I have never paid attention to film like I have this year, attending two film festivals for the first time, seeking out more independent works and dragging myself to some of the big budget emotional vacuums to stay in the loop. I have also pushed to attend Q&As with creatives, getting a deeper understanding of their processes and appreciating the films that bit more. All that with the caveat to when I saw Tommy Wiseau spout nonsense about hats and Florida before my screening of Big Shark. The highlight Q&A for me was seeing Martin Scorsese speak about his filmography so candidly and plainly with an immense knowledge and understanding of cinema. It would also be a crime not to mention the numerous times I saw Edgar Wright talk about his films this year, inching my way up his list of people to avoid. Throughout all these Q&A and preview events, I got to see around 150 of the 2023 releases, giving me a pretty broad understanding of the types of films that came out this year, from the hits to the duds. Even though that might not scratch the surface of the volume of releases, I will be definitely ranking my favourites, from 20 to 1.
20. Theater Camp
This was one I followed from its initial early 2023 festival run, to an eventual UK general release at the end of August. The film follows camp counsellors trying to save their theatre camp from closure in a mockumentary style. The jokes were delivered so spot on in this film, almost every single one hit me directly in that cringe central. You watch as the counsellors battle their egos to try and put on that one last show. We follow the build, learning more and more about the characters as we go, slowly being endeared to them which leads to an actually emotionally impactful ending. It was surprising but fun with dumb jokes and an exciting energy from its guerilla style filmmaking.
19. Anatomy of a Fall
Flipping the script and jumping the genre, we have a slow and gripping courtroom / family drama in Anatomy of a Fall. Sandra Hüller bats 1000 with a perfect performance of a grief stricken woman, fighting with the burden of being accused of her husband’s murder. The film extends beyond Sandra’s performance with an excellent supporting cast, including Messi the dog who has my vote for best supporting actor. We get tight and multilingual writing from Justine Triet and Arthur Harari who weave a tale that keeps you guessing the entire time, with a strong focus on the analysis of the marriage that Sandra and her husband Samuel shared. The film is set in the snowy French alps and captures the surrounding area so beautifully in between the moments of courtroom intensity.
18. The Holdovers
From one snowy film to another, The Holdovers’ blanket of clean and crisp snow wraps us up in the authentic 70s styling, making this a new yearly tradition for me. The film literally transports us back to the 70s with the retro camera and sound delivered in the film. A simplistic story of the leftover boys in a boarding school during the winter break. Paul Giamatti plays a stern teacher, warming up to relative newcomer Dominic Sessa as Angus. We also have international treasure and heart and soul of the film, Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Mary, who is spending her first Christmas without her son. The film is a subtle comedy with boat loads of heart and nostalgia packed in, never feeling pandering or disingenuous. The film excels in building the relationships between the characters, making you feel a part of the newly formed forced family.
17. All of us Strangers
Another film about the relationship being built and explored, Andrew Haigh’s All of us Strangers. This film is a tiny little British indie with a star studded cast, hopefully bringing eyes to the film and rocketing it to the status it deserves. Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal nail the chemistry in this film, with an ease of connection and conversation flow that feels like it's in their DNA. They become entangled one night after a fire alarm goes off in their newly built apartment block, making them realise that they are the only residents. They connect and grow closer as Adam (Andrew Scott) visits his childhood home to connect to his childhood. The love in this film feels so pure and real, without relying on dramatic set pieces or declarations of love to show it.
16. The First Slam Dunk
Hey look! We’ve got a love connection as this film deals with the familial relationships through delicate and subdued sequences, blending seamlessly with intense and nail biting action for a relatively low stakes situation. The First Slam Dunk is an anime film about a high school basketball team, and their journey to defeat the rival high school basketball team. If that sounds like a film you would say no to, I also thought I would hate it. It is so expert in its development of characters that you can’t help but to be emotionally latched onto the performance and future of these athletes. The animation style is dynamic and perfected for the effect of the emotion / moment, never feeling disjointed or hard to follow.
15. Oppenheimer
Speaking of disjointed, Oppenheimer. At times hopping from timelines and locations so much that you need a second to catch up, the film spans a lifetime as Oppenhimer creates the atomic bomb with a team of scientists by his side. The technical aspect of this film is untouchable, begging for the biggest screen possible, even in moments of small room conversations. Cillian Murphy is completely unrecognisable as Oppenhiemer, portraying a man who has dug too deep into a world altering discovery and the pressure of the world’s end on his shoulders. The film runs for about 3 hours and never lets up, building tension and releasing in just the right moments.
