2023 was an extremely incredible year for film. It truly feels like we are back in the age of the box office numbers being extremely high and while it didn't feel like Hollywood films felt like a huge success, other films that are made by small production companies or independent films made by companies like A24 or bigger companies made a huge mark in the film industry. As a fan of film I felt like this was the beginnings of film going back to normal. Actors and writers are making their money back too and we can thank the strike for that but while the strike played a huge part for films on 2024 many other films got the chance to make an impact without being advertised and marketed by the actors and film productions across the world. Now not everything in films was amazing, I still believe it is back in its glory days and we are about to head to the return of huge box office success stories. Now unfortunately I didn't see every film that I wanted to see this year, which sucks on my end because this list would had been a hard list to create but that's the fun in creating these lists. If you don't see a movie on this list just know I would had definitely had it under consideration. I may even come back to this list one day and fix it up when I do see multiple films I missed out on as while I don’t feel like this list is weak or bad, I feel like it would be a harder list to make had I seen certain films. Regardless I truly enjoyed going into the cinemas with coworkers, family and friends and even by myself in multiple cases and I enjoyed every minute of it. My main point is while I enjoyed going to the cinemas in 2021 after post covid era, this was the year I truly enjoyed going to see movies in the theater. Now let’s get to this list and rank my Top 10 Best Movies of 2023.
10. Wonka – This was one of the last films I saw in theaters this year and I’m not going to lie I actually really enjoyed this movie. Was I expecting to watch a musical? The answer is no but I mean weren’t the other two Chocolate Factory films musicals too since technically they had musical moments in their films too. Anyway, I really liked this movie and it’s shocking how great this film has done since it came out in the cinemas. The film not only doubled its budget in its first two weeks but it was able to return to the top spot in the box office during a weekend that saw 7 new films released in the cinemas. Timothee Chalamet does an incredible job as Willy Wonka as his portrayal feels genuine and his own and while this film is supposed to be a prequel to the original Wonka film, I feel like it is just a retelling of the future Chocolate Factory creator but more a introduction for new viewers and a back story we never asked for but truly deserved. The rest of the cast did very well too and I feel like they all had a fair share of screen time in this film to make them all memorable. The musical aspects in this movie though are pretty good. Not every song lands in this film but I thought the musical aspects in the film were spectacular. My coworker and I both loved the film. She and I defiantly weren’t singing “Pure Imagination” after the movie. Maybe it was just me. Regardless I thought this movie was really good and I wouldn’t even mind a sequel/remake to the original starring Timothee Chalamet as Wonka again, this time using the original story from the Roald Dahl book.
9. Elemental –Pixar’s more recent films since Soul have been underwhelming and not good and they were due for a good one. Elemental for me has been their most successful film since Toy Story 4, that is if you don’t include streaming numbers on Disney Plus and look past critic reviews without huge box office numbers. While it took some time, Elemental became a hit with critics and fans of Disney/Pixar and in time the film became a box office success, making back double its budget with the help of it being kept in theaters till Labor Day and then it gain more success with its viewership on Disney Plus. With that said I still feel like this movie isn’t being talked about enough as this movie is really amazing and such a great film. I loved how the film’s creator and the production team made this beautiful animated film just to show the powers of connecting with someone whom you wouldn’t expect to connect with and how it will change how we view other people. Zootopia walked so Elemental can fly as this film kind of relates to Zootopia with showing how different elements coexist with one another. The message in this film is very powerful and it touched my heart. I loved the animation in this movie as there was a couple of scenes in the film that I couldn’t stop thinking of because of how beautiful it looked and how powerful it was. Peter Sohn truly knew what he was doing with this film and knew that he had to make it perfect in order for us viewers to connect or feel the powerful message and I believe he hit it out of the park. I also love the original song; “Steal the Show” performed by Lauv, as the song has this beautiful melody and tells a story that is so beautiful. Do I think this movie will be remembered? I think only time will tell as the film was a sleeper hit but I feel like in time it will gain a huge popularity in the future. It’s very popular now but I feel like it is underrated compared to other Pixar films or films in general from this year.
