The 45 Best Movies of 2023
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WE LOVE MOVIES. Not exactly a bold statement to make on the entertainment section of a website, but something we want to reiterate once again: we love movies. A movie can be a lot of things, sometimes at separate times and sometimes simultaneously: an escape, an expression of a feeling, a thrill, a spectacle, masterful storytelling, and far more. Movies bring things to life visually in a way that, frankly, sometimes feels like it should be impossible. What Christopher Nolan did this year with Oppenheimer, for example, probably far exceeds with J. Robert Oppenheimer himself ever would've imagined to be possible on the silver screen.
2023, looking back, turned out to be one of the best years for film in years, providing incredible feats of cinema on all different levels. Sure, "Barbenheimer"—the simultaneous release of Nolan's film and Greta Gerwig's Barbie—was the cultural event of the year, but movies big and small stood out from the very start to the very end of the year. Stories intimate and cozy and stories grand and massive dominated multiplexes and independent theaters alike.
Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, Emma Stone, and Keanu Reeves are just a handful of the big-screen titans who made a major impact in 2023, putting out movies that you'll want to see, talk about, and maybe even rewatch again and again.
Below, we've compiled a list of the best movies of the year—ones that can and should fit whatever mood you so happen to be in.
Missing
The people behind 2018's underrated and very thrilling Searching (which starred John Cho and told almost its entire story through a computer screen) are back for a spiritual sequel with Missing, with The Last of Us and Euphoria star Storm Reid taking the lead. And it's just as fun, with just as many wild twists as the original. We are on board with them making as many movies in this little series as possible. And once you check this one out, if you like fun mysteries, you will be too.
Infinity Pool
The idea of a "Nepo baby" has been a topic of frequent discussion recently, but you don't hear it too much when talking about Brandon Cronenberg, the son of legendary director David Cronenberg. That's probably because Brandon (who directed the awesome, intense, and grossly-brutal Possessor) clearly has the same kind of talent that his famous father (The Fly, The Brood, Crimes of the Future) has. Infinity Pool stars Alexander Skarsgård and 2022 horror darling Mia Goth (X and Pearl) in a story that takes us to a luxurious vacation resort—before things start getting really, really weird. The movie is a bit out there, and very, very intense as far as sex and violence goes. But it's a fun time, especially for anyone who enjoys surreal and experimental thriller/horror worlds. Think of this one like the weirdest White Lotus you'll ever see.
Knock at the Cabin
M. Night Shyamalan's movies may not always hit, but we will always commend him for being one of the few auteur filmmakers in the business who's always trying to bring something new and exciting to the table (OK, outside of his Avatar movie. We can forget about that one). Knock at the Cabin—based on the novel Cabin at the End of the World—finds a family taking a trip to a secluded cabin only to be confronted by violent conspiracy theorists (led by Dave Bautista)who hold them hostage for increasingly wild reasons. It's not the best movie of the year, but, like most M. Night movies, it's certainly a ride worth taking. Maybe the creepiest and most committed that Bautista has ever been, and with a supporting cast that includes Ben Aldridge, Jonathan Groff, and Rupert Grint, among others.
Cocaine Bear
Cocaine Bear, directed by Elizabeth Banks and with an impressive cast featuring Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Margot Martindale, and the late Ray Liotta, is a fun and campy thriller/action/horror flick that delivers exactly what it's premise (and, of course, title) promises: a bear takes cocaine and causes a whole lot of trouble. We've got Cocaine Bear fever!
Scream 6
The most consistent franchise in horror—seriously, every Scream movie is good—returns for its sixth installment, this time moving the action to New York City. It's the first film in the franchise without original final girl Neve Campbell (boo!!!), but at least Coureney Cox and Hayden Panettiere (returning from 2011's Scream 4) along with Scream (2022) stars Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding, and Jasmine Savoy Brown all returned.
And the movie was great! Scream VI had all the intrigue, mystery, and humor that we love in this franchise, along with some of the best chase scenes and action sequences in any Scream movie ever. Scream 7 has turned into a mess, so this may be the last time we get to see this cast—so thankfully it went out strong.
John Wick: Chapter 4
We don't need to say much more than: John Wick: Chapter 4 is the best movie of 2024 so far. This is the best-executed blockbuster sequel—on an R-rated, big-budget scale—in a long, long time. Keanu Reeves has this character down to a science, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, and the late Lance Reddick are all back for more fun, and new supporting cast members Donnie Yen, Rina Sawayama, Bill Skarsgård, and Scott Adkins are all A+ additions.
