It has been a remarkable year for film. From the golden age of modern satire to the genuine resurgence of hard-rated R comedy and wildly inventive dramas that redefine the standards of both big-budget and independent cinema. Without further ado, here is a list of my favorite films of 2023.
Honorable Mention: The Promised Land
The fact is, The Promised Land is a sweeping triumph. Nikolaj Arcel’s ravishing and sweeping period drama distinguishes itself by doing something most films can only dream of achieving—transporting the viewer to another time and place. A throwback to period epics that are rarely made today because of awe-inspiring character development, along with its compelling script that’s equally exciting, soulful, and heartfelt.
10. (Tie) The Boy & the Heron and They Cloned Tyrone
Are we living in the golden age of modern social satire? Movies like Get Out, Us, Nope, and Bad Hair have been eye-opening and relevant, telling a socially conscious story within the horror genre. Now we have They Cloned Tyrone, directed by Juel Taylor, who co-wrote the script with Tony Rettenmaier, a film that spins these narratives into a hysterical, biting, blaxploitation satire on urbanization. A wicked version of The Truman Show, Taylor’s film is a blend of dark humor and penetrating exploration of human behavior when labels are thrust upon us unfairly, and we cannot escape.
Hayao Miyazaki and cinematographer Atsushi Okui use various color palettes to reflect the emotional state of the characters throughout the journey in the script. The Boy and the Heron‘s interconnectedness revolves around systems, not just Mahito but the family as a whole. In line with the director’s holistic approach to the family unit and how the group functions within their world, including the environment, The Boy and the Heron is a grand adventure full of compassion, mindfulness, loving-kindness, and self-awareness that emerges from dark times to the other side where the light awaits.
If this is Mr. Miyazaki’s grand farewell, he did so with an instant classic that’s one of the year’s best films.
9. Anatomy of a Fall
Many will find Anatomy of a Fall enigmatic, leaving key plot points unresolved. And that’s fair because this is that rare courtroom thriller about something entirely different. What cannot be argued is the psychological component Justine Triet’s film puts on full display for everyone to see. Anatomy of a Fall depicts a marriage on trial, not a murder, with breathless results. This courtroom drama serves as a backdrop to unveil each fascinating layer of the dissolution of a marriage with Hitchcockian precision.
8. All of Us Strangers
All of Us Strangers is a tender, heart-rending, and deeply moving tale that serves as a metaphor for the absence of familial acceptance, social isolation, and connectedness—key factors affecting the well-being of marginalized populations. Featuring two of the standout performances this year, the magnetic Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott, who captivate the audience, drawing empathy for his character’s plight until the heart-wrenching reveal in the tragic third act.
7. The Zone of Interest
The Zone of Interest contains images and sounds that will remain etched in my memory for as long as I live. Jonathan Glazer’s inventive historical drama, loosely based on Martin Amis’s 2014 novel of the same name, is both petrifying and profound. It evokes a sense of deep frustration. Simply put, there is nothing else like this film out there.
6. Royal Hotel
The Royal Hotel is a deliberate and pensive thriller that gradually builds so much tension that it’s hard to sit still in your seat. The story is like the Wild West, where anything can happen. It’s a dangerous place for single women. That’s because unwanted tension can quickly snowball into emotional and physical abuse. Writer and director Kitty Green’s film is a revolving-door character study of toxicity and the psychological toll on one’s mental health. The ending may divide its audience because it understates, defying the genre’s classic conventions. However, that doesn’t detract from the film’s raw and uncommon power.
5. A Thousand and One
A film like A Thousand and One will be forgotten when awards chatter comes around. However, let’s hope A.V. Rockwell’s brilliant script and Taylor’s searing turn stay in Oscar voters’ minds when the time comes. Few studios and filmmakers take the time and have the sensitivity to shine a light on at-risk populations that fall between the cracks. The result is a thematically rich and vivid experience brought to life with staggering purpose.
4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
A visual marvel and super cool, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is epic in scope and elevates the multiverse from a modern cliché to a stunning art form: a transcendent animated film experience and one of the best sequels in recent memory.
3. Past Lives
Past lives soars! Writer and director Celine Song’s film is a modern-day romance for a new generation and a love story of jaw-dropping maturity. Whatever you heard about Celine Song’s stunning film, believe the hype. Ms. Song’s film is a contemporary love story of extraordinary honesty and heartbreaking intimacy, with a script full of anxious regrets and endearing sadness about the road not taken.
2. Origin
You will be completely blown away by Ava DuVernay’s brave, ambitious, and beautifully imperfect film. There’s something larger at play with Ms. DuVernay’s harmonious presentation that leads to something profoundly euphoric in how the script allows the audience to find solace in healing and reconciliation. If Origin is not the best film of the year, it’s arguably the most achingly important piece of cinema to come out in years because it explores why societies are blind to beauty in diversity. The experience is therapeutic because it’s a modern masterpiece of reflection and introspection.
Allow Origin to wash over you and see how you feel when you come out on the other side.
1. Oppenheimer
It’s as if everything Nolan has done was practice for this very moment. From Interstellar’s existential crisis and windstorm visuals to the classic themes and pulsating soundscape design across The Dark Knight Trilogy, from the technical prowess of Inception and the film’s exploration of the depravity of humanity to the subtle allure of the free will of Tenet. And there are more. Like the subtle shades of distortion of memory in films like Dunkirk or Memento. Even the latter’s exploration of personal identity. The close-up view of free will in Tenet, the allure of power in The Prestige, and the obsession of his first film, Following. Of course, the classic Nolan theme of causality is across his entire filmography.
All of Nolan’s abilities are there and left for the audience to see. This leads me to my thoughts on Oppenheimer, which are to the point. It’s the greatest biographical film ever made. You won’t have a better cinematic experience in total all year, or maybe in the next few.
