Ha ha, yuuuuup. The moment you have (probably not) been waiting for has finally arrived. This is it, folks. This is the end of the line. 2023 has officially come a close and here is the proof and the pudding. There has been a lot of great stuff this past year and I can not wait to talk about it. Specifically, the best movies of 2023.
Unfortunately, I did miss a few big releases so they will not be featured here. I did, however, catch a ton of bad movies in 2023 and you can see which ones I disliked the most right here. “Enough of the negativity” you say. Okay there, friend. Let us officially close out 2023 with my favorite movies of the year. Without further ado, let’s just hop right in! Here is:
NOLEN’S TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2023!!
Let’s start from the very beginning- a very good place to start.
#10: Saltburn
I am not sure how this is my hottest take of the year. Truely, it confuses me that this was not liked a lot more by the film community. I watch the same stuff everyone else does and it is crazy that no one else was in the bathtub with this one. I digress. Saltburn is a film that I totally dig. Crucify me or ignore me- I do not care, I had a good time with Saltburn. Yes, I saw The Talented Mr. Ripley and no, I do not care that this is almost the same story. Fun is fun, and I had my fill.
I first watched Saltburn over FaceTime with my sister who had previously seen it in theaters. While we watched, she stared at me to see my reactions. My detection if someone is staring at me is always good, but I could not focus on that because I was so dialed in. Jacob Elordi is great. Barry Keoghan is great. Rosamund Pike is great. This cast is cool and everyone seemed like they had a great time making this. I love movies that start weird, continue to be weird, and are weird all the way through.
My appreciation for this movie is a balance between my own enjoyment and seeing how everyone else is reacting to it. Aside from that I like hearing how other people enjoy this movie. I do not think this is the best movie nor the best moment of 2023, but when this brought everyone together for a collective reaction, it was a good time. I like Saltburn and I will stick with that. 8/10- lol nudity.
#9: They Cloned Tyrone
I think I watched this film 3 times in 2023 and each time was just as fun as the last. John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and Jamie Foxx are 2023’s Trio of the Year. The chemistry between the three is fantastic and I am so glad this combination of people came together. There is so much that I appreciate about this movie I do not know where to begin. They Cloned Tyrone is a movie I will absolutely be rewatching on a yearly basis.
I put They Cloned Tyrone on hoping to, at the very least, not hate. The first few minutes were not anything too special, but they do not need to be because everything after that is bonkers. With the way things went in this, I would absolutely be down for a sequel or even a trilogy.
All of the chaotic happenings in this movie are funny, but there is some underlying truth to it all. The themes of Black erasure and capitalistic pandering are handled well. It is all in my face, but none of it feels showy. They Cloned Tyrone is terrific and I am head over heels for it. This is such a good movie I can not stress it enough. 8/10- give me more of this, please.
#8: Asteroid City
There is so much going on in Asteroid City. I do not have enough time to compliment every facet of it but I so want to. Wes Anderson- I mean what can I even say here? You think he has done everything that he can, but he definitely has not. What else do you think is going on in Wes Anderson’s head? What do you suppose he would have to say on the general topics of religion or music? I digress.
Asteroid City is the most recent film from the director extraordinaire- Wes Anderson. The film follows several groups of people in the small town of Asteroid City. Many come for a junior stargazers event, some come for a religious retreat, and others are simply stranded there. Despite their different reasons, everyone is subject to an extraterrestrial event that shakes everything up. I totally forgot there is a religious retreat plot in this- nevermind on religion. Anderson nailed that.
Asteroid City is Anderson in full power. His blend of off-kilter quirk-ball comedy mixes wonderfully with his deep sentimentality and brutal emotion. Not since The Grand Budapest Hotel, nearly 10 years ago, has Anderson been able to make me laugh like a fool then shed some tears almost immediately following suit. I am not sure how people were not as high on this movie as I am now, but I know I love this. Asteroid City is funny as hell, sweet, strange, and a worthy way to spend the time. 9/10- one of the easiest ratings I have given all year.
#7: December May
By the end of May December I found myself staring at my screen like Jack Torrance. Some films are so mesmerizing that they suck you without you even knowing. If you put Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore in the same movie and you are not blown away, then you are wrong. May December was a film I was very excited for and I am glad it lived up to the expectations I had set.
Natalie Portman plays an actress set to star in a film centered on a married couple that survived a major scandal several decades prior. The whole story is a fascinating spiral that continues on a steady stream of perfection. I would not describe this as a complicated movie, but the way in which everything unravels is twisted. The characters I would definitely describe as complicated. Whether you empathize, sympathize, or detest everyone in this, there is not any wrong way to approach your feelings for these characters.
