The year 2023 was another memorable year for the movies, despite the writers’ and actors’ strikes that loomed over Hollywood during a time when AI and technology are rapidly advancing, along with questions regarding whether audiences enjoy streaming films and/or still enjoy going to theaters. Clearly the theater is still a hit thanks to the Barbenheimer phenomenon over the summer, as well as original and prestigious motion pictures finding success online and in the box office, showing that superhero films and familiar franchises aren’t the most popular features for movie fans.
Some of the greatest actors and directors this past year have produced some of their finest work and will battle it out to see who comes out on top during awards season. These are the top ten films of 2023.
10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Guardians of the Galaxy was a major hit for director James Gunn and the MCU back in 2014, along with an energizing sequel in 2017. The third film concludes the trilogy for the Guardians, delivering its most impactful plot yet as it tackles the emotional origin story of Rocket and how he and other animals were mistreated and experimented on by a villain with aspirations of grandeur. There are also some loose ends between Starlord and Gamora (the past version of her that returned after the second snap in Endgame), as well as the comical Drax, Mantis, and Groot.
After the dramatic events of Endgame and the concluding runs for beloved superheroes like Iron Man, Black Widow, and Captain America, the MCU has somewhat dipped in popularity and quality, with some uncertainty in how the franchise will develop in the future. There have also been some hits (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and misses (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels). However, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a sequel that hits the right notes with Gunn’s quintessential and inventive action sequences and the instant chemistry between the Guardians (who love and support each other through times of despair and question their own futures).
9. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
In what is arguably the best superhero film of the year, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse follows up its hit predecessor (Into the Spider-Verse) by continuing the complex story of Miles Morales’ iteration of Spider-Man. While still mourning the loss of his uncle, Miles juggles between fighting crime in the city and focusing on his studies in school. He also has his on-and-off relationship with Gwen Stacy (also a crime-fighting Spider-Woman), who Miles learns is working with other versions of Spider-Man in the Multiverse. While Miles is happy to meet the heroes of the Spider Society, he discovers that they have their own set of rules, which includes not getting involved in certain acts of heroism to maintain the correct timeline. However, when a new villain threatens Miles’ world, he decides to take matters into his own hands.
Along with great voiceover work from the cast including Shameik Moore (Miles), Hailee Steinfeld (Gwen), Daniel Kaluuya (Spider-Punk), Oscar Isaacs (Miguel), and Issa Rae (Jessica Drew), there are several vibrant visual effects and action-packed scenes, proving that there should be more animated superhero films due to the endless possibilities they can offer. There are also special moments that connect to other Spider-Man characters from the MCU, as well as a cliffhanger leading to anticipation for a third film.
8. Dream Scenario
Nicolas Cage is one of the most eccentric actors of his generation, with major hits like The Rock, Face/Off, Con Air, Moonstruck, and his Oscar-winning role in Leaving Las Vegas among his best work. In Dream Scenario, Cage portrays Paul Matthews, a professor, family man, and aspiring writer who gets caught up in an unexplainable phenomenon in which everyone has dreams and/or nightmares involving him, resulting in Paul becoming a worldwide celebrity. However, when his fame elevates, Paul becomes more insecure about himself and his career, causing everyone (including his family and his students) to dream about Paul in a violent and disturbing manner.
Reminiscent of Spike Jones’ 2002 feature, Adaptation, Cage once again portrays an aspiring writer who is having a mid-life crisis and struggles to fully understand himself, forcing the audience to question what is real and what is fantastical about his life. Paul’s dreams mirror his personal feelings, such as not being able to write and publish his biology book, along with his self-centered inability to understand how his dreams have negatively impacted other people’s way of life. The film teaches the important lesson that not all dreams are good or perfect but are fragmented and uneven, and not every desire or personal goal can become reality.
7. Air
A quarter century after their hit, Good Will Hunting, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck reunite to tell the inspiring story of how Nike executives convinced Michael Jordan (who is arguably the greatest NBA player of all time) to sign a historic endorsement deal for the Nike shoe brand, Air Jordan, that has become iconic for the past forty years. Damon portrays Sonny Vaccaro, the basketball talent scout for Nike who searches for a new spokesperson to headline a fresh brand of basketball shoes. During the year 1984, Nike is on the brink of bankruptcy and other shoe brands like Adidas and Converse were highly successful. Despite Jordan being a fan of Adidas and being too expensive for Nike’s budget, Sonny desperately tries to convince his business partners and Jordan’s family that Michael will be a major star in the NBA and his Air Jordan sneakers will be better than any other shoe line.
