Trailers from Hell Presents: The Movies That Made Me: Dan Waters Ranks 2023
Writer and frequent podcast guest Dan Waters discusses EVERY movie he watched last year with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
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- DirectorMaryna Er GorbachStarsOksana CherkashynaSergey ShadrinOleg ShcherbinaAfter flight MH17 crashes in eastern Ukraine, violent tensions disrupt the lives of an expecting couple living in Donetsk.
- DirectorAdele LimStarsAshley ParkSherry ColaStephanie HsuFollows four Asian American friends as they bond and discover the truth of what it means to know and love who you are, while they travel through China in search of one of their birth mothers.
- DirectorEmmanuel CarrèreStarsJuliette BinocheLouise PocieckaSteve PapagiannisIt is based on French journalist Florence Aubenas's bestselling non-fiction work Le Quai de Ouistreham, investigating rising precarity in French society through her experiences in the northern port city of Caen.
- DirectorAki KaurismäkiStarsAlma PöystiJussi VatanenJanne HyytiäinenIn modern-day Helsinki, two lonely souls in search of love meet by chance in a karaoke bar. However, their path to happiness is beset by obstacles - from lost phone numbers to mistaken addresses, alcoholism, and a charming stray dog.
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsEmma StoneMark RuffaloWillem DafoeAn account of the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.
- DirectorJonathan GlazerStarsChristian FriedelSandra HüllerJohann KarthausAuschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden beside the camp.
- DirectorAnthony IngStarsJill GoldstonAt first you do not even notice her, she is one of many. But, little by little, you begin to become aware of her and her special presence. As a background artist, Jill Goldston has worked on countless films. This collage of fifty years of cinema and television history is a tribute to her and to all the figures in the background without whom those in the foreground would be unable to take centre stage.
- DirectorAlain ResnaisStarsMichel BouquetReinhard HeydrichHeinrich HimmlerThe history of Nazi Germany's death camps of the Final Solution and the hellish world of dehumanization and death contained inside.
- DirectorJames AdolphusStarsMary Tyler MooreJames L. BrooksRob ReinerExplores the vanguard career of Mary, who, as an actor, performer, and advocate, revolutionized the portrayal of women in media, redefined their roles in show business, and inspired generations to dream big and make it on their own.
- DirectorAri AsterStarsJoaquin PhoenixPatti LuPoneAmy RyanFollowing the sudden death of his mother, a mild-mannered but anxiety-ridden man confronts his darkest fears as he embarks on an epic, Kafkaesque odyssey back home.
- DirectorBen AffleckStarsMatt DamonJason BatemanBen AffleckFollows the history of sports marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro, and how he led Nike in its pursuit of the greatest athlete in the history of basketball, Michael Jordan.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsMichael FassbenderTilda SwintonCharles ParnellAfter a fateful near-miss, an assassin battles his employers and himself, on an international manhunt he insists isn't personal.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsAdam DriverShailene WoodleyGiuseppe FestineseSet in the summer of 1957, with Enzo Ferrari's auto empire in crisis, the ex-racer turned entrepreneur pushes himself and his drivers to the edge as they launch into the Mille Miglia, a treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioRobert De NiroLily GladstoneWhen oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one - until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.
- DirectorAlan ParkerStarsGene HackmanWillem DafoeFrances McDormandTwo F.B.I. Agents with wildly different styles arrive in Mississippi to investigate the disappearance of some civil rights activists.
- DirectorMervyn LeRoyStarsJames StewartVera MilesMurray HamiltonA dedicated FBI agent recalls the agency's battles against the Klan, organized crime and Communist spies.
- DirectorDerek GoldmanJeff HutchensStarsDavid Strathairn"All I can say is that I saw it, and it is the truth." In a virtuoso solo performance, Academy Award nominee David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck, Lincoln, Nomadland) portrays Jan Karski in this genre-defying true story of a reluctant World War II hero and Holocaust witness. After surviving the devastation of the Blitzkrieg, Karski swears allegiance to the Polish Underground and risks his life to carry the first eyewitness reports of war-torn Poland to the Western world, and ultimately, the Oval Office. Escaping a Gestapo prison, bearing witness to the despair of the Warsaw ghetto and confronted by the inhumanity of a death camp, Karski endures unspeakable mental anguish and physical torture to stand tall in the halls of power and speak the truth. Strathairn captures the complexity and legacy of this self-described "insignificant, little man" whose timely story of moral courage and individual responsibility can still shake the conscience of the world.
- DirectorSébastien MarnierStarsLaure CalamyDoria TillierDominique BlancA woman on the verge of financial collapse attempts to impersonate her imprisoned lover and con her wealthy, estranged father and his new family.
- DirectorKevin GreutertStarsTobin BellShawnee SmithSynnøve Macody LundA sick and desperate John travels to Mexico for a risky and experimental medical procedure in hopes of a miracle cure for his cancer only to discover the entire operation is a scam to defraud the most vulnerable.
