10 Must-See Movies Of Summer 2023

Grab your popcorn it’s going to be a hot summer. Summer is officially here which means the box office is heating up — thanks to Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Barbie and more. Fact is, some of the years most anticipated films and big budget blockbusters are hitting theaters and we’ve got you covered on just what to see. Here’s our top 10 (in no particular order).

SPIDERMAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE

Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man™: Across the Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most. In theaters now.

TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS

There’s more than meets the eye this time in the latest installment. Steven Caple Jr. (Creed II) directs this 1990s-set action-adventure starring Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Ron Perlman, Tobe Nwigwe and also fan favorite Optimus Prime. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on a ‘90s globetrotting adventure with the Autobots and introduce a whole new faction of Transformers – the Maximals – to join them as allies in the existing battle for earth. In theaters now.

THE FLASH

Worlds collide in “The Flash” when Barry (Ezra Miller) uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is, unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe? In theaters now.

THE BLACKENING

“The Blackening”, directed by Tim Story, is funny AF and Black AF.  The horror satire follows an all-Black group of friends staying at a cabin in the woods is terrorized by a masked killer. It puts the horror movie stereotype of the black person dying first on its head … so much so the movie’s poster reads “WE CAN’T ALL DIE FIRST” so we know this is going to be good. It also has a great cast including Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Yvonne Orji, Jay Pharaoh, Antoinette Robertson, to name a few. In theaters now.

FLAMIN’ HOT

Ever wonder how Flamin’ Hot Cheetos—the spicy version of the beloved snack—came to be? Based on Richard Montañez’s memoir, A Boy, a Burrito and a Cookie: From Janitor to Executive, Flamin’ Hot tells the story of how Montañez, an immigrant who was once a janitor at Frito Lay, created chip, using inspiration from his Mexican heritage. Sources differ on whether Montañez is actually the creator, but this comedy-drama directed by Eva Longoria, which will debut on Hulu and Disney+, goes all in on him being the hero of snack time. In theaters and Hulu now. 

NO HARD FEELINGS

In “No Hard Feelings” Jennifer Lawrence plays Maddie, a struggling Uber driver, whose car gets repossessed and she’s facing bankruptcy. She answers an unusual Craigs-List ad. The parents of an introverted 19-year-old (who shows no interest in dating or sex) want to hire a woman to “date” their son and bring him out of his shell and into adult life. The parents are played by Matthew Broderick and Lauren Benanti. So Jennifer Lawrence’s character tries to get into his life to bring him out of his shell without him knowing it’s a set up. In theaters June 23.

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY

The man in the hat is back one last time in “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” Harrison Ford is cracking his iconic whip for the fifth and final adventure as the famed archaeologist Indiana Jones. The franchise started in 1981 with Raiders of the Lost Ark and now it’s finishing with the 5th movie 42 years later. The character Indiana Jones is now 70 (Harrison Ford is actually 80 in real life) and Indiana Jones is retiring but is brought into one last search for a mysterious artifact. Also starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Indiana’s goddaughter and Antonio Banderas plays an old friend of Indiana Jones. So much action, adventure, and nostalgia. We all need to see how this franchise ends. In theaters June 30th.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING PART 1

Tom Cruise ruled last summer with “Top Gun Maverick”… it made over 1.4 billion dollars worldwide and people said he saved the movie industry. And now he’s about to rule the summer again with the latest “Mission Impossible” movie. In Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Tom returns as Secret Agent Ethan Hunt. It’s the 7th installment in this series. The first one came out 27 years ago in 1996. The series has made almost 4 billion dollars. Tom Cruise knows how to make money. The movie follows Tom Cruise and his team as they try to stop a deadly weapon from getting into the wrong hands. Expect a lot of action and death-defying stunts like doing a motorcycle jump off a cliff in Rome. In theaters July 7.

BARBIE

“Barbie” is one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. It’s the first live action movie based on the popular doll. Margot Robbie stars as Barbie; Ryan Gosling stars as Ken. We find everyone’s favorite doll couple leaving “Barbieland” and entering the real world. There’s also an all-star cast playing different versions of Barbie and Ken like Issa Rae, Dua Lipa, Kate McKinnon, and Simu Liu. Will Ferrell stars as the CEO of Mattel. America Ferrera plays a Mattel employee that discovers Barbie & Ken are in the real world. In theaters July 21.

EQUALIZER

Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) has struggled to reconcile the horrific things he’s done in the past and finds a strange solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Finding himself surprisingly at home in Southern Italy, he discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends’ protector by taking on the mafia. Also starring Dakota Fanning and David Denman. In theaters September 1.