the genre forever. So it’s no surprise that its follow-up, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, ranks at the top of everyone’s list as the movie to see in June. And even though it’s only the first half of a two-part story (with the second half set to open next year), it has already gotten a similar reception to the first from those who have seen it, currently sitting at a Certified Fresh 95% on the Tomatometer and an equally impressive 95% Audience Score.
The Flash (2023)
#2 on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube
Release Date: June 16
Not far behind Spider-Man, we have the latest entry in the DC Universe — which, we should note, is getting a complete overhaul in the near future. That said, The Flash offers DC’s own multiversal adventure, complete with the requisite nostalgic fan service, and while we don’t have any reviews for it yet (check back with us on June 6 for those), the buzz around the film thus far has been overwhelmingly positive, and it quite unsurprisingly took the No. 2 spot this month with a unanimous vote, so look for this one to make a big splash when it opens in the middle of the month.
#3 on Instagram and Twitter, #4 on Facebook and YouTube
Release Date: June 30
While the two big superhero movies easily took No. 1 and 2 this month, two more blockbusters tied for the third position. We’ll start with Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which comes a decade and a half after the last installment (the somewhat divisive Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) and finds Harrison Ford’s adventuring archaeology professor entering the Space Race of the 1960s. The film held its world premiere at Cannes last month, where it earned underwhelming reviews, but it’s hard to discount the enthusiasm of longtime fans who just can’t wait to see Indy crack that whip one last time.
#3 on Facebook and YouTube, #4 on Instagram and Twitter
Release Date: June 9
The second film tying for the third position is another big franchise entry, though this one is technically a prequel. Following in the footsteps of 2018’s Bumblebee, which jumped backwards to the 1980s and ended up earning the best reviews of the Transformers series, Rise of the Beasts sets its action in the 1990s and introduces characters from the Beast Wars storyline. Hopes are high that this one will be as enjoyable as its predecessor, and considering it doesn’t have any competition during its opening weekend, it certainly looks like the other studios are expecting Paramount to have another winner, at least at the box office.
Elemental (2023)
#5 on Instagram and Youtube
Release Date: June 16
There wasn’t nearly as much love for any of the films outside of the top four, but two movies did earn enough votes to tie for the final spot this month, even if they lagged far behind the rest. The first is Pixar’s latest effort, Elemental, which takes place in a world populated by anthropomorphized elemental beings and charts the budding friendship between a young woman made of fire and a young man made of water. Like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, this film also debuted at Cannes, and the few reviews we’ve seen thus far haven’t been super positive, but it’s Pixar after all, and aside from The Little Mermaid, it’ll be the only game around for the youngest audiences until Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken hits theaters two weeks later.
No Hard Feelings (2023)
#5 on Facebook and Twitter
Release Date: June 23
Finally, tying Elemental for the last spot is a bit of an outlier, as far as summer movies go; it’s not an animated tentpole, franchise entry, or action blockbuster, but an R-rated coming-of-age sex comedy. Jennifer Lawrence stars as a young woman whose desperate financial struggles lead her to respond to a Craigslist ad from a couple of kooky but well-meaning parents looking for a woman to bring their introverted son out of his shell, in more ways than one. Besides Lawrence, the other selling point of the film is that it’s the second directorial effort of The Office writer Gene Stupnitsky, who has solid comedy chops and whose debut Good Boys was relatively well-received.
Thumbnail by ©Sony Pictures Releasing/©Marvel Entertainment