- DirectorSteven Caple Jr.StarsAnthony RamosDominique FishbackLuna Lauren VelezDuring the '90s, a new faction of Transformers - the Maximals - join the Autobots as allies in the battle for Earth.
- DirectorAndrew HaighStarsAndrew ScottPaul MescalCarter John GroutA screenwriter drawn back to his childhood home enters into a fledgling relationship with his downstairs neighbor while discovering a mysterious new way to heal from losing his parents 30 years ago.
- DirectorTakashi YamazakiStarsRyunosuke KamikiMinami HamabeSakura AndôPost war Japan is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb.
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsTom HardyCharlize TheronNicholas HoultIn a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper and a drifter named Max.
- DirectorElia KazanStarsMarlon BrandoKarl MaldenLee J. CobbAn ex-prize fighter turned New Jersey longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses, including his older brother, as he starts to connect with the grieving sister of one of the syndicate's victims.
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsBradley CooperCate BlanchettToni ColletteA grifter working his way up from low-ranking carnival worker to lauded psychic medium matches wits with a psychologist bent on exposing him.
- DirectorBradley CooperStarsCarey MulliganBradley CooperMatt BomerThis love story chronicles the lifelong relationship of conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.
- DirectorAtleeStarsShah Rukh KhanNayantharaVijay SethupathiA prison warden recruits inmates to commit outrageous crimes that shed light on corruption and injustice - and that lead him to an unexpected reunion.
- DirectorLokesh KanagarajStarsJoseph VijaySanjay DuttTrisha KrishnanParthiban is a mild-mannered cafe owner in Kashmir, who fends off a gang of murderous thugs and gains attention from a drug cartel claiming he was once a part of them.
- DirectorRobert MarianettiRobert SmigelDavid WachtenheimStarsAdam SandlerBill BurrCecily StrongA 74-year-old lizard named Leo and his turtle friend decide to escape from the terrarium of a Florida school classroom where they have been living for decades.
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsViggo MortensenMaria BelloEd HarrisA mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core.
- DirectorS.S. RajamouliStarsN.T. Rama Rao Jr.Ram CharanAjay DevgnA fearless warrior on a perilous mission comes face to face with a steely cop serving British forces in this epic saga set in pre-independent India.
- DirectorGareth EdwardsStarsJohn David WashingtonMadeleine Yuna VoylesGemma ChanAgainst the backdrop of a war between humans and robots with artificial intelligence, a former soldier finds the secret weapon, a robot in the form of a young child.
- DirectorFrancis LawrenceStarsRachel ZeglerTom BlythViola DavisCoriolanus Snow mentors and develops feelings for the female District 12 tribute during the 10th Hunger Games.
- DirectorNeill BlomkampStarsDavid HarbourOrlando BloomArchie MadekweBased on the unbelievable, inspiring true story of a team of underdogs - a struggling, working-class gamer, a failed former race car driver, and an idealistic motorsport exec - who risk it all to take on the most elite sport in the world.
- DirectorNick CastleStarsLance GuestRobert PrestonKay E. KuterHigh schooler Alex Rogan conquers the Starfighter video game, only to find out it was just a test, and is transported to another planet. He has been recruited to join a team of the best starfighters to defend their world from the attack.
- DirectorZack SnyderStarsSofia BoutellaDjimon HounsouEd SkreinWhen a peaceful settlement on the edge of a distant moon finds itself threatened by a tyrannical ruling force, a stranger living among its villagers becomes their best hope for survival.
- DirectorJean-François RichetStarsGerard ButlerMike ColterTony GoldwynA pilot finds himself caught in a war zone after he's forced to land his commercial aircraft during a terrible storm.
- DirectorFlorian ZellerStarsVanessa KirbyHugh JackmanLaura DernPeter has his busy life with new partner Beth and their baby thrown into disarray when his ex-wife Kate turns up with their teenage son, Nicholas.
- DirectorDito MontielStarsChanning TatumTerrence HowardLuis GuzmánIn New York City, a young counterfeiter is introduced to the world of underground street fighting by a seasoned scam artist, who becomes his manager on the bare-knuckling brawling circuit.
- DirectorGreta GerwigStarsMargot RobbieRyan GoslingIssa RaeBarbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.
- DirectorAdam SalkyStarsEmmy RossumZach GilfordAshley SpringerA drama centered around three high school seniors - an aspiring actress, her misfit best friend, and a loner - who become engaged in an intimate and complicated relationship.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsCillian MurphyEmily BluntMatt DamonThe story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.
- DirectorJustine TrietStarsSandra HüllerSwann ArlaudMilo Machado-GranerA woman is suspected of murder after her husband's death; their half-blind son faces a moral dilemma as the main witness.
- DirectorJimmy ChinElizabeth Chai VasarhelyiStarsAnnette BeningJodie FosterAnne Marie KempfThe remarkable true story of athlete Diana Nyad who, at the age of 60 and with the help of her best friend and coach, commits to achieving her life-long dream: a 110-mile open ocean swim from Cuba to Florida.
