Top 25 Films of 2023

2023 has come and gone and brought with it tons of great cinema. Despite a strike that pushed numerous things off of the calendar, we were still treated to one of the biggest movie weekends ever in July, a slew of great indies early in the year, and damn near too many great awards season movies. A lot of blockbusters were let downs but the good far outweigh the bad. In honour of the year's end I'm counting down my 25 favourite movies of 2023. Before I start though, here are some honourable mentions that just missed the cut - Godzilla Minus One, Wonka, Dream Scenario, Evil Dead Rise, Saltburn, May December, Thanksgiving, Air, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, and Elemental. These just scratch the surface though, so mosey on over to Letterboxd if you want my thoughts on even more, but without further adieu here are my top 25.

#25 The Iron Claw - Starting the list off at 25 is the movie I saw latest, so maybe there's some recency bias to shove it in to the top 25, but I don't think there's any denying that The Iron Claw is among the year's best. Zac Efron is great as Kevin Von Erich, delivering the most emotionally driven performance I've seen from him all while beefed up for wrestling. What excited me so much though was that despite how great he is, he isn't even one of the better performances in this. Jeremy Allen White turns in a terrific performance full of sadness and anger, Stanley Simons is heartbreaking as their younger brother Mike, Holt McCallany is great as their overly tough father, and Lily James brings a great compassionate side to this wrestling world. However, it's Harris Dickinson that came out of nowhere to wow me, commanding the screen every moment he's on screen. The story is heartbreaking but fascinating, the cinematography is gorgeous, this is just a terrific movie.

#24 Society of the Snow - Similarly to The Iron Claw, Society of the Snow is a late entry to the list but one that I had to slide in. This is a Spanish film from acclaimed director J.A Bayona about a group of young rugby players forced to survive in the snowy Andes after a plane crash. While it feel its length at times, this is a gripping and harrowing survival film that while being a tough watch is an insanely worthwhile one. The crash itself is brilliantly filmed, and the moral dilemmas the survivors are forced to make allow this to be constantly engaging despite the long runtime. This just landed on Netflix so I would highly recommend giving it a watch.

#23 BlackBerry - One of the biggest surprises from the beginning of the year, Matt Johnson's Blackberry is one of the most fun and exciting biopics I've seen in a while. Chronicling the controversial rise and fall of the ill-fated smart phone, Blackberry pairs a fun underdog story with a story of greed in a movie that is so much more entertaining than I'd ever expect. Johnson writes and directs brilliantly while also turning in a great performance in front of the camera. Jay Baruchel is great in the lead, but Glenn Howerton delivers one of the most unhinged and electric supporting performances of the year. "I'm from Waterlooooooo! Where the vampires hang out!!!" Legendary. 

#22 How to Blow Up a Pipeline - How to Blow Up a Pipeline is another early year surprise that I really loved. When this was at TIFF in 2022 I thought it was just be an environmentalist movie which despite agreeing with the ideas of I rarely like. This however, is an electric thriller operating almost as a heist movie as a group of young activists work to blow up an oil pipeline. The ensemble cast is great and as the main action of the film unfolds, the filmmakers weave in the backstories for each of our central characters making their actions mean so much more. The score is also fantastic, giving an electric pulse to an already thrilling movie.

#21 Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret - This is just one of the pure delights of the year. Kelly Fremon Craig's adaptation of the Judy Blume novel features an intensely charming performance from Abby Ryder Forston as an 11-year old girl adjusting to a new home, new friends, and a new period in her life. This obviously has a lot of elements that specifically pertain to female audiences, but the universalities in growing up strike hard, and the story's unique approach to religion is something that I really adored. A fun 70s setting, supporting turns from Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, and Benny Safdie, and a witty script all come together to make this one of the most heartwarming watches of 2023.

