I find that these past two years have been integral to my growing appreciation of cinema and what it has to offer in its emotional aspects. My top ten films of 2023 consist of movies that have crushed my spirit, inspired me, and disgusted me. These movies are special not just for this, but also for their visual appeal, expertly crafted screenplays, and impeccable direction. They are, in my opinion, some of the best that cinema has to offer this year and ones that have stayed in my mind long after leaving the theater. Before I get into this, I should mention a few films I loved for various reasons that did not make this list.
The Zone of Interest dir. Jonathan Glazer
Glazer is one of those directors with a signature style you cannot miss, which makes his films so immersive and introspective. The film feels haunting and horrifying as the viewer watches the people of the past respond so detachedly to the horrors that take place next to their home in the Auschwitz concentration camp. It’s heartbreaking to hear the screams of the past and watch the main characters tune out the sounds of genocide. The sound design is absolutely incredible. Nothing particularly violent is shown, rather it’s heard, which makes this viewing experience unique from other Holocaust films. It’s an essential movie to watch because these themes are mirrored in our modern political landscape.
You can read Lilah’s review of The Zone of Interest here.
May December dir. Todd Haynes
I can’t go any further without mentioning one of the most snubbed films of 2023. Admittedly, when this movie was announced, I didn’t think Charles Melton had the acting skills to keep up with Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. Was I qualified to assume that at the time? Yes, I have seen every episode of Riverdale and I regret that as well. I was glad to be proven wrong though when I watched May December and was blown away by Melton’s tragic performance. I’m mad about very few things this award season (which is new for me), but Melton barely getting recognition for a career redefining role is infuriating.
Bottoms dir. Emma Seligman
Look, this is probably the funniest movie of the year, and only Theater Camp comes close to competing. Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott are the best comedic pair since Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The film is over-the-top, unrealistic, gay, and funny (all the essential elements of a good comedy). Rarely have I had so much fun at the movies than when I saw this film. It also helps that Fight Club is one of my favorite films of all time so when I heard that the premise for this movie was “Lesbian Fight Club” I knew it would be a hit and a fun time at the movies.
10. John Wick: Chapter 4 dir. Chad Stahelski
John Wick has been a leading force in action cinema for nearly ten years. Keanu Reeves was the guy known for The Matrix and Bill & Ted until John Wick launched a career renaissance and became a staple in pop culture. Would I turn into John Wick if someone stepped on my dead wife’s dog? Absolutely. Stahelski and Reeves conclude Wick’s story with the latest, and potentially final, chapter of his journey. With standout performances from Rina Sawayama as Akira and Donnie Yen as Caine, John Wick: Chapter 4 establishes itself as one of the boldest and most daring action films of the past decade.
I understand this may not be on everyone’s top ten list, but trust me, it was incredibly fun. Wick is hit by a car at least four times, tumbles down flights of stairs, falls from questionable heights, and gets back up. If Michael Myers was an action star instead of a fictional serial killer, he would be John Wick. Major props to the stunts team and fight coordinators for not dying while making this film. It takes an incredible amount of dedication to pull off those stunts. Also worth mentioning is the exceptional cinematography by Dan Laustsen, especially the aerial shots in the iconic hallway scene. Considering The Continental series and Ana de Armas’ lead role in the upcoming spin-off film Ballerina, it seems unlikely that the John Wick universe will come to an end anytime soon.
9. Beau is Afraid dir. Ari Aster
Don’t try to figure this film out, just see it for yourself. As a loyal member of the Ari Aster hive, I may be biased, but that doesn’t hinder my ability to critique the film. It is overly confusing for the average moviegoer, but I don’t think this diminishes an audience’s potential enjoyment of Ari Aster’s Beau is Afraid. When I first saw the film, it was just me and a couple sitting a few rows back. It was one of those matinees—the last showing before it would leave theaters (probably for good). Her boyfriend sighed an average of once every two minutes, but she was entranced by the movie, as was I.