- DirectorNiki CaroStarsKeisha Castle-HughesRawiri ParateneVicky HaughtonA contemporary story of love, rejection and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize.
- DirectorKyle MarvinStarsLily TomlinJane FondaRita MorenoA group of friends made it their life-long mission to go to the Super Bowl and meet NFL superstar Tom Brady.
- DirectorAnh Hung TranStarsJuliette BinocheBenoît MagimelEmmanuel SalingerThe story of Eugenie, an esteemed cook, and Dodin - the fine gourmet chef she has been working for over the last 20 years.
- DirectorNicholas MeyerStarsMalcolm McDowellMary SteenburgenDavid WarnerH.G. Wells pursues Jack the Ripper to the 20th Century when the serial murderer uses the future writer's time machine to escape his time period.
- DirectorCharlotte Le BonStarsJoseph EngelSara MontpetitMonia ChokriA shy teenager on a summer vacation experiences the joy and pain of young adulthood when he forges an unlikely bond with an older girl.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsJoseph Gordon-LevittCharlotte Le BonBen KingsleyIn 1974, high-wire artist Philippe Petit recruits a team of people to help him realize his dream: to walk the immense void between the World Trade Center towers.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsMichael KeatonDanny DeVitoMichelle PfeifferWhile Batman deals with a deformed man calling himself the Penguin wreaking havoc across Gotham with the help of a cruel businessman, a female employee of the latter becomes the Catwoman with her own vendetta.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleTom HardyAnne HathawayEight years after the Joker's reign of chaos, Batman is coerced out of exile with the assistance of the mysterious Selina Kyle in order to defend Gotham City from the vicious guerrilla terrorist Bane.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsJoaquin PhoenixPhilip Seymour HoffmanAmy AdamsA Naval veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by the Cause and its charismatic leader.
- DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesLaurence FishburneGeorge GeorgiouJohn Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.
- DirectorJohn BadhamStarsJohn TravoltaKaren Lynn GorneyBarry MillerAnxious about his future after high school, a 19-year-old Italian-American from Brooklyn tries to escape the harsh reality of his bleak family life by dominating the dance floor at the local disco.
- DirectorTimothy Scott BogartStarsJeremy JordanMichelle MonaghanJay PharoahA biopic of 1970s record producer Neil Bogart, co-founder of Casablanca Records.
- DirectorCharlie DayStarsCharlie DayKen JeongKate BeckinsaleA fool for love becomes an accidental celebrity only to lose it all.
- DirectorSean McEwenStarsIndia EisleyEmory CohenSam StrikeThree siblings, facing the possibility of prison, take matters into their own hands with a cross-country crime spree of epic proportions.
- DirectorTaika WaititiStarsMichael FassbenderOscar KightleyKaimanaThe story of the infamously terrible American Samoa soccer team, known for a brutal 2001 FIFA match they lost 31-0.
- DirectorSusanna FogelStarsEmilia JonesNicholas BraunGeraldine ViswanathanWhen Margot, a college sophomore, goes on a date with the older Robert, she finds that he doesn't live up to the Robert she has been flirting with over texts. A razor-sharp exploration of the horrors of dating.
- DirectorLouis J. GasnierStarsDorothy ShortKenneth CraigLillian MilesCautionary tale that features a fictionalized take on marijuana use. A trio of drug dealers lead innocent teenagers to become addicted to "reefer" cigarettes by holding wild parties with jazz music.
- DirectorBilly LutherStarsKeir TallmanCharley HoganSarah H. NataniTwo adolescent Navajo cousins from different worlds bond during a summer herding sheep on their grandmother's ranch in Arizona while learning more about their family's past and themselves.
- DirectorMichael A. GoorjianStarsMichael A. GoorjianHovik KeuchkerianNelli UvarovaCharlie escapes the Armenian genocide as a boy by fleeing to the United States, but he returns as an adult and is arrested. He watches an Armenian couple from his prison cell, finally learning about his homeland.
- DirectorEmerald FennellStarsBarry KeoghanJacob ElordiRosamund PikeA student at Oxford University finds himself drawn into the world of a charming and aristocratic classmate, who invites him to his eccentric family's sprawling estate for a summer never to be forgotten.
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsBrad PittMargot RobbieJean SmartA tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.
- DirectorCraig GillespieStarsMargot RobbieSebastian StanAllison JanneyCompetitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the activity is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes.
- DirectorBryan SingerStarsKevin SpaceyGabriel ByrneChazz PalminteriThe sole survivor of a pier shoot-out tells the story of how a notorious criminal influenced the events that began with five criminals meeting in a seemingly random police lineup.
- DirectorDavid AyerStarsJason StathamEmmy Raver-LampmanBobby NaderiOne man's brutal campaign for vengeance takes on national stakes after he is revealed to be a former operative of a powerful and clandestine organization known as "Beekeepers."