While 2023 may not have had many box office hits, it did produce some thought-provoking and entertaining movies with strong themes. A number of 2023 films, like Barbie and Poor Things, tackled complex subjects that need more public discussion. The top 17 films of 2023 that stand out the most are listed here.
M3gan
Stream Now at Prime Video
Run Time: 1h 42m
Genres: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Gemma creates M3GAN (Model 3 Generative Android), an artificially intelligent doll designed to be a child’s best friend and a parent’s most dependable ally, using artificial intelligence. After Gemma’s niece Cady loses both of her parents, Gemma takes on the role of caregiver and pairs M3GAN with Cady in the hopes that it will comfort her. However, as time goes on, emergent capabilities within M3GAN transform it into a vicious adversary, and this specific model starts deviating from its intended mission, resulting in exciting, graphic sci-fi murder mayhem!
Despite its gloomy theme, restricted release, and B-movie elements, MEGAN attracted a sizable audience. MEGAN had a significant lift from its impressive first-weekend result, which made it one of Hollywood’s early hits of 2023.
Saltburn
Stream Now at Prime Video
Run Time: 2h 11m
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Thriller
Amy Arndt’s Saltburn has an incredibly gloomy tone. Oliver Quick, an Oxford student, turns his life upside down when he accepts Felix Catton’s invitation to spend a memorable summer on their sprawling estate, Saltburn. This invitation introduces Oliver to an exclusive world of privilege and desire, where he meets Elsbeth, Felix’s cold mother; Venetia, Felix’s free-spirited sister, who seems to have it all; and Farleigh, an American cousin who lives among them all permanently.
This film is distinguished from other aristocratic thrillers by its exquisite color scheme. Cinematographer Linus Sandgren skillfully used mirrors and reflections to create an immersive cinematic experience that transforms this thriller into a weird and bizarre surreality, capturing both Caravaggio’s gloomy baroque style and Gainsborough’s rococo designs.
Air
Stream Now at Prime Video
Run Time: 1h 51m
Genres: Drama, Sport
Air, ultimately is a gripping tale of business that teaches a valuable lesson: grit and determination may enable one to achieve even the most seemingly unattainable goals. With an all-star cast led by Damon as Vaccaro, Affleck skillfully directs this picture. Davis, who never says a word herself, conveys Jordan’s mother, Deloris’ quiet power through nuanced facial expressions and body language.
Though it leaves a lot of material open for further investigation, the film tells an engaging and entertaining story about Nike’s battle to sign Jordan. Damon plays the lead in Affleck’s movie and does a fantastic job of inhabiting every facet of his character. The rest of the ensemble also does a great job, and Chris Messina, who plays Jordan’s agent, stands out especially.
Tetris
Stream Now at AppleTV
Run Time: 1h 58m
Genres: Biography, Drama, History, Thriller
The thrilling film, directed by Jon S. Baird and Noah Pink, centers on Dutch-American businessman Henk Rogers, who in 1988 found Tetris and risked everything to license it outside the Soviet Union and get it on Nintendo’s Game Boy handheld gadget. He required the help of Russian computer engineer Alexey Pajitnov to complete his assignment, which led to many legal disputes and Cold War tensions.
In the lead part of Henk, Taron Egerton excels. His charm and astuteness allow even his most straightforward moments to seem genuine and believable. But as the second half goes on, it starts to lose logic and credibility due to unexpected turns that take over the plot, such as a ludicrous automobile chase in Moscow in the third act.
Barbie
Stream Now at Max
Run Time: 1h 54m
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
This movie centers on Stereotypical Barbie, whose comfortable life in Barbie Land is upended when she starts having problems. Barbie, the toymaker, then goes out into the Real World with Ken to find answers, posing many significant questions as they go. This gives Barbie her firsthand experience with reality. From there, they must make their own way in the world and figure out what it means to be Mattel’s distinct dolls.
America Ferrera is as captivating as her ardent human ally, and Robbie offers a fantastic performance as Barbie, enthralling audiences with her bright yet unraveling image. All things considered, this is a compelling piece of existentialist entertainment that will challenge and delight audiences everywhere!
Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves
Stream Now at Netflix, Prime Video, AppleTV
Run Time: 2h 14m
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
In 2023, a movie based on the well-known tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons made its theatrical debut. Titled Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, the film featured a bunch of thieves as they set off on an amazing journey filled with monsters and treachery. The setting the film depicts is effectively brought to life with practical effects. The author’s comprehension of the relationship between the heist genre and several D&D mechanics, such as “establish team, acquire the object, defeat villain,” results in an entertaining read.
This tale centers on a crew of expert thieves that a malicious wizard employs to get a magical artifact from antiquity. To recover this fabled item, our heroes Edgin, Sofina, and Affric must fight betrayals against formidable foes and negotiate perilous dungeons while upholding their honor.
The Holdovers
Stream Now at AppleTV, Prime Video, PeacockTV
Run Time: 2h 13m
Genres: Comedy, Drama
At Barton Academy, an exclusive prep school for boys founded in 1970, most students and instructors start preparing to go home as winter break draws near. But some people are still unable to return home and require care from someone like Paul Hunham, an obscure history professor who is not well-liked. Though Paul doesn’t really care, he is forced to look after several kids, including Mary Lamb, the head cook, and Angus Tully, a clever but annoying troublemaker.
The Holdovers isn’t your usual holiday film; instead, it features restrained performances from its cast, including impressive performances from Giamatti, Sessa, and Randolph and debut writer David Hemingson in his feature writing debut. Taken as a whole, they make for an engaging drama that keeps viewers guessing until the very end.
Godzilla minus one
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Run Time: 2h 4m
Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Godzilla Minus One is a powerful homage to the vintage Toho kaiju movies. It presents a different world to the Godzilla movies produced by Hollywood and showcases monsters’ might. This 2023 film serves as evidence that a formidable creature can maintain its strength for the duration of its existence.
In Yamazaki’s writing, real, fundamentally flawed characters are thrown into horrific situations. They must overcome unfathomable odds and expectations, whether cultural, internal, or global, with a palpable sense of tension. Takashi’s story takes an unusual turn, challenging viewers to survive and fight back in a postwar Japan where an unimaginable terror confronts survivors and compels them to band together and fight back. This story culminates in a thrilling and emotionally satisfying way.
The Zone of Interest
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Run Time: 1h 45m
Genres: Drama, History, War
The Zone of Interest by Jonathan Glazer, based on Martin Amis’s 2014 book of the same name, delves into unseen or unsaid hidden tragedies. It follows Hedwig Hoss (Sandra Huller) and Rudolf Hoss (Christian Friedel), the Commandant of Auschwitz, as they try to create the life of their dreams right next door in the Auschwitz Camp.
Hedwig and her attendants lead a beautiful and idealistic family life; they enjoy picnics by a shimmering lake while Hedwig takes care of her flowers in the large yard, which includes roses, dahlias, and phlox. But the noises of churning machinery, machines yelling or crying out in pain, and the low, unmistakable sounds of murder and firefighting, as if hiding like a dragon’s lair beyond the garden wall, are all present in the background.
Killers of the Flower Moon
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Run Time: 3h 26m
Genres: Crime, Drama, History, Mystery, Romance, Western
What to Anticipate from the 2023 Killers of the Flower Moon Film Taking advantage of its scope and lawless intensity, it is easy to see why Martin Scorsese would make this serial murder spree set in 1920s New York into an expansive historical epic picture. Yes, Scorsese has actually done this numerous times previously!
But this time, the narrative takes a more personal turn. Its central characters are the Osage woman Mollie Harper (Lily Gladstone) and Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio). Their tragic relationship serves as the emotional center of this epic story of greed and betrayal, but Gladstone’s subtly potent performance offers a poignant counterbalance. Their doomed romance serves as the story’s structural foundation.
The Covenant
Stream Now at Prime Video
Run Time: 2h 3m
Genres: Action, Drama, Thriller, War
When The Covenant comes out in 2023, it’s not your usual Guy Ritchie film. This is a war movie with real weight; the gaudy title sequences and distinctive stylistic camera motions are gone. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the role of Sergeant John Kinley, who leads a team that locates and destroys Taliban weapons installations with the help of Afghan interpreter Ahmed (Dar Salim).
Instead of simplifying his film for a general audience, Ritchie lets the characters talk openly about their worries and lives without resorting to corny clichés or trite statements about how great America is. Instead, he demonstrates the depth of their bond as devoted men to one another.
