I saw 64 new movies this year. Some were good, some were bad, and some were boring. But these 13 were my favorites of the year.
13. Creed III
Like anyone that lives in Philly, I have a history with the Rocky franchise. I think it might be law that we continue to watch along with these films regardless of if the setting has shifted or that Rocky himself is no longer actively in the picture. Anyway, Creed III was great. While the previous two Creed films were films about Adonis, the spectre of Rocky (and Sylvester Stallone) loomed over everything. With Creed III, Michael B. Jordan took the series firmly as his own, working without Stallone for the first time and giving the fight scenes and anime flair (that makes them bigger than life) with his directing and style choices. If you’ve liked the series at all, Creed III is a must watch.
12. The Last Voyage of the Demeter
I love when people take a sliver of something and expand on it in entertaining ways. The Last Voyage of the Demeter is mentioned, almost in passing, in the novel Dracula. The Demeter is the cargo ship transporting Dracula to England and this film is the telling of the events of that voyage. The film mostly plays like Alien but on a sail boat in the 1800s. I loved the film and Corey Hawkins and Liam Cunningham are both excellent in it.
11. The Marvels
I know people love to hate on the MCU currently and The Marvels received a fair amount of it but I really don’t get the hate for this because it is an absolute joy. Larson, Lynch, and Vellani work well together and have great chemistry. The Khan family is so enjoyable. Sam Jackson looks like he is having fun again. And the cats, the damn cats (Flerkens) are amazing.
10. Thanksgiving
Eli Roth has an appreciation and love of the horror genre that can’t be questioned and he’s a competent director but it’s been a while since he’s made something noteworthy in the horror genre. Thanksgiving is the feature film that spawned out of his fake trailer that he did for Grindhouse. While it doesn’t hold that same vibe, it is still very much a slasher with a killer pilgrim. Roth, I think smartly, chose to refocus his Thanksgiving slasher from a Grindhouse type film to a teen slasher and it works perfectly. Roth still knows how to make one squeemish and there is a scene in here that is brutal in a way that I was not expecting. There is also a scene that maybe grossed me out more than the shaving scene he did in Cabin Fever. It is just a fantastic slasher from start to finish.
9. When Evil Lurks
I love a good possession/exorcism film and When Evil Lurks takes the concept and turns it into something I’ve not seen before. It’s a tense film that constantly surprises you with choices that the characters make or twists you don’t see coming. There is one scene with a dog that is just… wow.
8. Tetris
Tetris is one of my all-time favorite games. The story of how it came to be is a fascinating one. Tetris the movie dramatizes that tale in the form of a fun, corporate/spy thriller and I was on board with the goofiness from step one.
7. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3
I’m not sure I enjoy Volume 3 more than the first Guardians film but it is probably a better overall film. Focusing on Rocket and his tragic backstory was extremely smart and worked as the emotional core of the film. The action is tight and focused and this is maybe the best looking Marvel film in quite some time. Guardians seems free of the criticism the rest of the MCU gets and I’m not quite sure why (GotG2 is not a good film) but whatever the reason, it was nice to see people respond well to this last iteration of this version of the Guardians because I thought it was really, really fun.
6. Knock at the Cabin
What if the four horsemen of the apacolypse showed up at your door and took you and your family hostage until one of you chooses to sacrifice yourselves to prevent the end of the world, showing you the destruction you cause each time you fail to make that choice? That is the question that Knock at the Cabin asks and for a film that mostly takes place in a room with two people tied to chairs, I found it to be riviting.
5. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
Look, I saw Taylor live this year and that was an amazing experience. Nothing compares to being in a 80,000 seat stadium and feeling the entire structure move and sway with the 80,000 people as they are dancing and singing, however, seeing Taylor’s concert on the big screen in a packed theater and everyone singing dancing along, is right up there. Seeing The Eras Tour in theaters was such a cool experience as everyone was just having a blast. I’ve never been to a film that was just a fun free-for-all and actually being able to clearly see Taylor and her outfits and her choreography (as opposed to her looking like an ant) was fantastic. Oh and while, the experince is completely different at home, my daughters have watched it multiple times here and each time the den is a concert venue for them. It’s just a magical experience for fans and I really do hope that we get more high profile concert films in theaters as Taylor and Beyonce have proven it has a place for their fans.
4. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Dial of Destiny has issues for sure. Yes, some of the CG in the opening looks less than great but you know what? I had a blast through this whole thing, weirdly deaged Harrison Ford and all.
3. The Creator
I praised The Creator when it came out and it seemed like I was one of a very few that actually enjoyed it at all. I felt like maybe I was a bit crazy for doing so. Now that people are starting to get around to seeing it at home, more people seem to be coming around on it, praising the visuals and seemingly enjoying the story. John David Washington was already one of my favorite actors and I love that he continues to pick intersting and fun films that often ask you to think about the entertainment you are watching and The Creator was definetly one that had me thinking about it long after I watched it.
2. Air
If you know me, you knew this was going to show up high. Affleck baby!
Oh, and Chris Tucker is amazingly not annoying in this, that must be the Affleck effect.
1. Oppenheimer
And again, if you know me, you knew this was going to also show up high. Nolan is easily my favorite director and so I am clearly a mark for his work but I firmly believe Oppenheimer is his best film to date (not necessarily the most fun or rewatchable though). Oppenheimer’s story is engaging all throughout. It looks and sounds great (maybe Nolan’s best mixed film to date) and leaves you questioning what you’ve watched and wanting to discuss it with others (like most Nolan films). It’s masterful and my favorite film of 2023.
Those are my favorites, what were your 2023 film favorites?
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