No lie, this year kind of sucked. Professional setbacks, economic turmoil, family stress, it all started to get to me and then an idiot knowingly gave me COVID-19 right before Christmas. It’s been an exhausting year, so I’m grateful that this year’s movies were an embarrassment of riches. This will be the first year I do a top twenty and that’s mostly because I can’t bring myself to ditch any of the ones on this list. I’ve laughed, cried, and lost my absolute mind on a few occasions. I’m still behind and will never catch up (the joys of not having enough time in a day) so cheers to The Color Purple, Anatomy of a Fall, The Iron Claw, and many other films that I just couldn’t get to this year.
I always shout out a few honorable mentions. These are great films that I hope everyone seeks out and has a great time with. I’d like to shout out:
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Talk to Me
The Secret Art of Human Flight
There’s so much wonderful cinema out there. We’ve been spoiled with a slew of wonderful theatrical releases and even streaming managed to crank out some great options. These are my top twenty films of the year, each a wonderful offering, and I hope you seek out or already watched each and every one.
May December – Todd Haynes’ latest is a complicated film, drawing attention to the idea of grooming and the ways we create narratives in which to live. Julianne Moore portrays Gracie Atherton-Yoo, a woman who seduced a twelve-year-old when she was in her thirties and later married him after having his baby. Upsetting subject matter is supported by multiple performances, none as incredible and upsetting as that of Charles Melton’s. The artifice, the narratives we live within, and the problems we don’t talk about, all are on display as an external force shines a light on an internal problem in this camp melodrama.
El Conde – I love Pablo Larraín. I could stop right there but that wouldn’t tell you why you need to watch El Conde, his latest film and first distributed by Netflix. Reimagining Augusto Pinochet as an ageless vampire, the black-and-white film chronicles his remaining days as his children squabble over who will get what from his estate. Everything from a lusty Catholic auditor to a very on-the-nose Margaret Thatcher vampire swirls above Jaime Vidall’s blood-sucker as he has a late-life crisis. It’s hilarious, awkward, and so ridiculously horny. El Conde is the most fun the director has had in a while.
Knock at the Cabin – Shyamalan has been on the rise for a while now and his latest is awesome. Taking Paul Tremblay’s novel Cabin at the End of the World and running wild with it, things go off the rails fast. It’s blend of modernism and bizarre religious obsession that puts forth the question of whether or not you are willing to lose one person to save everyone. Shyamalan has joined in on the “Dave Bautista is even better with little glasses” train and it’s such a delightful performance. You’re into the director’s thing or you aren’t but skipping this one would be your loss. It might be the most interesting film of the year, even if it’s not the best.
Barbie – Hi, Barbies! Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie’s brain-child is a hilarious examination of patriarchy through a lens made out of cotton candy and dreams. Sprinting from the matriarchal concept land to the real world and back, Robbie and Ryan Gosling aggressively shine a light on toxic masculinity, capitalism and body image, and the pressures of being a woman in a modern Western world. While Margot Robbie gives the best performance in the film, full of humor and nuance and genuine emotion (“I’m a fascist!? I don’t control the railways or the flow of commerce!”), it’s Gosling that is stuck in my head as the most charming moron you’ve ever met. Did I college-me cringe as he said, “Let me play my guitar at you?” You’re damn right. America Ferrera’s feminist monologue is one of the most breathtaking sequences of the year in a film full of exciting ideas and images. It’s a massive accomplishment that stands as a testament that yes, a well-made film for women can be wildly successful.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Pt. 1 – Ah, the movies. Stunts, stars, sprinting, everything you could want from a blockbuster Tom Cruise film. Hollywood’s last movie star and genuine freak he may be, the man has pulled out all stops over and over again for nothing more than our entertainment and he’s not stopping any time soon. The seventh entry in this death-defying franchise was a moment where Cruise fucked around and found out, attempting to take on the beast that was Barbenheimer and he got wrecked. It’s a shame that more people didn’t show up for this one because it’s so much fun, with incredible stunts and some exciting action sequences. The film is also about just how ridiculously charismatic Hailey Atwell is (I believe the kids today would say she has “the rizz”). This is a win for Hollywood and a testament to how no computer can create a thrill-ride like this.
Maestro – Look, the nose works. Bradley Cooper’s second film is one of the most exciting offerings of the year (I can’t believe I’ve got multiple Netflix distributions on this list). Choosing to serve as a portrait of a marriage rather than your standard biopic fare, Maestro puts Carrey Mulligan front and center as the wife who lives in the shadow of a melancholy genius. The performance in the Ely Cathedral is, perhaps, the scene of the year. It’s a rapturous experience in a film that was already beautiful. Cooper’s got an eye for an interesting cinematic experience and he makes sure it all stacks up to be greater than the sum of its very significant parts.
