My 10 Favourite Movies of 2023

I know, I say the same every year, but it’s been a great year for movies (and so much more than last year). I’ve had a genuine struggle knocking my list of 84 movies down to just the ten best, and this year, more than ever, I’m a little pissed that Australia’s release schedule overlaps with that of the year before, because I’d like to celebrate 2023’s worldwide releases exclusively; but there’ll be some, big ones, from last year, splashed in here, due to how they were released down under, and owed their own Today Junior dues 😮 Compliments ahoy!! And if you find that you haven’t seen any or all of the movies on this list, then my-my, haven’t you got a busy summer of catching up ahead of you 😄😎🥳

My 10 Favourite Movies of 2023

10.   Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

We start the list with something epic. 2023 was probably the death of comic book movies as a whole, but the most successful one, by a mile(s), was Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. This is a cartoon movie series that’s only two deep, but is already full to the brim with ingenuity and originality, mainly evident in its animation style, but also in its foresight to recognise how much people adored the first movie, and take the leap to craft a giant two-parter for us to devour. Now, we can’t know for certain how this story will end (and It Chapter Two is the poster child for disaster), but what we have so far is Spider-Man’s grandest adventure on screen. It’s also the quieter moments, like Miles’s conversations with his parents, that stood out for me too, and Morales has been so well received that there’s now talk of him taking over Peter Parker as Spider-Man’s main player. I think that’s rude, as they sit very well next to each other, but I’m also keen to know more about these characters – and I never got my Gwen Stacy comic books for Christmas though 😢

9.   Leave the World Behind

Leave the World Behind is just fun. It’s a mystery-box movie, a concept made famous by J.J. Abrams, that simply doesn’t rely on the one trick to get the job done, for well-written characters and investing performances also turn what could’ve been an adaptation of a throwaway beach novel, into one of the best cinematic experiences of the year. I know I just referenced Abrams, and as a Lost fanboy from way back, I got glimmers of the best of what that show could offer, whilst watching Leave the World Behind 👍 Also, who doesn’t love an engaging apocalyptic premise, if only to contemplate what we would do in similarly perilous circumstances – and I’d seek out the final episode of Friends too; wouldn’t you? 😄 The fact that Myha’la is an up and coming talent that I watch with interest, and holds her own among the likes of Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, and Mahershala Ali, is just the cherry on top 🥰 Netflix be bringing the best popcorn flick this summer, with a scenario we hope will never happen.

8.   Rustin

Big talk – I’ve got a shortlist of Best Actor performances this year, and I’m thinking Colman Domingo is sitting at the top 😮 It’s very important to me, after I watch a biopic these days, that I sus out how much of it is true, and where the dramatic liberties lie – Rustin came out pretty clean in my investigation, for the man was a vital figure, in the civil rights revolution that we still look back on to appreciate today. Rustin is a masterfully constructed movie, with dialogue and political discourse to rival the best.  Along with Maestro, we are watching a few historic homosexual figures get their mainstream attention, and I purely love watching passionate people be great at their jobs.

7.   Tár

You know what, seventh place doesn’t seem high enough on this list for this contemplative and beautifully constructed piece on modern politics and abuse of power, but so is the strength of this field. And you know what else is unjust, in my opinion, and that is that Cate Blanchett was too easily outmuscled for cinemas top prize at this year’s Academy Awards, because she was simply remarkable 😤 And that’s not just an Aussie bias, that’s the God damn truth! Tár follows the familiar beat of a few stories out there, that see the downfall of a flawed antagonist from hero to zero, but this movie just struts into that market’s top echelon with class and charisma. It is true that the 2022 crop of movies didn’t set the world alight for me, but then I discovered that cinema had been holding back, when the awards contenders spilled into the start of this year, and January came with an absolute kick – this is the first of a few to make the list.

6.   The Fabelmans

Well, what did I say 😮⬆ Now, the next three spots here, are a genuine toss-up, but just know the final three are solid as a rock. The Fabelmans is essentially Steven Spielberg’s biopic, on himself, exploring his love of filmmaking from the time he was a young boy. It’s a celebration of film, by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, who’s subject matter harkens back to a simpler time, boyhood, and truly captures some terrific emotions. Mainly wonderfully is Michelle Williams, who plays a young Fabelmans’ mother – I thought she was pretty stiff not to be gushed over with the same level of enthusiasm as some of the other nominees last award season, but Jamie Lee Curtis was still a worthy winner for Best Supporting Actress. As for Spielberg’s work, all is forgiven for our lack of connection on West Side Story, and I’ve really got to check this movie out again, as it was literally the second movie that I saw this year. I came across a YouTube snippet of the David Lynch cameo not too long ago, and that’s all anyone needs to remember that The Fabelmans ended reverently, deserving of its dues amongst a very good year.

5.   Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

No, I haven’t been taken over by the Body Snatchers, or had my mind controlled by the whites of Get Out… but if I had, I would say that, wouldn’t I? 🤔 But I am more surprised than you, that I have a Mission: Impossible on my list of favourite movies that I saw this year. Gee, I have a shaky history with this franchise – I keep getting duped by the trailers that promise great moments of action every time, but never deliver on story. But hey, the British James Bond series has been letting me down in recent years, so thankfully Tom Cruise and his American counterpart has stepped up to fill the void. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One does hit upon an answer to a specific question within spy movies that I’ve been starting to worry about for a while, and it’s satiating. The movie also delivers exquisite action, almost from go to woe, and a stellar cast that is all-in committed to delivering an exotic, and thrilling, adventure. And just like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, there’s only more to come, with the main thread of the story yet to be completed. However, I’m less invested in the sequel delivering the goods, since this franchise has mostly let me down in the past; but I’m going to soak in the warmth that Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One provides for as long as I can. They don’t make action movies like this anymore, and it’s bloody rewarding when they do.

