Top 50 Best Films of 2023
Probably my most anticipated year for films. And damn what a let down. This year kinda went downhill after the first month. Except for anime this year. It has been fire. JJK, Demon Slayer, Frieren, Oshi No Ko, I mean come on.
If I’m being serious I think I can put together some films that I would consider the best of the year. In different terms it could be my own Oscars. So this will be a long one:
Best Picture:
Godzilla Minus One (Winner)
Red Rooms
The Killer
Poor Things
Talk to Me
Best Director:
Pascal Plante for Red Rooms (Winner)
Takashi Yamazaki for Godzilla Minus One
Todd Haynes for May December
Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer
Yorgos Lanthimos for Poor Things
Best Lead Actor:
Paul Giamatti for The Holdovers (Winner)
Ryunosuke Kamiki for Godzilla Minus One
Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer
Zac Efron for The Iron Claw
Andrew Scott for All of Us Strangers
Best Lead Actress:
Juliette Gariépy for Red Rooms (Winner)
Emma Stone for Poor Things
Sophie Wilde for Talk to Me
Margot Robbie for Barbie
Marin Ireland for Birth/Rebirth
Best Supporting Actor:
Ryan Gosling for Barbie (Winner)
Dominic Sessa for The Holdovers
Charles Melton for May December
Glenn Howerton for BlackBerry
Milo Machado-Graner for Anatomy of a Fall
Best Supporting Actress:
Da'Vine Joy Randolph for The Holdovers (Winner)
Lily Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon
Viola Davis for Air
Cassandra Naud for Influencer
Madeleine Yuna Voyles for The Creator
Best Original Screenplay:
Red Rooms (Winner)
The Holdovers
May December
The Boy and the Heron
When Evil Lurks
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Barbie (Winner)
Godzilla Minus One
Oppenheimer
Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse
All of Us Strangers
Best Animated Feature:
Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King (Winner)
The Boy and the Heron
Suzume
Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse
Nimona
Best Foreign Language Feature:
When Evil Lurks (Winner)
Godzilla Minus One
Red Rooms
The Boy and the Heron
Anatomy of a Fall
If I’m being serious I think I can put together some films that I would consider the best of the year. In different terms it could be my own Oscars. So this will be a long one:
Best Picture:
Godzilla Minus One (Winner)
Red Rooms
The Killer
Poor Things
Talk to Me
Best Director:
Pascal Plante for Red Rooms (Winner)
Takashi Yamazaki for Godzilla Minus One
Todd Haynes for May December
Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer
Yorgos Lanthimos for Poor Things
Best Lead Actor:
Paul Giamatti for The Holdovers (Winner)
Ryunosuke Kamiki for Godzilla Minus One
Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer
Zac Efron for The Iron Claw
Andrew Scott for All of Us Strangers
Best Lead Actress:
Juliette Gariépy for Red Rooms (Winner)
Emma Stone for Poor Things
Sophie Wilde for Talk to Me
Margot Robbie for Barbie
Marin Ireland for Birth/Rebirth
Best Supporting Actor:
Ryan Gosling for Barbie (Winner)
Dominic Sessa for The Holdovers
Charles Melton for May December
Glenn Howerton for BlackBerry
Milo Machado-Graner for Anatomy of a Fall
Best Supporting Actress:
Da'Vine Joy Randolph for The Holdovers (Winner)
Lily Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon
Viola Davis for Air
Cassandra Naud for Influencer
Madeleine Yuna Voyles for The Creator
Best Original Screenplay:
Red Rooms (Winner)
The Holdovers
May December
The Boy and the Heron
When Evil Lurks
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Barbie (Winner)
Godzilla Minus One
Oppenheimer
Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse
All of Us Strangers
Best Animated Feature:
Black Clover: Sword of the Wizard King (Winner)
The Boy and the Heron
Suzume
Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse
Nimona
Best Foreign Language Feature:
When Evil Lurks (Winner)
Godzilla Minus One
Red Rooms
The Boy and the Heron
Anatomy of a Fall
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- DirectorTakashi YamazakiStarsRyunosuke KamikiMinami HamabeSakura AndôPost war Japan is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, baptized in the horrific power of the atomic bomb.Yeah this is simply the best film of the year. Full of emotion, action, and full on suspense that I have yet to witness all year. I love monster movies so when people are claiming that this might be the best Godzilla film ever made I knew I had to weigh in my perspective on the matter. Which this does succeed in more ways than one. It would be a fool’s decision to not seek this out and experience for yourself that this does wonders for the entertainment factor. It is what you pay when you go to the movies and this movie does more than fit the bill. It surpasses entertainment it is the penuchle of what all monsters movies should be. Equals part Jaws, old school Godzilla films, and a nice new wave of excitement that only movies made today could pull off. This is blockbuster filmmaking at its finest.
