2023 is off to a great start! Although there are many highly-anticipated movies and television series set to premiere in the coming months, the new releases this month did not disappoint. From a film starring Tom Hanks, a spin-off of ‘That ‘70s Show,’ to a post-apocalyptic sci-fi action flick from the director of ‘Train to Busa,’ and more, are a part of this listicle. Here’s a list of must-watch new series that premiered this month and movies released in January 2023. Happy watching!
A Man Called Otto
Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks), a sixty-plus-year-old grumpy widower, no longer finds meaning in his life after the passing of his wife. Otto is antisocial and rude, constantly criticizing and critiquing people with whom he interacts. When an energetic young family moves in next door, he meets his match, resulting in an unexpected bond that turns his life around.
‘A Man Called Otto’ is a remake of the 2015 Swedish film ‘A Man Called Ove,’ which was based on author Fredrik Backman’s 2012 novel of the same name. In the movie, Truman Hanks, Tom Hanks’ son, portrays a younger version of Otto.
Cast: Tom Hanks (‘Inferno’), Mariana Treviño (‘Narcos Mexico’) Rachel Keller (‘In the Shadow of the Moon’), Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (‘The Magnificent Seven’-2016), Cameron Britton (‘MindHunter’)
Directed By: Marc Forster (‘Christopher Robin’)
Women Talking
The film follows the women of an ultraconservative isolated Mennonite colony, who discover that the colony’s men have been subduing and raping them using cow tranquilizers. After the males are apprehended and arrested, the women convene to decide what should be done next: whether to maintain this lifestyle, fight for change, or leave.
‘Woman Talking’ is adapted from the novel of the same name by author Miriam Toews. It is based on the lives of women in the conservative Mennonite community at Manitoba Colony in Bolivia.
Cast: Rooney Mara (‘Nightmare Alley’), Claire Foy (‘Unsane’), Jessie Buckley (‘The Courier’), Ben Whishaw (‘No Time To Die’), Frances McDormand (‘Nomadland’) Sheila McCarthy (‘The Umbrella Academy’).
Directed By: Sarah Polley
Infinity Pool
Author James and his mega-rich wife Em Foster decide to take a vacation on an all-inclusive beach located on the fictional island of La Tolqa. James is experiencing writer’s block, having written nothing in six years. Their holiday turns tragic when James rams into a farmer while driving. His sentence for such a crime is death, but the authorities assure him that, for a fee, he can have his clone condemned in his place.
Cast: Alexander Skarsgård (‘The Northman’), Mia Goth (‘Pearl’), Cleopatra Coleman (‘In The Shadow of The Moon’), Thomas Kretschmann (‘Valkyrie’).
Director By: Brandon Cronenberg (‘Possessor’)
The Pale Blue Eye
In this mystery thriller, English actor Harry Melling unleashes his literary prowess by stepping into the role of American writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe. The West Point military academy enlists Detective Augustus Landor (Bale) to solve the murder of a young army cadet. Landor, still reeling from the loss of his daughter, joins forces with the young poet to unravel the mystery as the bodies pile up.
Cast: Christian Bale (‘Hostiles’), Harry Melling (‘The Queen’s Gambit’), Gillian Anderson (‘The X-Files’), Lucy Boynton (‘Bohemian Rhapsody’), Toby Jones (‘The Mist’), Charlotte Gainsbourg (‘Independence Day: Resurgence’), Robert Duvall (‘The Judge’).
Directed By: Scott Cooper (‘Out Of Furance’), this is his third film with British actor Christian Bale. The film is adapted from the works of writer Louis Bayard.
Jung_E
From the director of the highly rated and well-received ‘Train To Busan,’ comes another post-apocalyptic sci-fi action flick in Jung_E. In the year 2194, the robotics company Kronoid creates an AI mercenary utilizing the consciousness of a former military captain to end a civil war.
Veteran South Korean actress Kang Soo-Yeon’s final film project was Jung_ E before she tragically passed away in May 2022. Debuting as a child actor, Kang Soo-yeon earned multiple awards throughout her career and is commonly referred to as Korea’s “first world star.”
Cast: Kang Soo-yeon (‘Hanji’), Kim Hyun-joo (‘Glass Slippers’), Ryu Kyung-soo (‘Confession’).
Directed By: Yeon Sang-ho (‘Train To Busan’)
Watch Jung_E on Netflix: HERE
Also released on Netflix ‘You People,’ starring Eddie Murphy, Jonah Hill, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Nia Long, Lauren London, and David Duchovny.