And can we talk about that last hour? We don't have to get into too much detail, but we need to at least mention that last hour. Some of the greatest action ever put on film. If you like any other John Wick movies, or action in general, do not skip John Wick: Chapter 4.
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a blast of a movie, a well-executed fantasy adventure with a great cast—including Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and Hugh Grant—that's got action, heart, and humor in all the right places.
Evil Dead Rise
Evil Dead Rise is the fifth big-screen outing for the Evil Dead franchise, which began with Sam Raimi's three films before continuing with Fede Alvarez's film in 2013. This time Irish director Lee Cronin (The Hole in the Ground) takes the helm, and he proves himself to be more than capable of carrying the violent, creepy, and darkly funny torch.
Beau Is Afraid
Are you ready to be disturbed? Are you ready to be shaken to your core? Are you ready to leave a movie theater thinking "what the hell did I just watch?" Ari Aster (Hereditary, Midsommar) is without question one of the most brilliant writers/directors in modern horror, and his new A24 behemoth of a film Beau is Afraid—coming in at 3 hours and 15 minutes—is poised to be one of the most polarizing movies of the year. And while it absolutely will not be for everyone, it was, in fact, for me.
Joaquin Phoenix stars as the titular Beau, in a movie that tells its audience immediately that they're watching a heightened world where everything for its sad-sack protagonist is at its horrifying and anxiety-inducing most. You'll spend much of Beau is Afraid wondering how much of the movie you're watching is really happening, and how much is a hallucination, eventually seeing things devolve into what's almost a David Lynch-esque abstraction of real life and pure nightmares.
Less a horror than a surreal existential dread bonanza, Beau is Afraid is also quite funny throughout. It's hard for a 3 hour and 15 minute movie to not be boring, but this movie somehow makes that time fly. By the end, you may love it, and you may very well hate it—but either way, it's a ride worth taking.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Before he moves to the top job at DC, James Gunn put a bow on his Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy within the Marvel Cinematic Universe withVol. 3—and it turned out to be probably the best movie in the expansive franchise since Avengers: Endgame (just ahead of Spider-Man: No Way Home). The whole team returns for one more adventure (though Gamora is now the 2014 version of Gamora) that puts Bradley Cooper's Rocket Raccoon at the center of everything. Newcomers include Will Poulter's Adam Warlock and the villainous High Evolutionary, played by Chukwudi Iwuji. I this movie going to make you cry? Well, it made me cry around four times. So there's that.
You Hurt My Feelings
Julia Louis-Dreyfus reteams with Enough Said director Nicole Holofcener for You Hurt My Feelings, a dramedy about trouble that can stem from the fine lines between the truth and little white lies in adult relationships.
JLD plays a novelist who, in a moment of shock, overhears her husband (Game of Thrones and The Crownstar Tobias Menzes) giving his friend (Succession star Arian Moayed) completely honest, unfiltered thoughts on her work. It's a really good, really engaging, really tight story that will probably bring on at least a conversation and two in your own life—in addition to just being a good fun movie.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Picking up a year and change after the events of 2018's mind-blowing, Academy Award-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Across the Spider-Verse follows Miles Morales on his next inter-dimensional adventure—and it absolutely rules (some, in fact, might argue that it's the best Spider-Man movie ever). This movie is a visual and audio experience that will not be matched by anything else in 2023, because that would be impossible. It's an experience. It's art. It's a whole lot of fun. The cast of the original (Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Jake Johnson) are joined by Oscar Isaac (following up on his role in the credits scene of the first movie) and Daniel Kaluuya, among others. It's the first of a planned two-part story—with the next movie due some time down the line. Just get ready to take it all in.
Asteroid City
As a big Wes Anderson fan, I must admit: 2021's The French Dispatch wasn't my favorite of his work. Which is why I'm thrilled to report that Asteroid City is absolute mastery; the Texan director leans hard into his traditional bag of tricks for a story that merges his usual gorgeous, visually symmetrical aesthetic with a story that buries a bit of sci-fi in a meta-creative package.