To be candid, I am struggling to find words to describe why I liked May December. A rewatch is absolutely in the cards for the near future, because I like subjecting myself to things like this, for some reason. Every scene feels like it could end with my heart shattering or my stomach dropping out of my body. 9/10- “This is a disgusting tale”- Alex Forest
#6: Theater Camp
As we approach the top 5 there are a few films I truthfully did not expect to crack the top 10. Theater Camp’s trailer looked like it was going to be 90 minutes of unoriginality, BUT that is absolutely not the case. On a random evening of hopelessly scrolling through Hulu, there was a “Screw it, we ball” moment when Theater Camp was available for consumption. For those sitting on it and are not sure if this movie is even for you- it 100% is.
Theater Camp is lively, fun, funny, exciting, silly, sweet, kind, loving and a welcome take to the mockumentary collection. Mockumentaries all have some roots in love for their subject and Theater Camp is nothing but love. After a certain point it is hard to tell if anything is scripted or if everyone is just chilling. Everyone has ridiculous chemistry, the comedy is organic, and I think this is my official comfort movie of 2023.
Theater Camp is the one film I am kicking myself constantly for missing in theaters. I sincerely hope everyone in this movie gets a big break soon. There is not enough begging I can do to get you to watch Theater Camp. 9/10- I love this a lot if you could not tell.
#5: Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
My head, my heart, and my stomach all had their own moments while watching Across the Spider-Verse. The first film in the Spider-Verse series was a moment in time that will be hard to replicate. Into the Spider-Verse was a film the world needed more of. Luckily for us, we got that in 2023. Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse is wonderful and terrifying on all accounts.
On one hand, there is a kind and comfortable family drama as Miles has to deal with the growing responsibilities of being Spider-Man and growing up. On the other, Miles Morales is Spider-Man and everyone hates that so much they all want to hurt him for it. Obviously things are deeper than that, but the emotional spectrum this movie accomplishes is terrific.
In my initial review I had a brief section on things that I disliked. That section was small and had no real complaints. I could not, and still can not, think of anything I truly dislike in this movie. The five year wait was well worth it and I am willing to wait another five for the next one. Quantity is never something I will disagree with for this series because the quality will always be satisfying. This is the best, I love it, I love it, I love it and I love it. 9/10- Yeah this is a good one.
#4: Infinity Pool
What is in the Cronenberg’s water? Brandon Cronenberg is the son of the great David Cronenberg and Infinity Pool is Brandon’s newest creation. Last year I thought very highly of David’s film Crimes of the Future and so going into this I was pretty excited. Mia Goth is a name that has been popping off lately and Alexander Skarsgard has recently been on the same successful trajectory. Both have found their cult audiences which has definitely helped them broaden into bigger mainstream exposure. This film is whack.
Infinity Pool follows James (Skarsgard), a writer on holiday with his wife on a remote island resort. After leaving the resort for the restricted parts of the island with their new friend Gabi (Goth), James realizes the island, the government and his new friends all hide something disturbing. That description is not the best, but I am not sure how to summarize this without telling you the whole plot. Infinity Pool is twisted, bizarre, freaky, demented, evil, fun, and radical.
Last year Skarsgard landed at number four as well with his barbaric collaboration with Robert Eggers in The Northman. To see Skarsgard rank in the top 5 once again, but with a totally different kind of performance goes to show how good he is. The same goes for Mia Goth. Last year I was very high on X and seeing her in a totally different role that she absolutely killed in is fantastic to see. I am so glad Infinity Pool turned out the way it did. Obviously and easily it is one of my favorites of 2023. 9/10- JAAAAAAAAAMES
#3: The Barbie Movie
One of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make is where The Barbie Movie would land on this list. When Greta Gerwig’s name was announced to direct the film, it currently baffles me that everyone, myself included, expected The Barbie Movie to not be as emotionally sweeping as it is. We all saw Lady Bird so we should have known that Gerwig can do it all. The Barbie Movie is one of the best of the year. Maybe it did not totally connect with you emotionally, but I truly do not think there is much argument for this not being a good movie.
Greta Gerwig’s Barbie Movie works on numerous levels that all hit the right notes perfectly. I was crying from laughing too hard while also genuinely crying from how beautiful the final few minutes are. Getting to see this in the theater was an experience in itself. Getting to be there with my sister and my girlfriend enhanced everything. Personally feeling a movie’s power while simultaneously witnessing its power on others is an incomparable feeling.
Many movies this past year were crafted with love. To me, none were made with a more pure sense of love than The Barbie Movie. What else is there for me to even say? Barbie is all love, and that is exactly what I feel when I think of Barbie. Barbie immediately became one of this generation’s defining films, and that is exactly what this film intended to do. 10/10- I wanna push you around. Well I will, well I will.
