Top 10 Hit Movies of the Year 2023
Part 1- (January – May)
1. Plane – January
The 2023 American action thriller “Plane” soars to new heights in the field of aviation filmmaking. It is directed by Jean-François Richet and stars a star-studded cast that includes Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yoson An, and Tony Goldwyn.
The plot begins when Gerard Butler’s portrayal of a skilled pilot finds himself in a challenging and unanticipated circumstance. In order to protect his passengers after making an unplanned landing in a hostile area, he must team up with an unlikely ally—a prisoner played by Mike Colter.
With a production history that saw it pass between studios, “Plane” also set out on a rocky path. Despite the obstacles, the movie opened in theaters in January 2023 and led viewers on a breathless adventure.
“Plane” succeeded at the box office, earning a total of $74 million globally. In the US and Canada, it made $32.1 million, and an additional $42 million was made in other countries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M25zXBIUVr0
2. Knock at the Cabin – February
A spine-chilling story is presented in “Knock at the Cabin,” a 2023 American post-apocalyptic psychological horror movie, which was directed by the visionary M. Night Shyamalan. This magnificent film is the first adaptation of Paul G. Tremblay’s book “The Cabin at the End of the World” for the big screen, and it was published in 2018. After Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman’s rough draft, Shyamalan skillfully wrote the screenplay.
A stellar ensemble cast, including Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Kristen Cui, Abby Quinn, and Rupert Grint, is featured in the movie. Prior to its theatrical debut in the US on February 3, 2023, courtesy of Universal Pictures, it had its world premiere in New York City on January 30, 2023, at the Rose Hall.
The eerie atmosphere, psychological depth, and the cast’s outstanding performances have won “Knock at the Cabin” a ton of praise from critics. With a worldwide gross of more than $54 million, “Knock at the Cabin” made a big impression at the box office. $54.8 million was made worldwide, with $35.4 million coming from the US and Canada and $19.4 million from other nations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYbjdszQJPA
3. Creed III – March
Michael B. Jordan co-produced, directed, and stars in the 2023 American sports drama movie Creed III. It is the follow-up to Creed II (2018), the third movie in the Creed series, and the ninth movie overall in the Rocky movie franchise. Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Mila Davis-Kent, Phylicia Rashad, and Florian Munteanu also appear in the movie. Adonis Creed (Jordan), a successful and recently retired boxer, meets Damian Anderson (Majors), a former boxing prodigy, in the movie that Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin wrote based on a story they co-wrote with Ryan Coogler.
Creed III had its world premiere on February 9 in Mexico City before being released in the US on March 3 as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ first release following its acquisition by Amazon and the dissolution of United Artists Releasing. Critics gave the movie high marks for its direction by Jordan, the plot, the actors’ performances, and the action scenes. With over $275 million in global box office receipts, it is the most successful Creed movie to date.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHmCH7iB_IM
4. John Wick: Chapter 4 – March
The 2023 American neo-noir action thriller movie John Wick: Chapter 4 was written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch and directed and co-produced by Chad Stahelski. It is also known in Japan as John Wick: Consequences.
The film stars Keanu Reeves as the title character, along with Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgrd, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Clancy Brown, and Ian McShane. It is the follow-up to John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) and the fourth entry in the John Wick series. In the movie, John Wick seeks retribution from the High Table and those responsible for leaving him for dead.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused the original release date of May 21, 2021, to be postponed. On March 6, 2023, John Wick: Chapter 4 had its London premiere at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square. On March 24, it was made available in the US.
The movie received favorable reviews from critics for its action scenes, cinematography, choreography, visual aesthetic, and performances. It has earned over $432 million worldwide, making it the franchise’s highest-grossing movie. Ballerina, a spin-off, will be released on June 7, 2024, and a fifth movie is currently in production.
5. Scream VI – March
The 2023 American slasher movie Scream VI was written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, and produced by Tyler Gillett. It is the sixth film in the Scream series and the sequel to Scream (2022).
The ensemble cast also includes Josh Segarra, Jack Champion, Devyn Nekoda, Liana Liberato, Tony Revolori, Samara Weaving, Henry Czerny, and Dermot Mulroney. Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Hayden Panettiere, and Courteney Cox reprise their roles from the previous films. The narrative centers on a fresh Ghostface assailant who starts picking off New York City residents who survived the “Woodsboro legacy murders.”
