With 2023 in the rearview, our team takes a look back to sort out their favorite movies in a year stacked with great cinema.
2023 was an interesting year for film. It saw a number of high-profile blockbuster releases back-to-back, franchise revivals/continuations, and more than a few surprises (both good and bad). Even so, the box office struggled to get off the ground aside from a few exceptions while the Writers and Actors’ guild strikes dominated the conversation for the bulk of the year.
There was a lot going on. Even amid the turmoil, there was an exceedingly high number of amazing films. Not all of them got the attention they deserved, but there was greatness in abundance. Below, you’ll find our team’s picks for their favorite (not necessarily the “best”) films of the year…in which we forced them to stick with only five:
Jordan
2023 was a great year to be a movie-lover. From festival darlings, arthouse flicks, and mainstream blockbusters, it was STACKED with something new to enjoy every week. If the weaker box office is anything to go by, it almost may have been TOO packed with good movies. Regardless, that’s made narrowing down my list to just five movies harder than it’s been in a long time. As such, I’m leaving off some of the “gimme” picks (e.g. Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) to spotlight some others!
Godzilla Minus One – Despite being a late entry for the year, Godzilla: Minus One instantly jumped onto my list of favorite films. It’s just a phenomenal Godzilla movie that manages to capture the awe and fear of the classics, bringing modern destruction to keep you thrilled. Throw in some hefty themes with a gripping story and it’s easily one of the best Godzilla films, period.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Across the Spider-Verse had a lot to live up to. Considering Into the Spider-Verse managed to blow everyone away and deliver one of—if not the—best Spidey stories told, there were a lot of expectations placed on the sequel. Somehow, it managed to exceed even those and manages to hold up no matter how many times I’ve re-watched it since.
Killers of the Flower Moon – Martin Scorsese’s historical film chronicling the Osage murders is a tough film to watch. Heartbreaking in many ways and brings to light infuriating details, it’s not likely a film I’ll watch over and over…That said, the way it expertly brings an important piece of Native history, and highlights the continued struggles Native Americans deal with, makes it an easy choice for my list.
Anatomy of a Fall – On paper, Anatomy of a Fall doesn’t exactly seem like my kind of movie. And yet, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this gripping courtroom drama. Despite being a slower paced movie, the characters are instantly engaging and the way it’s shot makes it feel more like you’re watching a documentary than a work of fiction. The result is a story you can’t look away from and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.
John Wick: Chapter 4 – There are a number of reasons why John Wick 4 is on this list. For one, it’s just incredible. It’s a great end cap to the whole saga, while bringing the action to all new levels. On top of that, however, it’s special as my teenage son and I were able to enjoy it together. He was old enough to check out the previous films, so on nights we didn’t have his younger sister, we watched them all in order and I was ultimately able to take him to the early press screening of Chapter 4. At a time when we were both adjusting to new changes in our lives, it was something that helped us get closer.
Honorable Mentions: Poor Things, Bottoms, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,
Becky
Godzilla Minus One – From the moment I saw it in theaters, there was doubt in my mind that Godzilla Minus One would have to be at the very top of my “favorite films of the year” list. I’ve seen a number of Godzilla films, and this one is easily the best. It even out does the original, and that’s saying a lot. This is the Godzilla story fans have been begging for, one that restores Godzilla’s role as a metaphor for the dangers of nuclear weapons while also investigating the effect that war has on people as well. Add in a perfect sampling of Akira Ifukube’s score from the original film and it’s little wonder I’ve seen this film as many times as I could.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter – I don’t care what anyone says, The Last Voyage of the Demeter is one of the better Dracula movies that have come out in recent years. It expands a brief note in the original novel into a spine-chilling tale that felt perfectly ripe for a follow-up. I really like it when filmmakers try something different with an old story and that’s exactly what this film is. We see how people from all different walks deal with having a vampire on the ship. Even though we know how the story is going to end, the way it’s written makes you want to stick through to the end just to see what happens next.
Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken – I said it at the time it came out and I say it again now as the year comes to a close: Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken is easily one of the best animated films to come out this past summer and it is definitely my favorite. This was DreamWorks first film with a female lead character and it got so many things right. The animation, the story, the music, it was all so beautiful and it makes me sad the film hasn’t gotten more recognition.
Blue Giant – I got to see several anime films this year and Blue Giant was by far my favorite. I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy a story about jazz musicians trying to make their way in the world, but almost as soon as the story started I fell in love with everything I saw. I’m not sure which I loved more, the story or the beautiful music. Even if you know nothing about jazz, you will love everything you hear in Blue Giant, it really is that good.
The Marvels – Of all the superhero movies that came out this year, The Marvels is undoubtedly my favorite. This film had all of my favorite things in it: Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and more importantly Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel working together. Seeing my two favorite superheroes interacting was everything I needed it to be and I would happily watch a full trilogy of movies with nothing but those two in it. And don’t let the bad reviews fool you, the story is actually pretty good, I like how it focused on the consequences of Captain Marvel’s actions, only telling us what happened later.
