The 23 best films of 2023

The critical acclaim and potential Oscar success for “Oppenheimer?” That felt plausible. However, how many people envisioned an R-rated film starring Cillian Murphy about the Father of the Atomic Bomb being a huge box office success? That’s the power of Christopher Nolan. Also, this movie is great, a three-hour biopic that never flags for a moment.

The “Barb” of the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon, “Barbie” proved to be the biggest hit of the year, a true zeitgeist-grabbing affair. Fortunately, Greta Gerwig’s film is also quite good. It looks great, it’s funny and sharp, and the only bummer is that it seems to have set Gerwig up for a future where she keeps making big-budget, IP-driven films instead of stuff like “Lady Bird.”

We got a couple good “Part One” films in 2023. Sure, these movies inherently lack a satisfying conclusion, but of these two films, “Mission: Impossible” hit that note of quasi-finality better. Also, Haley Atwell is a welcome addition to any franchise.

Here’s the other “Part One,” but “Spider-Verse” obscured this fact, and also really lacks an ending. That’s a knock, to be sure, but up to that point this film flies. The distinct look of these movies remain, and “Spider-Verse” scratches some of that “Loki” itch, but arguably in a better way.

Ben Affleck has directed a Best Picture winner. Let’s not forget that. “Air” is a movie about Sonny Vaccaro and Nike trying to sign Michael Jordan, and Jordan is barely a character in the movie. If that doesn’t sound compelling, prepare to be surprised. It’s one of those process films, and like “Moneyball,” it’s a sports movie one need not be a sports fan to enjoy.

An adaptation of a Judy Blume book from 50 years ago? Why now? Would it feel substantive at all? Well, it turns out that there was something to be done here. Rachel McAdams shines as Margaret’s mother, and it was wise to hand this film to Kelly Fremon Craig, who had previously excelled with the excellent (but raunchy, be forewarned) coming-of-age movie “The Edge of Seventeen.”

“Past Lives” was one of the first word-of-mouth indie darlings of 2023, and rightfully so. While the film doesn’t have a notable cast, what it does have is excellent storytelling and strong emotional beats that never feel cloying. Oh, and a lead performance from Greta Lee that should lead to an Oscar nomination.

“The French Dispatch” was Wes Anderson’s most “Wes Anderson” movie…until the next one. “Asteroid City” seems openly contemptuous to Anderson’s detractors, although Anderson’s general vibe is not contempt. Clearly, we’re on his wavelength, because being delivered this concentrated dose of Wes was exactly what we wanted.

Yeah, we were dubious about another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot too. Then, this packed-to-the-gills animated movie came out and we changed our tune. It’s fun! Maybe it isn’t “fresh,” but it isn’t rehashed and warmed over. In this era of endless reboots and remakes, that may feel like faint praise, but it is still praise.

The first movie to capture audiences in 2023 was “M3GAN.” Sure, you saw the trailer for the doll-based horror movie and maybe you thought, “This seems silly.” Turns out, “M3GAN” agrees. There’s a good amount of knowing comedy and absurdity in “M3GAN,” helping to create a true phenomenon.

There’s a ton of lore in “Chapter 4,” because that’s what the “John Wick” flicks are now. Fortunately, the fourth entry tamped the lore down a bit compared to the third film, allowing more time for action. That’s what these movies are all about in the end. Give us Keanu Reeves kicking butt across the globe. Throw in some Donnie Yen and we’re even happier.

It turns out the way to make a successful “Super Mario Bros.” movie is to make it a fun animated film and not a high-concept, live-action film with Dennis Hopper as a humanoid King Koopa. Before “Barbie” turned out to be a massive success, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was the story at the box office. You get what you want from the world of Mario, and some enjoyable voiceover performances to boot.

“Evil Dead Rise” splits the difference between the horror-comedy of “Evil Dead 2” and the visceral nastiness of the “Evil Dead” remake from a few years ago. It’s not “fun” horror, but it’s not a pure bummer seemingly surfing the wave of the “torture porn” subgenre, the worst subgenre to ever hit the big screen. It’s gross, sure, but not in an odious way. More in the way horror fans enjoy.

