The following list is what I felt were the best movies of 2023. 2023 has come and gone. I didn’t achieve my goal of making my horror movie last year. I did learn a lot and got a few backers. And I am still moving forward with my movie. If you want to provide insight into my pitch deck, let me know, and I will send you the link.
2023 was another great year for horror movies, movies like Thanksgiving, Talk to Me, Infinity Pool, and Scream 6, to name a few. I enjoyed all those films, but I liked the horror movies of 2022 better with movies like X, Pearl, and Barbarian. The last few years have been incredible years for horror movies, and I hope it is a trend that continues.
The following list of the best movies in 2023 is based on what I have seen so far… There are a lot of 2023 movies that I haven’t seen yet: movies like Beau is Afraid, Poor Things, Maestro, and American Fiction. The list may have been different if I had seen any of those movies before writing this article.
Ane, without further ado, here are the best movies in 2023. The movies are in no particular order.
The Holdovers
I enjoyed The Holdovers way more than I expected I would. People have mentioned how this movie reminded them of the movies made in the 1970s, and I think that is the look and feel they were going for.
But it reminded me of movies that came out in the 1990s, like Dead Poets Society and Scent of A Woman. The Holdovers has a different feel than other Christmas movies. It isn’t all cheery and bright. It is a movie about loneliness and how painful the holidays can be for grieving people. It is a movie with well-rounded characters, which was nice to see and with great performances. That is why it made my list of the best movies in 2023.
Barbie
Barbie is another movie that surprised me as being a choice for one of the best movies in 2023. I don’t think the writing is as progressive as people think it is, and some of the preaching got old, but this was a fun movie, especially the Ken stuff.
What was even more fun than the movie was watching men on YouTube and social media having meltdowns and being threatened by a Barbie doll movie. Some men went as far as calling the movie communist, which brings us to the next movie.
Lady Ballers
While conservative men were having a meltdown over a Barbie doll movie, liberal film critics were having a meltdown over Lady Ballers. Lady Ballers isn’t a great film by any stretch of the imagination. It was funnier than I thought it would be because conservative comedies have not been funny for a long time. But what I liked about Lady Ballers is that they had the balls (sorry for the bad pun) to make it. That is the true spirit of independent movies.
The Daily Wire tried to get well-known actors to be in this film, and they all turned it down. They even reached out to C-level actors and actors who had been cancelled, and they even turned this movie down because of the controversy surrounding it. Now granted, the comedies of the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s weren’t very kind to the LGBTQ community. The LGBTQ community was the butt of most of the mean-spirited jokes. So, it is understandable that this community protested and focused on having more power and protection against hate crimes and discrimination.
But now, the LGBTQ community is a force to be reckoned with, and people’s careers have been destroyed just by saying stuff on the internet about this community. I don’t think anything is too sacred, tragic, or important to be made fun of. Sure, some comedies is done in bad taste and are mean-spirited and can even be dangerous if a mentally disturbed person gets ideas in their head. But I think comedy can also be healing and help us understand each other better. And let’s face it, some of the stuff in women’s sports right now is ripe for comedy. The Daily Wire just had the balls to make one about it. That is why it made my list as one of the best movies in 2023.
Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer was an interesting movie to watch when compared to Fat Man and Little Boy. Both movies approached the same subject matter in very different ways, which is common for Christopher Nolan. Nolan’s approach to Batman was vastly different than Tim Burton’s approach.
What I liked about Oppenheimer is that the movie was shot in black and white, with mostly talking, yet it kept me captivated. Oppenheimer makes the argument: did the dropping of the atomic bomb save the world and end war forever, or did it take war to a whole other level? It is a movie where a man must face the revelation that his creation caused the deaths of many people and one of the worst events in human history.
I enjoyed Robert Downey Jr’s performance in his role in Oppenheimer. It was a different role than what we are used to seeing Robert Downy Jr play. This wasn’t a charismatic role like Tony Stark, Sherlock Holmes, or Charlie Chaplin. It was a more subtle role that seemed more like a role that Ben Kingsley would play. Robert Downy Jr masterfully pulled it off.