Garrett
I’ll be honest, I didn’t get to see as many movies in 2023 as I would have liked. Furthermore, what I did see didn’t always blow me away. However, we did get some great big budget films that were actually NOT sequels, which makes me very happy. Combined with audience fatigue towards comic book movies and mage-franchises, hopefully this is a sign of Hollywood turning back towards new (or at least new-to-screen) ideas.
Killers of the Flower Moon – Scorsese’s latest film showed off exactly why he is not only one of the greatest living filmmakers, but one of the greatest of all times. Maybe the film wasn’t as enjoyable as his best work, but it nonetheless did not disappoint. It was an acting tour-de-force with three tremendous performances at its center. The way Scorsese decided to tell this tale felt genuine and respectful of the Osage people, rather than trying to exploit their struggles. Above all it was a brilliantly crated thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and is a film I will not stop thinking about anytime soon.
Oppenheimer – Nolan’s most dramatic and procedural film to date is just as creative, inventive, and unique as the other films in his filmography. While I would not say this is his best film, it is definitely one of his top three because of how well it captures the sentiment surrounding the controversial Robert Oppenheimer. It is full of great performances, with Cillian Murphy putting in a career-defining turn front and center. This is a film that is intense and dense, but it never feels overwhelming or heavy handed. Nolan certainly knew what he was doing, and it shows.
Barbie – While the above-mentioned films may represent the dramatic highlights of 2023’s cinematic output, I think Barbie is actually this year’s most important and impactful film. First, it is based on a consumer product, but it is not being created solely for the purpose of selling that product or appealing to those who would buy it. That’s a huge win in my book. It finds something about what the toy represents and puts a unique and entertaining spin on it. It also helps that Greta Gerwig is a rockstar filmmaker and this film really gives her the freedom to show off what she is capable of. With endearing performances, amazing production, and a script that never ceases to entertain, this is a film that epitomizes cinematic success in this day and age.
Poor Things – I am a big fan of Yorgos Lanthimos. I love the way his films diverge from the beaten path. Its fearless filmmaking, but also expertly crafted. That is exactly the case with Poor Things. It’s a film that exudes the sort of limitless creativity that is rarely embraced these days, especially in such a high profile film. Emma Stone is tremendous in this film, giving the performance of a lifetime. Also, it is very funny. And beautiful. And grotesque. And gutsy. It swings for the fences and hits a home run.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning – I’ve long championed the Mission: Impossible franchise and think it is one of the greeted action movie franchises of all time. Every film kept raising the stakes and improving on what had come before when you thought it was already as great as it could be. This seventh entry into the series is unfortunately a small step back from Fallout, but even then it is miles ahead of most contemporary entries working in this genre today. The action and stunt work remains sublime. The new character additions were welcome, and the old ones continue to shine. This entry introduces more of a physical comedy element into the fold, which is unique and also I am all here for as a big fan of Charlie Chaplin. Can’t wait to see the next one.
Katy
I don’t normally chime in on the movies side since I’m not a huge movie watcher (that’s why I’m on the game-side of the site), but I wanted to share the films I’ve enjoyed this year.
The Boy and the Heron – Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s latest film was a transportation back to back to its classic feelings of tackling grief in a beautiful and magical liminal space. I saw it dubbed because of its star-studded cast and it did not disappoint.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 – I know this film was difficult to watch because of its particularly graphic depictions of animal abuse, but it was a film that I did not regret seeing. I’ve loved this particular neck of the Marvel hydra and I felt like it gave a great spotlight to Rocket and his heart-breaking backstory. But I can understand why many may not choose to watch. I cried for three-quarters of the movie.
Barbie – I’m a millennial that grew up playing with Barbie’s right alongside my video games(literally had the Barbie that hooked up to your computer) and had pretty much every Barbie video game made from the 90’s to the mid-2000’s (Barbie Horse Adventures, Super Sports, and Detective anyone?). So the insane marketing campaign won me over and I loved the film.
Oppenheimer – I really enjoyed this as well amid the Barbenheimer craze. I felt like the pacing made the film’s length not feel like a drag.
Dustin
I too saw very few movies, mostly due to the skyrocketing cost of living, but the few I did see were pretty dang amazing. To be fair I’m more of a streamer as I like episodic content though.
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse – This movie is why I wanted to chime and what pushed me over the edge to do so. You can read my review where I literally could not say one bad thing about this movie. I friggin love Spider-Gwen so I even loved her opening sequence so much. Hell it’s rare that a sequel outshines the original film, but that happened here. That being said I could praise this as the best Spider-Man movie ever, but one thing I want to highlight is that it’s also brilliant as an animated movie too. All the different animation styles that were blended together to bring this film alive is a pure celebration of animation that honors the rich history of the genre so well. So even if you don’t see it cus, well… Spider-Man, see it for that reason.
Killers Of The Flower Moon – When I sat down in the theater for this movie and my spouse mentioned how long it was, I gave her a good long glare…. But it honestly didn’t feel like I sat there that long with how well the movie moved along. It’s a super interesting story that is told through absolutely phenomenal acting in all aspects, and when it ends it makes you want to have discussions on the topic at hand.
Which 2023 films were your favorites?