4.   Spoiler Alert

As a familiar fan of Jim Parsons from The Big Bang Theory, I was rapt to see him be able to take his money and invest in stories that mean something more to him. Spoiler Alert wasn’t high on my radar, but I had the time to check it out and I was extremely surprised. After Bros was a sour note for me last year, this is a charming gay love story that focuses on the human romance more than the existential politics and blame that comes from a world perceived to be intolerant. And when two people fall in love, anyone with empathy should find it hard not to be happy for them. I should say that I’m also sure Spoiler Alert spoke to me personally, for that one scene where Parson’s character explains how he is a member of the FFK club, where whilst he may want to get jiggy with it, being a former fat kid means he isn’t completely comfortable in his body – I hear that. And The Smurfs, I love a good Smurf 😅 This movie is so specific, which makes it so defined, and I assume it’s a level of detail that comes from the source material – a book by Micheal Ausiello, which I’d love to read if I ever have the time too. This movie’s screenplay also fell into the hands of Micheal Showalter, and his previous work with The Big Sick proves he knows how to make a true love story pop. The supporting cast of Sally Field and Bill Irwin are wholesome as well, and Ben Aldridge is amazing. This would be the most obscure of movies on my list, but please check it out please.

3.   Saltburn

I’m still buzzing from this movie, man! And even though “Murder on the Dancefloor” is the chosen track for Saltburn, I still maintain that “Dancing with Our Hands Tied” by Taylor Swift is just as good a fit, and I listen to it in my car now, grooving by my own association. Let me mention my cinema experience for Saltburn, since I didn’t in my review – it was a Friday night, and after work for me. I rush to my local arthouse cinema, since Saltburn somehow only got a limited release. It’s girls night and date night for most people, and me in steel toe boots and grubby pants, don’t fit in. I know nothing about this movie, other than the fact that Emerald Fennell directed it – I actually didn’t even know Barry Keoghan was the lead. The cashier says there’s only one seat left, and it’s in the corner up the front, but what she failed to mention was that my head needed to tilt on a 90-degree angle to see the screen! And the screen was a trapezium from my angle 🥴 But by the end, by golly, I didn’t even care. Because what could’ve been a horrible and isolating experience turned out to be the weary entrails of a fantastic one. I was probably fuelled a little by Keoghan’s own anti-social conquest, given where I was and how I was seated. But I’m waffling on telling you this, because Saltburn is a movie better seen through as little exposure as possible – just tune in and ride it out. Following on from Promising Young Woman, Fennell has shot up my list of favourite directors with a rocket!

2.   The Banshees of Inisherin

Yes, at the beginning of the year, I didn’t think we’d unseat it… I knew we’d be hard pressed anyway, but it’s happened, and silver is all we can manage for The Banshees on Inisherin. This movie is special, making the most out of a gentle (and sometimes not so gentle) disagreement between two old friends on the cliffsides of Ireland. It twists and swirls, back and forth, dark and light, contemplating big questions, of daily affable living, versus that of purpose and legacy. The Banshees of Inisherin is another one better off seen than you could read about, and if you are among the crew that hasn’t seen this yet, then you’re in for a special treat. Colin Farrell was my choice for Best Actor on Oscar night at the start of this year, and I didn’t get a lot of I wanted then, did I? Ruddy Brendan Fraser had to get in the way, didn’t he? 🐋

1.   Oppenheimer

Two things – as much as I love The Dark Knight, I think The Batman is now a challenger for the best modern Batman movie, and I never thought that possible. And because The Dark Knight is so awesome, it was always easily my favourite Nolan movie among a very rich catalogue, but I think Oppenheimer has unseated that claim as well 😱 What can I say? Nolan brings together a gargantuan cast and highlights the gravitas of a hugely historic moment for humanity. I like getting into the nitty gritty of the political ramifications, and I love watching people be the tops at their jobs. The fact that no CGI is used for this movie only adds to its artistry, and that’s proper film making on show, showcasing spectacular ingenuity with zero cheats. There’s going to be many Slice Award nominations to come out of these performances, I can feel it, although it’s too soon to be certain. In a monumental year in itself, due to Barbenheimer, both components were worthy of their attention, but I liked the ‘boy movie’ better, comfortably 😄 And Christopher Nolan is still Hollywood’s top dog – I may’ve been wavering, looking over my shoulder at the sexy new directors coming through, but now I’m ashamed I even questioned it. Oppenheimer blows them out of the water. Oppenheimer FTW!

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A special-special shoutout to Triangle of Sadness, M3GAN, Dumb Money and Killers of the Flower Moon – ten spots for this list were just not enough! And then there’s the other movies who proudly sport the 2023 collar that I’m sure to revisit over the upcoming years, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Talk to Me, Infinity Pool, To Leslie, Till, Elemental, Bottoms, and Barbie. So that makes twenty-two movies I’ve mentioned, in a conversation about the best, and I could’ve mentioned more…! I like movies 😊

What do you think were the best movies of 2023? Do you have a favourite different to mine? Should I be committed to a facility just for mentioning a few of these among my best? Are you going to watch any of these movies based off my recommendation, if you haven’t already? If you have an answer to one or more to these questions, comment below. And look out for My 10 Least Favourite Movies of 2023 coming along soon x