Beau is Afraid is disturbing, anxiety-inducing, visually striking, and strangely soothing. It’s the most mind-blowing film of 2023, earning its well-deserved spot on my list. The deranged plot twists and symbolism woven throughout the film left me in awe of Aster’s storytelling abilities. The beginning sequence through Beau’s nightmare city is representative of the film’s entire plot. The movie is also led by a charming performance from Joaquin Phoenix as the titular Beau and his godlike mother, Mona Wassermann, played by Patti LuPone. Each is fantastic in their roles and incredibly attentive to the script. I doubt any sane individual could craft such an original film; I genuinely hope Ari Aster is doing okay, really.
As I write this, I’m wearing Beau’s silk pajamas, an impulse buy, and they’re incredibly comfortable. It’s the best $80 I’ve ever spent. What else can I tell you to do but watch it?
8. Barbie dir. Greta Gerwig
It’s been over seven months since Greta Gerwig’s Barbie hit the big screen and killed the box office summer season (along with Oppenheimer). With fame comes the inevitable criticism. Many times I’ve overhead or read online that Barbie is surface level “plastic” feminism. That it isn’t relatable, the movie should’ve been for kids, or it’s boring. What exactly was this film made for?
Barbie is an ode to the human condition. To the women who should be running the country but are stuck in office jobs. To the women who are grandmothers, mothers, and daughters. This movie is for everyone, to put it simply. Sometimes we need level one feminism to teach us to be aware and empathetic and to highlight the struggles that feel so long gone in the past but are still evident today. Barbie is a rare cinematic achievement and movement we as audiences haven’t witnessed since Avengers: Endgame graced the screen. When will we ever again have a “Barbenheimer” phenomenon? Or an opening weekend in which every person is decked head to toe in pink? We should be thanking Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig for pushing for this film to be made for years. Barbie has earned nearly $1.5 billion dollars at the box office and propelled Greta Gerwig to the top of the list of highest grossing films by a female director. It is simply a film crafted with so much dedication and heart. The film’s pure ambition, comedic genius, and commentary on society makes this one of my favorite films of the year.
You can read Sarah’s review of Barbie here.
7. Anatomy of a Fall dir. Justine Triet
Justine Triet manages to capture a film so reminiscent of old Hollywood. That’s why I felt it essential to double-feature Anatomy of a Fall with the 1959 film Anatomy of a Murder. Both grapple with the question of innocence and what makes the truth the truth. Whether the main character is guilty or innocent really isn’t the point; it’s a matter of the process of dissecting the human psyche. Unraveling the deep emotions that cause us or others to do harm (or not). On the surface, the question is this: did Sandra Voyter (Sandra Hüller) push her husband to his death, or did he simply fall? The ensuing court case places Sandra on the defense. She’s advised by her lawyer to argue that it was suicide, while maintaining her innocence. But what really happened? Who knows.
Anatomy of a Fall put me into a trance; I felt the same as when I saw The Zone of Interest for the first time, another film starring Sandra Hüller. I think she deserves an honorary Oscar for her contributions to cinema just this year. Her performance is quiet, but explosive and brass when it needs to be. Her son in the film, Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner), captures a careful and grounded portrayal of what it means to be left in the dark. He acts as a mirror of our uncertainty. The film isn’t some gigantic spectacle, but it’s very much a human-centered story with a narrative full of mystery. I think many will agree with me when I say that this is one of the best films to come out of 2023.
You can read Jocelyne’s review of Anatomy of a Fall here.
6. Killers of the Flower Moon dir. Martin Scorsese
Killers of the Flower Moon delves into the Osage murders spanning from the 1920s to the 1940s. The book, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, is structured analytically, more like a mystery that captures an American crime against the Indigenous Peoples. Scorsese focuses his film on the Osage community and their culture rather than the FBI team, which is an appropriate decision. The film is also shot on Osage Land, which makes for an experience reminiscent of and faithful to the past. The film is meticulously crafted with the care and dedication it deserves by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.
The movie will break your heart, as it did mine. The runtime is worth it for what the film offers in terms of cultural resonance and deep exploration of one of the most horrific crimes in our history. With wonderful performances from Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Leonardo DiCaprio, and many more, this is one of the most essential films of the year. If you watch any best picture nominee, watch Killers of the Flower Moon. It is a powerful and unforgettable experience.
You can read Rowan’s review of Killers of the Flower Moon here.
5. Oppenheimer dir. Christopher Nolan
Here we go. These next five films make the list of some of my favorite films of all time. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer was my #1 film of the year for a brief moment, but the rest of the movies on my list are just so spectacular. It’s impossible to place it anywhere definitively.
