The Best Films of 2023

It is such a joy each year to look back at the abundance of brilliant movies released. We reminisce on the stories that have moved us and taught us lessons about ourselves, the world and each other.

Each year, a new set of stories become part of our DNA for the next chapter of our lives. The best part of this is that the selection of stories that mean the most to us each year will be different from the ones that mean the most to a stranger we may pass on the street.

Here are the ten films that moved me in 2023, the ones whose lessons I am taking into the New Year.

10. The Color Purple

The third feature of Blitz Bazawule is a stunning adaptation of the Broadway musical The Color Purple. Fantasia Barrino gives the best performance by a female lead in any film of the year to deliver this stunning tale of Celie, who faces many hardships but finds her strength in taking ownership of a life stolen from her. Running through the narrative is a story about sisterhood, with gorgeous supporting performances from Danielle Brooks and Taraji P. Henson. Bursting with life, love and hope, The Color Purple reminded people of the power of the movie musical.

9. Priscilla

Cailee Spaeny goes from girl to woman before our eyes in this unique coming-of-age tale about a teenage Priscilla Beaulieu who gets swept up into the whirlwind of Elvis Presley. Sofia Coppola's Priscilla was a feast for the eyes, with gorgeous textures in every frame that sweep the audience into the allure of the legacy, the way Priscilla herself did. It feels unique in its dedication to depicting a protagonist who is both quiet and powerful, a combination that is often overlooked and underappreciated.

8. Bullies of Baltimore

30 for 30's Bullies of Baltimore may be a television movie, but it earned its place on this list for the tangible thrill present throughout. The electric sports documentary goes inside the locker room of the greatest defense in NFL history, charting the tale of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, particularly focusing on star players Ray Lewis, Jamal Lewis, Rod Woodson, Shannon Sharpe and the late Tony Siragusa. It's got a bit of everything: high stakes, humor, an underdog story - everything you could want from a great sports movie.

7. Origin

Ava DuVernay's stunning boundary-breaking film stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Isabel Wilkerson in this adaptation of Wilkerson's non-fiction book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. It tackles an under-discussed topic and reveals information to an audience in its hybrid style of fact and fiction in a way that is so entirely unique it must be celebrated. DuVernay is known for being a strong voice against injustice, and Origin displays how flawlessly she can distribute her knowledge to an audience in a way that is accessible and digestible.

Related: Origin Review: Ava DuVernay Delivers Her Bold Vision Flawlessly

6. Theater Camp

Theater Camp is what you switch on if you need to heal through laughter for 90 minutes until you're crying from the warm sentiment running through it. The stunning debut feature of Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman is a love letter to theater kids around the world who found their home among like-minded people... who are also a little bit crazy. The ensemble cast features Ben Platt, Molly Gordon, Noah Galvin, Jimmy Tatro, Caroline Aaron, Ayo Edebiri, Nathan Lee Graham, Owen Thiele, Amy Sedaris and Patti Harrison, who are all soaking in the glorious celebration of the wonderfully eccentric world of show people.

5. A Thousand and One

The stunning debut feature of A. V. Rockwell feels like a film made by a veteran director. A Thousand and One is so confident and assured with a magnetic lead performance from Teyana Taylor, who grounds the film in a way that makes it impossible to look away. It is miraculous what Rockwell accomplishes in this story about a mother who kidnaps her son from the foster care system with a mission to reclaim their home in a New York City that's everchanging. The hypnotic score, the luscious cinematography, the lyrical script - everything just works in this love letter to found family.

4. Past Lives

Celine Song stole our hearts with her moving debut feature, Past Lives, about the many lives we choose not to live and the ones we do. Greta Lee is Nora, a playwright in New York City who emigrated from South Korea, leaving behind her childhood sweetheart. The two reunite two decades later and share a fateful few days, which has sent audiences into a spiral. It may be Song's first film, but she has depicted a feeling incomparable to anything we have seen on screen before. The collective exhale she has given audiences about their own "past life" is what movies should be for: healing, understanding and growing.

3. The Holdovers

The Holdovers is the cinematic equivalent of a warm blanket on a freezing winter's day. Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sessa are giving performances of a lifetime in this film that feels timeless and reminiscent of stories that don't come along so often anymore. Snowy Massachusetts feels like home, even if you've never once stepped foot in the state. Life can feel so thorny, but David Hemingson's melodic script is the remedy to subdue the sting.

Related: The Holdovers Review: Alexander Payne Delivers a New Holiday Classic

2. Saltburn

The opposite feeling is emulated in Emerald Fennell's sophomore feature, Saltburn. This cinematic equivalent of a slap in the face is so dirty you absolutely cannot look away. Saltburn is steeped in repulsion while being utterly gorgeous, through the lens of Linus Sandgren's cinematography that whisks you off to the English countryside. Every single actor gave their all in this twisted tale about a stolen summer full of secrets.

Related: Saltburn Review: A Repulsive, Dirty, Twisted Reflection on Class

1. Barbie

Finally, we have the film of the year: Greta Gerwig's Barbie. Even if it was just the few minutes where Margot Robbie and Rhea Perlman hold hands as a beautiful pastel glow swallows them into the memory of girlhood and how it feels to exist despite all its hardships, it would be enough. But it's even more than that. It's smart, it's silly, it's fun, it loves us and wants us to love it back and tackles so many big questions in a way that speaks to all people regardless of gender or age. Greta Gerwig made a miracle, and we were all lucky enough to witness it this summer. What a gift it is to be able to return to it for a lifetime.

Related: Barbie Review: Greta Gerwig is Our Most Exciting Living Filmmaker

Honorable Mentions

• Maestro

• Chevalier

• Beau Is Afraid

• Killers of the Flower Moon

Currently Unreleased Honorable Mentions

• The Bikeriders

• Hit Man