My Top 10 Films of 2023

#1 - Perfect Days

Critics Score - 9.4 of 10

Wim Wenders’ new film Perfect Days was about as close to a perfect film as I saw for the entirely of the 2023 year in cinema. This slower film won’t be as captivating for general audiences, but it’s thematic riches are there for the taking. At least for those willing to take the time to sift for them. Wenders is speaking to a society of have it all and give it to me now about a minimalist man who has very little and aspires to gain nothing. He’s not in a hurry to get anywhere in life, no corporate ladder to climb and is instead focused on soaking in the beauty of each moment of this life that he can. The lead performance from Koji Yakusho helps to set this film on a pedestal of incredible filmmaking that no other movie has topped for myself. This Japanese foreign film is fully deserving of it’s nomination for Best International Feature at the 2023 Academy Awards.

#2 - Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Critics Score - 9.4 of 10

A heartwarming coming of age tale, based on the 1970’s Judy Blume book of the same name, this movie is as timeless as the source material was when the book was first written. Kelly Fremon Craig adapts the script and directs the film, perfectly encapsulating the soft and gentle tone of the book, yet squeezing all the hilarity out of it that she can. There are laughs aplenty to be had yet the themes of religious free will and allowing a young person to be introduced to God on their own terms were as poignant as can be. For someone who was indoctrinated from when I was old enough to think, this film hit a sweet spot for myself that few films ever have. Rachel McAdams is doing some of her career best work with an ensemble cast that is truly remarkable at telling us about Margaret's story. Are You There God answered my call for incredible filmmaking.

#3 - Past Lives

Critics Score - 9.3 of 10

This directorial debut from Celine Song is as touching a piece of cinema as you’ll find on film. The story of two childhood sweethearts in Seoul, South Korea thats relationship gets severed when the girl immigrates to the United States is a tearjerker with the best of them. A tale of the choices we make in life, where they take us, who we meet and fall in love with and how it all turns out will have you reflecting on some things from both the film and your own life’s experiences for quite awhile. For a debut feature, this film is an anomaly as Songs ability to linger in long takes and pull us into some moments of emotional impact are second to none. If you take the time to seek out just one of the great A24 movies from this year, give Past Lives a shot, it’s my personal favorite.

#4 - Oppenheimer

Critics Score - 9.3 of 10

When our eyes first beheld this technical marvel of a film, it smelled strongly of masterpiece material right from the very opening frames. Christopher Nolan’s retelling of the creation of the atomic bomb and how pivotal a point this was in the history of humanity is felt through some of the strongest movie moments of the year. Cillian Murphy plays Robert J. Oppenheimer, one of the key minds behind the atomic bombs that would later fall on the cities of Japan and effectively end the Second World War. But the reverberations from what Oppenheimer and his team accomplished are still being felt today, with the threat of nuclear war and the end of humankind tucked far back in the recesses of humanity’s collective consciousness. And Nolan hits these themes out of the park with his film that will almost assuredly and with good reason win Best Picture.

#5 - Priscilla

Critics Score - 9.2 of 10

There’s not much difference between a beautiful dream and the new film from

Sophia Coppola about the young life of Priscilla Presley. Like the poster portrays, this film tonally captures the vibes of youthful exuberance, young love and falling head over heels for someone. Getting swept off our feet and carried into the love of Elvis and Priscilla is as wonderful of an experience as it is heartbreaking when we begin to see that not all is as it seems behind the walls of Graceland. The hair, makeup, costumes and even the production design with the recreation of the Graceland mansion itself are beyond stunning in this world that Coppola extracts from the 1960’s and let’s us soak in for just under two hours. A killer soundtrack to boot helped solidify this film in my top five movies of the year.

#6 - Society Of The Snow

Critics Score - 9.1 of 10

A true story about a real life fight for survival against some of the harshest conditions on this planet are what the new film from J.A. Bayona offers us. The story of a group of rugby players whose plane crashes in the Andes mountains in the 1970’s is truly a thing of legend. But the depiction of the intense brutality of the plane crash and survival moments contrasted with the quieter times of camaraderie and the bonds that grow between these men is something not easily forgotten. A truly superb ensemble cast helmed by Enzo Vogrincic deliver some truly amazing performances that I include amongst the very best from the year. Seek this one out on Netflix, it’s another film with a well deserved Best International Feature nomination.