#20 The Killer - I am a die-hard David Fincher fan, so his latest outing The Killer was one of my most anticipated of the year. Out of the theatre I loved it, and while I have cooled on it a bit it still stands as one of my favourites this year. Stylistically this finds itself somewhere in between Fight Club and Gone Girl while telling a kind of story Fincher has never embrace before. This is a truly stylish film, constantly delivering a moody atmosphere and clever cinematography, and while it doesn't delve into action as much as the title suggests, the moments it does deliver handsomely. Fassbender is great in the lead, there are several fun supporting turns including Tilda Swinton, and it's a much funnier movie than I would have expected. Not Fincher's best by any means, but even when he isn't at his best he delivers.

#19 Maestro - Bradley Cooper's sophomore directorial effort is allllllmost incredible. This is just a case where the sum is not equal to its parts, as the film as a whole doesn't quite live up to all the great things about it. At the front of it is what I would consider Cooper's best performance, throwing himself into Leonard Bernstein with raw emotion and grandiose all while performing through some great prosthetics. Alongside him Carey Mulligan gives one of her greatest performances, delivering some heartbreaking moments and going toe to toe with Cooper from start to finish. The film is stunning, boasting some of the year's very best cinematography, and Cooper's direction in some scenes, especially the big conducting scene near the end, is pretty great. The biggest issue with this, and what stops it from ranking higher, is the fact that it doesn't seem like Cooper knew what he wanted this film to be. It doesn't really operate as a biopic, opting for slices from Bernstein and his wife's lives rather than really teaching the viewer who he is, and that's okay. But it isn't clear what Cooper wants to say about Bernstein or with his story, which lessens the impact of a pretty immaculately crafted film.

 

#18 Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person - Obviously if this list was the best titles of the year we'd be looking at the top choice right now, but even though this isn't that list it still gets a spot. Ariane Louise-Seize's feature debut is a darkly comedic coming of age story that has a ton of fun with the vampire iconography all while using it to touch on mental health and suicide in a really touching way. It's a hilarious movie with so much heart and the two lead performances at the core of it are delightful. This was one of my favourites at TIFF and has continued to be a film I gush about ever since. It's also a Canadian film so I'm pumped to have not one but two (Blackberry as well) on this list.

#17 Talk to Me - Talk to Me is without question the horror movie of the year. While there are other great ones (including one coming up later on this list), there is no denying that this was the most buzzed about entry to the genre. This is a low budget original horror movie directed by two first timers that came from Youtube, and it managed to create a ton of buzz despite competing alongside the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon. Talk to Me operates on a simple premise but uses it to the best of its ability, giving us a piece of horror iconography in its creepy hand, all while using said hand as a vessel for some pretty freaky possession horror. There is also a surprising amount of depth as the film tackles grief in a very interesting way. It also uses the hand as an allegory for peer pressure and drug use, which makes for some really fun party scenes along with the strong social commentary. So glad this got the attention it deserved this year.

#16 Killers of the Flower Moon - Martin Scorcese's latest effort is proof that sometimes a movie needs to be ridiculously long. All three and a half hours are worth it in properly telling this heartbreaking true story. The recreation of 1920s Oklahoma is fantastic, and the performances fit the setting very well. Leonardo Dicaprio is really great in the lead, but Lily Gladstone is outperforming him in nearly every scene as she gives one of the year's best performances. Robert De Niro is also great, as is most of the large ensemble cast. It's a fascinating watch due to the many different layers this story has, but at its core it is a crushing tale of greed that I'm glad a filmmaker of this stature was able to bring out from the shadows.

#15 Scream VI - While Talk to Me was THE horror movie of 2023, my immense love for the Scream franchise still vaults this ahead of it. Scream VI takes the new characters from the fifth movie and brings them to the Big Apple, where a new Ghostface threat awaits them. The New York City setting brings something fresh to the franchise, as the characters now have to fight for their lives in a busy city where the killer could be hiding in any crowd. The new location makes for some pretty great set pieces as well including a tense bodega scene and one involving a ladder that had me gripping the armrests when I saw it. Melissa Berrera took a lot of heat for her performance in the fifth film but she is pretty terrific here, and the film ushers in another set of new characters that I really liked. The movie is lacking Neve Campbell but still serves as one of the best entries in the Scream franchise.

