Happy New Year. Time to look back at the best of the cinematic crop for 2023.
10) PAST LIVES
A sweet and melancholy drama about childhood friends who awkwardly reconnect as adults.
9) POOR THINGS
Emma Stone is rock solid in the twisted, nearly pornographic feminist take on the Frankenstein story.
8) DUMB MONEY
The most neglected movie of the year, it’s a sharp comedy about the Game Stop short sell that shook Wall Street.
7) SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE
The best animated film of the year is a sequel to the mind-bending tale of Spidey’s multi-verse adventures.
6) KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Yes, Martin Scorsese’s tale of the murder and exploitation of Oklahoma’s Osage people is overlong and self-indulgent, but it’s cinematically impressive.
5) THE ZONE OF INTEREST
This chilling German drama is about the banality of evil, focusing on the mundane family life of the Nazi commandant of Auschwitz.
4) AMERICAN FICTION
This whip smart comedy deals with race relations, family conflicts and the absurdities of the publishing world.
3) THE HOLDOVERS
Alexander Payne’s comic drama about lonely people stuck together over the holidays is a genuinely touching experience.
2) ANATOMY OF A FALL
This French courtroom drama was the big winner at the Cannes Film Festival and features a stunning performance by Sandra Huller.
1) OPPENHEIMER
Christopher Nolan’s epic biopic about the father of the atomic bomb works on every cinematic level. “Oppenheimer” is the must-see film of 2023.