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(Photo by Warner Bros)
Summer Movie Scorecard 2023
Welcome to the 2023 Summer Movie Scorecard, where we rank all the big releases from now until the end of August!
Every year, there’s a blockbuster that releases that ushers in the summer season. You know it when you see it, and for 2023, it was Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, resuscitating for now MCU’s fame and fortune.
The list will be populated with wide theatrical releases (movies releasing in 600 or more theaters), because summer is about getting off the couch and out of the house, enjoying that sun and heat…and then sitting in the dark with strangers and air conditioning. To see what’s coming up, consult our Summer Movie Calendar!
#1
Critics Consensus: A remarkable debut for writer-director Celine Song, Past Lives uses the bonds between its sensitively sketched central characters to support trenchant observations on the human condition.
Synopsis: Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Two
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#2
Critics Consensus: With its unique visual style and a story that captures the essence of the franchise's appeal, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is an animated treat for the whole family.
Synopsis: After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New
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#3
Critics Consensus: With world-threatening stakes and epic set pieces to match that massive title, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One proves this is still a franchise you should choose to accept.
Synopsis: In Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most
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#4
Critics Consensus: Just as visually dazzling and action-packed as its predecessor, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse thrills from start to cliffhanger conclusion.
Synopsis: Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn's full-time,
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#5
Critics Consensus: With a gripping story and impressive practical effects, Talk to Me spins a terrifically creepy 21st-century horror yarn built on classic foundations.
Synopsis: When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new
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#6
Critics Consensus: Smart, funny, and above all entertaining, You Hurt My Feelings finds writer-director Nicole Holofcener as sharply perceptive as ever.
Synopsis: From acclaimed filmmaker Nicole Holofcener comes a sharply observed comedy about a novelist whose long standing marriage is suddenly upended
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#7
Critics Consensus: Oppenheimer marks another engrossing achievement from Christopher Nolan that benefits from Murphy's tour-de-force performance and stunning visuals.
Synopsis: During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. appoints physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to work on the top-secret Manhattan
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#8
Critics Consensus: Joy Ride isn't afraid to shock with its gross-out gags, but this road trip's real surprise is how successfully it blends its raunchy humor with real heart.
Synopsis: The hilarious and unapologetically explicit story of identity and self-discovery centers on four unlikely friends who embark on a once-in-a-lifetime
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#9
Critics Consensus: Barbie is a visually dazzling comedy whose meta humor is smartly complemented by subversive storytelling.
Synopsis: To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on
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#10
Critics Consensus: While it could stand to be a little funnier and quite a bit scarier, The Blackening is a thoughtful satire that skewers horror tropes and racial stereotypes.
Synopsis: The Blackening centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves
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#11
Critics Consensus: Brought to life by an outstanding ensemble cast, Jules uses its cute concept to grapple with poignant, universally relatable themes.
Synopsis: Jules follows Milton (Ben Kingsley) who lives a quiet life of routine in a small western Pennsylvania town, but finds
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#12
Critics Consensus: A galactic group hug that might squeeze a little too tight on the heartstrings, the final Guardians of the Galaxy is a loving last hurrah for the MCU's most ragtag family.
Synopsis: In Marvel Studios "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these
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#13
Critics Consensus: Led by Xolo Maridueña's magnetic performance in the title role, Blue Beetle is a refreshingly family-focused superhero movie with plenty of humor and heart.
Synopsis: Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not
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#14
Critics Consensus: Asteroid City is unlikely to win Wes Anderson many new converts, but those who respond to his signature style will find this a return to immaculately arranged form.
Synopsis: The itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention (organized to bring together students and parents from across the country for
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#15
Critics Consensus: Elemental may not satisfy as fully as the greatest Pixar pictures, but it remains a solid story told with dazzling visual flair.
Synopsis: Disney and Pixar's "Elemental," an all-new, original feature film set in Element City, where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live
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#16
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Zhi, a rookie race car driver, gets the opportunity to compete against the reigning champion of the rally car circuit.
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#17
Critics Consensus: This raunchy comedy often plays it disappointingly safe, but Jennifer Lawrence's comedic and dramatic chops ensure that the end result prompts No Hard Feelings.
Synopsis:
On the brink of losing her childhood home, Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) discovers an intriguing job listing: wealthy helicopter parents looking
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#18
Critics Consensus: It isn't as thrilling as earlier adventures, but the nostalgic rush of seeing Harrison Ford back in action helps Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny find a few final bits of cinematic treasure.
Synopsis: Daredevil archaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary dial that can change the course of history. Accompanied
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#19
Critics Consensus: With Halle Bailey making a major splash in the title role, Disney's live-action Little Mermaid ranks among the studio's most enjoyable reimaginings.
Synopsis: The youngest of King Triton's daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond
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#20
Critics Consensus: Sound of Freedom is an effective and suspenseful call to action against human trafficking, yet not free of issues in its depiction of the sensitive subject matter.
Synopsis: Sound of Freedom, based on the incredible true story, shines a light on even the darkest of places. After rescuing
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#21
Critics Consensus: Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is littered with too much flotsam and jetsam from better animated features to stand as a true original, but its inherent sweetness and lively style make for likable enough family entertainment.