Anderson's frequent collaborator Jason Schwartzman (having a great year, also voicing a character in Across the Spider-Verse) is at his best since Rushmore, and newcomers like Tom Hanks and Margot Robbie are absolutely exceptional. I'll say it: Asteroid City may ultimately turn out to be Anderson's masterpiece.
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One
Did you see Mission: Impossible — Fallout? That movie is absolutely amazing. So amazing, in fact, that Dead Reckoning — Part One, the first Mission: Impossible film in five years, had its work cut out for it in order to stack up. But we're talking about Tom Cruise. This is a man who would absolutely not release this movie if it wasn't the most absolutely epic piece of action filmmaking it could possibly be. And to quote this very franchise: mission accomplished! Dead Reckoning Part One is a triumph, complete with great characters and even greater action. When Cruise goes through with his epic motorcycle stunt, you will be able to hear a pin drop no matter where you're watching.
Theater Camp
Do you like laughing? Do you like humor? Do you like surprising character development and emotional depth? Then, wow, can we tell you that Theater Camp is for you! Fans of Wet Hot American Summer will love this movie's summer camp story setting, and fans of Christopher Guest's films (Best In Show, A Mighty Wind, etc) will adore the kooky mockumentary format. One of the year's most delightful comedies.
Barbie
There was an almost impossible-to-reach amount of hype around Greta Gerwig's Barbie, and yet... she reached it. And maybe even exceeded it? Barbie is not only one of the most fun movies of the year, but it's also one of the very best. With an incredibly game cast—including the perfection that we knew Margot Robbie would bring and a truly Oscar nomination-worthy effort from Ryan Gosling—and Gerwig's thoughtful direction and script (her partner Noah Baumbach co-wrote), this is a movie that won't just be a hit in 2023. First, we're going to get that hoodie. And then we'll be watching again, and again, and again...
Oppenheimer
Just like Barbie, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer—a three-hour epic biopic centered on the "father" of the atomic bomb as played by Cillian Murphy—had an ungodly amount of hype. And just like Barbie, Oppenheimer lived up to it all, and then some. Nolan's film is a masterful look at the brilliant but deeply-flawed man who was responsible for the creation of the most powerful weapon ever deployed in an act of war. Murphy's performance is sensational, but Nolan's brilliance as a director also allowed for numerous supporting actors (including Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr. and Josh Hartnett, among others) to all give truly exceptional an possibly career-best performances. It's hard to rewatch a 3-hour movie as grim and bleak as this one, but I already want to.
Talk to Me
The year's most original and unique horror movie is A24's Talk to Me. This creepy ghost story feels like the perfect melding of It Follows—a teen-centered horror—and Hereditary—a creepy ghost-adjacent story—with some A+ filmmaking bringing it all together. With a group of characters you'll pretty quickly come to love and truly intense and shocking moments of terror, twin brothers/co-directors Danny and Michael Philippou have made a pretty special film. And star Sophie Wilde is absolutely a new Scream Queen worth watching—she is sensational as the movie's lead. Anyone looking for a horror ride that will keep them up at night (but not regret it for a second) will want to check this one out.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
This TMNT reboot is produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, which was itself enough for us to get excited for it. But this movie is inventive, fun, and overall a great time—with some truly eye-opening animation. The cast, which includes Rogen, Giancarlo Esposito, Ayo Edebiri, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Rose Byrne, Paul Rudd, and way more, is exceptional. You'll have a great time.
Oldboy
This absolute classic of early-aughts international cinema returned to theaters—in restored and remastered form—just in time for its 20th anniversary, courtesy of NEON. In case you've never seen it (I only recently had my first taste of this one-of-a-kind revenge thriller), director Park Chan-Wook's film is an absolute touchstone that will captivate you through every twist and turn, leaving you somewhere between enthralled and rattled when it comes to its stunning conclusion. We will say up front, even 20 years after its initial release: Oldboy is not for the faint of heart.
Bottoms
One of the best and most original films of the last few years was director Emma Seligman's Shiva Baby, which was something of a hybrid between Joel and Ethan Coen's A Serious Man and Uncut Gems, while infusing it with a dark sense of humor (and looming social dread) that's all its own. Seligman returns for Bottoms, an entirely different kind of movie that once again Rachel Sennott, along with The Bear star Ayo Edebiri.
Bottoms is about a pair of queer girls who set up an underground fight club with the ulterior motive of losing their virginities before graduation. This movie is an absurdist dark comedy that definitely takes a very specific sense of humor—think along the lines of Not Another Teen Movie or Wet Hot American Summer. It also features Marshawn Lynch, former NFL star and all around hilarious person, in a great role.