10/10 - DirectorAyataka TanemuraStarsBryn ApprillTia Lynn BallardSteve BlumIn a world where magic is everything, Asta, a boy who was born with no magic, aims to become the "Wizard King" to overcome adversity, prove his power, and keep his oath with his friends.Might be my favorite movie to come out this year. I don’t care what anyone says this is one of my favorite anime I have ever watch. Black Clover is a great story about overcoming the impossible in the most in your face way. In order to beat it in you that giving up is never the option. I get that this is a filler and it is not a continuation of the series but it still has characters that I love and seeing these characters doing awesome fight scenes and interact will always bring a smile to my face. Asta is also a great protagonist. I respect him and like him out of any of the big three. How weird it is that to me this is one of the best and for me my flat out favorite film this year. Does my love for the anime influence my love for this film hell yeah. But even so this is still a bad ass action fantasy filled with laughs and heart. These characters haven’t missed a step.
9/10 - DirectorPascal PlanteStarsJuliette GariépyLaurie BabinElisabeth LocasA model becomes obsessed with a high-profile murder trial.This is straight fire. Holy shit I don’t know when this actually comes out but I’m so damn glad and excited that this did it’s job and completely blew away all expectations. I usually go blind into movies now without seeing a trailer but every once in a while mostly at the end of the year I see one that jumps immediately up to my number one spot. Based on pure knowledge and surprise a movie can do. This may not be my number one film of the year but it does reach levels that no other film this year did. The Guilty from 2018, The Novice from 2021, Soft and Quiet from last year, and even this movie fits in those traditions that I love to have at the end of the year to end on a high note but the fact that as I’m writing this the year is not even over makes me even more excited to see that one movie. But this one will hard to beat.
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsEmma StoneMark RuffaloWillem DafoeAn account of the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsMichael FassbenderTilda SwintonCharles ParnellAfter a fateful near-miss, an assassin battles his employers and himself, on an international manhunt he insists isn't personal.Fincher is my boy. Honestly I’m just glad he is not making another biopic this time. I mean Mann, Nolan, and even Scorsese have made boring ass biopics this year. So at least Fincher has made a film that I can enjoy. And that is this one. A one hell of a wild ride that I couldn’t get enough of. Possibly my most watched movie this year solely because I was absorbed into the world that Fincher and more importantly the world through the view of Fassbender’s The Killer. I bought into his mind set and I bought into all of his doings. This is a lean mean fighting machine type of movie. It was everything I could love for a movie. A globe trotting adventure without all the glitz and glamour that comes with the genre. This stands out from the rest. And this is how you do a plot like this. Unlike The Creator and Saltburn two films I do like but I have seen those before and they play exactly as told. But this does take some turns I wasn’t expecting so this has a leg up from those films. Just like Beau is Afraid another film that we have seen before but both change things up a bit and add their own flavor to it.
- DirectorAri AsterStarsJoaquin PhoenixPatti LuPoneAmy RyanFollowing the sudden death of his mother, a mild-mannered but anxiety-ridden man confronts his darkest fears as he embarks on an epic, Kafkaesque odyssey back home.Okay I am in love with this movie. I have to dig deep and just say out loud that this is one hell of a great time. I know that sounds crazy but damn, I didn’t over think too much and I won’t go into how crazy and the metaphors that are in the movie. You know what this should belong with great comedy’s like Superbad, After Hours, Road Trip, and plenty of other character has to get to point A to point B. Plot wise that is the brilliant side of this movie. It being a full on insane ride that will make you laugh your ass off while also being tense throughout the whole movie. There is a bit involving a bath tub and that whole scene is a work of brilliance. I really love this movie. Yeah the last 15 minutes wasn’t needed. But man was so much working for me and if you look at it with the lenses of just a full on comedy that deals with a simple film plot. Joker is just trying to get to his mom’s pad. That is it. Don’t over think it. This is Saltburn or even Babylon. Both movies I do like a lot. But do love. This is one I full on love. Out of all the look at me. Look at me, I’m a director. I can do crazy stuff and film and make art out of it. Here is a movie that says forget all that. This is a look at me movie, but in a different way. Story wise how this goes into so many avenues it is feat that only is achieve by letting the scene play out of sheer spontaneity. Just like those other great comedies where weird shit comes out of nowhere. This is just adding different music and drawing out the scenes to make it more impactful as a joke. It is brilliant. To me at least.
