Our Favorite Movies of 2023 | A Year in Review

Things Are Looking Up For The Movies

From time to time, Cinemantic’s four main contributors — Tyler MacQueen, Graham Piro, Caleb Boyer, and Daniel Mitchell — will jump on a call to chat about anything and everything movie-related. We break down each of our five favorite movies from the past year.

Spoiler alert: Two movies pop up on every list! Can you guess which ones they are?

---

TYLER’S PICKS

Bradley Cooper (L) and Carey Mulligan (R) in Maestro (2023, Netflix)

Honorable Mentions: Barbie, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Air, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Past Lives, BlackBerry

5. JOHN WICK: CHAPTER FOUR

Other big-budget blockbusters have my heart (see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), but this one had my heart racing. Unrelenting and unrivaled in modern-day Hollywood, the allegedly final installment of the Keanu Reeves-starring action franchise makes chaotic and gleefully violent use of every minute of its nearly three-hour runtime.

4. THE HOLDOVERS

Paul Giamatti can do no wrong. The much-beloved character actor reunites with Alexander Payne in this bittersweet 70s-set Christmas dramedy that often feels like a beautiful time capsule from a simpler time. Terrific writing and an amazing trio of performances from Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Dominic Sessa had me laughing and crying—and sometimes in the same scene.

3. KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

Based on the New York Times bestselling book of the same name, Martin Scorcese brings his two great muses (Leo and DeNiro) together for the first time and introduces us to a brilliant new star in Lily Gladstone. As I wrote in my review, if the 80-year-old Scorsese’s career is to end with this picture, then he goes out on a sustained high note. It's a profound and moving coda at the end of an unrivaled masterclass.

2. OPPENHEIMER 

The movie proved that the times are a’changin. Oppenheimer is an overwhelming sensory and cinematic experience. Anchored by a world-class ensemble and immaculate craftsmanship, Christopher Nolan proves once again why he’s among the greatest directors of the 21st century with an unrivaled command of the craft. Movies have always been part art and part science. Some films work out the formula better than others. Thankfully in Oppenheimer, art and science are in perfect harmony.

1. MAESTRO

Like the music of the film’s central figure, American conductor Leonard Bernstein, Maestro touches you from a distance and stays with you long after. Propelled by career-best work from the film’s writer-director Bradley Cooper and Carie Mulligan, it is a rich cinematic text that explores the eternal tension between love and the creative life. Accompanied by Berstein’s music, almost every frame of Matthew Libatique’s photography could hang in a museum. It lifts the soul and breaks the heart. Frankly, no movie has moved me like Maestro in a very long time.

---

GRAHAM’S PICKS

Honorable Mentions: Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Napoleon, John Wick Chapter 4

5. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING—PART ONE

John Wick Chapter 4 may have it beat on closure, but Dead Reckoning Part One delivered a relentless 164 minutes that put every dollar on the screen and gave audiences staggering and dazzlingly inventive set pieces. Ilsa’s showdown with Gabriel while Ethan Hunt sprints through Venice remains the year's most emotionally intense action sequence. 

4. BLACKBERRY

In a year dominated by brand movies, BlackBerry stood out thanks to a powerhouse performance from Glenn Howerton. A wry sense of humor lends the film a fitting self-awareness as it tells the story of a product that’s become a punchline in culture. More movies should have BlackBerry’s reverence for its source material and willingness to skewer that material. 

3. KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

Martin Scorsese’s Americana epic may end up overshadowed by the success of Barbenheimer, but Killers is an exhaustive examination of the Osage murders anchored by standout performances from its leads and a small army of supporting actors. The film’s length is intimidating, but Scorsese directs with such a deft touch that you can’t help but become absorbed by the disturbingness of the proceedings. 

2. THE HOLDOVERS

A beautifully simple and profound story about isolation and human connection, The Holdovers is bound to become an annual holiday watch. Paul Giamatti is tremendous, the script avoids overly didactic, and the ending delivers a much-needed optimistic resolution without feeling sappy. It’s hilarious, it’s heartfelt, it’s an instant classic. 

1. OPPENHEIMER

Christopher Nolan crafts an extraordinarily cinematic experience by wringing equal amounts of tension out of dialogue-heavy scenes and the central nuclear test set piece. Oppenheimer works on multiple levels as both a character study and a spectacle about the threat of nuclear annihilation, as well as an insider political thriller. At a pivotal point in Hollywood’s history, Oppenheimer demonstrated that audiences will show up for event films that take themselves seriously and use the medium of film to its fullest extent.     