The Last of Us
‘The Last of Us,’ an adaptation of the popular mind-blowing video game series of the same name, sees Joel, a survivor, on a mission to escort a fourteen-year-old Ellie from a quarantine zone in a post-apocalyptic world. This young girl may be humanity’s last hope, and therefore they must try their best to survive this perilous journey. Craig Mazin (‘Chernobyl’) and Neil Druckmann (co-president of the video game developer Naughty Dog) penned and executive produced this TV series.
Cast: Pedro Pascal (‘Narcos’), Bella Ramsey (‘Game of Thrones’), Anna Torv (‘Mindhunter’), Gabriel Luna (‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’), Nick Offerman (‘Parks and Recreation’), Merle Dandridge (‘Station 19’), Melanie Lynskey (‘Yellowjackets’), Storm Reid (‘Euphoria’), Ashley Johnson (‘Blindspot’), and Murray Barlett (‘The White Lotus’).
Watch ‘The Last of Us’ on HBO Max: HERE
That ‘90s Show
‘That ‘90s Show’ is a spin-off series of ‘That ‘70s Show’ on Netflix. This ten-episode series follows Leia Forman, who visits her grandparents Red (Kurtwood Smith, ‘That ‘70s Show’, ‘RoboCop’) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) in the summer of 1995. During her stay at their home in Point Place, Wisconsin, the teenage daughter of Eric and Donna bonds with and makes friends with the children in the neighborhood. This series is set fifteen years after ‘That ‘70s Show.’
Cast: Callie Haverda, Kurtwood Smith, Debra Jo Rupp, Ashley Aufderheide, Mace Coronel, Sam Morelo, Reyn Doi, Topher Grace (‘Spider-Man 3’), Laura Prepon (‘Orange is the New Black’), Mila Kunis (‘Friends With Benefits’), Ashton Kutcher (‘No Strings Attached’), Wilmer Valderrama (‘NCIS’), Andrea Anders (‘Better Off Ted’), and Tommy Chong (‘Up In Smoke’).
Stream ‘That ‘90s Show’ on Netflix: HERE
Women At War
Netflix’s period drama ‘Women At War’ is set in France during World War I in 1941. The eight-episode limited series centers on four women who struggle with the difficult consequences of war.
Cast: Julie de Bona, Sofia Essaïdi, Audrey Fleurot, Camille Lou, Sandrine Bonnaire, Maxence Danet-Fauvel, Tom Leeb, Mikaël Mittelstadt, and more.
Find ‘Women At War’ on Netflix: HERE
Koala Man
‘Koala’ is an adult-animated series about a middle-aged dad named Kevin. He is fond of following rules, and although he has no superpowers, his biggest power is to stop petty crimes. He fights all evil to protect his hometown, Dapto, an Australian suburb. He also persuades his family to join him.
Justin Rolland (the co-creator of ‘Rick and Morty’ and ‘Solar Opposites’) and Michael Cowap executive produced this Hulu series. ‘Koala Man’ has been penned by Dan Hernandez and Benji (‘Pokémon Detective Pikachu’).
Cast: Michael Cusack (‘YOLO’), Jemaine Clement (‘Flight of the Conchords’, ‘Moana’), Hugh Jackman (‘Logan’, ‘The Greatest Showman’), Sarah Snook (‘Succession’), Jarrad Wright, Hugo Weaving (‘V for Vendetta’, ‘Captain America: First Avenger’), Demi Lardner, among others.
Stream ‘Koala Man’ on Hulu: HERE
Poker Face
Peacock’s ‘Poker Face’ is a murder mystery created by Rian Johnson, the writer and director of ‘Knives Out.’ ‘Poker Face’ follows Charlie Cale, who solves a mystery in each episode. She has an outstanding ability to discern when someone is lying, and this makes her an incredible private investigator. In each episode, we see a new cast as well as a case that Cale must solve. This comedy series has been penned, directed, and produced by Rian.
Cast: Natasha Lyonne (‘Russian Doll’), Chloë Sevigny (‘American Psycho’), Benjamin Bratt (‘Coco’), Dascha Polanco (‘Orange is the New Heights’), Adrien Brody (‘The Pianist’), Stephanie Hsu (‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’), Hong Chau (‘The Whale’), David Castañeda (‘The Umbrella Academy’), Danielle Macdonald (‘Falling for Figaro’), and Jameela Jamil (‘The Good Place’), among others.
