Last year I was able to fit 30 on this list comfortably. This year I’ve kept it at 20 because it correlates with the number of films I find myself eagerly anticipating, whereas in 2012 there were a larger amount. But for a film to make it onto one of my anticipated lists, moderate excitement ain’t gonna cut it. I can honestly say I’m clawing at the walls for each of these releases to come out and make their way towards me. I actually love this time of year. It’s known as crap season to many, when we all take a breather from the fall season chaos, but so many smaller films get their release in the early part of the year. The mainstream might be pretty barren, but it makes for an environment where a big release can jump up and surprise you. And in the meantime, if you have an arthouse theater nearby, there’s plenty to choose from in these early months. Like, plenty. The majority of these picks are films I’ve been waiting for for almost a year, as it always goes for these lists. If you know which directors I like, my number one should be a no-brainer.
A large chunk of these release dates are limited and this doesn’t count TV otherwise miniseries and TV movies like Top of the Lake, Parade’s End, Phil Spector and Behind the Candelabra would be on here.
20. Trance (UK, Boyle)
Release Date: April 5th
19. Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (Germany, Vasyukov & Herzog)
Release Date: January 25th
18. Evil Dead (US, Alvarez)
Release Date: April 5th
With each new piece of information about this remake my interest grows; impressive considering the sacred original text. A director hand-picked by Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell who serve as producers, making it a sanctioned remake. A script that Diablo Cody gave the once over. A pledge to use not one ounce of CGI, entirely practical effects, damn the inconveniences and challenges that come with it. The news that the initial cut had been slapped with the NC-17. The go-for-broke red-band trailer that doesn’t let up and has a weird unpredictable ‘did I really just see that’ edge to it. It looks like this is going to offend many. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.
17. Spring Breakers (USA, Korine)
Release Date: March 22nd
16. Caesar Must Die (Italy, Taviani)
Release Date: February 6th
15. Room 237 (USA, Ascher)
Release Date: March 29th
14. Side Effects (USA, Soderbergh)
Release Date: February 8th
13. Upstream Color (USA, Carruth)
Release Date: April 5th
12. N0 (Chile, Larrain)
Release Date: February 15th
11. Ginger and Rosa (UK, Potter)
Release Date: March 15th
10. From Up On Poppy Hill (Japan, Goro Miyazaki)
Release Date: March 15th
9. Like Someone in Love (France/Japan, Kiarostami)
Release Date: February 15th
8. To the Wonder (USA, Malick)
Release Date: April 12th
7. Lore (Australia/Germany/UK, Shortland)
Release Date: February 8th
6. The Gatekeepers (Israel/France/Belgium/Germany, Moreh)
Release Date: February 1st
5. 56 Up (UK, Apted)
Release Date: January 4th
4. Mud (USA, Nichols)
Release Date: April 26th
3. The Place Beyond the Pines (USA, Cianfrance)
Release Date: March 29th
2. Beyond the Hills (Romania, Mungiu)
Release Date: March 8th
1. Stoker (USA, Park)
Release Date: March 1st
Park Chan-wook’s Western debut baby. Park Chan-Wook. Bring on the weird Hitchcockian camp. Drown me in it.
Cinema Enthusiast 
Reblogged this on Up All Night.
Loads of stuff that’s on my radar here, but I have to say I don’t understand why people are anticipating the new evil dead. Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi connection or no, it just recycles the stuff of the original trilogy and that being the case, I’ll always go for the original trilogy. For me that is the horror remake which is a step too, well that and the Thing (2011).
Like I said, yes it’s recycling, but it looks like actual effort is going into this as opposed to just being churned out. I’m impressed with certain choices they’ve made already (the no-CGI rule is kind of ingenious) and I’ve gotten to a point where if a remake excites me, it’s a completely separate thing from the original. The original will always exist and I’ll always go for it too. But that doesn’t mean that this new one will automatically be worthless.
Great list of films. So much potential, so long to wait.