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Top Ten Films of 2023

Unlike the weak last year, 2023 turned out to be a tremendously strong year for cinema. This was the time where a couple of blockbusters reigned supreme, but also a couple of genuinely affecting indies. Although I disliked the most renowned film of the year, there are still the record four Best Picture nominees on my list of best movies this year. This list will also highlight some very underrated and unfortunately underseen features. Above all else, the top seven movies on my list are not American, which just goes to show the strength of international cinema these days. Without further ado, here are ten best films of 2023.

10. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Coming in at the end of this list is the only blockbuster on my top ten and that is The Hunger Games prequel, which is by far one of the most underrated movies of the year. This is one of the best entries in this franchise and a welcome return to it after a long pause. It’s one of the most faithful Hollywood adaptations in quite a while, but also a movie that was genuinely riveting throughout its long runtime. It’s a richly detailed spectacle in costumes, score and sets, one that also benefited from phenomenal performances from its very talented cast.

9. Killers of the Flower Moon

Offering an all too crucial glimpse into the horrible history of this country that was started on stolen land and through greed, Killers of the Flower Moon serves as an important history lesson and a pretty great epic movie in its own right. Lily Gladstone was superb in such a tragic role while Robert De Niro was highly memorable as the devious villain of the piece. While the focus on the villains of the story was heavily criticized, it still mostly fitted the material at hand and it was so well done that ultimately it worked. It’s one of Scorsese’s best efforts.

8. Past Lives

One of the best indies of the year is definitely Past Lives, a tremendous debut feature from Celine Song, who emerged as a talent to watch because of it. Similar praise should be directed toward Greta Lee, who was terrific in the moving main role. This film offers a tragic and introspective take on a romantic drama, probing deeper themes ranging from the power of first love to immigration issues to relationship insecurities. It’s a strong cautionary tale about trusting your gut instead of settling in a relationship, a story that leaves a big mark with its unusually pensive and wistful tone. I watched Past Lives during my summer vacation and it has stayed with me to this day.

7. Of an Age

The seventh spot goes to one immensely underappreciated and underseen Australian movie and that is Of an Age, which is another incredible film from the great Goran Stolevski, who in his sophomore feature has already proved to be one of the most promising rising talents in the current world of directing. While the film is simple and minimalist in its story, it is also quite strong in the depiction of first love and just how powerful it can be. The lead actors have outstanding chemistry, leading to all of their shared scenes feeling very believable while the ending of the story is so touching. It’s the best indie of the year along with the above entry.

6. Anatomy of a Fall

Masterfully directed by Justine Triet and consistently gripping, Anatomy of a Fall is a great showcase of the power of courtroom dramas and how thrilling they can be when done right. This is a complex and layered story where each new revelation becomes more confounding, leading to an ending that was effectively ambiguous and powerful. While undeniably technically arresting and highly sophisticated in its dialogue with both courtroom and flashback scenes being incredible, the highlight of the movie is Sandra Huller whose powerhouse work in the main role makes for the year’s finest performance.

5. Society of the Snow

The top five movies on my list all did something to me. Society of the Snow is a Spanish survival thriller that inspired me more than anything else. The movie works so well not just because it’s an audio-visual marvel, but it is especially admirable for its refreshingly optimistic outlook on human life. There are scenes in this movie that almost made me cry. It’s rare and wonderful to see such an uplifting and human story during what is our most cynical and nihilistic period in history. Society of the Snow is a further proof that J.A. Bayona is probably the best disaster genre director of all time and it’s a rare crowd-pleaser that is genuinely fantastic all-around.

4. All of Us Strangers

Having a uniquely melancholic, otherworldly tone that is simultaneously beautiful and disturbing, Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers is a very original fantasy romance that has a deceptively simple, but complex and powerful story that functions as a cautionary tale about the dangers of being overcome by grief. This will be a deeply relatable movie to anyone who has ever lost a parent, but it’s also universal in its deeply resonant depiction of sadness, longing and despondence. Andrew Scott delivered the best actor performance of the year in such a tragic role. This is a very depressing film that isn’t for everybody, but it’s a movie that made me cry and that felt very relatable to me, so it deserves this high place on the list.