- DirectorDanny PhilippouMichael PhilippouStarsAri McCarthyHamish PhillipsKit Erhart-BruceWhen a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.As much as I love Nolan and everything this is truly my favorite movie experience all year. Went in blind didn’t even read the tagline just went in knowing that it was a horror movie and it comes from Australia. So an automatic requirement to see this ASAP. Because my number one should be a movie that will surprise the hell out of me. Like when I saw The Novice back in 2021 I knew that was my favorite movie of that year. Just how I feel about this one. It is not perfect but it is brutal, intense, and to me scary as hell. Which is exactly what I have been waiting for. I love almost every single second of this movie and it did not disappoint on any aspects when it comes to the script, direction, and of course acting.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsSoma SantokiMasaki SudaKô ShibasakiIn the wake of his mother's death and his father's remarriage, a headstrong boy named Mahito ventures into a dreamlike world shared by both the living and the dead.Fire
- DirectorDemián RugnaStarsEzequiel RodríguezDemián SalomónSilvina SabaterIn a remote village, two brothers find a demon-infected man just about to "give birth" to evil itself. They decide to get rid of the body, only to end up unintentionally spreading chaos.The film that stuck with me the most this year. Holy crap this and Talk to Me are amongst not only the best horror films of the year but amongst the newer horror films to come out in recent memory. Definitely in the past 5 years. It is awesome brutal and downright nasty of a film. I love it.
- DirectorJoaquim Dos SantosKemp PowersJustin K. ThompsonStarsShameik MooreHailee SteinfeldBrian Tyree HenryMiles Morales catapults across the multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles must redefine what it means to be a hero.It shouldn’t be much a surprise that this is the best film of the year for me. Based solely on pure effort and I believe that can catapult your enjoyment on the film because when it is pulled off this well it should be considered when criticizing any type of entertainment. Because that is what the essence of that word means. So yeah why wouldn’t that be a factor when talking about the overall meaning of the film. I know some will say every film has people working hard that doesn’t give a film a pass on mediocrity. But this isn’t that. You can feel each sketch of animation every frame and every line of the story of this film adds more and more from the first film to make it better. The first film is to me better because it felt more complete. I know that might be a hot topic conversation starter but this is half a movie when it comes to the story. Just Dune was and Two Towers was way back in the day. This is still a rock n sock ‘‘em action film that delivers on thrills and chills. Can’t wait for the next one.
9/10 - DirectorTodd HaynesStarsNatalie PortmanChris TenzisCharles MeltonTwenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple buckles under pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past.One of the more gripping dramas to come out for a while. Unlike some of high profile dramas that want to glorify some heinous figures in our past here is a film that doesn’t flinch at the idea to show people’s true nature. Which it does here. Take in the whole picture not just pick and choose the parts of someone’s life that suit you to tell some uplifting story about an individual who never was a good individual. All these bio pics this year are like that. So I’m so glad a movie like this exists because whenever they make another bio pic about an individual who has done some heinous acts against humanity. Haynes never disappoints. If only he could movies along a little faster. A lot of drama movies have come out this year but this one stands out the most because of the subject matter that expands what is expected from these type of movies. So this one is one of those dramas that stand out. That don’t have any outside factor to stand on. It stands completely on the back of its story and screenplay. That is what makes this special and standout compared to other so called dramas out there. As much as I like some of them they don’t have the weight this one does. This is about the people where again I can’t hold to candle to the others. Even something like Maestro but even that has an element that exceeds past its own story. This doesn’t have that. Which makes me like this one even more.
- DirectorAlexander PayneStarsPaul GiamattiDa'Vine Joy RandolphDominic SessaA cranky history teacher at a prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a grieving cook and a troubled student who has no place to go.Two powerful dramas that are about people have been extraordinary to come out. May December and this. I would call Oppenheimer and KOTFM dramas but they have other aspects that affect the drama. KOTFM with its crime angle doesn’t make it a full on drama like this one is, and Oppenheimer because of the War angle. But this and May December are what I would call old school drama movies like the ones made way back in the day. But The Holdovers is the one that stands out because it is so gripping and interesting to bring excellent discussion to the table. About grief, potential how to not to waste it, along with never settling for anything less. A true testament of one’s own way of living. So yeah I love it and it packs a mean punch by the end. Some dramas do try to have other elements like I mentioned with the other movies but this is an old school old fashioned drama about people. Even something like Past Lives doesn’t have this much drama behind it.