#7 - Sanctuary

Critics Score - 8.9 of 10

Neon released this psychological/erotic thriller earlier on in the year but this sultry and seductive piece of cinema was not forgotten by the likes of me. The power struggle between Christopher Abbot and Margaret Qualley while they hash out one of my favorite scripts of the year was only the icing on the cake. The cherry on top was the finale of the film that was my favorite conclusion to any movie I’ve seen from 2023. While the film doesn’t portray any actual nudity, the sexual tension is palpable and the fantastic chemistry between these two main characters was completely out of control. With quite a few great thriller films from 2023, for my money, Sanctuary was the best of the year.

#8 - All Of Us Strangers

Critics Score - 8.9 of 10

I had no idea what to expect when I walked into my screening of this film, I didn’t know a single thing about it other than it was being released by Searchlight Pictures. Boy was I in for a surprise with this emotional rollercoaster from director Andrew Haigh. The film tells us the story of Andrew Scott’s character, one of my favorite performances of the year. As a gay man grappling with loneliness, the film begins to weave a Petite Maman type of story as we slowly begin to lose our grounding with the film. The fantastical elements assist in setting up some powerhouse moments that tug at even the hardest of heartstrings. Paul Mescal supports in one of his best roles to date, so keep the tissues handy for this one, it’s as touching and engaging a piece of cinema as you’ll come across from this year.

#9 - The Zone Of Interest

Critics Score - 8.9 of 10

Nominated for five Oscars including the top prizes of Picture and Director, this stunning film from Jonathan Glazer is about the Holocaust, but not in the way we’re accustomed to seeing them. Glazer flips the script and instead of showcasing the atrocities inflicted upon a group of people, he turns our attention to a commanding officer and his family living right outside the walls of one of the concentration camps. This film has some of the most incredible sound design from any film I’ve seen, probably this decade. While not a fun time as far as moviegoing experiences, this is an important and haunting film that should be shown in history classes and really everyone should make it a point to watch at some point.

#10 - The Iron Claw

Critics Score - 8.9 of 10

Based on the real life wrestling family, the Von Erichs, this film tells the heartbreaking true story of a group of brothers that try and live up to their fathers dreams and expectations for them. Directed by Sean Durkin, he fills us in on the drive behind these boys to live up to their father’s wrestling legacy and the successes they were able to achieve along the way. But as the pressure mounts and begins to take its toll on the entire family, things deteriorate into what was, pound for pound, the saddest film that I saw in the 2023 year of cinema. Zac Efron shows us, besides some incredibly chiseled muscles, some impressive acting chops that we’ve just never seen from him before. So even if your not a huge wrestling fan or Efron admirer, like myself, there’s so much more to enjoy about this wonderful A24 film.

Honorable Mentions -

#11 - Saltburn

Critics Score - 8.9 of 10

This follow up to Promising Young Woman by director Emerald Fennell is a savage piece of filmmaking that pulls no punches in telling it’s story of a pair of college guys that’s friendship is predicated on the extreme wealth of one. Barry Keoghan shows us what he’s made of in this twisted and sick tale of obsession. I loved every minute of it.

#12 - Elemental

Critics Score - 8.9 of 10

My favorite animated film of the year from Pixar was a real return to form for the studio whose reliance lately on sequels and spin offs has followed in the Disney footsteps of unoriginality. But the stunning visuals, creativity and themes of racial diversity, acceptance and inclusion set this film apart from so many others.

#13 - 20 Days In Mariupol

Critics Score - 8.9 of 10

A documentary covering the some of the first days of the war in Ukraine were some of the most powerful and harrowing things captured on film this year. Now available on PBS, the work of these journalists to capture some of the horrors and havoc that Russian forces wreaked on the folks of the town of Mariupol at the outset of the invasion are some things that won’t be easily forgotten.

#14 - Anatomy Of A Fall

Critics Score - 8.8 of 10

A two and a half hour courtroom drama sounds like an absolutely painful viewing experience. But this film by writer and director Justine Triet is constructed incredibly well, edited to near perfection and when I say this film was some of the most riveting cinema I’ve seen all year, I’m not overselling it.