8. Air – You know the man who wore the Air Jordan’s but do you know the man who stroke the business deal with the man who made the Nike shoe famous. Air was an incredible film that was perfectly written and directed incredibly well. It told us the story of Sonny Vaccaro and Rob Strasser, two of the multiple names who helped pitch a new sneaker created by Nike that would later be worn and named after an NBA rookie who would later become one of, if not, the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan. The cast in this film all did incredible as names like Matt Damon, Jason Bateman and Viola Davis carried this movie. The acting and writing was incredible but this movie really interested me in the marketing/advertising aspect. We all have very big ideas in our lifetime but in order to make them a reality we need to pitch them and make them become real. Sonny Vaccaro wanted to make the next big move in Nike’s history and their biggest idea was to have Michael Jordan, NBA’s next big thing, become the spokesperson for the company. In order to make this movement a reality he needed to work hard and continuously pitch the idea and each time he was said no he worked harder and harder. I’m not here to spoil the movie but this movie makes you want to make your dreams a reality. I love how the film not once had the actor playing Michael Jordan talk throughout the entire film. You barely see the actor in the film with a few exceptions. The film centered on Nike’s most famous shoe, made its center plot centered on their biggest spokesperson. This was such a smart film and it was done in the upmost proper way. While it wasn’t a box office success, it gained a huge popularity and viewership on Amazon Prime Video. I loved this movie and really think it could be a contender for Oscar nominations. Kind of want to buy Air Jordan’s now thanks to this film.
7. Killers of the Flower Moon - I went to see this film before I went to work and I was left speechless. There haven't been many movies I left the theater and be left speechless because of the story of the film made me think. Killers of the Flower Moon was a long look at how the members of the Osage Nation were brutally killed. This film was very graphic and opened my eyes to how I see the world. There is many crimes and killings happening in the world that kind of goes behind the scenes and that's not given the light and while we aren't fully aware of it we get a good sense of what does go on in the world. This movie helped me open my eyes a bit and it's based on a true story as well. Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro did a fabulous job in this movie but Lily Gladstone is the MVP performance wise. She killed it and hit a home run and definitely deserves the Academy Award for Best Actress. Scorsese nailed it again with this film as he showed the world how terrible people could be just to make a dollar in this world. But most of all he showed the world how these innocent people, this innocent family, were murdered all for nothing just because they gained riches and the white folk wanted their money to be rich. As a white man myself I find it very horrible what was done and couldn't even go the levels they did to make a dime. This film was such a fantastic film and should be watched by many so they can learn a thing or two.
6. John Wick: Chapter 4 - What a way to end the John Wick franchise. John Wick: Chapter 4 was exactly what you expected; full of action, amazing kills, great camera work/cinematography and of course insane moments that will leave you wanting more and speechless. Keanu Reeves once again kills it as John Wick and the rest of this amazing cast did incredible. The best thing about the film was the cinematography and the action. Obviously I mentioned it earlier but I mean I need to take a second and talk about how extremely incredible the film's cinematography and action is because it was so out of this world. There was a certain scene that felt like a video game where it was one long shot and the way it was shot was just incredible. The scene where John Wick was on a huge flight of stairs and had to fight his way to the top was phenomenal. But then we have the music in be background. Oh my God, the film's music and score was so fucking lit. I extremely loved Blood Code but A Long Way Down by Le Castle Vania was a fucking vibe. I will say pacing in a couple of scenes could use a bit of an edit but that's more of a nip pick for me. This film was incredible in so many ways I can't even explain because I don't want to fully spoil the film for anyone. Thank you Keanu Reeves for this role and these movies and I'm happy it went out with a bang.
5. Barbie - I'm not going to lie, I didn't expect to have Barbie on my list, let alone I didn't believe it would be as popular and critically acclaimed as it was and well this film performed pretty freaking well. Over a billion plus in the box office, many nominations coming its way, so many positive reviews from critics and fans; yeah it’s a safe bet to say this film was incredible. Greta Gerwig honestly could win her first Best Director award in the Academy Awards as she truly deserves it. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were incredible in their roles as Barbie and Ken. I may have fallen in love with Ken and the song I'm Just Ken, definitely didn't buy the I am Kenough hoodie on Mattel's website. Also definitely didn't see this film 3 different times with 3 different people in 3 different theaters. The best one was definitely seeing it in RPX with my co worker and she and I were blown away from how big the screen was but how beautiful the film looked. Now obviously I have my issues with the film but each time I watched the movie it decreased each time. I'm not going to jot down what bothered me because it no longer bothers me at this time of me writing this. I loved the soundtrack and I loved the score. The comedic moments in the film don’t always hit but it depends on your type of comedy. It hit for me as it felt like dry humor but nonetheless it was still a good comedic movie. I loved the message this film was trying to teach us too. Accepting yourself and fuck the patriarchy is what I got out of this film but it could be different for others. From the setting to the costume designs in this film, Barbie is a homerun and won me over.