- DirectorSean DurkinStarsZac EfronJeremy Allen WhiteHarris DickinsonThe true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.One of the better movies I have seen this year. I feel like this wouldn’t be in my top ten any other year. And I feel like maybe if I did watch more movies this wouldn’t last but even so this was a week year. However, this movie that stands on its own is something truly expected to know what movie this is but while also delivering on those promises. I knew it was going to be tragic along with it being expertly told and even written. It’s some of the best acting I have seen and Zac Efron has never been better.
- DirectorCord JeffersonStarsJeffrey WrightTracee Ellis RossJohn OrtizA novelist who's fed up with the establishment profiting from Black entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of the hypocrisy and madness he claims to disdain.
- DirectorCeline SongStarsGreta LeeTeo YooJohn MagaroNora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrested apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Twenty years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny.Yep I love it. Nothing to complain about. Move over Woody Allen you are not the only one to film two people walking around New York talking about what could have been. Damn even writing that makes me want to weep. Aside from performances the direction here is spot on. I really deeply hope that Celine Song name is among the best director list. Because holy crap that is the highest praise I can give this film outside the story and acting. It is nothing short of a modern masterpiece and I know that word gets thrown around a lot lately but it suits this film like a glove. Man do I love how deeply affective a film like this can be. But Fruits Baskets did it better.
10/10 - DirectorJimmy ChinElizabeth Chai VasarhelyiStarsAnnette BeningJodie FosterAnne Marie KempfThe remarkable true story of athlete Diana Nyad who, at the age of 60 and with the help of her best friend and coach, commits to achieving her life-long dream: a 110-mile open ocean swim from Cuba to Florida.Sometimes a feel good real inspirational joy ride is what you need. A lot and I mean a lot of biopics came out this year and I’m sick and tired of these god awful long and boring movies that are never fun. This is fun, this is exciting and this is how movies are made. Both the lead performances are great and even at 2 hours it never felt shorter. It was an awesome ride that made me laugh and smile very much. Don’t let life win. You win.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsCillian MurphyEmily BluntMatt DamonThe story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.Just off of pure craftsmanship this is untouchable. Nolan time and time again does the unthinkable while at the same time delivering on what made him a force to be reckon with. I do have some complaints. The beginning is very Wikipedia dump about Oppenheimer it did not grab the attention like so many of his other movies. I mean Nolan’s openings are usually miniature movie themselves. From Inception, The Dark Knight, and even Tenet. However, the way he uses the atom bomb to symbolize a terrible and catastrophic weapon that killed millions he always paints a very serious picture of another serious weapon that can be used against us. Information. That is then the focal point in the third act where I heard a certain number of people had a problem with. How it turns into a non courtroom drama about finding out the truth. And while Nolan is doing his usual told out of order routine it still managed to keep me engage. Even without the big loud explosions that third act had enough to be desired. So this worked for me and it being a new favorite this Summer is nothing less than expected. The cast itself still has a lot to desire. Peaky is great and should totally win him that Oscar, Iron homie is great here as well, along with Boy Sweat Dave who just towers over Murphy in physically and in charisma. I honestly can’t say I would see this ever again but on a large scale exploration of what movies this medium are supposed to do is an awesome experience to behold. O yeah and Jason Bourne is also just downright incredible in this and I can see him get an Oscar nomination with this and Air he is having a great year.
10/10 - DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioRobert De NiroLily GladstoneWhen oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one - until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.They are a lot of 9/10 movies I rated this year but none have tested any truer than this one. It honestly makes all the other films drop down in ratings based solely on how brilliant this film is with many flaws. First is Dicap who is solely miscast. Lily Gladstone is incredible but she is bedridden for a majority of the movie and aside from her no other Osage community member has a shed of presence. For a story that entirely should be about them. But Lily’s character, Molly, being the sole representative of this community and for her to be absent most of the movie leaves a lot to be desired. Which is the ultimate complaint I have against the movie being underwhelming as hell.
- DirectorBen AffleckStarsMatt DamonJason BatemanBen AffleckFollows the history of sports marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro, and how he led Nike in its pursuit of the greatest athlete in the history of basketball, Michael Jordan.Aside from the fact that at the end it says Travis Knight donated a shit ton of money to charity without anything else to go off of at the end was a little jarring. But everything else I flat out love. The biopics about inventing stuff has been pretty good and this rises above the rest. But BlackBerry and even Tetris have Air a run for it’s money. I do love at the end it does mention how influential Jordan was not only to the NBA but also his legacy as a human being coming from humble beginnings can be very tiresome seeing over and over again but here is a company who took that opportunity the same way Jordan did with the NBA which is why it works so well. I love the performances and everyone here did an amazing job.