#14 Hit Man - Technically I probably shouldn't count this as it still hasn't been widely released, but this was one of the absolute highlights of TIFF and this is my list so I'm keeping it. This is the latest from the great Richard Linklater, and co-written by its star Glen Powell and it is a blast. Through a really clever script these two craft something that begins as a goofy crime movie, then turns into a wildly sexy rom com, then becomes a Trouble with Harry-esque Hitchcockian thriller. These different tones and genres make for something that never gets stale, constantly offering something new and fun to keep you engaged. Powell's performance is great, doing so many different accents and personas all while keeping his core character interesting. This should be out on Netflix sometime this year so give it a watch when you can!

#13 John Wick: Chapter 4 - Yet another great franchise giving another terrific entry. I always loved the simplicity of the first John Wick, but as the franchise's world becomes more and more fleshed out I've found myself staying in love with it. This is the biggest entry, giving some of the longest and most grueling action sequences and sporting a runtime nearing 3 hours. But those 3 hours are worth it as this gives a thrilling conclusion to John Wick's story that I adored. While the action is incredible, it's also worth noting that the cinematography makes it even cooler with long takes and clever framing. The ensemble is great as ever but Bill Skarsgard's addition as the villain is an over the top antagonist that is hard not to have fun with. Great great movie.

#12 Theatre Camp - While Talk to Me managed to make waves alongside "Barbenheimer" Theatre Camp is a movie that sadly fell under its shadow. Which is a damn shame! as this is one of the absolute funniest movies of the year. I'm sure being a drama kid in high school is part of why I love this so much, but the script is filled with clever jokes and great moments, and first time directors Nick Lieberman and Molly Gordon do a great job creating the pace and tone of this. Gordon and Ben Platt in the lead roles are hilarious, but Noah Galvin and Jimmy Tatro are the real scene stealers with some of the funniest moments in any movie of recent years. It's a hilarious and heartwarming watch that even non-theatre kids are sure to have some fun with. Shoutout to Ireland's own Ayo Edebiri.

#11 Rye Lane - Rye Lane was one of the biggest surprises of the year for me. This is a directorial debut from Raine Allen-Miller that is filled to the brim with love for cinema and the great romantic comedies of the past. Despite being a small budget indie this boasts some of the most vibrant filmmaking of the year, with fun and colourful sets and costumes and a lot of creative cinematography sprinkled throughout that make it feel wholly unique despite drawing on so many influences. At the heart of it all are the duo of Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson who deliver my favourite on screen duo of the year. The two have truly special chemistry playing two people working through recent breakups only to find each other. This is hilarious, it's tender, and it's just such a full of love good time. Proof that the rom com is far from dead. I initially had this at #10 and it was so hard to take it out of the top 10 but I've grown more and more passionate about the movie replacing it. That being said I still adore this one, it's 10B more than it's #11.

#10 Bottoms - Bottoms! I'm a big fan of Emma Seligman's Shiva Baby, so expectations were high for her sophomore effort and boy was I a fan. This was initially at 15 but since rewatching it I've grown so much more appreciative of its comedic sensibilities and I just love it too much to keep it from the top 10 no matter how bad I wanted to put Rye Lane in. This movie is weird, it takes a fairly simple premise but never worries about being grounded instead opting to go over the top pretty much from start to finish. What that brings is one of the goofiest but most entertaining movies of the year, giving us a feminist Fight Club rom com that I loved. Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edibiri are a perfect comedic duo leading this, but supporting turns from Ruby Cruz, Kaia Gerber, and Super Bowl Champion Marshawn Lynch just to name a few, make this one of the most fun ensembles of the year. The montage set to Complicated by Avril Lavigne is reason enough for me to put it here, this movie is magic. Shoutout again to Ireland's own Ayo Edebiri.

