With the end of another year comes the closure of another chapter in our lives. For me those chapters are filled with memories, but they are always bookmarked by the movies I’ve seen and when I saw them. 2023 was a great year for cinema, so great that I had a hard time coming up with this list, because there were so many great films. Nonetheless, I came up with my favorite 12 films of 2023, with some honorable mentions, so without further ado: Honorable mentions: Rye Lane, Barbie, The Holdovers, How to Blow up a Pipeline.
- Godzilla Minus One
All hail the king of monsters, and when it comes to Godzilla movies you will be hard pressed to find one much better than this one. Delivering a blueprint for both the humans and Godzilla, there is nothing minus when it comes to this movie as it is pluses all the way around.
- Anatomy of A Fall
I never get tired of movies that showcase acting talent and Justine Triet’s movie about a woman suspected in her husband’s death does just that. Sandra Hüller is a force in this movie as you can’t take your eyes off of her in this fantastic courtroom drama.
- Robot Dreams
I had a chance to see this earlier and dismissed it, but was that a mistake. Pablo Berger delivers a beautiful love story that speaks loud in its beauty with this story about a dog and his best friend. It also finds a way to bring all the feels all while capturing New York City in a certain time period.
- Society of the Snow
With the release of the movie Alive in 1993, most of us heard the story of the rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes. While Alive did bring the story to life, with Society of the Snow, you live it. This is an incredible story and J.A. Bayona puts you right in the middle of it, making you feel everything.
- Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos always seems to deliver with his films, and Poor Things it no exception to that. Emma Stone is just perfection as Bella Baxter as we watch her evolve to find the pleasures in life, all while giving us. the audience, simple joy.
- Oppenheimer
2023 might be a lot of things to a lot of people, but for me it is the year of Barbenheimer. It is Oppenheimer though that ends of in the top 12, as there are not many filmmakers who could deliver this payload like Christopher Nolan can. With standout performances and lots of tension, few films will keep your eyes glued to the screen like this one.
- Killer of the Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese returns with another lesson in cinema with film set in the 1920’s. With great performances by DiCaprio and De Niro, it is incredible that it is Lily Gladstone who stands out the most. Of course once you see it, you will understand, You can see why some consider her the frontrunner to take home gold this award season.
- Spider-Man; Across the Spider-Verse
In 2018, Into the Spider-Verse sent a sizeable shock wave through the animation world. Rarely is magic captured in a bottle twice, but once again we are taking on a ride of the senses that we don’t want to end. This movie only seems to get better with each viewing as this series is well on the way of being one of the greatest trilogies of all time.
- Perfect Days
Some movies speak to our souls and Perfect Days did this for me. Wim Wenders delivers with this story about a janitor who we follow through his days that many people will relate with. Anchored by a great performance by Kôji Yakusho, who plays the main character, Perfect Days will make you want to cherish your days more when it is done.
- The Zone of Interest
There has been a lot of movies about the horror that the Nazi’s put the Jewish people through, but The Zone of Interest finds a way to make you feel even more disgust. We never see inside the camps, just the everyday lives of the Germans who run it and if you think what was inside was bad, wait til you see what you see here. It might be worse.
- All of Us Strangers
If you know me you will be able to know what movies always hit the spot, and my top two fit that perfectly. Here with All of Us Strangers, about a screenwriter who meets a mysterious stranger all while spending time with his parents, who died when he was a kid. All of it shows how important relationships can be, and when it is all over you will just want to be alone to process all of it.
- Past Lives
This one hit me like a ton of bricks and for anyone who has ever thought they missed the chance on love, it will do the same. Gretta Lee it perfect and she is able to shine because of her costars, John Magaro and Teo Yoo as together with Celine Song they reveal a story that will feel personal for almost everyone.
