2023, what a year it’s been. So much learned, so much loss, so much laughter, so much pain, so much overhyped (ahem Barbie) and yet a top ten list is one of the easiest things I can do from this last year, so here ya go!
10. Totally Killer
Blumhouse movies are misses way more than hits and, surprisingly, this one is a hit. Not only is it really damn funny, but for a premise we have seen multiple times before (time travel) it blends a nice amount of humor with fun horror. Very rare win for the folks at Blumhouse with this one.
9. Air
I hate sports, I hate sports with every ounce of my being and yet sports is on the back end of this movie about sports and the ultimate sports shoe. A movie that not only feels fresh and original but it hosts (in my humble opinion) Viola Davis’ best work on camera so far.
8. No Hard Feelings
Jennifer Lawrence is a mega star, a mega star who once was over saturated for a solid 4 year run in the 2010s, but she is back with one of her best performances since her breakout in Winter’s Bone. An original comedy that has a heart, and plays even better on a rewatch.
7. All of Us Strangers
I like men, I like sex with men, I like stories of men who have sex with men and I like stories of men who have sex with men and have their heart broken and mended by the power of love. A wonderful tear jerker of a movie.
6. Maestro
I loved this movie, it’s a passion project that is beautifully shot and you can feel the love that Bradley Cooper brought to this project. It’s a nice biopic without “feeling” biopicky.
5. Anatomy of a Fall
Not since 2016’s Elle with Isabelle Huppert have I adored a French movie so much. This is an edge of your seat court case drama with a stellar duo of performances from Sandra Hüller and Milo Machado-Graner, both of whom deserve to win the Academy Award for Actress and Supporting Actor this year.
4. Bottoms
A really damn funny and over dramatic comedy from the team that brought us Shiva Baby. This movie takes you down roads you never see coming and at a beautifully paced 93 minutes is a fun breeze of a watch.
3. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
As someone who went into this with zero expectations and with no knowledge of the game, this movie was not only the biggest surprise for me this past year but truly is a lot of fun as it balances comedy and fantasy action really really well.
2. Saltburn
A delicious, dirty, and Silkwood-shower inducing movie. A big step up and redeemer from Emerald Fennell and her first movie from 2020, Promising Young Woman. This movie is so much fun and I’m so happy of the life it has found with the streaming platform this year.
1. Oppenheimer
Seeing this movie three times in a theater this year was a highlight each time. It’s like a full body orgasm that continues to do its job post leg shaking. Christopher Nolan’s best film yet, from the score, to the cinematography, to the acting. It’s truly the best film of 2023.