#9 Anatomy of a Fall - Anatomy of a Fall absolutely rocks. This was the first movie I saw at TIFF and despite all the buzz surrounding it, the idea of a lengthy French film was pretty daunting to me. Justine Triet's masterful courtroom drama dashed all those fears as it earns every moment of its runtime through a thrilling and exciting story brought to life through the most electric dialogue from the entire year. While it is a French film, it bounces between French, English, and German, somehow making everything flow perfectly despite the three languages. Sandra Huller gives one of my favourite performances of the year, commanding scenes one moment then begging for our sympathy the next in a truly dynamic powerhouse role. Other highlights include Milo Machado-Graner as her blind son and the only witness, one of the most incredible child performances I've seen, Swann Arlaud as her suave lawyer who I thought was also terrific, and Antoine Reinartz who is electric in the courtroom in the most frustrating way. Also one of the best dog performances out there, even if you aren't prone to international films give this a watch I can't see anyone not enjoying it.

#8 Barbie - Arguably the movie of the year, Barbie was something I was obviously super excited for thanks to the cast and crew involved, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't have any skepticism. That was all dashed as Greta Gerwig delivered once again, giving us one of the biggest and brightest movies of the year. Everything about this production is spectacular, bringing to life the Barbie iconography in such a grand and vibrant way that feels just like the plastic toys if they were life sized. It's truly some of my favourite set design, and it definitely gives my favourite costumes through its ever changing closet of pink. The soundtrack slaps, and the story while a bit messy at times still delivers a beautiful tale of womanhood filled with important themes and ideas. Margot Robbie shines in a role she was born to play, giving a performance that I don't think gets enough credit given how much emotion she pulls at times despite it being so comedically focused. Ryan Gosling is great, but really this entire ensemble is so much fun. It's a bright and shiny warm hug of a movie and I sit firmly on the side of people who absolutely loved it.

#7 All of Us Strangers - This movie still hasn't found its wide release and my heart aches for everyone that hasn't had the chance to see it. Then again, my heart also aches for anyone who has watched it, as Andrew Haigh's newest effort is one of the most devastating films of 2023. Despite adapting a previously existing novel, Haigh brings so much of himself to this, crafting a portrait of grief and what ifs through a uniquely queer perspective that I really enjoyed. Andrew Scott is unbelievable here giving one of the most subtly beautiful performances of the year. Paul Mescal gives a fascinating performance alongside him and their chemistry is so tender that I wish we got even more of it. Jamie Bell and Claire Foy are also so good here and make for some of the most gut punching moments of the film, possibly career best work from both of them. But even aside from the strength of the story and the performers, this is an extremely interesting film stylistically, using sound and cinematography to create something that isn't afraid to weave through different tones. I am obsessed with this movie and I can't wait until everyone has the chance to see it.

#6 Monster - Hirokazu Kore-eda has quietly become one of my favourite filmmakers through emotionally beautiful films like After Life, Still Walking, and Shoplifters. The first half of this film is so far from the tender works he has become known for, giving us a Rashomon style thriller as a teacher is accused of hitting one of his students. But as different points of view are shown and the story becomes more and more fleshed out it turns into a unique blend of this dark mystery and the more emotional tone of his other works. All of the acting is great and their performances lend themselves really well to the style of storytelling as at times you'll hate certain characters only to wind up understanding them once put in their shoes. It's a beautifully shot and scored film and while it took a bit of time for me to fully buy in I wound up completely hooked.

#5 Poor Things - I posted a review for this pretty recently so I won't get too in depth, but this is just a few pacing and sound issues from being at least #2 on the list. Yorgos Lanthimos' adaptation of Alasdair Gray's bizarre Frankensteinian novel is big and bold and hilarious, delivering one of the strangest but most impressive films of the year. I urge everyone to watch some behind the scenes footage on this as the sets this production team crafted are insane, basically creating entire fictional towns on sound stages. This attention to detail makes everything feel so real and lived it which is one of the things I loved most about the film. The other thing I loved most about it was Emma Stone's masterful performance. The way she weaves the character of Bella through so many different stages of early life and the commitment she has to the more taboo sides of the character make for such a singular and special performance that is my absolute favourite of the year. This is definitely too weird and sexual for some people but I found it funny and touching and just all around magnificent.

