The Best Movies of 2023, According to Glamour Editors

Design by Channing Smith

This was a truly excellent year in film—and even better, many of the best movies of 2023 were centered around women's stories, or were directed or written by women. Or all three! Barbie may have held our collective attention for much of the year, but it wasn’t alone; from Saltburn to Joy Ride, there’s no shortage of fun, emotional, haunting, and even cringe-inducing films to look back on. Ahead, find out our picks for the best movies of 2023.

Barbie

"We don't call it ‘the Year of the Barbie Movie’ for no reason. Greta Gerwig's record-breaking feminist bonanza was fun, poignant, and an absolute joyride from start to finish. For a movie about the complicated nature of being a woman, my one complaint is that I do think Ryan Gosling stole the show with his impeccable comedic timing and surprise musical performances. All this to say, give that man his Grammy for 'I'm Just Ken.'”—Emily Tannenbaum, Contributing Editor

AIR

“Ben Affleck has made the kind of movie that doesn’t get made anymore. It’s a crowd pleaser (featuring an ’80s soundtrack that deserves major praise) with an amazing story that many people don’t know. In fact, AIR is less about Michael Jordan and more about how Nike defied all the odds to become one of the greatest success stories. The cast is exceptional, with Matt Damon, Chris Messina, Viola Davis, etc. all give tour-de-force performances. So many ‘best of’ movies are hard to watch, confusing, and fail to live up to the hype. AIR is not one of those movies.”—Jessica Radloff, Senior West Coast Editor

Bottoms

“With Bottoms, we finally see lesbian representation beyond wistful glances in period pieces or overly explicit sex scenes (*cough* Blue is the Warmest Color *cough*). Coming off their indie hit, Shiva Baby, Emma Selligman and Rachel Sennott have created a hilarious ode and necessary update to the 2000s raunchy high school comedy. Its highly quotable lines puts the film alongside classics like Heathers, Superbad, and Mean Girls. Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott have such incredible chemistry that should they ever start a fight club IRL, I would sign up in a heartbeat.”—Anastasia Sanger

Saltburn

“Emerald Fennell heard those silly complaints about the lack of murders in Promising Young Woman and decided to give us Saltburn. You can wrack your brain about what the director was trying to say about class dynamics or you can just enjoy Barry Keoghan's performance as an unhinged little weirdo in a viscerally gorgeous and grotesque film. Saltburn is definitely one of the most fun movies of 2023 and proof that Rosamund Pike should be cast in everything.”—ET

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse

“Look, even the most die-hard MCU fans are getting superhero fatigue. But in spite of that, the sequel to the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse has brought the same visual splendor and creative storytelling as its predecessor to a genre in desperate need of a refresh. The highly stylized animation is literally jaw-dropping and made this the most theater-worthy movie that I saw this year.”—AS

Past Lives

"This beautiful film explores the bittersweetness of not being able to live multiple lives—and how we can never know what the ‘right’ path is beyond what we choose. The story follows South Korean-born Na Young/Nora (played by the fantastic Greta Lee, who I was thrilled to see in a lead role!) and her long-distance friendship with childhood classmate Hae Sung after she moves to America. I don’t want to spoil anything, but suffice to say, anyone I tell to watch this movie walks out in tears. It touches deeply on all the ‘what could have beens’ and the idea of fate in powerful, heart-tugging ways."—Malia Griggs, Commerce Editor

Theater Camp

“This movie is for a niche audience, and I am that niche audience. Molly Gordon and Ben Platt play inseparable drama counselors who are determined to put on a show-stopping production while the director of the camp is in a coma. They grapple with rejection from the industry, growing apart, and keeping the camp in business to the sweet soundtrack of showtunes sung by small children. Under such snarky comedy is so much tenderness.”—Channing Smith, Junior Designer

May December

“I really enjoyed May December. The film was based around the story of Mary Kay Letourneau that dominated the news cycle when I was a teen. The director, Todd Haynes, made the brilliant choice to cast Julianne Moore in the lead role and Natalie Portman as an actress embedding with Moore to study her in preparation for a film role. The tension between these two greats is palpable, as Portman checks up the dust that has already settled in their lives. The film leaves you quite uncertain about how to feel, and that's pure skill on Haynes's part.”—Lauren Brown, Senior Visuals Editor