---

CALEB’S PICKS

Honorable Mentions: Five Nights at Freddy’s, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Inside, The Creator, The Boogeyman

5. EVIL DEAD RISE

I was genuinely terrified watching the trailer for Evil Dead Rise in theaters. It says something when a trailer strikes you more than the movie you go to see. If you are a longtime fan of the Evil Dead franchise or a newcomer, you will not be disappointed. It has all the blood and demons you can expect and lots of sharp objects that will make you reevaluate your use of kitchen utensils.

4. BARBIE

I had no expectations when I saw Barbie for the first time, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. It is wild and wacky yet, at times, clever and moving. It features the best overall soundtrack since the likes of Shrek or Guardians of the Galaxy, wonderful costume and set designs, and the delightful talent of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. It is fun and imaginative, but beneath all the pink is something interesting and thoughtful. 

3. INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY

Given mixed reviews and marked as a disaster at the box office, Dial of Destiny leaves much to be desired, but it left an indelible mark upon me, much like when Toht has the markings on the Headpiece to the Staff of Ra burned into his hand. Ouch! Watching the fifth and final film of the Indiana Jones franchise was not nearly that painful, but it left me feeling bittersweet. In a very tedious, caffeine-induced review of the film, I argued that the Dial of Destiny, while riddled with imperfections, “completes the lost, unseen character arc of its hero.” At the least, the ending will bring a tear to your eye and warmth to your heart.

2. KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

After sitting in the theater for nearly three and a half hours watching Martin Scorsese’s latest epic, Killers of the Flower Moon, I felt like I had undergone an FBI interrogation. My legs were stiff, and my back was sore. More importantly, my mind and emotions were overwhelmed. The methodical, malevolent orchestration of the “Reign of Terror” was terrible to behold; the extraordinary evil of ordinary people was shocking. It is a film and story I shall not soon forget. 

1. OPPENHEIMER 

I left the theater speechless. Oppenheimer is a marvel to see and hear. It was thrilling from beginning to end. I was on the edge of my seat during scenes that were large and loud as well as those that were small and quiet. The acting was stellar, the sets unparalleled, and the story fascinating and disturbing. The attainment of nuclear power forever changed the world as we knew it, which perhaps begs us to carefully reflect upon the Promethean fires that could alter the world at present and in the future.

---

DANIEL’S PICKS

Honorable Mentions: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., Air, Maestro, Past Lives

5. ANATOMY OF A FALL

A dead husband. His wife is the prime suspect. Their blind son is the key witness in her trial. Was the man pushed to his death or did he leap to his death?  Sandra Hüller gives a tremendous performance in a movie that keeps you watching, thinking, and guessing until the end. 

4. THE HOLDOVERS

We have a new classic Christmas movie to add to the top 10 rankings next year. Paul Giamatti is always stellar, and Domininc Sessa shines in his first feature role. The real breakout though appears to be Da’Vine Joy Randolph - she is the leader in the Best Supporting Actress race and she captivates you as a grieving mother. It’s a heartfelt movie that feels like it was made 40-50 years ago - I hope it has the same legs as those classics we return to over and over again. 

3. BARBIE

The biggest movie of the year - Barbie-mania swept the globe. A pitch-perfect Margot Robbie, a hilarious and scene-stealing Ryan Gosling, and a deep bench of comediennes made for the most fun I had at the movies this year. Greta Gerwig is a resounding three for three as a director—Lady Bird, Little Women, and now Barbie— cement her as one of the best filmmakers in the game. And guys, it’s ok to laugh along at The Godfather joke. 

2. KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

Heartbreaking, powerful, and completely memorable. Martin Scorsese delivered on years of anticipation for this movie. Lily Gladstone gives one of the better performances in recent memory, full of soul, heartbreak, and emotional weight. We won’t have many more movies from one of the best directors of all time - each one is a treasure. 

1. OPPENHEIMER 

Christopher Nolan delivered a three-hour, rated R biopic that grossed over $950 million. I hope it gets past $1 billion with additional releases in time for the Oscars. Now let’s talk about the movie - it’s as close to a perfect movie as I can recall. The tension of the Trinity test to the emotional weight on Oppenheimer himself - every note is carefully crafted with precision. A standout cast from top to bottom, led by Cillian Murphy with strong performances from Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, and company. It’s the dad movie of dad movies, and looking like an Oscar juggernaut too.

---

Reader, what are your favorite movies of the year? Let us know in the comments below!

---