11 movies we can't wait to see at SXSW 2023
South by Southwest 2023 kicks off Friday with a rousing festival that celebrates tech, wellness, comedy, music, television, film, and much, much more.
This year, Mashable will be on the ground at SXSW, hitting the big premieres and seeking out the hidden gems in a movie line-up studded with stars like Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Taron Egerton, Ayo Edebiri, Rachel Sennott, and Academy Award nominee Stephanie Hsu. If you're also planning to be in Austin for the fest, we've got your must-see flicks right here. But even if you're not headed to the Lone Star State, you'll want to keep abreast of what could be the next big thing for 2023 — remember, Everything Everywhere All At Once first made waves here last spring!
Whether you're craving epic adventure, playful thrills, edgy comedy, bone-chilling horror, or mind-bending documentaries, we've got something just for you.
1. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
The tabletop role-playing game that's spurred countless adventures seems poised to get the movie adaptation it truly deserves.
Opening night of SXSW 2023 will unleash Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, a big-budget fantasy adventure brandishing an all-star cast: Chris Pine, Hugh Grant, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Regé-Jean Page, and Sophia Lillis. At the helm are Game Night directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, who've boldly blended action, comedy, and gameplay before. Can they level up with this splashy ensemble? We'll be there for the World Premiere, ready to roll the dice.
Following the film's World Premiere at SXSW, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves opens in theaters March 31.
2. Tetris
A video game movie you didn't see coming, Tetris is thankfully not trying to spin a plot out of falling blocks. Instead, screenwriter Noah Pink and director Jon S. Baird bring to the big screen the wild story of the video game's origins.
Tetris takes us back to 1988, as Nintendo hovered on the brink of a breakthrough with handheld gaming. There, a Dutch entrepreneur (a lively Taron Egerton) believes a puzzle game from a Russian computer engineer (a guarded Nikita Efremov) could be the future for the industry and his ambition. However, this being the '80s, it's also the height of the Cold War, which gives this film a dynamic, spy-thriller edge. Come hell, contract obstacles, or the KGB, he'll do whatever it takes to win.
Following its World Premiere at SXSW, Tetris will debut on Apple TV+ on March 31.
3. Cora Bora
Before stealing scenes as a hilariously shame-free assistant in HBO's Hacks, Megan Stalter carved out a rollicking reputation online with her wacky crew of silly characters. Now, she steps up to leading lady in Cora Bora, a comedy by writer Rhianon Jones and director Hannah Pearl Utt.
Stalter stars as Cora, an aspiring musician who fears that her long-distance, open relationship with her girlfriend (Jojo T. Gibbs) may be on the rocks. She's aiming to be the hero of her own love story by rushing home for a big romantic gesture, but in this cringe comedy, the vibe is less Notting Hill and more Shiva Baby. The laughs are as outrageous as this lovable trainwreck of a heroine. Trust us, you won't want to miss Cora Bora. Chelsea Peretti, Manny Jacinto, and Margaret Cho co-star.
4. Bottoms
Speaking of Shiva Baby, writer/director Emma Seligman and her snarling star Rachel Sennott reunite for Bottoms. This comedy pairs the Bodies Bodies Bodies badass with The Bear's Ayo Edebiri, with both playing high school seniors desperate to hook up with the cheerleaders of their dreams. So, what to do to get the attention they so desperately crave? Start a fight club, obviously.
This pairing of premise and talent has already made Bottoms one of the most anticipated titles at the fest. Ruby Cruz, Havana Rose Liu, Kaia Gerber, Nicholas Galitzine, Miles Fowler, Marshawn Lynch, Dagmara Dominczyk, and Punkie Johnson co-star.
5. Late Night with the Devil
David Dastmalchian is a classic "that guy" actor you might recognize from any number of quirky — or even creepy — performances, in movies ranging from the eerie crime thriller Prisoners to the zany fun of Ant-Man and Weird: The Al Yankovic Movie, to the explosive strangeness of Polka-Dot Man in The Suicide Squad. In this midnight movie, he shakes things up playing a charming talk show host, playing opposite an innocent-looking girl (Ingrid Torelli) who claims to be possessed by a dangerous demon. What begins as a ratings stunt for late-night TV soon spins into a waking nightmare.
Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes write and direct this 1977-set horror offering, which shrewdly foreshadows the coming Satanic Panic to offer an intimate yet uncanny tale about the dark side of ambition.
6. Molli and Max in the Future
Girls in space? Zosia Mamet brings millennial angst and biting banter to this rom-com slathered with sci-fi spectacles. Musing about life, love, towering battle bots, and tentacled demi-gods are the beginnings of Molli and Max's (Aristotle Athari) friendship. But could their bond grow — slowly, awkwardly — into something more?
Written and directed by Michael Lukk Litwak, Molli and Max in the Future teases a promising genre mash-up with a supporting cast that includes Erin Darke, Michael Chernus, Matteo Lane, Aparna Nancherla, Arturo Castro, and Okieriete Onaodowan. Are you tempted to blast off?
7. Joy Ride
If you love Everything Everywhere All At Once, you'll want to mark your calendar for Joy Ride. Academy Award-nominee Stephanie Hsu stars alongside Sabrina Wu, Ashley Park, and Sherry Cola as a foursome of Asian-American women who travel through Asia in search of one of their birth mothers.
While the premise suggests drama, this comedy is the directorial debut of Adele Lim, who had a hand in writing Crazy Rich Asians and Raya and the Last Dragon. We've only gotten the first look with the above film still, but it's enough — we're ready to strap in!
Following its SXSW premiere, Joy Ride is poised to hit theaters on June 23.
8. Citizen Sleuth
True crime podcasts have become a booming business, inspiring countless offerings and even popular parodies. But not every deep dive into a case is being done by a professional investigator or trained journalist. Many podcasters are self-proclaimed "fans" who may have pure motives when they start out, but you know what they say about good intentions.
Director Chris Kasick delves into the ethics and exploitation of true crime with Citizen Sleuth, a documentary that follows Mile Marker 181 podcaster Emily Nestor as she searches for the truth behind a mysterious death...and finds her path to fame, freebies, and a following that hangs on her every word. When the answers she finds don't make for a juicy story, what is a popular podcaster to do?
9. Black Barbie: A Documentary
2023 is poised to be the year of Barbie, thanks in no small part to Greta Gerwig's upcoming live-action epic, which has already driven the internet wild over and over. There's no better time to learn all about the first Black Barbie.
Documentarian Lagueria Davis not only explores the little-known origin of this groundbreaking fashion doll but also digs into her own roots. Her inspiration was her 83-year-old aunt, Beulah Mae Mitchell, who posed the pivotal question "Why not make a Barbie that looks like me?"
Other interviewees for this playful and poignant documentary include Mattel designer Kitty Black Perkins, doll designer Stacey McBride-Irby, and American actresses Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins and Gabourey Sidibe.
10. Brooklyn 45
Forget what you think you know about seance-centered horror. Writer/director Ted Geoghegan (Mohawk, We Are Still Here) returns with a period drama about paranoia, grief, and regret, all of which come to a head when World War II veterans gather for a night of reunion with the ghosts of their past.
Drawing inspiration from his father, a U.S. veteran, Geoghegan presents a haunted tale that's deeply personal and thought-provoking. Bringing to life this creepy fable is an ensemble cast that includes Anne Ramsay, Larry Fessenden, Ron E. Rains, Jeremy Holm, Ezra Buzzington, and Kristina Klebe. Dare you take a seat at this table?
11. A Disturbance in the Force
Hankering for a stellarly nerdy deep dive? Then you'll geek out over this documentary, which explores the infamous yet iconic Star Wars Holiday Special.
Directors Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak race audiences back to 1978, a window in between the smashing success of George Lucas's Star Wars: A New Hope and the unknown future of its sequel, The Empire Strikes Back. To keep keen audiences (and toy-craving kids) giddy over everything a galaxy far, far away, TV producers proposed a variety special, studded with stars and splashy special effects, as well as some bonkers bits that still boggle the mind 45 years later.
For some, it was an abomination. For others, it was a badge of honor to have seen it at all. Sounding off in favor or defense of this polarizing pocket of TV history are Seth Green, Kevin Smith, Bruce Vilanch, Weird Al Yankovic, and many, many, many more.
SXSW runs from March 10 to March 19 in Austin, Texas. Stay tuned to Mashable for coverage out of the event.