Yo, another quick word: as of publishing, there is STILL no permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Humanitarian aid is desperately needed. Take some direct actions if you can take to help. Now, onto…whatever this is!
Best Of lists are at once useful, annoying, and disheartening. How can there ever be a “best” of ART?! It’s subjective, fer cryin’ out loud!
That said, I like movies. I like writing them, I like seeing them, and I like going to see them in a big theater with a small popcorn. I’m sorry, I can’t eat the big popcorn. It’s too much popped corns!
So, why not, for the hell of it, do a “Best of 2023” list for the movies? I know, I am an incredibly original and innovative thought leader. Flower? For me? No, you shouldn’t have, it’s just a list!
Please keep in mind that this is just for fun. I haven’t seen EVERY release this year. There’s probably one of your faves I did not list so please refrain from this:
Furthermore, LOTS of these films have very specific and deep “discourse” behind them. I’m not here to talk about that right now. I’m just talking about stuff I enjoyed at the time. I’m also certain I’m missing movies, so if I saw you and you’re not on here, again, not an indictment!
With that in mind, here are just a handful of movies I liked this year, presented in alphabetical order, that I think you might like, too.
Air: The 90s are back, baby! Well, the film is set in the 80s, but tonally this movie feels like the 90s. It’s such a Dad Movie and I am here for it. Come for Viola Davis as Michael Jordan’s mom, stay for Ben Affleck’s feet on the table.
Anatomy of a Fall: This is very my kinda shit. A questionable death? Morally complex characters? Courtroom shenanigans, Euro style? Sign me the fuck up. This movie had me thinking for days, and I think anyone who likes suspense thrillers will love it.
Bottoms: Please, for Allah’s sake, let’s make comedies again. In the spirit of teen coms like Heathers, this tonally wild movie has two queer high school besties start a fight club to hook up with girls. Everyone in this is kind of a dirtbag and I’m here for it. Please, PLEASE! More movies with dirtbag teens!!
Barbie: I wore glittery pink high heels to see this and I’d do it again. Paying homage to the MGM musical greats, it’s a technicolor candy-coated dream world where Will Ferrell is a good CEO but the Stath Lets Flats guy gets the best lines. I dunno, it’s just a fun movie with a bangin’ soundtrack, dammit! “Sublime!”
The Boy and the Heron: I had the pleasure of seeing this with a friend who has never seen a Miyazaki film! It hits all the right notes: melancholy, grief, hope, amazing food scenes, talking animals, magical realms — it’s beautiful. Go watch.
The Holdovers: A new Christmas classic. Funny and sweet, with perfect 70s vibes and every character is an absolute sad sack. All three of our leads do incredible work. Solid story, heartwarming turns, and Giamatti back on the sauce. Good times.
Killers of the Flower Moon: HOO WEEE. Everyone should watch this (TW: it’s three and a half hours). The evil of banality — how money and power corrupt absolutely — is the point of the story. Lily Gladstone is just *chef’s kiss* in this role. Marty “Slay” Scorsese fires on all cylinders.
May December: A melodramatic campy romp with deeply uncomfortable subject matter that poses, “What if Lifetime movie, but prestige?” Every actor hits the high notes here because each one asks the question, “What if I am a real person, but also, at some point, extremely unhinged?” Lisps! Makeup! Snakes! Enjoy!
Oppenheimer: Is this an important, grandiose cinematic achievement, or is it a History Channel movie? Either way, it’s got a fantastic Robert Downey Jr., a wonderfully naked Cillian Murphy, and my childhood crush David Krumholtz. I clapped when Einstein’s hat blew off.
Past Lives: I call this a “warm bath” movie. It’s the kind of movie that trusts you to understand, empathize, and go along with its characters on the exploration of their divergent paths. Its slow pace and nostalgia-tinted story make you feel as if you’re floating. Sweet-bitter and wonderful for anyone who wonders, “What if I had….” a lot.
Poor Things: It’s based on a book I haven’t read, but it’s kinda like…Dr. Frankenstein puts baby brain in Victorian-era Englishwoman; lots of sex ensues. It’s also Yorgo-directed, so like, many a fish eye lens is deployed. It’s weird and inventive, and everyone — particularly Emma Stone — gives spellbinding performances.
Rye Lane: An absolutely dee-fucking-lightful rom-com that takes place over a day in South London. Two strangers, both dealing with their own heartbreaks, traverse the city and get up to shit. Charming, fun, hip, fresh. Go see on your TV!
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: This was just hella fun. It’s best summed up by the fact that there were many 10 year-olds in the audience who would laugh, oo and aww, and all went OH MY GOD!!! at the ending.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: This team intentionally cast four teen boys leading to one of the funniest improvised scenes of the year. When you make a movie about teens — even if they’re mutants and turtles — let the teens be teens! It’s better that way!
So, what did I miss? Anything you loved this year that I should watch? Anything I watched and loved that you hated and you wanna vent those emotions in the comments? I love movies, tell me what to watch!