On March 6, 2023, Scream VI had its world premiere at the AMC Lincoln Square Theater in Manhattan. On March 10, 2023, Paramount Pictures released Scream VI in theaters nationwide. The movie earned $169 million worldwide and received generally favorable reviews from critics. It was the first film in the Scream series to surpass $100 million domestically since Scream 2 (1997) and the highest-grossing Scream movie in the US and Canada (before adjusting for inflation). At the 2023 MTV Awards, it was named Best Film. A sequel is being created.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h74AXqw4Opc
6. Evil Dead Rise – April
Written and directed by Lee Cronin, Evil Dead Rise is a 2023 American supernatural horror film. The Evil Dead movie series’ fifth episode is this one. As two estranged sisters attempting to survive and protect their family from deadites, Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland are portrayed in the movie. In supporting roles, Nell Fisher, Gabrielle Echols, and Morgan Davies all make their film debuts.
The movie Evil Dead Rise had its South by Southwest (SXSW) premiere on March 15, 2023, and Warner Bros. Pictures released it in the US on April 21. The movie, which had a production budget of $15–19 million and received largely favorable reviews from critics, has made over $146 million worldwide, making it the series’ highest-grossing movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smTK_AeAPHs
7. The Pope’s Exorcist – April
Julius Avery’s 2023 supernatural horror film, The Pope’s Exorcist is based on Father Gabriele Amorth’s 1990 book. An Exorcist Tells His Story and his 1992 book; An Exorcist: More Stories. It was written by Michael Petroni and Evan Spiliotopoulos.
Russell Crowe plays Amorth in the movie, and supporting actors Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe, and Franco Nero also appear. The rights to Amorth’s story were acquired by Screen Gems in 2020, and production then started. Filming took place in Ireland from August to October 2022 after a director change and script revisions.
A number of international nations began to release The Pope’s Exorcist on April 5, 2023. The United States followed on April 14. Critics gave the movie mixed ratings, and it has made over $76.6 million worldwide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJXqvnT_rsk
8. The Little Mermaid – May
American musical romantic fantasy film The Little Mermaid was released in 2023 and was directed by Rob Marshall from a screenplay by David Magee. It is a live-action remake of Disney’s 1989 animated film of the same name, which was loosely based on the 1837 Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. It was co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Lucamar Productions, and Marc Platt Productions.
Singer Halle Bailey plays the title role in the movie, which also stars Melissa McCarthy, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Art Malik, and Javier Bardem.
The story centers on the human-obsessed mermaid princess Ariel, who, after saving Prince Eric from a shipwreck, strikes a deal with the sea witch Ursula to venture onto dry land.
The Little Mermaid had its world premiere on May 8, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and it was made available to the public on May 26. Critics gave it mixed reviews, praising the cast’s performances and the musical numbers while criticizing the visual effects.
Despite having a minimum $250 million production budget, the movie has amassed over $569 million in worldwide box office revenue, ranking ninth among all movies released in 2023. On September 6, 2023, Disney+ received it. The movie ranks as the seventh-highest grossing and second-most expensive adaptation of Disney’s catalog to date.
9. Hypnotic – May
Ketchup Entertainment and Relativity Media released Hypnotic in the US on May 12, 2023. In contrast to its $65 million budget, the movie made $8 million and received mixed reviews from critics.
Robert Rodriguez, who co-wrote the screenplay with Max Borenstein, is the director of the 2023 American mystery action thriller movie Hypnotic. William Fichtner, Alice Braga, J. D. Pardo, Hala Finley, Dayo Okeniyi, Jeff Fahey, and Ben Affleck are among the cast members. While his sons Rebel Rodriguez and Racer Max worked as the film’s composer and producer, respectively, Rodriguez also produced, co-shot, and edited the picture.
10. Love Again – May
James C. Strouse wrote and directed the 2023 American romantic comedy-drama film titled Love Again. It is a translation of the 2016 German movie SMS für Dich, which was based on a Sofie Cramer novel. In her first leading role, Celine Dion plays a fictionalized version of herself in the movie alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, and others.
On May 5, 2023, the movie received a theatrical release in the United States. Its initial release date was set for February 10, 2023, but Sony Pictures Releasing later changed it to May 12.
The movie was made available digitally on May 23, and on Blu-ray and DVD on July 18. On September 2, it made its Netflix debut in the US. The worldwide total for Love Again is $12.7 million, made up of $6.2 million from the United States and Canada and $6.5 million from other countries.
Love Again, which debuted in North America alongside Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, was expected to bring in about $5 million from 2,650 theaters in its first weekend. On its first day, the movie brought in $1.2 million, including $240,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to earn $2.4 million in its opening weekend, coming in fifth place.