The Geekly Grind Presents: The Best Movies of 2023!
2023 was a great year for movies. I watched 54 new releases this year and haven’t even scratched the surface of what’s out there.
Over the course of each year, I keep an ongoing ranked list. My ranking is very fluid, as any time I add to the list I examine everything that came before; my scores for movies over the course of a year tend to be relative to each other, so I’ll often change films’ scores and rerank. I’ll revisit my list for years to come as I see more movies released in that year.
This is especially important because there are movies from the likes of Michael Mann, Sofia Coppola, Pablo Larrain, William Friedkin, Richard Linklater, Paul Schraeder, Emerald Fennel, Jonathan Glazer, Yorgos Lanthimos, Nicole Holofcener, Hayao Miyazaki, and more that I haven’t had a chance to see and I’m sure I’m leaving someone out of that overwhelming list. No doubt more than one of these missing movies will make me reexamine my top picks.
I’ll begin with my top ten, then offer some notable recommendations.
My Top 10 of 2023
10. The Iron Claw
I reviewed The Iron Claw earlier this month. The movie chronicles the tragic story of the Von Erich family, a wrestling dynasty. More than being about wrestling, it’s a moving portrait of brotherhood and the crushing weight of parental expectations. Sean Durkin painted this picture both with love for his subjects and love for the sport. I hope Zac Effron continues getting roles offered to him that are as meaty as his role here.
9. Past Lives
Playwright Celine Song’s screenwriting and directorial debut Past Lives left an indelible impression. The semi-autobiographical film depicts a woman who reconnects with her childhood best friend who she left with barely a word when her family emigrated from Korea to Canada. Past Lives is about our pasts, what could have been, and how we reconcile that with the present; it’s emotionally complex, deeply affecting, and heartbreaking, all without being melodramatic.
8. Barbie
Barbie was everywhere this year, and with good reason. Margot Robbie produced and starred in this cultural phenomenon, directed by Greta Gerwig, written by Gerwig with partner Noah Baumbach. It’s hard to imagine better casting than Robbie as Barbie and co-star Ryan Gosling as Ken, who delivers a scene-stealing performance. Barbie is heartfelt, hilarious, and triumphant. I would have never imagined the toy could be adapted into anything this good or meaningful, yet here we are.
7. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One
Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise have done it again and delivered a fantastic entry in Hollywood’s best ongoing action franchise. While not the strongest in the series, Dead Reckoning is still an amazing action and intrigue thrill ride that left me excited for Part Two. While I couldn’t take the AI bit of the plot seriously, it doesn’t make the film any less enjoyable. Joining the usual suspects are Hayley Atwell and Pom Klementieff, both fantastic in the film. This movie offers a stark contrast with this year’s Fast X, one of the weakest entries in Hollywood’s other top action franchise.
6. American Fiction
I’ve got another directorial debut on this list, this time from TV screenwriter Cord Jefferson. I reviewed American Fiction only last week, but it jumped near the top of this list. Two parts incisive, hilarious satire and one part family drama, Jeffrey Wright’s stellar lead performance brings it all together. It’s a pleasure to hear him deliver Jefferson’s snappy, witty dialogue. Don’t let this one slip under your radar.
5. Godzilla Minus One
Jeremy wrote about Godzilla Minus One earlier this month; this is one I caught just last week. This movie is a monstrously good time and comes close to tying for second best Godzilla with Shin Godzilla (2016), after the original 1954 film. Minus One delivers series best monster action sequences and top-knotch visual effects for what was reportedly a sub-$15m budget. To top it off, the film features a human story that holds up on its own as a compelling drama with one of the best protagonists I’ve seen in the series’ history.
4. Beau is Afraid
From director Ari Aster (via Entertainment Weekly):
“It's epic. Jumbo. Every detail has a detail inside of it. If you pumped a ten-year-old full of Zoloft and had him get your groceries, that's like this movie. I wanted to make a film where it feels like you've been through a life, or even through a person… It's like a Jewish Lord of the Rings but he's just going to his mom's house. I want to put you in the experience of being a loser."
Beau is Afraid is a cinematic panic attack, an incredible depiction of a certain kind of anxiety. It’s also hilarious. This one isn’t for everyone, but it’s definitely for me.
3. Asteroid City
Wes Anderson’s latest is also one of his best. Asteroid City is a comedy about grief, longing, self, existence, and how art wrestles with all of it, set mostly in a Wile E. Coyote Looney Tunes cartoon desert. It’s play within a tv show within a movie made in Anderson’s usual hyperstylized way that also feels like the most human movie he’s produced in a while. I can't remember the last time I spent an entire movie smiling ear to ear like I did here.
