Top 15 Best Movies of 2023
For the first time since I started writing for this site, I can honestly say that I have an informed opinion, come December 31, to put together a “Best Movies of the Year” list. That is mostly due to the fact that I do not live in the US, which means I can’t see many of the movies that come out in North America towards the end of the year until weeks, if not months later. Whether it’s because this year it was a lot more spread out or because I was able to catch them early through screeners/film festival screenings, the truth is that I have my personal list of Best Movies of 2023, and it’s down below.
Despite that, there are a few films that I still have not caught because they haven’t opened near me yet or I haven’t had the time to watch them, and I reserve the right to update this list once I get around to watching them. They are: Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction, Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers, Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves, Sean Durkin’s The Iron Claw, Kitty Green’s The Royal Hotel, Blitz Bazawule’s The Color Purple, Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, Ava DuVernay’s Origin, Michael Mann’s Ferrari, and Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One.
With all of that in mind, barely edged out of the list are: Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, and Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest. Here are my top 15 movies of 2023.
15. How to Blow Up a Pipeline
Top 15 Best Movies of 2023: “How To Blow Up a Pipeline”
Severely overlooked, Daniel Goldhaber’s eco-terrorism thriller was one I had my eyes on for a few months and finally, over the Christmas break, I had the chance to sit through it. It’s not only a carefully constructed, edge-of-your-seat experience that will also throw a few curveballs at you — it’s an actual (and literal) call to arms to everyone in the younger generations to step up and fight for our planet.
Think about it: we’ve seen in recent years countries invading others and we justify the invaded’s right to fight back for their survival. Yet multinational corporations have been polluting our air for decades and threatening our chances of having drinkable water 50 years from now, but blowing up one of their pipelines would be considered terrorism. Should that be our way out of climate change? The movie doesn’t exactly say so; it just asks you to ponder.
How To Blow Up a Pipeline is streaming on Hulu in the US now.
14. Nyad
Top 15 Best Movies of 2023: “Nyad”
The directors behind Free Solo take on the on-screen retelling of Diana Nyad’s achievement, in which the 60-year-old woman swam the 110-mile stretch between Cuba and Florida. The film is mostly looked at for awards consideration because of the lead performances by Annette Bening and Jodie Foster (who excels in it), but its highs go well above that. The message is clear: “You’re never too old to chase your dreams.”
Though it starts with a very strong first act, the pace slows down a notch in the middle hour of the film, which takes place mostly at see — even if it still manages to pack in enough thrills inside it. However, it’s all worth it, as the final two minutes demonstrate.
Check out my review of the film here.
13. Oppenheimer
Top 15 Best Films of 2023: “Oppenheimer”
Even though we’ve left Nyad behind, it’s now that we’re getting into turbulent waters. Probably the film that will be atop most other people’s lists (next to my own #1 pick, possibly), Chris Nolan’s Oppenheimer did not work for me as well as I’d hoped. That was mostly because of Robert Downey Jr.’s character — ironically, since he’s nearly locked in to win his first Oscar. And it’s nothing against his performance; it’s just that the courtroom drama that plays over the third act did not hold the same weight as the world-changing experience of creating the atomic bomb.
I understand that Nolan’s intention was to make a biopic, but if this movie had been split into two, you’d have two outstanding cinematic achievements that would likely top this very list. Individually, they were just an out-of-body experience at the movies. But put together, they just didn’t work as well for me, which is why it’s sitting out the top 10.
Check out my review here.
12. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Top 15 Best Movies of 2023: “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
Speaking of splitting films into two, Sony’s sequel to Into the Spider-Verse was absolutely electric for two-thirds of the (exceedingly long) runtime. But the decision to end the story on a cliffhanger, despite the fact that Miles got a semi-satisfying completion of his own character arc, meant that this movie did not work for me as well as for everyone else — even if I still find its creativity and imagination something that every other filmmaker in Hollywood should look at. There’s another animated film that did all of that and felt satisfying in the end, though…
Check out my review of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse here.
11. Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One
Top 15 Best Movies of 2023: “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One”
After discussing a couple of films that I don’t hold as highly as most others, here is one that I like even more than the majority of people. The latest installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise may not be as good as Fallout, aka one of the best action films ever made, but once Chris McQuarrie got the ball rolling, 15 minutes into the film, he never looked back, and most importantly, never slowed down. It was an exhilarating experience to watch this over the summer, and I owe it a much-earned rewatch. I’ve just been focused on watching other films.
Check out my review here.
10. The Holdovers
Top 15 Best Movies of 2023: “The Holdovers”
We’re now entering the territory of highly interchangeable entries. I’m pretty set in my top 10, but with the exception of the top two, their rankings are very fluid. First is Alexander Payne’s warm hug of a movie, The Holdovers, which seems likely to give Paul Giamatti his first Oscar. It was as heartfelt and emotional as it was engaging and intriguing, and, just like the other 9 movies in the top 10, had me glued to the screen for the entire runtime.
Check out my review here.
9. Poor Things
Top 15 Best Movies of 2023: “Poor Things”
Giving the #9 spot to a movie I enjoyed as much as Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things feels like a disservice, and maybe I’ll change my mind by the time I rewatch it in a few weeks. But for now, I feel like I was even more engaged by eight other films. And yet, Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo had me completely in awe for two hours. Tony McNamara’s script is even better than The Favourite‘s and Yorgos has probably topped himself with this one. Check out my review here.