4. The Iron Claw - I knew about the Von Erich family and the tragedy that was centered around their name but seeing it in a feature length film and seeing the tragedies unfold in front of my very eyes broke me. I got to see the film a week early which was pretty lit but it didn't change how much I loved this movie. Zac Efron's performance was Oscar worthy. The rest of the cast from Jeremy Allen White to Holt McCallany was freaking incredible. As a fan of professional wrestling I truly enjoyed how deep they went into showing the basics of wrestling but also what it's like backstage and explaining a couple of concepts. This movie was a love letter for wrestling but also a way to show the achievements and sudden tragedies of one of the most famous wrestling families. This film is more than just your average wrestling film as it really cuts deep in the heart strings as every time you think a sad/tragic moment is over another has happened and it just gets you so emotional and I love how well it worked for this film as many people going to see the film are wrestling fans but the ones who are here to see a film will be given a rollercoaster of emotions from beginning to end. The last 15 to 20 minutes hit me very hard and I began to shed some tears. While I don't want to spoil the film I will say as someone who has lost multiple family members in unfortunate ways from my grandmother to cancer to my father to ALS, I truly feel the burden of losing the people you care about and how much it hits you the older you get. I lost my dad in 2022 and I still wish he was here today and all I could think of is being with him right now. This film is a true example of making art onto a piece of paper and it becoming perfection gazed by many eyes. I truly recommend this film and yes please make sure you have tissues ready because you will need them.
3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Into the Spider-verse is one of the greatest animated films/comic book films of all time. Could Christopher Miller and Phil Lord do it again and make a greatest of all time animated/comic book film. The answer is simply yes. Across the Spider-verse is perfection written all over it. That's easily said than done but this film did everything right and had nothing wrong. The animators made sure each shot and scene was done perfectly before letting the film be released to the public, hence why Beyond the Spider-verse got pushed back since I bet Miller, Lord and the rest of the team want to perfect the film and make it ten times better than Into and Across the Spider-verse. With that said, Across had great action sequences, amazing animation, on point comedic moments that made me laugh in tears and of course there is everything else from the script and the story to the characters and the music, holy fuck the music in this was beyond amazing as it was God given music. Into the Spider-verse had the better soundtrack but after listening to Metro Boomin's soundtrack for this film a hundred times I'm starting to think this one is just as maybe even a pinch better. Regardless Metro Boomin hit a homerun with the music soundtrack and Daniel Pemberton killer with the film’s original score. What else can did film do right? How about give Gwen Stacy her own story to start off the film and make her a bigger piece in this film considering she played a big role in the 1st film but she was given the upgrade in this film. What else can we do here? How about a stupid villain named "The Spot" but make him so perfect that he literally is a GOD. Yeah I wish I was lying but they made The Spot a comedic badass villain that can go toe to toe with Miles and the rest of the Spider-Man's. Please tell me there is more like there no way they can make this more perfect.....Spider-Man 2099. He literally is a perfect opposite for Miles with his views with the world and being Spider-Man and is a great side villain for Miles. The film as a whole is perfect as fuck. I could literally explain this all day but I need to write a review to do that....hint hint. Across the Spider-verse ended the right way, making us question what's going to happen and have us wait to increase the anticipation. I loved this movie, so much so that I had to see it again in theaters by myself after seeing it with a group of co workers whom also fell in love with the movie. This film is a G.O.A.T film and I want someone to disagree with me because they can't and never will.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - 2014, the year I was introduced to the Guardians and fell in love with this team of outcasts. 2023, the year I said goodbye to the team I fell in love with and pretty much became an honorary member of thanks to these films and love for these films but also being an outcast myself. I never thought I'd cry so much for a film from beginning to end and GOTG3 broke me, so much so that it broke me again the 2nd time I watched it with co workers and then again at home on my computer when watching it to review it and then a fourth time recently after i bought the Blu Ray steel book. This film broke me so badly I got myself in a hole with the soundtrack to literally watching tik toks of clips of the film. This film, this comic book adapted film, did not have to go so hard in the feels and yet it did. Everything about this film was perfect from the story, cinematography, music, characters, every little detail in this film was perfect and I can't think of one bad thing about the film. James Gun does it again with this brilliant work of art. I never thought I would want a raccoon after watching a movie and now all I want is to hug one and name it Rocket. Rocket’s back story in this film destroyed my heart and put me in a deep depression. As someone who has felt alone and lost someone who meant the world to them, that shit fucking hit me hard and I couldn't stop crying at that moment he...*SPOILERS Ahead*....lost his friends. I also loved the soundtrack for the film as every song used in this film fit perfectly in the scenes and in the film in general. Creep by Radiohead worked brilliantly with Rocket and the opening scene. No Sleep Til Brooklyn by Beastie Boys wouldn't work anywhere else in a MCU movie but in this film it was used perfectly with the amazing fight scene. Then there was Dog Days Are Over by Florence + the Machine, pure perfection and a great send off scene/song for the Guardians. I said it in my review and I said it briefly here, but this film was perfect. I didn't want the film to end and yet when it did I was fully satisfied. I felt like one of the Guardians by the end of the film and I think that pretty much was the point. It was hard to decide between 2 and 1 as my best film of the year because both this film and the number one entry were perfect films from top to bottom. Across the Spider-verse was too but GOTG 3 and the number one film were just something else and I had a better theater experience for both. Regardless this movie was my favorite film of the year and the one film that I can easily argue was perfect.