2. The Holdovers
I was glad to see Alexander Payne back with such a fantastic movie after Downsizing (2017), the only film of his I consider a total dud. The six year wait between films was worth it. Not only is The Holdovers great, in my opinion it’s one of the best Christmas movies ever made. Paul Giamatti, first timer Dominic Sessa, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph are all fantastic in their roles in this throwback 1970 period film. Not only is it set in 1970, it’s mostly made to look like it was produced then, too. They just don't make them like this anymore.
1. Killers of the Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese’s devastating epic about the Osage Nation murders in Oklahoma in the 1920s, Killers of the Flower Moon, is the best film of 2023. It’s a staggering work that fully earns its lengthy running time, with its deliberate pace making the movie even more crushing. Lily Gladstone’s standout performance as Mollie Burkhart gives us a window into the suffering created by the greedy historical villains of this film. The film also has one of the boldest epilogues I’ve seen, a risk that paid off because it hits. Marty’s over 80 years old and he’s still got it.
2023 Notables
I see top of the year lists like this one largely as recommendation lists. In that spirit, I wanted to mention some other great films from this year. Some you’ve likely seen or heard about, others possibly not.
They Cloned Tyrone: This Netflix original starring John Boyega and Jamie Foxx is a smart, fun social satire and sci-fi exploitation throwback. It’s criminal that this didn’t get a theatrical release.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: This is the sequel to Into the Spider-verse, not only the best Spider-Man movie but also the best film of 2018. It’s a gorgeous looking movie and a ton of fun, though I don’t like that it’s made as a two-parter.
Oppenheimer: Christopher Nolan’s latest didn’t live up the the hype for me, but it’s still a fantastic movie and character study.
BlackBerry: Exuberant and sad, BlackBerry is about rise and fall of RIM, showing success, collaboration, compromise, and hubris. I loved the characters and the performances. There’s also a three episode extended miniseries version that I haven’t checked out.
The Killer: David Fincher’s latest is far superior to the graphic novel it adapts. Fincher’s technique is as exacting as the killer he depicts. I didn’t expect this one to be as funny as it was. It’s a Netflix production.
I Like Movies: I wasn’t a misanthrope like the character in this, but my inner high school film kid very much identified with this film.
Theater Camp: A hilarious mockumentary about a theater summer camp in crisis. You can catch this one on Hulu.
May December: Another winner from Netflix, Todd Haynes’ darkly comedic melodrama starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore at the top of their game is based loosely on the Mary Kay Letourneau story. It examines our fascination with stories like these through the eyes on an actress who inserts herself into the family’s lives to study for a role.
Bottoms: I loved Shiva Baby. With Bottoms, creative team Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott have made a hilarious high school comedy that’s a bit more accessible.
John Wick: Chapter 4: This is the best in the series since the original John Wick. This one’s got incredible action with Donnie Yen, Scott Adkins, and Marko Zaror all in top form against Keanu Reeves. We need more movies that shoot action like this.
Thanksgiving: Eli Roth made his fake trailer a reality and I loved it.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: Finally, another great TMNT film. The animation style is inspired by Spider-Verse but is still distinct. It continues the trend of discarding the realism of Pixar’s style that’s defined Hollywood animation for so long. Everything is distorted, dirty, and ugly and I love it. Stylistically this felt like something I would have seen in a short on MTV’s Liquid Television back in the day.
The Creator: In retrospect I like the cliched narrative of this less than I did when I saw it, but with this movie Gareth Edwards has made some incredible sci-fi eye candy that looks better than most Marvel films for a fraction of the budget. I hope the studios learn a lesson from this one.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: This is a lighthearted fantasy comedy from the team that made Game Night. They obviously have a clear understanding of and a ton of love for the source material. I hope we get a dozen more of these.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie: I loved it as a die-hard Nintendo fan. I wish I could have seen this as a nine year old.
Talk to Me: One of the horror highlights of this year, Talk to Me is a great possession flick from Australia. The filmmakers deserve the success they’ve gotten from this feature debut.
Shin Kamen Rider: Hideaki Anno made a deliriously hyperviolent adaptation of the original tokusatsu show and it’s a blast.
Sisu: Another violent bit of fun. This one is a Finnish movie about a man who absolutely destroys a platoon of Nazis that try to steal his gold.
This is a massive list, but now you have some stuff to watch! Now it’s time for me to catch up on the ones that I’ve missed.