If you know me, you know that I mention Oppenheimer at least once every day. And deservedly so. Watching this on the Imax screen at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle was a visceral experience I will never forget. Especially since we landed in the third row of the theater and had to look up at the screen the whole time, it made the experience all the more horrifying and dramatic. Yes, in some ways Oppenheimer is a horror film. Hoyte van Hoytema’s cinematography is at times claustrophobic, but expansive at others, showing the enormous scale of Oppenheimer’s life. Besides the film’s technical excellence, Cillian Murphy puts on an incredible performance as the titular J. Robert Oppenheimer. As I left the theater that night, I couldn’t shake the feeling of awe and dread that Oppenheimer had instilled in me.
4. The Iron Claw dir. Sean Durkin
I’m not a wrestling fan nor did I know anything about the Von Erich family before seeing this movie—I don’t think I saw a trailer either. Admittedly, I try to see as many A24 films as possible, so I wasn’t concerned with whether I knew the source material or not. I expected to see a good movie. I didn’t expect, then, to experience a course of devastating emotions and tears throughout The Iron Claw. The film’s emotional power is bolstered by an incredible performance from Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich and an incredible screenplay from writer/director Sean Durkin (Dead Ringers, The Nest). It follows the Von Erich pro wrestling family from the peak of their fame, and we watch each brother succumb to the alleged family curse. It’s so much more than a wrestling biopic, but a story about the endurance of family and brotherhood. Don’t let the sports theme keep you from watching one of the best directed and best-written films of this decade.
You can read Lilah’s review of The Iron Claw here.
3. Godzilla Minus One dir. Takashi Yamazaki
I’d never seen a Godzilla film before this one. I don’t think I’ve given many monster movies a chance after watching the 1933 film King Kong, so understanding it took a lot to motivate me to see this film, I checked the reviews beforehand. The film drew some comparisons with Oppenheimer for its depiction of World War II and its aftermath, but ultimately it was the talk of “masterpiece” and visual effects that got me into a theater seat to watch the black and white version of Godzilla Minus One.
I was thoroughly surprised that I was so enraptured by the film and emotionally invested in the characters. It’s a tender blockbuster reflecting the perseverance of humanity against impossible odds. Takashi Yamazaki does an incredible job of crafting a story that cares about its human characters as much as the monster Godzilla, who seems to be an impossible obstacle for the humans to overcome. Godzilla is a terrifying representation of the horrors that plagued Japan in the 1940s. I will never forget the amazement I felt watching the opening sequence on the Odo Island where the monster’s destruction first afflicts the Japanese fighters. I knew then that this movie would blow me away and I would give anything to watch it for the first time again.
You can read Martin’s review of Godzilla Minus One here.
2. Monster dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda
Every once in a while, Monster crosses my mind and I feel every devastating feeling again. It’s a tricky film due in part to its non-linear multi-perspective storytelling, but somehow the screenplay works, and everything ties together perfectly. The subjective truth is conveyed through the perspective of a mother, teacher, and the young boy of the film’s focus, Minato Mugino (Soya Kurokawa). What begins as a story of supposed school violence, turns into a delicate and poignant tale that I did not see coming at all. Hirokazu Kore-eda‘s Monster is at its core a tragic love story between two adolescent boys reckoning with their feelings while navigating the constraints of a society that doesn’t see them.
1. Poor Things dir. Yorgos Lanthimos
Here it is! My favorite film of 2023 was Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things. Poor Things is as charming as it is perfectly led by the people’s princess Emma Stone and superbly directed by certified weirdo Yorgos Lanthimos. In some ways, it’s a twisted reimagining of Frankenstein and Barbie as we follow Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) born again after jumping to her death. The set design, done by James Price and Shona Heath, is incredibly visceral and imaginative; creating a whole world from a set is no small feat. The costumes are equally deserving of a mention as they reflect quite well the inner psyche of the characters and the gothic world they inhabit.
Bella herself is a fascinating character and no other actress could have played her better. From infantry to intellectual adulthood, Bella is the most interesting character to grace the screen in years. For that reason, this film belongs at the top of my list.
You can read Alex’s review of Poor Things here.