1. Oppenheimer - While GOTG3 was my go to number one film of the year, Oppenhiemer took its place the second I left the theater because I knew then and there that this was easily the best film of the year. Oppenheimer literally took the whole Barbenheimer fan fiction and became successful because of the amount of people that went to see both films but because it was a film that knew it was going to be seen regardless of some other big Hollywood film coming out the same day. Oppenheimer was under my radar since I first saw the teaser trailer back in 2021 and the hype I had for this film was sky high. I didn't watch any other trailer after that with exception with the first one but after that I was hooked and ready to go see it. Hell I knew nothing about the actual man himself and the events that took place. I just wanted to see a lit Christopher Nolan film and you know what I was right to say it's lit but replace lit with perfect because Oppenheimer is a perfect film. It's 3 plus hours long and might not be for everyone but from the sound designs, cinematography and musical score to the acting, lighting and practical effects, this movie was just beyond perfection, it was a work of art. Cillian Murphy was always an amazing actor but this one role will change his life forever as he will be seen as one of the greats today and in the past. Robert Downey Jr., holy fuck he killed it and made you want to hate him after but man he could act and be more than just Iron-Man/Tony Stark. Emily Blunt as always killed it in her role. Matt Damon killed it..fuck it, every single actor from Florence Pugh to Josh Peck pushing a button to the extras in the back that twiddle their thumbs killed it in their roles. The whole cast was perfect. Nolan is winning his Oscar finally, it's not a question or an opinion but a simple fact. And if he doesn't then it shows how tough of a year it has been for film directors but man he deserves it the most. I saw this film twice in theaters, which means I spent a good quarter of a day in the theater pretty much. 6 plus hours in a theater to some is insane but for me its heaven. I saw it in IMAX/RPX but I also saw the 70mm IMAX version of the film and I was fucking blown away. Take my money again Nolan because I would do it in 4DX if I could. This film is and forever will be his greatest accomplishment and could be argued as his Magnum Opus. I know a lot of people will have this film as number one or even in their top 3 but I mean can you blame them this film literally was perfection sent from God himself. It made pretty much a billion dollars and has returned to theaters multiple times because it has so much hype into it and everyone won't stop talking about how great it was. A movie about a man and his creation of the bomb that will help the US win the war of World War II, this film became the success it truly deserved to become and it wasn't a question on what I was putting at number one the second I left the theater.
Honorable Mentions:
Creed III – Such a fantastic 3rd entry for the Creed franchise as Michael B. Jordan and Jonathon Majors did a fantastic job and the cinematography was incredible in this film. It was a film I wish I saw in theaters but that one is on me.
Saw X – I didn’t think there could be a Saw film that would leave me wanting more after it ended and this one did that. This was the best Saw film since SAW II and I’m happy that it was really good because the other films in the franchise didn’t feel fresh and felt like it was the same body gore film that came out every other year. Thankfully this one felt fresh and gave us more than we can ever ask for in a Saw franchise film.
Super Mario Bros the Movie – While not everything in it was perfect I truly had a fun time seeing the film twice in the theaters and I loved the animation and voice cast. A lot of people hated on Chris Pratt but I think he did very well as the voice of Mario. But then we have Mr. Jack Black as Bowser and the song Peaches; pure perfection.
Champions – I’m a sucker for films about underdogs and this film was that. Woody Harrelson carries a film about a basketball coach taking over as the coach for a basketball team with intellectual disabilities. I loved the film and I believe it’s very underrated.
Evil Dead Rise – While the first 30 minutes of this movie felt slow and could had been paced a little bit more, the rest of this horror bloodbath is intense and leaves you on the edge of your seat. I thought it was very scary, even though I myself wasn’t scary I bet many others would be. And I loved the gore in this film and I think they even used some practical effects if I’m not mistaken but I could be wrong.
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