No One Will Save You – I love it when these lesser-seen films wind up being something I’m excited to share with you all. No One Will Save You is the second film from director Brian Duffield and should be his entry onto the main stage. Writhing with eerie alien encounters, silence louder than an explosion, and a brilliant performance from Kaitlyn Dever collide together in a deeply upsetting and exciting film about the worlds we create when the real world is too much. It’s a claustrophobic film that doesn’t care if the audience is comfortable or not. I love seeing a director burst out like this and Duffield has done a hell of a job.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – In a year when I felt superhero fatigue as strongly as ever it was kind of nice to get a great Spider-Man film. The fact that it’s one of the most beautiful, stunning cinematic experiences I’ve had in ages is just icing on the cake. No film has ever looked like this, stood like this, and dared to serve as a cure for the common cape flick like this. The visual language used here is brand new and it’s supported by some of the best voice performances of the year. It might be part one of a two-part film but its magic is that it still feels like a complete emotional arc in and of itself. This is a triumph and I can’t wait for the next installment (whenever that may be because pay your animators and treat them fairly you bastards).
Godzilla Minus One – Look, I love this franchise. I love when it turns into grown men in rubber suits playing professional wrestling with each other. It’s the best, but I also love when a kaiju film can be more and this is it right here. Focusing on the fear of death and the triumph of human will, Godzilla Minus One tells a tale of redemption and found family in the face of nuclear annihilation. Beyond its engaging characters and gripping imagery (my boy looks MEAN and his spikes, my god) is a sensation of destruction and life lost. The film begins in the final days of WWII, focusing on a kamikaze pilot who decided he didn’t want to just die and his connection to a monster beyond understanding. This is one of the best films of the year and might just be the best Godzilla film since the character’s creation.
The Killer – David Fincher rules. David Fincher making fun of himself? Rules even harder. His story of an assassin on the run, a man talking about how precise and knowledgeable he is despite dropping the ball over and over, is going to serve as a comedy for some and a thrill for others. His moments of triumph and failure are set with the comedic timing of a seasoned comedian building to a punchline before slathering it in blood. It looks gorgeous, sports a beautifully funny performance from Michael Fassbender, and manages to make product placement work for a narrative. There’s nothing else like it this year and it’s probably the best film Fincher has made in a decade (mostly because it’s better than Mank, a film I also liked a lot).
Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret – It’s been quite a year for films geared directly towards women. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret stood as one of the best. It captures not only the awkwardness of tween girlhood (so my partner tells me) but the dynamics and emotions of all who come of age in America (so my own experience tells me). Religious politics, uncomfortable family dynamics, and the strange interactions of youthful friend groups all play together in the life of Margaret (Abby Ryder Forston). We cannot ignore the career-best performance from Rachel McAdams, who plays Margaret’s mother and the central link between girlhood and adulthood. Kelly Freemon Craig’s film is a stunner, hilarious and heartbreaking, and should be on everyone’s watchlist.
Poor Things – Like I said this is the year for films directly aimed at women. Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest is a film that feels as though David Lynch, Tim Burton, and Greta Gerwig collaborated on a project together and yet feels entirely unique. Emma Stone’s lead performance as Bella Baxter is a revelatory coming-of-age story, a child in an adult form who grows to understand her place in this world and what she can do about it. Mark Ruffalo co-stars as an utter buffoon that is as charming as he is moronic throughout the entire flick. Poor Things is a hilarious, poignant, horny movie that asks a lot of large questions and grows very direct about confronting them.
Beau is Afraid – This three-hour anxiety attack is so much to unpack. Filled with beautiful imagery and hilarious performances across the board, Ari Aster’s latest packs quite a punch right off the bat before slowing down to become more contemplative. A blown condom isn’t the only rigorous surprise in store as the audience follows Beau (Joaquin Phoenix) on his journey to bury his overbearing mother. Each new setpiece in this episodic adventure feels Homeric in its structure. Co-starring Nathan Lane, Parker Posy, and Patti LuPone as Beau’s friends and family, Beau is Afraid creates an uncomfortable time and a nigh-on unwatchable experience for anyone who goes in with the wrong frame of mind. I loved it, what can I say?
Great Photo, Lovely Life – A lot of films in 2023 were a blast to watch. Sure, they had something to say, but they wrapped it in a highly entertaining package. Amanda Mustard’s debut documentary, Great Photo, Lovely Life, is a gorgeously designed film that is utterly devastating to watch. Following the final days of her grandfather, Bill Flickinger, she unpacks a history of sexual abuse and family upheaval as she delves into the secrets no one wants to talk about. It’s a brave film that pulls absolutely no punches and has no sympathy for an uncomfortable audience. The first few minutes serve as their own trigger warning and you’re in or out right there. I found it to be one of the most incredible experiences of the year and a must-see documentary (that’s streaming on Max right now).