9/10 - DirectorAndrew HaighStarsAndrew ScottPaul MescalCarter John GroutA screenwriter drawn back to his childhood home enters into a fledgling relationship with his downstairs neighbor while discovering a mysterious new way to heal from losing his parents 30 years ago.Catching up a lot with the Oscar movies only to find out this wasn’t nominated for anything. Completely overlooked for me in the best adapted screenplay. Maybe even lead for Andrew Scott. For me I would take out Coleman but I’m fine with that nominee. But to me I didn’t find this the sad gay movie the way it was sold to me. It is a sad movie but damn anyone can feel exactly what this movie is going for. I haven’t seen much of the directors work. Which I think this might be the first I have seen from him so it’s crazy that this is the first film from him and I have to say I may have fell in love with this movie. Performances and directing was all top notch which it does stand out as one of the best acted movie this year. As I was saying about dramas this year this would be amongst some of them. It may go off the rails by the end but it still has so many good other proponents that makes this a really good movie.
- DirectorChristopher McQuarrieStarsTom CruiseHayley AtwellVing RhamesEthan Hunt and his IMF team must track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands.I really wish I liked this more. Because Fallout is in my top 3 best action movies of all time and it number 3 I can tell you that. Sadly Dead Reckoning isn’t as good as I hoped but because of how weak this year as been so far and countless of disappointing films to come out this year it still manages to come out on top. All of the stunts are top notch, the performances along with some actual grunge lines coming from the heart in some of these actors are quite touching. But it seems a lot of short comings are bleeding through and extremely noticeable. The first being some of the performances are not that good as even some previous movies those actors have been in. Along with some of the newcomers are not bringing their A game as I hoped. With the exception of Peggy Carter. She is in top form mainly because McQuiree is not afraid to go for broke when it comes with giving actors their time to shine. And Peggy Carter has both the action part down along with the vulnerability down to a T. The second act tho is the biggest culprit when it comes to my complaints. Because holy crap do I have a lot of problems with the middle section of the movie. A lot of movies are like that. Even the big motorcycle jump stunt isn’t as hot or as big as the movie tries to make it seem. The train sequence tho is big bombastic and insane which made me love it. Very strong Uncharted vibes which is maybe why I love the third act so much. Aside from the motorcycle stunt. Also the beginning Hunt for Red October homage was again McQuairee flexing his filmmaking muscles so much I almost had to dodge just how strong he was delivering. I am huge fan of this franchise and will continue to see these films day one. So bring on part two. Which might be better and I hope so.
My ranking:
1.) Fallout
2.) M:I:III
3.) Rogue Nation
4.) Mission Impossible
5.) Ghost Protocol
6.) Dead Reckoning
7.) M:I:II - DirectorMatt JohnsonStarsJay BaruchelGlenn HowertonMatt JohnsonThe story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone.Be a shark amongst pirates. In the world of business sometimes you have to get dirty and that’s what these fools did. However there really is no beating those above us. They crumbled something that was supposed to be the brink of the future and greed verge its ugly grad into there rear view to come in to create destruction.
9/10 - DirectorGreta GerwigStarsMargot RobbieRyan GoslingIssa RaeBarbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.If there is anything to take away from this movie is that Greta Gerwig should be able to cook whatever she has going. Yes Noah did help cowrite the script and did input a lot in the story to flesh out the story to feel more grand in scope. But this is mainly Gerwig story and film through and through. She is a powerhouse in direction and one new aspect is her out there comedy that maybe Baumbach had an input but her direction is full blown goofy with so much success. Oppenheimer may have better cinematography and score but I will watch this over that film any day of the week.
8.5/10 - DirectorGuy RitchieStarsJake GyllenhaalDar SalimSean SagarDuring the war in Afghanistan, a local interpreter risks his own life to carry an injured sergeant across miles of grueling terrain.Awesome. I can’t believe I forgot to put this on my list but damn was this shit awesome. I love Jake G and love this story. Dar Salim should be considered for best supporting actor for his work here because it is flawless.
- DirectorJames GunnStarsChris PrattChukwudi IwujiBradley CooperStill reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own - a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if not successful.This is it. I knew it had to be emotional but what really surprised me was how lacking in the depressing department this is. It wasn’t an overhaul of sadness which was what I was expecting instead Gunn and crew delivered a story to lift your head up high and reach out to anyone in need. That was I walk away from. That everything will be alright and go in to have an awesome time. No Sleep for Brooklyn. Top ten scenes ever.
9/10