8. Fair Play
Top 15 Best Movies of 2023: “Fair Play”
This is one of the few films I haven’t really discussed on the site, yet definitely a highlight of Netflix’s output this year. It was exactly what I’d hoped, and much more: a tale of a relationship tanked by heavy commentary on the male ego in the 21st century, told mostly from the perspective of a highly capable woman who deserved a promotion over her underachieving partner. Oh, and did I mention the wonderful screenplay by writer-director Chloe Domont? Please keep ’em coming.
7. A Thousand and One
Top 15 Best Movies of 2023: “A Thousand and One”
AV Rockwell’s feature debut feels more like a documentary than a narrative film at times, with its depiction of 1990s Harlem that makes you feel like you’re on the street next to Teyana Taylor’s Inez and her six-year-old boy, whom she kidnaps out of the foster care system so she can take care of him after finishing her sentence. It is an emotional portrayal of the complicated relationship between a mother and a son. Check out my review here.
6. The Artifice Girl
Top 15 Best Movies of 2023: “The Artifice Girl”
Another film that I haven’t discussed at all on the site, mainly because it was the last film I watched in 2023. But what an experience. Relying solely on the script, writer-director-editor Franklin Ritch also stars as Gareth, the architect behind the most advanced artificial intelligence on the planet. It is the rare movie that doesn’t care for dumping a bunch of (well-researched) computer jargon on the audience and still makes a compelling story that had me hooked from minute 1 to minute 90.
It’s set in three acts and works as a theater play, in which four characters inside a room go at it discussing the pros and cons of the new technology, which Gareth is using to catch online predators. It is available to watch for free (with ads) on Tubi in the US.
5. Flora and Son
Top 15 Best Movies of 2023: “Flora and Son”
John Carney’s musical mind returned this year with the delightful Flora and Son, which stars Eve Hewson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Orén Kinlan. It may not pack in similar existential questions as many other films on this list, but did it need to? It knows what it is and is happy to just be one of the most entertaining and rewatchable films of the year. And for that, I love it very much. Check out my review here.
4. The Boy and the Heron
Top 15 Best Movies of 2023: “The Boy and the Heron”
Hayao Miyazaki’s grand return to animation is also one of the worst English titles of the year. This is no cute story about a boy and a heron — the Japanese title is a vastly more accurate description: How Do You Live? As existential and self-reflecting as they come, Miyazaki’s hand-drawn artwork is worth all of the jaws that have hit the floor after watching it, and the story he’s able to tell lives up to it and even exceeds the expectations set by the visuals. Why is it “that low”, then? I can’t really explain it, to be honest. It will probably go up with subsequent rewatches, but there were just four films that are more me than this one.
Check out my review here.
3. Wonka
Top 15 Best Movies of 2023: “Wonka”
Here we are with controversial picks. Wonka may have done some serious business over Christmas (I predicted it’d be a great Christmas watch, yay me), but it’s been nowhere near the bottom of most people’s lists. And guess what? I don’t even care. I ate it up from beginning to end, and I kind of can’t believe I still have not watched it again. Maybe I’ll change my mind once I do, but I love musicals, I love Paul King, and I love Timothée Chalamet. Plus, Sally Hawkins is in this movie? Sorry, but not sorry. Check out my review here.
2. Barbie
Top 15 Best Movies of 2023: “Barbie”
Here is another one I’m not even remotely apologizing for having this high. I expected great things from Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, but I did not expect to come out of the theater saying “Was that the best film I’ve ever seen?” It’s not, of course, but wow, was that an experience watching it! Ryan Gosling’s Ken may be my favorite thing to see all year on the big screen, and though I watched this three times in theaters back in the summer, I’m eager to watch it a dozen more at home. It may not be The Zone of Interest or Asteroid City in its approach to existential questions, but I thought it was a powerful portrayal of what it means to be human — not just a man or a woman.
Check out my review here.
1. Past Lives
Top 15 Best Movies of 2023: “Past Lives”
Once credits started to roll on Celine Song’s feature debut Past Lives, I knew it would be hard for another film to top it as my favorite of the year. And sure enough, it didn’t happen. It may not be the strongest awards contender, but Greta Lee’s performance is still the best I’ve seen all year, and Song’s script is worthy of a statue as well. It is a very personal film for everyone who has been through a similar experience in their lives, and I was right there with everyone tearing up during the last few minutes of the film.
It’s everything I want in a movie: a story about a few people living their lives and sharing a relatable experience. Of course, it helped that Song was sort of telling her own story, but to me, she did it with such delicacy and gentleness it became irresistible. One of my favorite things was how she flipped the jealous husband trope on its head and used it to amplify her message even more. If you haven’t seen it yet, treat yourself.
Check out my review here.
Miguel Fernández is a Spanish student that has movies as his second passion in life. His favorite movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings, but he is also a huge Star Wars fan. However, fantasy movies are not his only cup of tea, as authors like Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he started to understand the language of filmmaking. He is that guy who will watch a black and white movie, just because it is in black and white.
