10) Joy Ride
A straight comedy in the top 10, you simply love to see it. Funniest movie of the year, with my favorite ensemble cast. Also has a touching, heartfelt story at its center, something you don’t always get with comedies. The Baron Davis cameo is probably my favorite of the year.
9) Killers of the Flower Moon (Review)
Martin Scorsese’s latest lives up to its epic nature. It’s a major recognition of a truly dark moment in our country’s history. Intense themes at play that asks a lot of its audience. Add in strong performances up and down the board, and score, production design, and other top-notch technical work, and you’ve got one of the year’s best.
8) Sanctuary
Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott are the only characters in this movie, and they are asked to do quite a lot. And they both completely nail it. I had Qualley at the top of my personal best actress list the moment I walked out of the theater, and she remained there the rest of the year. It’s a twisted, psychological erotic thriller. If you want to feel uncomfortable horny for 90 minutes, this is the movie for you.
7) The Iron Claw
The Iron Claw is, in a word, devastating. I didn’t know much about the Von Erich family prior to seeing this movie, and oh my goodness what this family has been through. Zac Efron has the performance of his career, perfectly channeling all the deeply sad and emotional anguish of Kevin Von Erich. The wrestling scenes are some of the best editing work on the year. There are several lines of dialogue that will absolutely destroy you, in particular one in the final scene (I won’t spoil it here, but if you know, you know).
6) Anatomy of a Fall
Best script of the year. Best instrumental use of “P.I.M.P.” The death and trial parts keep you guessing the whole way, while the family dynamics at play hit you hard throughout as well. Sandra Hüller is excellent, and Milo Machado Graner gives maybe the best kid performance of the year – it’s between him and Abby Ryder Fortson for me. This is absolutely not the main takeaway here, but French court is hilarious.
5) Air (Review)
Terrific cast (Chris Messina Oscar WHEN?!), great script, engaging story even though we all know where it ends. Air succeeds by focusing on the “why” behind the characters’ motivations rather than the surface level “what” of trying to sign Jordan to a shoe deal. It’s actually an uplifting story about believing in yourself and continuously striving to find meaning in your life.
4) Oppenheimer (Review)
Oppenheimer could have been a simple, by the numbers biopic, but thankfully it had Christopher Nolan behind it. It dives into the psyche of the man, allowing us into his mind, as he grapples with the weight and consequences of creating the atomic bomb. And of course it features all the signature below the line work we’ve come to expect from Nolan’s films. Cillian Murphy gives as good a performance as you’ll find from 2023, and is supporting by an equally strong – and ridiculously deep – supporting cast.
3) John Wick: Chapter 4 (Review)
The John Wick series has always been known for its fight scenes, big set pieces, and action choreography. That is all on full display here, but this time supported by some of the best cinematography work from any movie from 2023. It adds a whole new layer that the previous three movies didn’t have. Add in Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rina Sawayama with the best supporting work in the series, and it all comes together as the best and most epic of the four movies. And one of the best and most epic movies of recent years. Oh yeah, and for good measure, the dragon’s breath scene is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen a movie do.
2) The Holdovers
Dominic Sessa won his role because the movie was filming at his school and they offered any students who wanted to the chance to audition. It was his first ever audition. It’s an awesome story, and Sessa gives an acclaimed performance, one of the strongest of the year. It’s incredible. But that’s just the start. It’s funny, charming, heartfelt, bittersweet. Expertly balances the humor with the more dramatic and serious shifts. Handles some deeper emotional plot lines just as well as the lighter ones. A magnificent movie.
1) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Review)
Here we are, folks. Best superhero movie of all time, best comic book movie of all time, one of the best animated movies ever, best movie of 2023. It takes the epic animation from Into the Spider-Verse and takes it up another notch. I still think Across the Spider-Verse just might be the best-animated movie I’ve ever seen. So many different animation styles are used, and they all blend seamlessly together. Along the same note, the fights and other action scenes are also nothing short of incredible. It builds on Into, taking on a more mature story, without losing any of the heart, humor, or creativity. It’s a wonderful, near-perfect movie.
And that’s a wrap on 2023! At least until the Oscars roll around. But for now, let’s just enjoy what a great year 2023 was for film, and get out there and catch as many of the fantastic movies as there were that you might have missed!
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