Godzilla Minus One
Even though I heard people talking about this movie’s greatness, I went into it not expecting much. I just thought it was a bunch of hype. I say that because I have been disappointed by every Godzilla movie that I have ever seen except for the Godzilla movies I saw as a kid. I never cared about the human stories in any Godzilla movie until now.
With Godzilla Minus One, I cared more about the human story than the Godzilla story. Part of the charm of this movie is that it feels like blockbuster movies that used to come out before everything got so commercial and political in what are supposed to be fun movies. This Godzilla movie’s strength is that they returned to their roots. They made Godzilla scary again. Interestingly, Oppenheimer was released the same year as Godzilla because Godzilla deals with Japan’s side of the atomic bomb story. The argument Godzilla makes through the metaphor of Godzilla is that the atomic bomb is an uncontrollable, angry beast whose rage will never stop. When the atomic bomb was created, a destructive monster was created that will not stop until everything is destroyed.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Killers of the Flower Moon isn’t one of my favorite Martin Scorsese movies, but it is a great movie. Set against the backdrop of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma, the film explores the series of brutal and mysterious murders of the Osage people after oil was discovered beneath their land, making them the wealthiest people per capita in the world at that time. This sudden prosperity led to a sinister string of crimes, as the Osage were systematically targeted and killed. The movie delves into the deep-seated racial tensions and greed that fueled these horrific acts.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” is not just a crime drama; it’s a poignant commentary on the exploitation and marginalization of Native American people. The film shines a light on a largely overlooked but significant period in American history, raising awareness about the injustices faced by the Osage Nation. Killers of the Flower Moon deals with stupidity and greed on multiple levels, and a woman is trapped in a relationship because she is in love with a greedy, stupid man who is doing her and her people harm.
Dream Scenario
Dream Scenario is the oddest movie on the list. It is Nicholas Cage at his finest. It reminded me of some of Cage’s best performances, like in the movies Moonstruck, Pig and Wild at Heart. The movie is about Paul Matthews (Nicolas Cage) who appears in people’s dreams. The people are always in danger, and Paul Matthews does nothing to help them.
Dream Scenario does a great job of showing how dreams and technology affect us while poking fun at woke and influencer culture. If you like brainy, odd, dramadies then this is one you’ll want to check out.
South Park: Joining The Panderverse and South Park: (Not Suitable for Children)
Although these are two specials and not one, neither of which were not released in movie theaters, I still included them on the list because I liked them. What I like about South Park is that they have never lost their edge; some offensive comedy shows have, but South Park has not. It even has more edge.
What South Park does best is expose hypocrisy and does a great job with these two specials available on Paramount + Sure South Park sometimes crosses the line and is mean-spirited, but the show hasn’t been on this long because it isn’t funny. People relate to it and find it entertaining or they would stop making episodes. The odd thing I found about watching The Panderverse special is that although it was ridiculous and silly, it may be the most realistic vision of the AI threat I have seen.
The Iron Claw
The Iron Claw was perfectly cast. Every actor goes above and beyond not only in their performance but also on a physical level to play the roles of wrestlers. The story is based on the Von Erich family, who people believed were cursed because of all the tragedies in their lives.
The story revolves around a harsh father and his relationship with his sons that he wants to become wrestling champions. The story is told in a simple straightforward fashion about the events as they unfolded. Sometimes simplicity works best for a story, and this is such a film. There are some powerful moments in the story, especially toward the end. If you are a wrestling fan, then this is one you don’t want to miss.
Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One is one of the better Mission Impossible movies, and it does what it is supposed to do – deliver action! Tom Cruise is back, reprising his role as Ethan Hunt.
Tom Cruise does what he does best in Mission Impossible movies, which is stunts and runs. The plot revolves around an advanced AI called “The Entity.” The plot to me like most of Mission Impossible movies was confusing. Still, the movie delivers what it is supposed to: a lot of action in various beautiful locations, with Tom Cruise doing his own crazy stunts.
That’s my list of the best movies of 2023. What were some of your favorite movies? Did any of your favorites make my list? Did any not make the list? The list isn’t set in stone. It was how I was feeling at the moment. It could change tomorrow.
Check on my werewolf story and the Gpt I created.
i’m glad you gave your input on what you think were the best movies of 2023 . Have to check more out that I haven’t seen . Thank you