My Films of the Year 2023

I've made two similar lists to this one for anime and music, and if you've read through them you could probably get a good glimpse of my tastes by now so I won't bother you with a lengthy introduction about how important and impactful films can be to me. However I am still obligated to give an honorable mention to some other films I've seen that just missed out on being among my absolute favorites for the year. And those few are:

Air
They Cloned Tyrone
Call Me Chihiro
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Dream Scenario
Suzume
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
Past Lives
Asteroid City
BlackBerry

With that out of the way, here are

My Top Ten Movies of the Year 2023!

10. The Boy and the Heron/How Do You Live?

I've surprisingly seen very little of Miyazaki's work under Ghibli, but I still felt myself enamored very nearly the entire runtime of this film. It has all the hallmarks of what one would come to expect from one of the most celebrated figures in the anime and film industries, while still managing to feel fresh and unencumbered by its "ancestors" in a way. And while I did feel that the ending was a bit abrupt or it may not have been as groundbreaking or different as some may have expected for this being his first film in ten years (and possibly even his last), that did little to deter me from absolutely loving this film all the same.

9. Gridman Universe

Two hours straight of just fanservice for fans of SSSS.GRIDMAN and DYNAZENON, but goddamn if it didn't still kick ass. Giving us plenty of screentime with these characters we've come to love, and giving them great closure both for us and for themselves, even with the main focus being on the Gridman side of things.

8. The Iron Claw

I am a huge fan professional wrestling, and as such that means I of course have a good deal of knowledge on one of the most infamous families in the business, the Von Erichs. And even with knowing a lot of the overall details of the story, I was still left awestruck by how masterfully the were portrayed here. Even with them embellishing and dramatizing a few details to make them play well for the big screen, they still did this family's story justice.

7. The Holdovers

Besides the 2019 Netflix animated film Klaus, it feels like it's been too long since we've gotten a film that could be considered an instant holiday classic. Phenomenal set design that perfectly conveys the feeling of life in 1970, a fantastic backing score, and an amazing and very compelling story of mismatched people coming to understand each other and their own emotional shortcomings.

6. Barbie

This film was simultaneously one of the goofiest, most vibrant, and down to earth and real movies I've seen. Not a single thing missed a beat here, not the set and prop design, not the fun and bombastic characters, not the music and sound design. It's able to juxtapose its inherently silly and "juvenile" premise of "Barbie comes to life to fix her dream life" with an earnestly heartfelt message about learning how to be yourself and finding out what defines you. Also God that sequence near the end almost made me cry, it was so well done especially paired with Billie Eilish's gorgeous and heartbreaking "What Was I Made For?". Could've used more John Cena though so 0/10.

5. Killers of the Flower Moon

This entire movie was a freaking journey. A nonstop thriller where you can never guess its next move and where almost anyone you could care about does not get a happy ending.

4. John Wick: Chapter 4

An absolutely marvelous ending to arguably the best new action series this past decade. This has some of the best direction, choreography, cinematography, and set design of the entire series, and it all serves a satisfying and bittersweet ending to Wick's arc.

3. Godzilla Minus One

An astounding recontextualization of Godzilla's iconic origin story that does a great dive into the effects he and the circumstances surrounding him have on those that can't even fathom his power, let alone the war that brought him to their shores.

2. Oppenheimer

This movie is 85% men and women sitting or standing around, discussing plans and schematics centered around the building of the Atomic bomb; and surprisingly I was not bored or disappointed by that at all. Nolan manages to deliver an epic, well-paced and heavy historical film about perhaps the most well known and influence event in human history next to the discovery of fire while simultaneously keeping me in the edge of my seat wondering what comes next. Fantastic work from just about every single cast here, especially Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr., with an absolutely insane score from Ludwig Göransson and stellar sound design and visuals. An absolutely amazing film front to back on all fronts.

1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Chances are if there is at least one new movie you've seen this year, it's this one. So I'm not even sure I need to justify its placement here. The most I'll say is that this movie is a visual marvel, practically untouched by any of its contemporaries, and it's a miracle that even with how troubled the production on this was, this movie is by far the most beautiful animated and edited film of the year. Goddamn, what a time this was.

And with that, this list comes to an end. I hope you got some enjoyment out of this, whether it's gaining a newfound appreciation for a film you've already liked or had on your radar, or if you've gathered a few new recommendations you hadn't heard before. And with that said, I'll be taking my leave for now. Happy new year!

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