10 films to get excited about in 2013 (and, no, they don’t ALL have Ryan Gosling in them)

But two of them do. Another two are sequels, one is a remake, a one features the movie debut of my favourite rapper. Plus: one film you SHOULDN’T get excited about.

1. STOKER

Park Chan-Wook, director of the ultra-violent Korean Oldboy trilogy, makes his English language film debut with Stoker, a thriller starring Nicole Kidman and Mia Wasikowska.

UK release date: 1 March 2013

2. ONLY GOD FORGIVES

Ryan Gosling (yeah, that guy) teams up with Drive director Nicholas Winding Refn again, for a similarly brutal thriller, this time set in Thailand. It looks like Gosling might be trying to shake off his pretty-boy image because promo shots show him beaten to a pulp. Fans of Crazy Stupid Love-style RyGos will not be pleased, but gritty is what Winding Refn is all about.

UK release date: TBC. It’s out on 23 May in the US.

3. SPRING BREAKERS

Disney princesses Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez appear to spend the whole of Spring Break bikini-clad, as half of a teenaged foursome intent on funding their dream vacation by any means necessary. Harmony Korine directs, and James Franco stars as gold-toother rapper Alien, but the most exciting thing about this film for me is that it also features my favourite real life rapper Gucci Mane, he of ice cream facial tattoo fame. Personally, I can’t wait.

UK release date: 5 April 2013

4. THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES

Ryan Gosling (yeah, that guy again) returns in a film that sounds remarkably like the plot of Drive, except this time he’s on a motorbike. He’s also got a dodgy blonde haircut, but on the other hand he plays with a baby – you win some, you lose some. OK, no more Gosling chat from now on, I promise.

UK release date: 12 April 2013

5. MOVIE 43

Featuring a roster of A-listers so long I couldn’t begin to list it, this movie is more like a feature-length sketch show. Jackman, Stone, Winslet, McFarlane, Watts, Gere, Bosworth, Thurman, Knoxville, Berry, and about a million others (including Snooki) tell the story of three kids on the hunt for the most controversial video on the internet.

UK release date: 25 January 2013

6. LINCOLN

Rejoice, for DDL is back. Everyone’s favourite obsessive method actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, stars as the titular President, in his first film role since 2009. He’s already clinched the best actor Golden Globe fpr this and it looks like he’s going to rack up a a bunch more statuettes by the end of awards season.

UK release date: 25 January 2013

7. THE GREAT GATSBY

We’ve been banging on about it for years, because 1920′s fashion trends have been kicking around for the last few seasons, but finally in 2013 we’ll get the big reveal on Baz Luhrman’s adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, starring Leonardo Dicaprio and Carey Mulligan. I’m particularly excited since Jay-Z recently revealed he’s been working on the soundtrack.

UK release date: 10 May 2013

8. THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE

Most people agree (myself included) that the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy is the best, which is why we’re looking forward to the return of Catniss Everdeen and co this year. Plus, it means you get to play the ‘which of your friends would win the Hunger Games’ game again, which is always fun. It’s just a shame they haven’t rethought the truly lamentable casting of Lenny Kravitz as Cinna.

UK release date: 22 November 2013

9. CLOUD ATLAS

I already told you why I’m excited about this one.

UK release date: 22 February 2013

10. ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND CONTINUES

Holy comedy trinity Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd and Steve Carrell are reunited for the follow-up to 2004 cult hit Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Very little is known about the plot, but with all the old gang on board, I’m hopeful for a side-splitting sequel.

UK release date: 20 December 2013

However, DON’T go and see:

11. OLDBOY

I strongly advise you to avoid this US remake of aforementioned Korean masterpiece Oldboy. The original is one of my favourite films of all time – dark, gritty, gripping and twisted – and it pains me that they would even attempt a Hollywood version. I don’t care if Spike Lee is directing it, I’ll be giving it a miss completely, and I urge you to do the same.

UK release date: 11 October 2013

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