Stop Making Sense
The legendary concert film from the Talking Heads and director Jonathan Demme returned to theaters in remastered form (thanks to A24) this year, and it was a fantastic opportunity to see the pinnacle of a genre on the big screen. Any fan of the band's music—or, really, just a trippy, fun, and imaginative visual and audio experience—would be doing themselves to see Stop Making Sense at least once.
Killers of the Flower Moon
We were waiting for The Killers of the Flower Moon—Martin Scorsese's true crime epic based on the bestselling book of the same name and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, and Jesse Plemons—for a very long time. And it's a very long movie! The official runtime is to be 3 hours and 26 minutes—and you'll be engrossed for all of it.
This stunning epic tale of crime, murder, and deception is one of the most horrifying true stories you'll ever see brought to the screen, and comes to life as an absolutely fantastic film—Scorsese has without question done it again. Gladstone is the standout star of the film, but DiCaprio and De Niro also show why Scorsese has worked with them time and time again through the years; they are both fantastic. Do yourself a favor and see Killers of the Flower Moon, because it's probably the best movie you'll see all year.
Hit Man (2024?)
We may not see Hit Man released until 2024 (it was independently made, but Netflix now owns the distribution rights). But we're going to include it on this list because it's quite simply one of the most enjoyable movies we've seen all year. With Glen Powell starring (and co-writing), re-teaming with director Richard Linklater (the two have collaborated several times before, including on Everybody Wants Some!), this could be one of the director-actor pairings we keep getting excited about over and over again.
Powell plays a timid college professor who, for some extra money on the side, decides to start helping the authorities out by posing as a contract killer in a sting operation of sorts. But when he finds someone during an operation that goes awry, it changes his whole life. Powell is fantastic in Hit Man, and it's the kind of movie that should make him an even bigger star than he already has become.
Screened at New York Film Festival 2023
Priscilla
Yes, we know Baz Luhrmann's Elvis already came out last year—and earned lots of awards and acclaim in the process. But Priscilla tells a more pointed story—that of Priscilla and Elvis' tricky romantic relationship—and ultimately works as a strong companion piece (despite not featuring any of The King's music). With Sofia Coppola directing along with Caillee Spaeny (Devs) as Priscilla and Jacob Elordi (Euphoria) as Elvis, the movie is as well-acted as it is directed.
The Holdovers
Paul Giamatti plays a curmudgeonly boarding school teacher who gets stuck behind during winter break in The Holdovers, which reteams him with Sideways writer/director Alexander Payne. It'll likely be your favorite dramedy (that could probably have you shedding a couple tears) of the year.
Dream Scenario
This dark and dry comedy finds Nicolas Cage as a random college professor who suddenly becomes a massive celebrity after he, for some reason, randomly starts appearing in just about everyone's dreams. It's a very weird and fun movie that lets Nic Cage do what he does best: play strange, strange characters.
The Marvels
This Marvel installment crosses Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel, played by Brie Larson) over with Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel, played by Iman Vellani) and Monica Rambeau (Photon, played by Teyonah Parris) for some body-swapping fun. And guess what: it's fun! Is The Marvels going to change your life? Probably not. But it's a lot of fun, and a step in the right direction for an MCU that has been slumping of late.
The Killer
David Fincher and Michael Fassbender team up in The Killer, which finds both of them back in the genre where they do their very best work: the dark, dreary, and darkly quite funny thriller. Fassbender here plays a meticulous hitman who suddenly finds him on both the defensive (and the offensive, depending on who you talk to) after his intensive killing regiment goes wrong. The movie has a simple revenge premise, and while dry by design, it's nonetheless one of the most intense and exciting movies you'll watch all year. Either before or after you watch, you can check out the French graphic novel upon which it's based.
Thanksgiving
This movie is, in and of itself, kind of an inside joke. There were not many people who saw Grindhouse in 2007, but those who did (myself included) absolutely adored it. That was a movie that consisted of two feature films (Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror and Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof) that were patched together with a number of fake trailers (also helmed by notable directors) before and in between the two films. One of those trailers was for Thanksgiving, an absurd, Halloween-esque slasher film, directed by Eli Roth (who, at the time, was one of the hottest names in horror coming directly off of Hostel).
