My Top 10 Movies for 2023 plus some special mentions at the end.
10. Dungeons and Dragons Honor Among Thieves
Very fun, Captures that chaotic nature of DnD while also being a solid action fantasy comedy. Really solid cast and comes together really well as a solid package. I know things have been a bit iffy at WotC/Hasbro and the movie did not make a ton of money but I hope we see a sequel.
9. Blackberry
Of the 3 Business movies I saw this year (Tetris, AIR, Blackberry) this was the best one. While the general story is mostly true you can tell that a lot of liberties were taken to enhance the drama and especially the personalities. Glen Howerton is great in this and has an amazing line (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy_ZhwqrTc4). AIR and Tetris are both good but I think this tells a more interesting story with the fall. It also does a bit better with the visual storytelling and the foreshadowing, there is a lot more payoff with the details than Tetris or AIR which are very straight forward.
8. The Holdovers
Really did not know what to expect with this one and well it turned out to be pretty good. Don’t want to give too much away but it centers around a teacher who has to take care of some students who were at a boarding school during the Xmas break. So yeah it’s a Christmas movie not your usual one but I think it counts. Has some It’s a Wonderful life vibes but I think this veers more into the coming of age movie though its not just the young person who learns the lesson. Anyway check it out or I dunno save it for next Christmas it’s a treat.
7. Oppenheimer
It’s a Christopher Nolan movie, big spectacle, big sound, amazing in camera visuals, men navigating this unfair world in a way it’s the usual but it's still very good. Going in you already know what's going to happen but we are presented with the events pre and post bomb in the movie. And by the end of it you are left to ponder the world these guys created, we are living in the sequel. Last thing to note, while this is not a big action movie it does feature much improved audio mixing over Tenet. See it on the best screen you can with the best audio you can.
6. Barbie
This movie was probably always going to be a hit but I'm glad they tried cause the movie hits. It's got an amazing presentation, performances are great, the music is amazing and the humor is on point. Does it go as far as it could, is it may be a bit basic with some of its ideas yes, but it still does a great job having something to say while being entertaining. Much like the Lego movie it's easy to be cynical about it but much like the Lego movie this movie fires on all cylinders and its pretty good.
5. The Boy and The Heron
The latest from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki, this one has a lot to unpack. This movie is supposed to be quite personal to Miyazaki and I think it’s a mishmash of things from when he grew up, themes that have shown up in his other works and maybe a bit of recent history. I have heard this movie described as a bit of a therapy session for Miyazaki and it probably was to a certain extent. There is a lot going on here to the point where it may be better to see it in English first. WWII, Japanese culture, Shinto religion, Japanese History, Miyazaki's own personal history all play a bit of a role here and think it comes together really well. When things get going it's as fantastical and charming as any Studio Ghibli movie, it can also be tough to approach but I think it's worth it.
4. Past Lives
This is about 2 childhood friends Nora and Hae Sung who are separated as Nora's family moves from South Korea to Canada. Years later the two are reunited in New York city and things go from there. After watching the trailer it's very easy to go into this with certain expectations but I weather or not things happen or don’t happen it’s the way movie presents the tension between the two leads is where it shines. A lot of multiverse media exists these days and this movie kind of evoked a bit of that for me in the way we examine our actions and circumstances, we are only concerned with the reality presented in the film but it interesting to think of what could have been or what was. Also big ups for the visuals of this film its very pretty and really adds to that tension between the characters.
3. Guardians of the Galaxy 3
I know it's very in vogue to talk about Superhero movies not doing as well these days both critically or commercially but I don’t think that’s true. A good movie can still tap that audience and here we have GoTG3 a good super hero movie that did well at the box office. As a follow-up we have the same solid cast of likable characters, great music but what's new is a really great villain and the end of the arcs of these characters. Rocket is definitely the heart of the movie but all the guardians get a chance to shines and yeah there is the meta narrative of this being the last James Gunn Guardians film and it being the last outing of the version of the guardians and hey we get pay off for everyone. The MCU owes a lot for the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie and Vol3 and this trilogy really well and is definitely worth a watch.
2. Godzilla Minus One
Coming at the tail end of the year we have Godzilla Minus One. A reboot of Godzilla set in post war Japan our main character is a failed Kamikaze pilot who has to deal with all that, building a new life and Godzilla. It's quite a lot but it really fires on all cylinders and unlike other Godzilla films especially the monsterverse films (which I like) it’s the human drama that makes this Godzilla great and much more in line with the 1954 original. For me as well it’s the payoffs that really elevate it and how the themes and story tie together, especially that PTSD/ War not being over for the main character and how that ties into Godzilla showing up. Overall an amazing movie where everything just comes together.
1. Spider-man Across the Spider-verse
I know this is technically a part 1 and it does end on a bit of cliff hanger for me this was my number one movie of 2023. Take everything from the first movie and expand it and you have Across the Spider-verse. The narrative is not as tight due to it being a part 1 but the focus and Gwen and giving her a lot of the story gives us a satisfying story. Spiderman is my favorite superhero so that probably plays into this being my number one but for all its fantastical nature it still taps those Spiderman themes the dual life, the struggles of that dual life, the real life problems and the it could be anyone under the mask. The original is definitely a more complete film but this movie is still great and I can't wait for Beyond the Spider-verse when that eventually comes out.
Special Mentions:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Haunting in Venice
Suzame
Saltburn
Special Mention not released this year
Porco Rosso