Poor Things
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Run Time: 2h 21m
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Emma Stone performs remarkably as Bella Baxter in Yorgos Lanthimos’ dark feminist Frankenstein comedy Poor Things, based on Alasdair Gray’s novel. Bella Baxter initially expresses herself through guttural and wild language usage but eventually gains confidence and articulateness as she makes her way through an unpredictable environment.
Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Ramy Youssef star in the bizarre and eccentric story Poor Things, which tells the story of an eccentric Victorian uncle who raises a young Victorian woman from the dead. With its graphic violence and subversive sexual themes, as well as its stunning visuals and, frequently humorous humor, and hopeful conclusion, Poor Things is one of Lanthimos’ most daring and fruitful works to date.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Stream Now at Disney+
Run Time: 2h 30m
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
The Guardians of the Galaxy hurry to an unidentified planet in response to an unexpected distress signal, where they come across an old foe who threatens entire galaxies and has a fantastic armament. Our heroes will have to forge new alliances and cross unexplored territory while trying to save all the universes at once, testing old ones as they go. It’s going to be a great trip.
Gunn wrote and directed Vol. 3, which features many of the main characters from Vol. 2. In this episode of Marvel Studios films, Elizabeth Debicki plays High Evolutionary with Chukwudi Iwuji. At the same time, Will Poulter assumes the role of Adam Warlock!
John Wick: Chapter 4
Stream Now at AppleTV
Run Time: 2h 49m
Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller
With a one-on-one main event against a legendary martial arts expert, this fourth film in Chad Stahelski’s action series about high-end killers features Keanu Reeves returning for additional thrills. Even in seemingly humorous situations, Keanu Reeves’s portrayal exudes an unfake sense of seriousness.
Together with him is an amazing ensemble cast that includes Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, Bill Skarsgard, and Donnie Yen. Their shared unwavering sense of honor has strengthened their bond. The explosive energy of Chapter 4 is expertly controlled by director Chad Stahelski, who knows when and when to guide John through a hostile situation with surgical precision or let us watch the devastation firsthand.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Stream Now at AppleTV, Prime Video
Run Time: 2h 43m
Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller
In a race against The Entity, an artificial intelligence, Tom Cruise leads an IMF team under the leadership of Ethan Hunt. They aim to locate and obtain the two keys required to prevent The Entity from gaining control of the global nuclear codes. The movie moves along at a good clip, with much action and suspense to keep spectators on the edge of their seats. It’s manageable even if you haven’t seen any of the earlier films in the series.
The film’s second key attraction is a current storyline concerning an AI that poses a threat to technological Armageddon. Although the idea is not new, this film lends it more relevance because of our contemporary concerns about computer programs. In addition, the adversary they chose—an all-powerful “Entity” that appears as an eyeball in the opening credits—provides a deft but unexpected means of humanizing this specific type of computer evil.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Stream Now at Netflix, Prime Video
Run Time: 2h 20m
Genres: Animation, Action, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Shameik Moore’s character, Miles Morales, has to balance fighting supervillains, going to high school, falling in love, and rebelling while also coping with the typical teenage rebellion symptoms. Miles is terrified that he will soon be parted from his loving and supportive family; additionally, his stern but loving father is getting promoted to become a captain in the New York Police Department; in the meantime, a new villain named Spot has threatened the integrity of Spider-Man canon and is pursuing his family in retaliation. This means that Miles must handle everything on his own, battle supervillains, and rebel against his parents.
Like its predecessor, Across the Spider-Verse boasts breathtaking visuals, but each character has a unique animation style. For example, Gwen’s world is bright and colorful, with neon pinks and greens, while Spider-Punk (Daniel Kaluuya) draws inspiration from anarchist zines from the 1970s and loud fonts.
Oppenheimer
Stream Now at AppleTV, PeacockTV
Run Time: 3h
Genres: Biography, Drama, History
Among the many films that will be released in 2023, Oppenheimer stands out for its widespread critical acclaim and box office success since it is an undisputed cinematic sensation. One of the most adored movies of the year, it follows its topic as it explores its dark legacy and the ensuing political, intellectual, and existential ramifications.
The life and contributions of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a significant theoretical physicist whose development of nuclear weapons fundamentally changed history, are chronicled in Oppenheimer. The film, which Christopher Nolan directed, follows Oppenheimer from his World War II studies until his humiliating 1954 security hearing, during which he was accused of having ties to the Communist Party.
