Best Films of 2023

These are what I consider to be the Top 10 films of 2023. As a reminder, my primary focus is horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, so I likely recognize films and media on this kind of list that other people don’t. For me, especially, this was a fantastic year for sci-fi.

Let’s get into it.

10: Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé

This was the year of Beyoncé. From a wildly successful world tour captured by millions across social media to the release of one of the greatest concert films of all time, Beyoncé’s reach as an artist was inescapable this year. Renaissance is easily the best edited film of 2023, showing the long con of why different tour stops had different costumes to the fantastic soundtrack of the Renaissance album.

9: Plagiarism and You(Tube)

hbomberguy released one of the most impactful video essays in recent memory with his almost-four hour investigation into the far-too-commonplace practice of plagiarism on YouTube. If you only watch one film about modern social media, make it Plagiarism and You(Tube). It’s sensational. I am genuinely trying to figure out how to incorporate this into my Video Production curriculum to make the hows and whys of plagiarism crystal clear to the next generation of content creators.

8: M3GAN

Am I biased towards horror films? Absolutely I am. Did I have more fun during M3GAN than I did during any other 2023 release I saw in theatres? Absolutely I did. This horror/sci-fi/brutally dark comedy starts with an absolutely unhinged commercial for a children’s toy and never takes its foot off the accelerator. Come for the dancing and singing killer doll, stay for one of the most bitter takedowns of Christmas capitalism in a horror film in decades.

7: Saltburn

Academy Award-winning writer/director Emerald Fennell’s newest film is a psycho/sexual thriller about how easy it is to fall from the top of society. Oliver, a new scholarship student at Oxford, befriends Felix, the most effortlessly charming and rich person on campus, leading to an invitation to spend a steamy summer at Saltburn, his family’s historic estate. While not as shocking and controversial as the TikTok memes will have you believe, it is a brilliantly scripted, delicious thriller filled with equal amounts of eye candy and awkwardness. What mythology is the basis of the stories? Practically all of the Greek pantheon.

6: Poor Things

I’m a sucker for a good Frankenstein narrative. Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos’ newest sci-fi film adapted from the novel by Alistair Gray, follows the growth and development of Bella, an adult woman resurrected from death by suicide with a brand new mind. Bella’s mental capacity grows at an exponential rate, taking her from infant to adult in weeks. Dr. Godwin Baxter, her creator and father-figure, lets her explore all of the human experience however she wants as long as she doesn’t harm anyone else. To be blunt, the only reason this is not my number one film of the year is that there is too much sexual content for my own tastes. This is a sensational film.

5: Talk to Me

Australian horror, as a rule, is cruel. Talk to Me is no exception. Young people use a preserved hand, a candle, and peer pressure to play with possession for the rush. This is one of the most compelling narratives of addiction and grief to come out in a long time. I’m eager to revisit it, but need to rebuild my defenses to tackle it again.

4: Past Lives

I’m a sucker for a quiet little indie film about reconnecting and the tides of time. Writer/director Celine Song’s debut film Past Lives is a treat that cannot be ignored. It’s a warm blanket of a film with beautiful visuals and acting.

3: Barbie

The newest film from acclaimed writer/director Greta Gerwig proves that adaptations of playthings are not just for children. Barbie is a brilliant exploration of gender, identity, and belonging told through a pretty pastel pink landscape of plastic perfection. Every detail, from the placement of eyeliner to the music in the background, is planned out like a toy store display model. The cast is filled with fantastic actors doing some of the best work of their careers.

2: The Zone of Interest

When I tell you I’ve switched my top 3 placement a few times a week since December, I’m not exaggerating. On any given day, the WWII historical horror The Zone of Interest tops many categories on my own ballot, including Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, and Adapted Screenplay. This is one of the most impactful, thoughtful, terrifying, and gut-wrenching films about the Holocaust since Schindler’s List. The inescapable noise of the horrors of Auschwitz echoing in the background of the grotesque social-climbing behavior of Nazi Commander Höss’ family is an experience I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

1: Godzilla Minus One

If you’re only going to watch one film released this year about the impact of nuclear destruction during World War II, make it Godzilla Minus One. Koichi is a kamikaze pilot in the final days of World War II who avoids guaranteed death by faking a plane malfunction. He wakes up to an even greater threat when Godzilla rises from the Pacific Ocean to destroy the plane repair bay he landed it. Every time Koichi seems to be taking steps forward to heal from the destruction of World War II with his community, Godzilla emerges with new powers and a new taste for destruction.

Godzilla Minus One is possibly the greatest war movie I’ve ever seen. These people are trying to recover from the kind of destruction and trauma only war can bring. However, the destruction brought by the people themselves is repaid by an ancient beast who seemingly cannot be destroyed. It’s heartbreaking, terrifying, and hopeful in unexpected ways.