What?! 2023 is over? I hope everyone has had a great year, and if you didn’t, well, hopefully, 2024 is better. I was pretty busy this year, but luckily was able to see plenty of movies. There were more I wish I could have seen, and I will probably play catch up for the awards season. With that said, below are my favorite movies of 2023 that I was able to see during the year.

---

10. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

There were several wacky comedies that I debated putting at number 10, but what could possibly top a bear…on COCAINE? Well, it turns out a Dungeons & Dragons movie. Honor Among Thieves was the surprise movie of the year for me. I didn’t give this gem of a movie a shot in theaters, but once it did come to streaming, I gave it a shot, and wow, what a funny movie. I’m not even a big D&D fan, but the core party of Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, and Sophia Lillis just worked. This is all the more amusing when the core premise of the movie is doubting that their group of characters could succeed. So that’s a meta-level success there!

9. Talk To Me

Talk to Me was a horror possession movie delight. It’s creepy, the concept was unique, and it had this energy to it that fueled the somewhat standard plot to some wild places. It was a movie that hit hard when it needed to while staying restrained in the lore side of things. A24, don’t stop funding these kinds of horror movies.

8. The Creator

I had high expectations for The Creator. They grew even higher when Dune: Part Two got delayed. I needed my sci-fi fix! Well, The Creator is no Dune, but it was still a pretty good movie. The effects are super impressive, the world super original, and it has a secret weapon in the child actor Madeleine Yuna Voyles. That kid brought out a performance that moved me to tears. I’ll always remember this movie for that.

7. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning (formerly Part One) got royally screwed, releasing right before Barbenheimer. The release of two of the best movies of the year the next week sucked all the air out of the room. Which is a shame because Dead Reckoning was fun! I personally still like Fallout more, but this movie had some great moments, including a very humorous chase scene. Here is hoping that whatever Part Two is now called picks a safer release date.

6. John Wick: Chapter 4

John Wick is a franchise that has done the impossible. Each entry is better than the last, and Chapter 4 is the best of the bunch. It is the conclusion that always made the most sense for a franchise about a hitman trapped in a world where you can’t have a peaceful retirement. Not only is it fitting for the character, it’s an action masterpiece. If the franchise is forced to continue, remember that this was the peak.

5. Saltburn

Saltburn contains the best performance so far from actor Barry Keoghan. He deserves awards consideration, but beyond the lead performance, this is a dark, beautifully shot thriller with twists in every corner. When I say dark, mind you, this movie does not shy away from showing you super disturbing moments. This is a movie that I wouldn’t recommend you watch with your family, but you should definitely give it a watch.

4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Across the Spider-Verse is an amazing follow-up to the first entry. It is the Empire Strikes Back in terms of quality and where it leaves the story by the end. There is a cliffhanger for sure, but it felt earned from everything that came before it. It’s also just as funny and just as unique visually as the first. This is how you do a sequel.

3. Dream Scenario

A24 strikes again! Dream Scenario is one of the best Nicolas Cage movies in years. It’s an excellent performance in a movie that takes a fun mashing of A Nightmare on Elm Street and the horror of internet fame. This movie is funny but also a very interesting examination of everything that comes with gaining fame through something you can’t control. It was a blast to see, and this one will join a collection of movies I watch annually.

2. Barbie

Hi Barbie! Hi Ken. What a shock that a movie we knew so little about the year prior took the world by storm to the degree that Barbie did. This movie is the Top Gun Maverick of the year. You have to watch it. It’s such a fun movie and extremely comedic. It also has a song that I still can’t get out of my head half a year later. “I’m just Ken! Anywhere else, I’d be a 10!”

1. Oppenheimer

The other half of Barbenheimer. This is the opposite of a fun movie. That doesn’t mean it isn’t an excellent movie. This is Christopher Nolan’s best movie. He will get nominations, and I will not be surprised if this movie wins Best Picture. It’s that good. It has awards-worthy performances from Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. It has that Nolan patented unique storytelling approach and the tension that comes with one of the defining moments of the human race. It may be long, but it’s worth the watch.