When Evil Lurks – This gnarly Spanish-language film dropped at TIFF and was subsequently slotted onto Shudder. It also happens to be the horror movie of the year and one of the most effective shockers I’ve seen in quite a while. Set in a dying world where possession is treated as a disease and religion has died out, a man finds an infection in his town and tries to save his family from getting caught up in it. No one is safe and this is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of truly insane violence and a lot of it is so upsetting. What hit me is that it all works. It’s a harrowing experience that manages to build something greater than the sum of its parts. This one’s going to go down as a cult classic, no question.
Killers of the Flower Moon – Martin Scorcese is at the top of his game for this three-and-a-half-hour epic. DiCaprio is so dedicated to playing this sympathetic, monstrous dumb-dumb, and DeNiro decided his take on William Hale was “this guy is literally the devil.” It’s Lily Gladstone, however, that serves as the emotional heart that ties the audience to the grounded reality of this bleak period of American history. She’s a magnet full of charisma that manages to tower over some of the legends of Hollywood. Beyond those performances, beyond even the surprise of Brendan Fraser (he had the girth!), one of the biggest components is the final score of Robbie Robertson. The retro-modernism of his guitar-driven compositions is rousing, devastating, fun, and like nothing I’ve heard in film before. Killers of the Flower Moon is a triumph of cinema and a return to the historical epic that you love to see on the big screen.
Past Lives – Celine Song’s debut film is a rapturous experience that encapsulates every emotion tied to the phrase “what might have been.” Greta Lee and Teo Yoo’s chemistry is off the charts and their ability to build an emotional history between their characters works wonders as we enter that final scene. I love John Magaro as the husband realizing he’ll always be the second fiddle in his wife’s orchestra. Seriously, that guy is really chill about the whole situation. Past Lives is such a beautiful film, weaving Korean and American sensibilities together and dancing from one language to another with a light ease. That language barrier serves as part of the romantic triangle’s imbalances, with Greta Lee’s Nora Moon sitting at the center with unspoken decisions to make. It’s an incredible film and I hope everyone seeks it out.
The Boy and the Heron – Hayao Miyazaki is absolutely ridiculous. The Wind Rises, his 2013 swan song that served as a perfect retirement film, was meant to be his last. He couldn’t stay away and ten years later released The Boy and the Heron, another final film and perhaps an even more beautifully devastating goodbye from a master grappling with his legacy. Beyond the beautiful animation, beyond the incredible voice performances (both the original Japanese cast and the astonishing English dub), and even beyond a (potentially) career-best score from Joe Hisaishi, Miyazaki’s latest dares to tell a story that encapsulates his entire life in a two-hour journey through his own strengths, shortcomings, and joys. There’s nothing but perfection in The Boy and the Heron and it’s a titan of animated cinema.
Asteroid City – Wes Anderson’s last three films have all felt like the most Wes Anderson that he’s Wes Anderson-ed all over the place. With his release of Asteroid City, he may have found the true heart of his entire set of sensibilities. His play within a documentary about the making of the play within a television special about the writer of the play is about “infinity and I don’t know what else.” Grief, precocious children, complicated family dynamics, and love above all else, everything he’s into is just oozing from every frame. The fact that it might be one of his best films is astonishing at this point in his career. Hell, Margot Robbie drops in for about three minutes and manages to blow open a whole new level of emotional turmoil in one of the best performances in the film. This thing is gorgeous, hilarious, sad, and just a wonderful statement from a director who simply can’t contain himself.
Oppenheimer – No film this year held such a tight grip on my thoughts as Oppenheimer. Nolan’s three hour biopic is the closest he’ll come to making a horror movie and it wound up beautiful, devastating, and utterly devoid of any faith in humanity. It’s stacked with a myriad of “Oh, right, that guy” actors (Josh Hartnett, David Dastmalchian, David Krumholtz) and led by Cillian Murphy in the greatest performance he’s given since 28 Days Later. It’s hard to create a film that contains decades properly and Christopher Nolan has crafted an excellent representation of a life lived in turmoil. The effects work from Scott Fisher and Andrew Jackson for the Trinity Test wound up being such a gripping testament to how terrifying this creation could be. These effects-driven moments are peppered through a film that is mostly dudes talking in rooms and somehow that winds up being thrilling. I cannot fathom that one of the biggest films of the year is a lengthy biopic about how doomed humanity is but hey, I’m overjoyed to see it.
WRITE DRUNK; EDIT DRUNK 