Air is not only a remarkable underdog story but also a period piece filled with drama and comedy, as well as an homage to the 1980s thanks to the production design (including old phones, computers, and TVs with VHS tapes) and a soundtrack with several popular songs like Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.” Damon is determined and passionate as Sonny, along with great supporting work from Affleck, Jason Bateman, and Chris Tucker as Sonny’s colleagues, Chris Messina as Jordan’s hilarious foul-mouthed agent David Falk, and a powerful Viola Davis as Jordan’s mother, Deloris.
6. The Holdovers
Director Alexander Payne and actor Paul Giamatti reunite for The Holdovers, a funny and heartfelt film that has the look and feel of a 1970s picture. Giamatti plays Paul Hunham, a professor of classical studies at Barton Academy (a New England boarding school) who must watch and supervise a few holdover students during the Christmas holiday. One of the holdovers includes Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa in a triumphant film debut), whose mom suddenly postpones a family vacation to go on her honeymoon with her new husband. When Angus is the last holdover left in school, he and Paul begin to form a friendly bond when they have a small Christmas celebration and take a trip to Boston.
Giamatti portrayed another professor and aspiring writer in the 2004 film Sideways (his first collaboration with Payne) and is skilled in portraying conflicted underdog characters who are easy to root for. The chemistry between Paul and Angus comes close to a father and son bond because they grow and connect as they learn more about each other’s personal lives. Da’Vine Joy Randolph also delivers a funny and heartfelt performance as Mary Lamb, the head cook at Barton Academy who also connects with Paul and Angus. Mary helps Paul comfort Angus so they can enjoy their Christmas together after the personal struggles they are each going through in their lives (Paul trying to write his monograph, Angus being away from his family, and Mary emotionally dealing with the loss of her son).
5. Saltburn
In what is perhaps the wildest and most provocative film of the year, Saltburn is a feature that lures audiences from beginning to end. Filmmaker Emerald Fennell fuses dark comedy and psychological thriller that ranks up with features like American Psycho, Gone Girl, and the director’s own Promising Young Woman. Saltburn centers on Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan), a student at the University of Oxford who becomes friends with Felix Catton (Priscilla star Jacob Elordi), an upper-class student who likes Oliver for his kindness and sympathizes with him after losing his father. Felíz even invites Oliver to stay with him and his family at his English mansion in Saltburn for the summer. During his stay, Oliver appears content while trying to expand his friendship with Oliver, but then the film takes a series of twists and turns that are disturbing and spellbinding at the same time.
Keoghan is perfect as Oliver because he initially seems like a protagonist audiences can sympathize with, but when he is revealed as an obsessive, mischievous, and conniving character with a Pandora’s box of secrets and lies, it’s difficult to ignore what he’ll do next. Felix’s family is also surprisingly oblivious while expectedly filled with gossip and gloss, from Rosamund Pike’s over-the-top Lady Elspeth to Alison Oliver’s star-making turn as Felix’s sister Venetia (who becomes disturbed by Oliver’s behavior towards her family). Saltburn is a thrilling film that cleverly exposes a young murderer whose ambition and meticulous actions cause him to overtake a wealthy family for the selfish purpose of having it all (money and power).
4. Maestro
Bradley Cooper’s second directing feature may bare several similarities to his heartbreaking directorial debut, A Star Is Born, with superstar Lady Gaga showing her acting chops. However, Maestro is a masterful piece of work in acting, camerawork, and attention to detail. Along with directing, writing, and producing, Cooper takes the lead as Leonard Bernstein, widely considered one of the greatest American conductors of his generation, from the beginning of his career with the New York Philharmonic in the early 1940s, to his elder years in the late 1980s. Leonard’s marriage to actress Felicia Montealegre (an emotionally powerful turn by Carey Mulligan) is front and center as they juggle their loving and complex relationship with three children and their respective artistic careers.
What makes Leonard and Felicia’s relationship intriguing is their love and passion for each other and the arts, fully embracing their potential in their illustrious careers, even though Leonard’s love affairs and his use of drugs and alcohol conflicted with their marriage (including Felicia’s devastating battle with breast cancer). Despite their struggles and dilemmas, Leonard and Felicia always embraced and appreciated their time together. Cooper effectively makes his film a period piece (including the transition from black and white in the couple’s early days to color as they grow older with their kids). The music conducting scenes are also exquisite and powerful, including Leonard’s six-minute performance of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony at Ely Cathedral (with Cooper letting out every movement with physicality and emotion).