Nicole Holofcener and Julia Louis-Dreyfus don’t miss. Sure, Holofcener has only directed two JLD films, but both “Enough Said” and “You Hurt My Feelings” nail the domestic dramedy mark. Louis-Dreyfus plays a successful writer who is working on her first novel, which her husband says is really good, but then she overhears him tell a friend the novel’s manuscript is, in fact, pretty poor. Cue the drama! Also, the keenly-observed humor!

Honestly? The premise of “Five Nights at Freddy’s” makes more sense as a movie than a video game. However, it was a video game phenomenon, giving the movie a built-in audience. That helped make it the horror success of the year. It’s spooky Chuck E. Cheese. You either want it or you don’t.

A year after “Elvis,” we got “Priscilla.” Sofia Coppola is not unlike Wes Anderson, in that her work tends to either yield fervent love or overarching displeasure. Her moody, methodical style is not for everybody, but it works for the story of Priscilla Presley, which is at least a different approach to the mythos of “Elvis,” one of the icons of American culture.

Apparently every now and again we need a heavy drama about professional wrestling. “The Wrestler” briefly led to the resurrection of Mickey Rourke’s career (unfortunately for him he proved too much of a maniac to do anything with it). Zac Efron doesn’t need the same boost, but “The Iron Claw” was a chance for him to stretch his dramatic chops and get some critical love. The film focuses on the Von Erich family, legends of pro wrestling, but also a family who saw tragedy befall them time and time again.

Maybe it’s trite to do the “You’re on their wavelength, or you aren’t” for a third director on this list, but we’re talking about Yorgos Lanthimos. The dude who directed “Dogtooth.” The guy who thinks of “The Lobster” as absurdist comedy. However, “The Favourite” got Oscar love, and apparently Emma Stone has grown to enjoy working with him. “Poor Things” is a Lanthimos movie, and there’s nobody else who makes “Lanthimos movies.”

This was a BAD year for superhero flicks and comic book movies. Marvel seems to be on a downswing. Maybe the market got oversaturated. At least “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” was good. It’s the only superhero movie that can say that for 2023. James Gunn almost didn’t get to make it, but fortunately he did, especially since it is his MCU swan song, and thus very likely the Guardians’ swan song as well.

Every Martin Scorsese film is an event. He’s one of the greatest directors of all time, and he’s in his eighties so we better enjoy him while we can. “Killers of the Flower Moon” is not some phoned-in work to be applauded because a legend of cinema directed it. One, the dude made a movie that is over three hours long. Two, it’s really good. The movie breathes, perhaps a smidge too much, but the moments where it coalesces are remarkable, and the cast is stellar.

When you heard David Fincher was making a movie about a hitman based on a graphic novel, you may have expected a violent, visceral bit of miserablism, or perhaps some pulp sleaze in the vein of “Gone Girl” and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” Instead, we got…kind of a comedy? “The Killer” is weird, glib, and nihilist. It’s also compelling, striking, and pretty funny. Yeah, it’s a trip, but we’re all in.

Ridley Scott doesn’t care. He’s going to do what he wants, and what he wanted this time around was to make an epic, historically inaccurate movie about Napoleon Bonaparte. You think the guy who directed “House of Gucci” is going to flinch in the face of criticism? When you have Joaquin Phoenix playing Napoleon and have the craftsmanship of Scott, there is going to be some good stuff in your film. Not Scott’s best, but a worthy entry into his filmography.

Bradley Cooper starring in, and directing, “A Star is Born” bred skepticism. Then it was a massive hit and got a ton of Oscar nominations. Thus, Cooper starring in, and directing, “Maestro” bred intrigue. That intrigue bore fruit in a big way. Cooper’s biopic of composer Leonard Bernstein struck a chord with critics, which helped pave the way for the general audience. Netflix hasn’t gotten that Best Picture win yet. Could “Maestro” finally make it happen?