3. Robot Dreams

The second of the four movies that I gave the highest rating this year is this Pablo Berger-directed delight. Gorgeously animated and beautifully scored, Robot Dreams is an audio-visual delight, showcasing the director’s great knack at cinematic storytelling with no words spoken or required. This animated tale starts off in such a cozy, bright and slice-of-life manner, but it culminates with an emotionally powerful final sequence that was a timeless ode to the power of friendship. In a year dominated by the overrated ‘Spider-Verse’ movie, this was the best animated film released, one that will stand the test of time as the eternal charmer that it is.

2. The Taste of Things

Slice-of-life storytelling was the name of the game in 2023 and The Taste of Things is another movie that relied heavily on the simple pleasures of life instead of a complex narrative. In what was a superb year for French cinema, this film ended up being the better of the two renowned French films that we got. While this period romance also won’t be for everybody, for those who appreciate elegant, timeless and simple storytelling will undoubtedly enjoy it. Juliette Binoche is phenomenal as the lovely Eugenie and the directing from Tran Anh Hung is truly inspired. This is the ultimate food movie, one that makes every image and sound count, leading to what is one of the most moving and romantic films of the entire decade.

1. The Zone of Interest

And the best film of 2023 is undoubtedly The Zone of Interest. There have been hundreds of films dealing with the theme of World War II, but none approached this subject in the way that Jonathan Glazer here. What this visionary filmmaker did here was to shy away from depicting any violence, but invite us as the audience to just observe this family living nearby the concentration camp. Through its clinical, slice-of-life approach at storytelling and a minimalist script that is admirably devoid of any unnecessary conflict, the film invites us not just to acknowledge the callousness and complicity of the people that we are observing, but also to recognize our very own tendencies to avoid these unpleasant truths and focus on our own lives and the lives of our closest families, who are effectively just the extension of ourselves. Masterfully directed, acted, shot and scored, The Zone of Interest is a technical marvel, a work of art and the most important film of the decade so far. In what is a very strong year, it still  easily takes the win for me.

Honorable Mentions:

The Creator – The best science fiction movie of the year just missed my top ten by a hair. Although conventional in its ending, this is a truly impressive blockbuster that features for once a pro-A.I. story that made it fresh and exciting. It also benefits from some of the best VFX work that I’ve seen in quite a while.

Wonka – While Wonka is definitely flawed and its soundtrack is quite bland, there is no denying the immense charm of this beautiful film, which is a rare live-action children’s movie released today, so it takes extra props for its existence alone. Paul King is a master storyteller and Wonka is not just colorful and fun, but also genuinely well crafted and very witty in its dialogue.

About Dry Grasses – Nuri Bilge Ceylan delivered another powerful drama with About Dry Grasses, a film that is very long and centered by such an unlikable protagonist, but one that is worth seeing for its incredible dialogue alone. It explored so many intriguing themes and ideas while featuring a truly outstanding third act.

Godland – Godland is an Icelandic period drama that is also immensely slow in its pace and staggering in its runtime, but it’s a fascinating story that examined religion, our mortality and the foolishness of men thinking they can control nature. It also benefits from very unique cinematography and phenomenal directing throughout.

Saltburn – Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn is one of the most underrated movies of the year. This film isn’t for everybody of course, but I appreciate unhinged, crazy storylines populated with disturbed people, so I’ve had a blast watching this ridiculous movie. It’s an opulent-looking film that had dozens of instantly memorable lines of dialogue and scenarios.

Poor Things – I am not a fan of Yorgos Lanthimos, but even I have to admit that Poor Things is quite good. This is his best movie to date, one where his propensity for offbeat weirdness matched the story at hand best. It’s a visually arresting film that features very amusing dialogue and a truly incredible central turn from Emma Stone.