Synopsis: Sweet, awkward 16-year-old Ruby Gillman (Lana Condor, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before franchise) is desperate to fit in
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#22
Critics Consensus: The Flash is funny, fittingly fast-paced, and overall ranks as one of the best DC movies in recent years.
Synopsis: Worlds collide in "The Flash" when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the
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#23
Critics Consensus: The Boogeyman might fall short of its terrifying source material, but a spooky atmosphere and some solid performances help keep the chills coming.
Synopsis: High school student Sadie Harper and her younger sister Sawyer are reeling from the recent death of their mother and
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#24
Critics Consensus: Gran Turismo's brisk action and feel-good underdog drama are undermined by its loose telling of the fact-based story, but this is still a generally solid racing movie.
Synopsis: Based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, the film is the ultimate wish fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran
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#25
Critics Consensus: As irredeemably silly as it is satisfyingly self-aware, Fast X should rev the engines of longtime fans while leaving many newcomers in neutral.
Synopsis: Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family have outsmarted, out-nerved and outdriven every
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#26
Critics Consensus: Crudely effective and effectively crude, Strays is more amusing than hilarious, but this comedy's scattershot humor is partly offset by its surprisingly big heart.
Synopsis: They say a dog is a man's best friend, but what if the man is a total dirtbag? In that
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#27
Critics Consensus: Helen Mirren is typically masterful in the title role, but Golda never amounts to much more than a passable history lesson presented in largely underwhelming biopic form.
Synopsis: Golda is a ticking-clock thriller set during the tense 19 days of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Israeli Prime
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#28
Critics Consensus: Thanks to some genuine human drama between the set pieces and palpable affection for the title characters, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is one of the franchise's more enjoyable outings.
Synopsis: Returning to the action and spectacle that have captured moviegoers around the world, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take
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#29
Critics Consensus: The Last Voyage of the Demeter finds a fresh angle on Dracula's oft-told tale, although lackluster execution often undercuts the story's claustrophobic tension.
Synopsis: Based on a single chilling chapter from Bram Stoker's classic novel Dracula, The Last Voyage of the Demeter tells the
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#30
Critics Consensus: Book Club: The Next Chapter's leading quartet remains eminently watchable, but they're underserved by its corny jokes and somewhat patronizing tone.
Synopsis: The highly anticipated sequel follows our four best friends as they take their book club to Italy for the fun
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#31
Critics Consensus: Gerard Butler remains a sturdy screen presence, but even for hardcore action fans, Kandahar is hardly worth watching.
Synopsis: An undercover CIA operative gets stuck in hostile territory in Afghanistan after his mission is exposed. Accompanied by his translator,
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#32
Critics Consensus: Earlier installments have had their moments, but behind Insidious: The Red Door lies the disappointing denouement of a once-frightening franchise.
Synopsis: In Insidious: The Red Door, the horror franchise's original cast returns for the final chapter of the Lambert family's terrifying
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#33
Critics Consensus: Haunted Mansion's talented cast makes the movie a pleasant enough destination, although it's neither scary nor funny enough to wholeheartedly recommend.
Synopsis: A woman and her son enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural
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#34
Critics Consensus: Solid work from Dennis Quaid helps elevate The Hill, but this fact-based underdog drama is only intermittently inspirational.
Synopsis: Growing up impoverished in small-town Texas, young Rickey Hill shows an extraordinary ability for hitting a baseball, despite being burdened
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#35
Critics Consensus: About My Father finds star/co-writer Sebastian Maniscalco drawing on his own life for material -- and inadvertently proving that a funny standup routine doesn't necessarily make for an entertaining film.
Synopsis: The hottest comic in America, Sebastian Maniscalco joins forces with legendary Italian-American and two-time Oscar winner, Robert De Niro, in
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#36
Critics Consensus: Although Hypnotic isn't without glimmers of inspiration, the ultimate effect of this often clunky crime caper will be to leave you feeling rather sleepy.
Synopsis: Determined to find his missing daughter, Austin detective Danny Rourke finds himself spiraling down a rabbit hole investigating a series
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#37
Critics Consensus: A sloppily lifeless movie that's strictly for hardcore Bert Kreischer fans, The Machine is broken beyond repair.
Synopsis: Bert Kreischer rose to fame as a stand-up comedian known as The Machine, and in his signature set he recounts
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#38
Critics Consensus: Retribution may prove mildly diverting for hardcore fans of films depicting Liam Neeson as a parent in peril, but in most respects, this thriller is strictly standard stuff.
Synopsis: Liam Neeson stars in Retribution, an immersive ticking clock thriller that straps audiences in for a high-octane ride of redemption
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#39
Critics Consensus: It isn't without its fun moments, but Meg 2: The Trench suffers from a disjointed story that drifts for too long before finally delivering a few campy thrills.
Synopsis: Get ready for the ultimate adrenaline rush this summer in "Meg 2: The Trench," a literally larger-than-life thrill ride that
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#40
Critics Consensus: Love Again? After watching this treacly romance, you're likely to come away thinking once was more than enough.
Synopsis: What if a random text message led to the love of your life? In this romantic comedy, dealing with the
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#41
Critics Consensus: Fool's Paradise suggests Charlie Day may have a bright future as a director, but he'll need to find smarter and more consistently funny scripts.
Synopsis: A satirical comedy about a down-on-his-luck publicist (Ken Jeong) who discovers a recently released mental health patient (Charlie Day) who
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