3. Barbie
After directing big hits like Lady Bird and Little Women, Greta Gerwig has emerged as one of the most talented filmmakers working today. Barbie is her most ambitious feature to date, and became the highest-grossing film of the year. Filled with girl power, an electric soundtrack, and plenty of pink aesthetics, Barbie stars Margot Robbie as the title character who lives in a feminine-led society filled with various versions of Barbie and Ken. This world shows Barbies having daily routines, elegant dance parties, and holding prestigious jobs like a female president, doctors, and scientists, while the Kens spend their time at the beach. When Barbie (Robbie) suddenly is concerned about death and develops flaws like bad breath and cellulite, she takes a journey with Ken (Ryan Gosling) to the real world to cure and eliminate her issues. However, when she meets Gloria (America Ferrera), a Mattel employee and a mom who caused Barbie’s visions of mortality by playing with her daughter’s old dolls, Barbie realizes that women are treated differently compared to her own stereotypical world.
Robbie’s performance as Barbie perfectly balances drama and humor, establishing plenty of funny moments between her and her Barbie and Ken friends, while also displaying her journey of self-discovery and female identity. Gosling’s Ken is also hilarious in his self-obsession with male masculinity and male and female relationships, while also learning from his flawed vision of male superiority over women thanks to Barbie. Issa Rae as the Barbie president, Kate McKinnon as the weird Barbie, and Will Ferrell as the CEO of Mattel (reminiscent of his President Business from The LEGO Movie) are among the standouts of a brilliant ensemble cast. However, some of the film’s greatest moments come from Ferrera’s strong performance as Gloria, including the greatest monologue of the year where she expresses her soul to Barbie about how challenging it is to be a real woman in a world that expects so much from them.
2. Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan has already accomplished so much in his directing career with epic hits like The Dark Knight Trilogy, Memento, and Inception, but Oppenheimer encapsulates his filmmaking talents to form the highest-grossing biopic and World War II-related film ever made. Cillian Murphy portrays the title character, J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist responsible for the creation of the atomic bomb which was used in the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The feature depicts Oppenheimer’s involvement with the Manhattan Project where the first nuclear weapons were tested and developed, his work with numerous scientists, military, and political leaders, as well as his marriage to Kitty and love affair with psychiatrist Jean Tatlock. Oppenheimer’s early days in Cambridge and his security hearing after the Manhattan Project are also infused into the film’s timeline.
Cillian Murphy has worked with Nolan on six films spanning nearly twenty years, and with the actor portraying the lead character for the first time in a Nolan movie, he delivers the performance of his career. Cillian embodies Oppenheimer’s physical traits (including the hats, suits, and constant pipe and cigarette smoking), including his precise enthusiasm towards quantum physics and his emotional toll when dealing with the dire consequences of his creation. Robert Downey Jr. delivers a conniving and deceiving performance as Admiral Lewis Strauss, the man responsible for Oppenheimer’s downfall. Matt Damon’s General Leslie Groves (Director of the Manhattan Project), Emily Blunt’s Kitty, Florence Pugh’s Tatlock, and Kenneth Branagh’s physicist Niels Bohr are a few of the many remarkable performers in arguably the best ensemble cast of 2023. The back-and-forth timeline and shifts between color and black-and-white scenes make Oppenheimer’s story that more compelling as audiences attempt to understand the complexity of his career and the difficult questions and implications regarding nuclear weapons.
1. Killers of the Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese delivers another unforgettable film with two of his greatest collaborators: Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. In Killers of the Flower Moon, DiCaprio plays Ernest Burkhart, a World War I veteran who goes to live with his uncle William King Hale and his brother Byron on Hale’s large reservation in Osage County, Oklahoma during the 1920s. As the reserve deputy sheriff, Hale appears to have a positively friendly relationship with the Osage Nation, but he is in fact an evil and greedy criminal who orders Ernest and Byron to mysteriously steal and kill from several wealthy Osage members. Ernest even falls in love with and marries Mollie Kyle, an Osage whose family is rich due to their ownership of oil headrights. To steal that oil money, Hale has several members of Mollie’s family murdered (including her sisters) and has Ernest poison Mollie to prevent her from speaking to authorities regarding the Osage murders.
Scorsese is among the best in the business when it comes to features regarding organized crime and how criminals take advantage of others for the sake of money and power. DiCaprio’s role as Ernest is one of his most vulnerable and appalling characters because he seemingly loves his wife and children but commits despicable acts of criminality and violence under the leadership of his uncle. De Niro’s Hale is one of his juiciest and menacing characters since Goodfellas and Cape Fear, and Lily Gladstone is the emotional heartbeat of the film as Mollie. Along with a great cast including Jesse Plemons, John Lithgow, Brendan Fraser, and several Native American cast members. Scorsese’s film isn’t only a Western crime drama but an epic about a horrifying time in American history and recognizing the crimes committed against the Osage Nation.
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