With the closing of 2023 comes the closing of another year of dedicated film watching for this viewer (read: amateur film critic, half-hearted academic, cinephile in denial). According to the best metrics (read: my relentless devotion to Letterboxd), I watched two hundred and twenty-five films last year—including short films, re-watches, and (strangely) Letterboxd does count the occasional miniseries as a film. In light of this—and the compulsion to rank and rate films in order to make a largely subjective experience seem authoritative—I present my Top 5 Lists of 2023: first time viewings of older releases and 2023 releases.
The usual caveats:
- I did not see every new release or even everything of note released in 2023—not even close.
- My experiences were guided by a handful of external factors—my whims on a given day, theater experience, course syllabi and readings, the amount of Coke Zero consumed, discussions with friends, family, faculty, classmates, etc. These external factors were essential to my experience—and by extension, rankings—of these films.
- This is inherently subjective, and perhaps is best understood not as a list of the “best” films of 2023, but as a vague guide to the kinds of films I like—though I do maintain that everyone should give the films listed a watch.
Before the Top 5s:
Honorable Mentions (or, “Sometimes I Do Like Horror”):
- Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)
- Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991)
Both great for the same reasons they have always been great.
Unexpected “Peak” Movie Experiences:
- Mission: Impossible II (John Woo, 2000): Unbelievably, impossibly cool.
- Knight of Cups (Terrence Malick, 2015): Poetic, difficult, strange, lovely.
- The Last Temptation of Christ (Martin Scorsese, 1988): Troubling, complicated, somehow beautiful.
Biggest Disappointments:
- Anything from Marvel Studios: Needs no explanation.
- Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese, 2023): Way, way too long.
- Little Women (Greta Gerwig, 2019): Crunchy editing, weird color choices, poor writing, worse directing.
Top 5 First Time Viewings:
- Glas (Bert Haanstra, 1958)
A simply hypnotic documentary short (a mere ten minutes) about Dutch glassblowers, enabled by masterful editing and the power of smooth jazz.
- All That Jazz (Bob Fosse, 1979)
Speaking of jazz. As raw and cynical as it is gripping and difficult, Fosse uses the sheer affective power of dance to paint a largely autobiographical picture of self-loathing, with an all-time performance from Roy Scheider.
- Moonlight (Barry Jenkins, 2017)
One of the most tender, gentle movies I have ever seen—a welcome surprise considering the heaviness of the subject matter. And the reason it is so good is because it allows those two qualities—gentleness and heaviness—to sit together, without overworking to produce the affects of either.
- No Country For Old Men (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2007)
One of those films with a reputation so colossal you wonder how it can bear it—and yet it does. Perhaps the secret is the richness of Cormac McCarthy’s novel (on which it is based), but regardless the Coen’s characteristic anti-spectacle is perfectly matched by Roger Deakin’s cinematography and an unbelievable performance from Javier Bardem. Truly one of the greats, and well-deserving of its reputation.
- Beau Travail (Claire Denis, 1999)
Another film with a swallowing (though niche) reputation, but that also crawls out of the maw of hype to deliver a moving, contemplative experience of longing—one largely portrayed through the rhythms and routines of bodies in time. Simply captivating, with a profound ending to round it out.
Top 5 of 2023:
- Wes Anderson’s Roald Dahl Adaptations
Technically four short films (The Strange Case of Henry Sugar, Poison, The Ratcatcher, The Swan—all on Netflix), but in many ways a package. Like most Anderson ventures, reflexive/surrealist formal experimentation meets dry humor and performances from very famous actors—in many ways, a perfect match for the whimsy and weirdness of Dahl’s books. At the very least a delight, even if it is not as profound as his other work.
- The Boy and the Heron (Hayao Miyazaki)
I think many reviewers are overemphasizing its place in the Studio Ghibli canon and Miyazaki’s legacy, but truly a thought-provoking, joyful experience bolstered by the very best of Miyazaki’s instincts for fantastical visuals. While the subtext and overall pulse of the film is perhaps too buried at times, it may be the most gorgeously animated film I have ever seen (with a beautiful score too), making it a wonderful experience regardless of whether you can track with it.
- Asteroid City (Wes Anderson)
A double appearance by Anderson (revealing this viewer’s biases). A delightfully rich, wonderfully-paced and stylized encapsulation of modern existential angst, evoking both the idiosyncrasies of Anderson’s prior work and other literary influences—most notably, Thornton Wilder’s play “Our Town.” I have a thousand thoughts that I will not burden this ranking with, but it is far more than just a strange visual/comedic experience (like nearly all of Anderson’s work).
- Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan)
Nolan manages to overcome the weaknesses of his prior work (i.e., incoherency, vapid writing, flat characters, visual spectacle > substance) for a surprisingly moving, complicated look into a fascinating person and series of events—all while bringing his usual visual/narrative flare, Ludwig Göransson’s phenomenal score, all-time performances from Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr., and his best script to date. Look for this one come the Oscars (not that they matter).
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Dos Santos, Thompson, and Powers)
There is simply no contest: the best film of the year (of the last several). Reminds us of why superhero stories are so popular (and I would argue, essential), bringing to the fore questions of both moral and personal complexity, all while creating the animated visual spectacle of our time—one rich with emotional rawness, artful expression, and unreasonably good action that is truly a maximization of animation’s formal capabilities. All this without mentioning the score, by and through which it reaches heights few films can dream of.
So there it is: some dude’s thoughts on movies in 2023. On the whole, a delightfully complicated year in filmgoing (to say nothing of the current state of theaters and the industry), one that I plan to build on and beyond in 2024.
Kipp De Man graduated from Calvin University in 2023, having majored in film and media studies. He is currently working towards a master’s degree in the same discipline at Washington University in St. Louis. He enjoys reading and writing poetry, rock climbing, and Coke Zero.