Now, more than a decade later, Thanksgiving is finally a full-length feature film, with Roth of course writing and directing. The movie stars Patrick Dempsey (of Grey's Anatomy and Scream 3 fame), Nell Verlaque (of Disney+'s Big Shot fame) andAddison Rae (of TikTok fame). And the movie—a thrill ride of a violent, campy slasher—lives up to the trailer and then some. It's a total blast.
Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain
The comedy trio known as Please Don't Destroy—made up of Ben Marshall, Martin Herlihy, and John Higgins—blew up online during the pandemic, and then found themselves making their bizarre and absurdists brand of shorts for a little show called Saturday Night Live.
Now, their antics have made it into a full length feature film about an adventure hunting for treasure. Mileage may vary—depending on how much you like or dislike very silly humor. But we had a great time.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Based on the book of the same name, The Hunter Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes essentially functions as the Star Wars prequels for the Hunger Games franchise. How did President Snow (Donald Sutherland in the originals) get to be the way he was? Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth star, and director Francis Lawrence returns, giving the movie a similar feel to the Catching Fire (etc) that we all loved. It's one of the better installments in the franchise, and a very campy and very fun Viola Davis performance makes it worth it by herself alone.
Saltburn
Saltburn is writer/director Emerald Fennell's follow-up to the Academy Award-winning Promising Young Woman, and it's an absolutely bananas movie—truly. Saltburn tells the story of a guy (Barry Keoghan) who goes home to the estate of a wealthy classmate (Jacob Elordi) whom he becomes enamored with. Think Talented Mr. Ripley, but somehow a little more outrageous and out of control.
Napoleon
Ridley Scott has, honestly, an almost countless number of classic films on his resume—Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise just to name a few. But he's rarely as in his bag as when he's in historical epic mode; think Gladiator, the Kingdom of Heaven director's cut, and 2021's The Last Duel. He's back in that mode to tell the story of one of the most notable historical figures of all time, Napoleon Bonaparte, who is played here by the always fantastic Joaquin Phoenix. The cast also includes the great Vanessa Kirby (who already did great work in Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One earlier this year) as Josephine.
May December
May December is a darkly comedic melodrama based on a disturbing true story that dominated the tabloids in the '90s. Natalie Portman plays an actress shadowing a couple (Julianne Moore and Charles Melton) who first got together when she was in her mid-30s, and he was way underage, sparking national controversy and interest. The movie bounces from tone to tone, leaving audiences disturbed one moment and laughing the next; director Todd Haynes and screenwriter Samy Burch did a great job crafting a movie designed to make audiences uncomfortable. This could be a real Oscar contender for all of the names mentioned above.
Poor Things
Emma Stone reteams with The Favourite director Yorgos Lanthimos for another movie that's strange and twisted enough that it makes perfect sense that it comes from the filmmaker who also made The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer.
Based on Alasdair Gray's novel, Poor Things is something of an updated and inverted version of Frankenstein; Stone plays a pregnant abused wife who dies to escape her terrible husband, while Willem Dafoe (!!!) plays the scientist who manages to bring her back—with the brain of her unborn child. Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef, Jarrod Carmichael, Christopher Abbott, and Margaret Qualley are among others in this movie's impressive cast.
American Fiction
Cord Jefferson, who did some great work on HBO's Watchmen, makes his directorial debut with American Fiction. This satire stars Jeffrey Wright as a writer who can't get any traction in his career—until he starts leaning into racial tropes and stereotypes that he doesn't believe in.
The Iron Claw (December 22)
One of the most exciting movies of 2023 is going to be The Iron Claw, A24's based-on-a-true-story tale of the famed Von Erich family, who were a big deal in the wrestling world—and also had an immensely troubling story outside the ring. The movie stars Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Lily James, among others, and will likely end up being the best sports movie you've seen in a long time.
Ferrari (December 25)
Legendary director Michael Mann (Heat, Thief, Collateral, Miami Vice) returns for his first movie in a decade with this stunning true-life story focused on Enzo Ferrari (played here by Adam Driver). Rather than a straight-up racing film (though the racing scenes are stunning), the movie takes more of a focus on Enzo's rather messy personal life, and how he balanced it all while helping to establish Ferrari into the sportscar brand that we all know it as today. Penelope Cruz and Patrick Dempsey are among the fantastic supporting cast.
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