#2: Killers of the Flower Moon
Have you ever felt and heard your heart break three different ways all at once? Martin Scorcese’s epic journey of the rise and usurping of the Osage People’s wealth, power, and existence is as heartbreakingly real as it should be. Fact and fiction merge into one tragic story that is equal parts engrossing and defeating. Scorcese has been on an unreal streak of radically thought provoking cinema for nearly a decade now and Flower Moon is another powerful addition to Marty’s discography.
Flower Moon is three and a half hours, but it could have been five hours and I would not have been upset. Lily Gladstone is the easiest guarantee for an Oscar in a long time and I hope I am not going to eat those words. DiCaprio is DiCaprio and when he works with Scorcese it is as good as it can get. Robby DeNiro, again, is with Scorcese and he is also as good as he can be. Even at the ages of 80 and 81, respectively, both men are pumping out some of their careers’ most provocative work.
Killers of the Flower Moon Continued
Some films hurt more when you know where the story is headed. From the jump, whatever wonderful thing may be happening is only worth a brief moment of happiness. Happiness and comfort are the last things that this movie is trying to give you. The impact of Flower Moon goes so far beyond what mark it leaves at the box office and in the theaters.
Killers of the Flower Moon is a film that is not only thoroughly entertaining, but a deeply personal story to Scorcese himself. What that connection is to him is entirely up to you, but it is also up to you to figure out what it means to you. Killers of the Flower Moon is captivating, epic, glorious, evil, real, and provocative.10/10
#1: Oppenheimer
If you know me, then you know that I have been a bit of a Christopher Nolan fangirl for my entire career as a film enthusiast. His style may not be for everyone, but it is my thing. No, this is not landing here, because I just like him a bunch, but because Oppenheimer is an achievement in filmmaking. Recently I rewatched the film to check and see if this was still what I wanted in the top spot. Within the first thirteen seconds all possible whispers of doubt left my mind.
Excuse me as I fangirl over this movie for a few minutes. Ludwig Goransson’s score is some of the most divine music I have heard in a long time. The sweeping strings carry me in every direction and I am floating upwards to heaven. Hoyte Van Hoytema’s cinematography is other-worldly. It is not a complicated movie to look at, but why does my brain hurt? How did you get this movie to look so incredible?
The cast is hilariously stacked and everyone fit in perfectly. Cillian Murphy is definitely getting an Oscar. Robert Downey Jr. is definitely getting an Oscar. Christopher Nolan is definitely getting an Oscar. I think Emily Blunt should get a nomination. Out of the entire supporting cast, I firmly believe David Krumholtz and Jason Clark also deserve their flowers with a nomination. Everyone deserves a win just for being in this movie. But, that is ridiculous, because obviously they can not give one award to an entire ensemble cast. BUT THEY ALREADY DID back in 1994 to Robert Altman’s Short Cuts. Make it happen! I digress.
Oppenheimer Continued
There are several scenes in Oppenheimer that are unforgettable moments in time. The Trinity Test twists my stomach into knots every time. Robert’s conversation with Albert at the very end of the film felt like getting choked. No, I do not know how to elaborate on that. Everything in the first twenty minutes is astonishing. Roger Robb interrogating, berating, belittling, and humiliating anyone in favor of Oppenheimer is some of the most unsettling stuff from 2023. I had a panic attack the longer everything went on with him,
The moment when Admiral Strauss admits he set Oppenheimer up to run the Trinity Test took air out of my body. There have been very few characters in cinema that have reached the levels of jealousy and hatred that Admiral Strauss has. It is unbelievable. Have you ever been so humiliated and self conscious from someone’s words that you set them up to create an achievement for all of humanity just so they could be abused of their talents and remembered as one of history’s greatest evils? I do not think that I have. That is just me personally speaking.
Oppenheimer Continued Part 2
Oppenheimer is not a horror movie, but it may as well be one. In one direction there is this expanding tension with the manufacturing of the bomb. If the device does not explode, someone else will. In the other direction, there are particle jumpscares scattered throughout the movie.
Another category I think Oppenheimer is a shoe-in for an Oscar for is editing. Jennifer Lame had an absolute monster in front of her. While the writing is absolutely the source of the complications the editing helps keep everything in line. I do not know how else to compliment it other than than. The editing is godly and something I look forward to just as much as every other element of this movie.
Time will absolutely favor Oppenheimer. Every moment of this movie is crazy. This is a film that every single person involved should be proud of. Like, this is, and I mean this, the best picture of the year. There is no doubt in my mind that Oppenheimer is the best. Oppenheimer is a cinematic achievement. Oppenheimer is my number 1 film of 2023. 10/10- I love movies, dude.
