The Best Movies of 2023…
I thought there was no better way to kick off 2024 here on OD than to post what I thought were the best movies of the previous year. In a nutshell, 2023 was a pretty decent year for movies, as there were more original films than there were remakes or sequels… and while I hope that trend would continue, next year is chalked up with wall to wall sequels, so we won’t bet hat lucky in 2024.
But still, this was a decent movie year and here are the films I thought were the best the previous year had to offer.
Enjoy, and happy new year!
Peter
THE BEST MOVIES OF 2023:
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
– Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
– Killers Of The Flower Moon
– What Happens Next
– May December
– Past Lives
10. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING PART 1
The 7th installment of this popular franchise manages to deliver despite once again despite how amazing the previous film was. Fallout set a very high bar, but somehow Dead Reckoning Part 1 managed to clear that easily despite only being one half of the story. The action was intense, the plot and the villain were well thought out and very modern to today’s current issues with AI. Mission Impossible once again raised the bar again and delivered what was the best action film of the year. Now I can’t wait to see Dead Reckoning Part 2, which is scheduled to arrive in summer of 2025.
9. ASTEROID CITY:
I am a huge fan of Wes Anderson, so whenever I see his name in the credits that’s all the motivation I need to get my ass in the seat of my local theatre. This film had a huge cast, and looked great and it did not disappoint. This was a tapestry of great acting, good story, and a hilarious ending. One of the wackiest films of the year no doubt, but Wes delivered another gem as it was one of the most interesting and quirky movies of the year. Definitely worth checking it out if you’re a big fan of Anderson’s previous works like I am.
8. THE SOUND OF FREEDOM:
Not since The Big Short has a movie angered me so much that I was tempted to throw a shoe at the screen. The Sound Of Freedom is a disturbing movie because it shows us all the horrors of child trafficking that carries on today, and that our kids deserve better protection than what our governments are current providing. It’s a difficult movie to watch, but it drives home a message that we all need to hear. Jim Caviezel leads a good cast portraying Tim Ballard, the man who’s still out there in real life trying to save children from the monsters who want to sell them to perverts. Worth checking out if you need to learn how bad things are out there and how much more needs to be done to protect our kids.
7. SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDERVERSE:
This was by far the best animated film of 2023, which was surprised because the previous Spider-Verse movie had a set a very, very high bar. The movie was so good it has another legitimate chance to we the Oscar for best Animated Feature again. I love how this film not only was its own thing, but had serious ties back to the previous film that made it even better too. While we were left on a cliffhanger, the next film isn’t far off but this Spider-Verse movie left us feeling rather full and content to wait for the next installment whenever it might come out. Totally worth checking out if you loved the previous movie as it was even better!
6. ANATOMY OF A FALL:
This movie had it all, which is why there’s no surprise this is one of the best films of the damn year! I thought this would just be a court room drama, but it was also romantic, tragic, and family motivated at the same time. This film had everything which is what made the ending so unpredictable. When it’s all said and done, we are never really given the answer and are left to wonder what really happened, is basically how most court trials end in real life. Frustrating, yet accurate. Amazing movie!!
5. GODZILLA MINUS ONE:
My son is a huge Godzilla fan. How huge you ask? Ethan and I have watched over 40 movies about this big lizard, even the original B&W classics from the 50s. I can assure you while watching the entire collection that there are a lot of bad Godzilla movies out there I never want to watch again. So, when Ethan and I went to our local theatre to check out Godzilla Minus One, I was hoping this wouldn’t be one of those stinkers, and thankfully it wasn’t. Not only was this not a bad movie, it was one of the best Godzilla movies we had ever seen. Not only did we get legendary scenes of a big lizard wrecking cities, but we have a film that had great characters, good story and an ending that was sad and hopeful. Such a beautiful film!
4. THE HOLDOVERS:
Sideways and the Descendants are some of my all time favorite dramas, so of course I wanted to see this movie the moment it was announced, and it totally delivered the goods. The Holdovers is one of the best holiday movies I’ve seen in years, and another gem delivered by director Alexander Payne. Paul Giamatti again delivers another award worth performance that should at least earn a nomination. He was damn good as the teacher forced to deal with kids staying at school for the holidays. Worth checking out if you’re a fan of Payne’s earlier works and are in the mood for a nostalgic film about the 70s that is also about friendship and loyalty. A definite must watch for the holiday season too!
3. AIR:
I’m just a sucker for nostalgic movies, as this one hit home harder for me as I remember the 80s and how awesome that decade was. The newest movie from director Ben Affleck again delivers as this movie about Nike’s pursuit of Micheal Jordan for the show deal that would change the industry is worth checking out even if you are not a sports fan… and a definite must watch for those who do love sports. Matt Damon gives a great showing in a cast full of stand outs, and this film while worthy of some awards love might not get much due to it’s early April release. A shame cause this is a damn good film!
2. MAESTRO:
This very well could be Netflix’s best submission for Oscar consideration, ever. Bradley Cooper’s film about the life of legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein is a magnificent piece of cinema and the very reason we go to a threatre to see movies. The songs and music scenes are epic, and the fact Cooper spent six year’s learning how to conduct to get scenes right is insane, yet amazing to see on screen. Both Bradley Cooper and Cary Mulligan are brilliant in this enchanting film that chronicles of the lifelong relationship of conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. Maestro is a must watch as this little baby is going to win a lot of hardware…
1. SALTBURN:
Holy crap, this movie came out of nowhere and hit me with the subtly of the sledge hammer between the eyes. When I sat down to watch Saltburn, I had assumed we were going to watch another cheesy boy meets boy kinda film, but what I got was something far darker, and more stunning that any other film I’ve seen this year. Watching Saltburn was kinda like passing a brutal accident on the highway. You don’t want to look, but cannot stop watching the carnage before you. Barry Keoghan gives the performance of his career and is my current favorite to win Best Actor in a few months. This movie is a damn masterpiece, and worth checking out as it’s in my humble opinion the best damn movie of 2023!