#4 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Coming off of the incredible Into the Spider-Verse this has huge shoes to fill, and did it ever. The first time I saw it there were weird audio issues that I had trouble seeing past, and I still loved it, so when I saw it again with those problems fixed I was over the moon. This is in my opinion the best score of the year, as Daniel Pemberton composes something with so many different layers and themes for different characters that still works in the context of the whole. The ending of this does leave us on a cliffhanger but thanks to the great build up from the story and how epic Pemberton's final song is I don't even care that we have to wait for the conclusion. The story is well thought out and truly epic and some of the visuals are truly stunning in how they're framed. I really really loved this and in a world of fatigue surrounding superhero movies this stands as a clear exception.

#3 The Holdovers - This was the last movie I saw at TIFF and it was without a doubt the one that won me over the most. Alexander Payne's latest is an endearingly quirky 70s throwback that in my opinion has already solidified itself as a Christmas classic. Paul Giamatti gives some of his best work as a disgruntled private school teacher forced to stay and watch over the students forced to stay there over the holidays. Da'Vine Joy Randolph is devastatingly great as a mourning mother and the school's cook, and Dominic Sessa comes out of nowhere to absolutely kill his role as one of the students. This is one of those movies that just feel like a warm hug, it pits three characters with nothing in common other than their situation and has them grow to care deeply for one another after a series of hijinks and hilarious circumstances. I loved the look of it and the audio is made to sound like a film from the 70s which was a small touch I really appreciated. I absolutely adore this movie, one of the most heartfelt movies we've had in a long time.

#2 Oppenheimer - What is there to say about Oppenheimer that hasn't already been said. Christopher Nolan's latest is possibly his most epic work, delivering a 3-hour long biopic that is riveting from start to finish. I said it in my letterboxd review and I'll say it again; I am very prone to having my mind wander during movies and it never happened once despite how long this is, a true testament to how gripping of a film this is. The production is big and beautiful, the score is pulsing and grand, and Hoyte van Hoytema's cinematography only helps build the grandeur. Cillian Murphy somehow carries this for its whole runtime, giving a commanding performance that somehow sneaks small moments of introspection that add so many layers to his character. The giant ensemble is full of so many standouts, with actors I don't even always enjoy turning in performances I found fantastic. One thing I really love though is how critical this movie is of its protagonist. Nolan doesn't paint Oppenheimer as a hero but rather as someone doing something they deem necessary and simultaneously coming to terms with the repercussions of those actions. This makes the film not only big and grand but also deeply haunting which is really what allowed it to linger with me for so long. This is among Nolan's best and without a doubt one of the top films of 2023.

#1 Past Lives - And here we finally are, my #1 for 2023. When pondering my favourites in recent years there seems to always be a huge movie that I love, then something smaller that ends up taking the top spot. This year is no exception, as no matter how big and epic Oppenheimer is it didn't come close to the emotional impact Celine Song's debut Past Lives had on me. Primarily following Nora, a Korean immigrant, the film depicts three periods of her life surrounding a childhood friend Hae Sung. We see them as young flirtatious kids, then as adults that reconnect over skype, then even further into adulthood where Nora is now married while Hae Sung visits her in New York for the first time. The film's title and premise come from the Korean term In-Yun which describes a kind of find specifically tied to two people, but rather than have this as a typical romantic drama where they reconnect and fall in love, Song makes this a film about what ifs and with accepting the way things turned out. It would be easy for the audience to naturally feel opposed to Nora's husband but that isn't the case, rather we feel for him as he feels as though there's a part of her that he can never fully understand as he was born in North America. The trio of performance from Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro are crucial in weaving this complex web of human emotion, each offering a complex look on love and relationships thanks in part to some unbelievable dialogue from Song. The film could easily carry itself on just the script and performances, but the more emotional and philosophical beauty is matched by some pretty stunning filmmaking. I absolutely love the look of this film, and the framing of shots manages to be aesthetically resonant but also holds a lot of meaning at some points. The music is also just gorgeous, making for something beautiful to the eyes and ears. As someone who ponders what ifs and the role different people come to play in life, this was a film that just really resonated with my sensibilities as a viewer. It's a kinda devastating but kinda hopeful take on romance that truly swooned me and nothing I've seen this year has come close to the emotional impact it had on me. Past Lives, best of 2023.