14. Talk to Me
Tension is exactly what Talk to Me does best, delivering the definitive second best (in my opinion) horror film of 2023. The Australian made film depicts a group of teens gathering around a ceramic hand that boasts the ability to connect them to the dead. This grants them a temporary possession when they utter the words “talk to me” while gripping the hand. The film is fast and keeps you guessing with shocking and gruesome sequences with a well balanced story and solid performances. The energy from the film is what draws it to me, understanding the genre and how to manipulate the audience with suspense.
13. Saltburn
Suspense is also what draws me into Saltburn, the new feature from Emerald Fennell. The contentious film looks at the British class system through the lens of Barry Keoghan’s Oliver and his infiltration into the Catton family, living in the stately home of Saltburn. Oliver attends Oxford, where he meets Felix (Jacob Elordi), a member of the elite upper class. They spark up a friendship and Oliver gets invited to stay the summer in Saltburn. From there, the plot takes you on a winding path of subtle and in your face story beats, causing you to question the final outcome. I am not particularly apt at guessing endings so this one took me by surprise, along with the intense sexualisation of Jacob Elordi, or maybe it just comes naturally with him.
12. Bottoms
Coming naturally to Rachael Sennott and Ayo Edibiri is their connection to one another and impeccable delivery of over the top, wacky humour. Bottoms is about two students trying to sleep with the hot girls in their school, a new spin on the classic teen comedy. The comedy grows and grows as the film develops, getting more absurd as we go, concluding in a genuinely baffling yet hilarious finale. The main cast feel so settled in their roles, knowing who the characters are in their portrayal, from small actions to big moments. The film follows the trend of the early 2000s teen comedy with a smaller budget and focus on the laughs, rather than the big budget action.
11. A Thousand and One
A small budget film that is blatantly being overlooked in conversations for awards is A.V Rockwell’s A Thousand and One. The film has a career defining performance from Tayana Taylor, playing Inez, a convict who is trying to get her life back on track with her young son Terry. I saw this film back in April and still feel the emotional complexity of this story. It is not focused on the large-scale world around Inez, instead, it zooms in on her and her surrounding people as the main attraction for the film. The film has a distinct “filmic” and soft look to it, making it impossibly beautiful in its presentation. A Thousand and One has left an impact on me and I hope to see it recognised more as it hopefully finds its audience on streaming.
10. Rye Lane
A film that has slowly found its audience on streaming is Rye Lane. The distinctly British romantic comedy takes you on a tour of London. In a way that makes me the fourth wheel, wishing I had the energy to frolic around the city in interesting clothing, connecting with a stranger and telling stories through fourth wall breaking flashbacks or retellings. The music, outfits and chemistry between the leads feels so correct while you’re watching. The romanticised London also allows for some more off the wall jokes or situations that don’t feel out of place in the film, keeping you locked in the world without question.
9. Sick of Myself.
A world that does keep you questioning though, is Kristoffer Borgli’s Sick of Myself ripping you out of continuously straying narrative paths as you go along. The precedent is set early on with visions and realisations of an alternative outcome, shocking and sometimes grotesque. These tributaries never fail to surprise and shock even more when you expect to be ripped back into the main narrative and then realise you haven’t left it. Signe’s obsession with attention and fame takes her on an insane journey through medical anomalies and lucrative book deals. The film packs in so many jokes, commenting on a desperate need for attention, without feeling preachy or overbearing. Borgli creates almost completely irredeemable and unbelievable characters without making them unwatchable.
8. Poor Things
Probably my most watchable character of the year is Bella Baxter from Poor Things. A steampunk-esque world where a scientist merges a woman’s body with a baby’s brain. We watch her learn the world around her, becoming more and more at grips with life as the film goes by. Her progression is so endearing to watch, and the situations she gets in lead to genuinely funny and entertaining sequences. Emma Stone’s Bella is supported by a stacked cast around her, notably Mark Ruffalo, who’s intentional overacting and campness makes him continuously hilarious. Poor Things is a maximalist movie, with impossibly colourful skies and imaginative surroundings, you feel transported to a new and realised world.
7. Skinamarink
The polar opposite, Skinamarink is a minimalist movie, and probably the least accessible film I have watched this year. It is an extremely divisive film with people arguing that nothing happens and then it ends. While those people are not necessarily wrong, it makes me sad that people haven’t experienced this film how I was able to. Skinamarink hit me in a primal place of fear, with such intense discomfort and such intense anxiety for the entirety of its 90 minute runtime, making it the best horror of 2023. Slow is too weak of a description, as it lingers in corners and down dark hallways, pulling you in with its ever changing grain, warping and manipulating in a way that makes you look deeper, looking for something that’s not quite there, but could be.