Joy Ride

“I knew this movie would be hilarious based on the cast alone, but it exceeded my wildest expectations. If you haven’t watched yet, you need to—it’s easily one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in years. These women are fearless. It’s a full-on adventure comedy, but also, at its core, tells a story about friendships—and one very, shall we say, risky tattoo.” —Lindy Segal, Interim Deputy Editor

How to Blow Up a Pipeline

"Life in the Anthropocene is defined by a palpable sense of dread—and, in bursts, fury—about the future. How to Blow Up a Pipeline, a queasily relevant thriller based on Andreas Malm’s manifesto of the same name, is perhaps the first film to capture that anxiety onscreen. It’s like a bunch of crust punks made Ocean’s Eleven, with a group of environmental activists, each with their own motives, attempting to do the act promised in the title. It’s shocking that this incendiary movie was made; it’s yet more shocking that it remains so underseen."—Jake Smith, Commerce Writer

M3GAN

"The moment M3GAN, the titular antihero of the year’s finest high-camp slasher, started singing ‘Titanium,’ it was over: Cinema’s finest killer doll had arrived. Her movie is a feast for the fabulous and the terminally online, with a winking (but still great) Allison Williams performance, a murderous dance routine involving a paper cutter, and an Alessandro Michele-era Gucci wardrobe. If all you’ve seen of the movie is that one GIF, you owe yourself the full experience."—JS

They Cloned Tyrone

"I've probably watched this movie nearly five times in its entirety. Anytime a friend comes over, I recommend that we watch it. The cast, plot, humor, and soundtrack have me hooked. Jamie Foxx, John Boyega, and Teyonah Parris bring the story to life with their chemistry as a trio in this Nancy Drew/Scooby Doo synonymous film. The plot has social commentary that looks at how government surveillance intersects race, class, and culture."—Monique Wilson, Editorial Assistant

Rye Lane

“The year’s sweetest romantic comedy is also the year’s least meta. Rye Lane (mercifully) isn’t invested in making a fuss about reinventing or reframing the genre; it’s simply focused on a meet-cute between two Londoners reeling from less-than-ideal breakups. It’s formulaic and cute and quietly groundbreaking all at once, ending on a note so heartwarming it’s already in the pantheon of the great rom-com moments. It’s a warm hug in the shape of a movie.”—JS

Asteroid City

“Asteroid City is pure, uncut Wes Anderson. There’s a lot going on—it’s a play within a play within a movie, complete with all the fourth-wall-breaking moments the premise suggests—and the director’s signature A-list actors and hyperartificial sets abound. But beneath all that sunbaked beauty is a story of grief, of coping with uncertainty in a changing world, of reaching out for human connection despite it all.”—JS

No Hard Feelings

“Finally, Jennifer Lawrence is back. Sure, this film’s tonal swings and kinda-sorta-groomy plot can be tough to swallow, but I’d put up with anything to have 90-plus minutes of J.Law in full bro comedy mode, and No Hard Feelings delivers that in spades. Her nude beach fight (yes, you read that correctly) is a shining example of why movies should be seen with the largest crowds possible.”—JS

You Hurt My Feelings

“Must a movie be more than watching Julia Louis-Dreyfus hang out? You Hurt My Feelings focuses on a woman overhearing her husband’s honest reaction to her new book, teasing out all the little ways long-term partners hurt each other—and, eventually, make up. There’s barely any plot and these are all rich people problems, yes, but the loose, soothing textures of this movie (and Louis-Dreyfus’s petty performance) are a joy to behold.”—JS

The Boy and the Heron

"If Hayao Miyazaki truly decides to retire after The Boy and the Heron, I think it’s safe to say his fans will be satisfied with this as his final film. The semi-autobiographical fantasy is probably one of his most challenging films to date – while it still contains the whimsy of Spirited Away, the tone and story are decidedly darker and nuanced. Following a boy who moves to the countryside to escape the war, the film touches on grief, coming-of-age, and family in a beautifully heart-wrenching way. And just as you think Studio Ghibli’s animation can’t be topped, the rich visuals of this film reaches new artistic heights."—AS

Originally Appeared on Glamour