While the big studios put out some excellent film content over the years, so do smaller independent distributors. It seems only fair, as we’ve been listing the 2023 slate for all these studios; we also point out some smaller distributors that have some independent films coming out this year. Some great movies will be hitting a theater near you. What can you be looking forward to with an independent 2023 film schedule? Let’s find out.
Focus Films releases this interesting romance film set in 1999. A young ballroom dancer has a 24-hour romance with his friend’s brother. This has the feel of a Before Sunrise for more modern audiences. Even though it was set in 1999.
In this A24/Apple film, a con man decides to take on a whole lot of New York billionaires. I’m sure they quickly learn their lesson and decide not to retaliate in any way. That sounds like a boring movie. I’m sure there is lots of backstabbing, evil greed, and a whole lot of rich people getting mad. So everything a quality movie needs. The cast includes Justice Smith, Sebastion Stan, Julianne Moore, and John Lithgow. This will be in theaters and streaming day & date.
Adonis Creed returns in the third installment of the MGM franchise. He is living the dream when an old friend from his past returns. Damian was one of his best friends but ended up in prison. He seems to feel that everything Creed has could have been his. This leads to a confrontation between the two, eventually leading to a fight in the ring. This marks Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut. The film is probably the biggest film on the independent 2023 film schedule.
Bobby Farrelly directs Woody Harrelson in this Focus Films release. A former minor league basketball coach is ordered by the court to spend his time coaching a basketball team with intellectual disabilities. He doesn’t want to at first but soon finds out that together they all might accomplish more than anyone gives them credit for. It seems very Mighty Ducks, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
Willem Dafoe stars in this film about a high-end art thief that gets more than he bargained for. He breaks into a high-priced penthouse but finds himself locked inside. With no way out, he has to figure out how to survive as the temperature begins to rise. His mind starts to crack as time clicks by. Looks like a fun psychological single-location movie.
A young woman kidnaps a six-year-old boy out of the foster system figuring they can better build a life together than what they both are leading. Keeping their secret to themselves, they decide to find out what the best life for them will be. A heartstring puller for sure.
Dennis Quaid and Heather Graham star in this film based on a true story. In mid-flight, a small airplane pilot dies. Doug is forced to take over and try to land the plane with no flying experience. He tries to keep his family out of danger while the clock is ticking away at the amount of fuel they have. Should be a nice taut thriller.
Ari Aster’s new film from A24 is a three-hour romp across multiple decades. It tells the tale of the most successful entrepreneur of all time. Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Smart, and Parker Posey star in this strange story of fears and what becomes of them. Ari Aster always brings some interesting themes to his films, so it will be fun to see what he has this time.
Guy Ritchie is back with this new military film. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Sergant John Kinley. During his last day in Afghanistan, he is traveling with his local interpreter Ahmed. They come under attack, and John is injured. Ahmed then risks his life to get John across the rough terrain so he can finally go home.
Ria Khan thinks her sister is making a mistake going into her upcoming wedding. She gets her friends together to attempt to pull off the biggest wedding heist ever attempted. It looks like a fun comedy with some martial arts thrown in for good measure.
The ladies from the Book Club are back. This time instead of reading about a romantic scenario, they treat themselves to a romantic trip. The ladies pack up and take their book club to Italy. The core cast returns with Mary Steenburgen, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Diane Keaton. The movie is pointed at an older viewing audience but can be enjoyed by everyone.
A new film by Wes Anderson finds a stargazing convention that gets disrupted by real-world events. The cast is loaded with A-Listers as Margot Robbie, Tom Hanks, Steve Carell, and Scarlett Johansson join usual Anderson stalwarts like Adrian Brody, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe, and Jeff Goldblum. Anderson’s detail in production design will probably be the film’s star like it usually is.
The plot for this MGM release hasn’t been revealed yet, but the cast will surely bring audiences to see it. Snoop Dogg, George Lopez, Mike Epps, and Tika Sumpter will lead the cast of this sports comedy.
The new David Ayer film will be coming out through MGM. The cast includes Jason Statham, Josh Hutcherson, and Jeremy Irons. It claims to look at the philosophy and community of beekeeping.
Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Coolidge return to the franchise that will once again see Elle Woods have to use her legal knowledge to keep herself out of trouble. The main plot is being kept under wraps until closer to release, but it should be a crowd-pleaser.
Alejandro is an aspiring toy designer in New York City. As his unusual ideas fail to take hold, his work visa begins to count down to expiration. He’ll have to return to El Salvador if he can’t make a foothold. He gets a chance to work with an erratic art world outcast, and it becomes his only hope to stay in New York. This comes from Los Espookys creator Julio Torres.
What film are you looking forward to from the independent 2023 film schedule? Let us know in the comments.