6. Barbie
Once again, flipping the tone with a film that begs you to not look deeper, or take it too seriously. Barbie was such a stupid little joy, with real heart and intensely effective jokes. Greta Gerwig creates a wonderland in Barbie Land, with that perfectly little plastic sheen, juxtaposing with the dull real world. Never letting up in energy, you are taken on a ride with this film, having a fully realised world and story, while weaving in themes of purpose and womanhood. While the menanists out there might disagree, the film does all of this without feeling preachy or one track minded on what it wants to say. It effortlessly builds relationships, good or bad, with ease and silliness along the way.
5. Past Lives
Nobody does relationship building better than Celine Song’s debut film, Past Lives. The fact that this is a debut feature is eternally offensive to me. Song has such a grasp on emotion and the maturity of relationships as Nora reconnects with her childhood love, Hae Sung while traversing the complications this brings into her marriage to Arthur. There is such an instant and real connection between Nora and Hae Sung, that you feel through a Skype screen, obviously helped by the performances by Greta Lee and Teo Yoo. They both bring such chemistry that can even be felt in the many moments of silence this film has, letting you sit in the comfortable air of ease.
4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Having absolutely no time for quiet, is the Into The Spider-Verse sequel, blasting stunning and dynamic animation at you with action and adventure afoot. The film pelts you with story and character building for the entire time, not letting up for a second. Even with the slight non-ending we’re given, I felt so satisfied with the new entries to the film and the development of all the characters we knew from the first one. The animation and music blend so perfectly, fitting the tone of every emotional conversation or action packed fight sequence. The film feels current and relevant, knowing what it wants to say with its story and confident in its future as a franchise.
3. Close
I have no real connection to weave this in with Spider-Verse, because this film feels like a punch in the heart every time I think of it. I have never walked out of a film and cried just as hard as I did while watching it. Lukas Dhont’s follow up to his controversial, Girl had a lot riding on it, after politically dividing audiences with its choices. This film is one that embodies innocence and intimacy. Based on a study that Dhont read regarding boyhood friendships, Léo and Rémi personify that, with the most beautiful friendship, and an inherent bond with each other. Both relative newcomers, Eden Dambrine and Gustav De Waele traverse this complex and difficult dynamic as it changes and evolves through their growth and concludes with such visceral emotion that this film is tattooed in my mind forever.
2. Marcel The Shell With Shoes On
Not just tattooed in my mind, but a contender for an actual tattoo is Marcel The Shell With Shoes On. This film is just pure joy, with nothing but creativity and lightness to give. I have permanent smile lines from one viewing of this film, watching Marcel go about his daily routines in endearing ways, while trying to connect to his long lost community of shells. All this with Isabella Rossellini giving a career best performance as Nana Connie. The mockumentary style works so perfectly in telling this simple little story, with almost YouTube style shorts weaved in, little joke setups, that land that much better when it's coming from an animated little shell. Do I think this is the most technically perfect masterpiece of all time and objectively one of the best films of the year? No, but is it one of the most memorable, emotionally impactful and perfected its goal? Yes. It has earned its spot, and a place in my heart forever.
1. The Boy and the Heron
Hayao Miyazaki is (in my opinion) the greatest director of animated films and one of the best directors in general. His approach to storytelling is second to none by blending weirdness, creativity and genuine themes that hit you in the bullseye of the heart. The Boy and the Heron had so many expectations to live up to, and exceeded them for me. The world Miyazaki creates is transformative, transporting you to somewhere you would struggle to imagine, but feel at home once you’re there. There are concepts and moments that come and go, all like perfect little portraits of life, from birth to death. These sillouhettes thread into a fully realised tapestry of the main character, Mahito’s life. The Boy and the Heron feels more daring than other films Miyazaki has made, venturing into more of the grotesque and abstract to tell his story. I look forward to adding this film to my rewatch list and experiencing the all encompassing emotions I felt the first time.
That’s my list! It feels sad to have left out so many films that have left an impact on me this year, furthering my understanding of people and places that I never would have before, but I feel like 20 was a push in the first place. I look forward to my year ahead, when I can experience all new feelings from films I don’t even know about yet. I hope to continue sharing my thoughts on these films, mostly banking them for myself in the future, to look back and on, hopefully experiencing the emotions I felt back when I was writing the review.
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