By Seth Lukas Hynes
2023 was a year of strikes and box-office disasters, but also had its fair share of milestones and triumphs.
Everything Everywhere All At Once swept the Oscars, becoming the first overt science fiction film to win Best Picture, and Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win Best Actress.
For all the talk of blockbuster bloat and hubris last week, the few blockbuster successes, which include Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Barbie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, did gangbuster business (the latter two each made over a billion dollars at the global box-office).
Barbie is the most successful film ever directed by a woman, Oppenheimer became the most successful biopic of all time ($947 million), and the Barbenheimer phenomenon was a rare case of audiences promoting two very different films together instead of pitting them against each other. Many pundits foresee the slow death of the cinema, but Barbenheimer got people excited for the movies again.
As for honourable mentions: Mission Impossible 7 is an extremely solid, creative, frequently funny, very sexy action movie. Past Lives is a gentle yet deeply touching drama with lush, literary dialogue. They Cloned Tyrone is a fun, socially-aware sci-fi satire fizzing with chemistry. Talk To Me is an eerie, really well-crafted horror film (with kinda obnoxious energy). Sisu is a gruesomely-satisfying Finnish Rambo. The Cost is a harrowing Australian thriller. Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and Blue Beetle are exciting, affecting superhero adventures, and The Flash, despite its messiness, is highly enjoyable.
Here are my picks for the top ten best films of 2023.
10. Linoleum. A cozy slice-of-life drama with a poignant, utterly ingenious narrative just under the surface. For reasons I won’t spoil, Linoleum would make a great double-feature with the time travel thriller Predestination.
9. Pearl. A macabre, hilarious slasher movie, this prequel builds upon X but tells its own story about family rebellion and longing for stardom. Mia Goth delivers one of her best, most deranged performances yet (and has the best monologue of the year).
8. The Creator. A visually-stunning, well-paced sci-fi journey where the character development and broader war conflict are in near-perfect symbiosis.
7. The Killer. A brilliant deadpan crime satire from David Fincher. Michael Fassbender leads a beautifully-shot comedy of errors on how a movie assassin’s mantras, rationalizations and meticulous plans don’t mean squat in the unpredictable real world.
6. JUNG_E. A wild-card that may not be on many people’s radar, I loved JUNG_E for its psychological intrigue, amazing art direction, fun villain, witty satire and enthralling bursts of action.
5. Saltburn. A fascinating, depraved visual feast. Like Midsommar for boys, or The Wicker Man with predator and prey flipped.
4. Killers of the Flower Moon. An entrancing historical drama from Martin Scorsese. A finely- crafted, morally-grey tapestry of conspiracy, love and prejudice.
3. John Wick: Chapter 4. One of the best American action movies ever made, John Wick 4 has immensely varied, impeccably choreographed action, but also a layered, moving plot about loyalty, sacrifice, friendship and toxic grudges.
2. Oppenheimer. A magnificent biographical epic. Vast yet intimate, this film grips you tight for the full three hours, and succeeds in being complex without being complicated.
1. Godzilla Minus One. Sure, I’m a lifelong Godzilla fan, but Godzilla Minus One would rank very highly regardless: it features thrilling monster action and effects, but also a superbly-paced, deeply moving story with compelling characters and anti-war themes.
2023 was a bumpy year, but one full of great movies, and I’m really looking forward to what 2024 has to offer.
– Seth Lukas Hynes
