It’s that time of year to reflect on the year and I’m starting with my film highlights of 2023. Personally, I think it’s been a fantastic year for films, with many smaller indie films rising to top, while some big budget offerings underperformed. Hopefully the film industry will see that you don’t need to spend crazy amounts of money to have a successful film. It was also the year of the Barbenheimer summer and what a joy it was to see cinemas packed again. I really hope people remember that you can’t beat seeing a film with an audience and streaming isn’t the answer to everything.

As for this list, I’ll start by saying this isn’t a “Best Films” list, as I don’t see how you can say that if you haven’t seen every new release. These lists will always be subjective, so I choose to describe this as my “Favourite Films” list instead. This also means that films I can see are definitely in the conversation for best film achievement of the year might not be included here. The biggest example of that is The Zone of Interest (UK release date – 2nd February). It’s one of the most harrowing films I’ve ever watched and has stayed with me since October. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to experience it again, but it’s certainly a vital film that everyone should see.

There are some films I’ve been unable to see for a variety of reasons, so you won’t see films including Godzilla: Minus One; Wonka; Blackberry; Rye Lane and The Iron Claw in this list, but I want to see them all as soon as I can. I’ll also say that I’ve gone back on forth on what rules to set myself on what is eligible here. Is it wide release new films only? Is it only UK released films this year? In the end, because UK release dates vary so much from the US anyway, I’ve decided that this list can include any new film I saw in 2023, so that means films there are films included that haven’t yet released in the UK, but it also includes one film I saw at the London Film Festival that hasn’t released in cinemas anywhere outside of film festivals yet. It’s my list of my favourite films, so I didn’t want to limit it.

Okay, with that all clear, here are my 10 favourite new films that I saw in 2023, together with some honourable mentions. I’d love to hear your favourites, so feel free to let me know in the comments.

1. Past Lives

I’d heard so many wonderful things about this film from those who saw it at Sundance in January and so I was thrilled to finally see it at a couple of early previews and it truly floored me. It’s a very simple story – two childhood friends in South Korea, who are separated when one moves to Canada, get back in touch as adults, bringing up emotions and memories for both of them. It’s so simply constructed and performed that it doesn’t feel like fiction and if you’d told me these were real people, whose lives we were following, I’d have believed it, as it’s one of the most authentic films I’ve seen in ages.

What I also love so much about Past Lives is that it goes deeper than the obvious. Yes, it’s a beautifully written script, it’s an impressive directorial debut from writer Celine Song, has a gorgeous visual style, great score and is superbly acted by Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro. Yet, what makes it more special to me is how it has the capability to touch anyone. Did you have a childhood friend who you wonder about as an adult? Is there someone you loved when you were younger and you wonder what-if? Is there a friendship that meant so much to you, but over time, as life changed, you moved on? Are you where you’re meant to be? Are you happy with the choices you made? You don’t need to have had a great unrequited, or missed love to be moved by Past Lives. It might touch you in another way, as it did me and in a strong year for film, it’s the one that comes in as my favourite of 2023.

2. Oppenheimer

As a Christopher Nolan fan, I was obviously excited for this film. Yet, even I was surprised but just how impressive an achievement it is. I love that this is effectively three different films in one – a biopic, a court room drama and a race against time to achieve a goal. Had it been just a linear biopic, it could’ve been very dry and yet Nolan’s way of telling the story of Oppenheimer, weaving the different time periods together, was a great choice. I also think it was the right decision to make this a film about his life over a longer time, rather than just the story of the creation of the nuclear bomb and despite being three hours long, it didn’t feel too long to me and I actually enjoyed the second half more than the first, with those hearings being some of the most tense scenes I watched this year.

It’s also an incredible display of cinematography, visuals, production design and the subtle makeup work convincingly ages the characters across the different periods. It also includes my favourite score of the year, which I’ve had on repeat over the last few months. Then of course, there is the cast. Everyone is bringing their best work, no matter how small their role and they are led by Cillian Murphy, whose performance impresses me more on every viewing. The fact a 3 hour biopic of the man who created the nuclear bomb and is partially in black and white, made almost $1 billion at the box office is also fantastic and shows if you make quality, people will show up!

3. Spider-Man: Across The Spider Verse

I was left in awe after my first viewing of this film, as it shows us what is possible in 2023 in animation. I loved Into The Spider Verse, but this second in the trilogy was even better, developing the character of Miles as he grows up, his relationships with his family and friends and his sense of who he is as someone with powers. There was so much creativity here – the different animation styles for the different worlds, from the beautiful water colour palette of Gwen’s world, to the Lego world we briefly glimpse and each looked incredible on a big screen, the score was fantastic and the expanded cast were all brilliant. Oscar Isaac was a frightening addition, Karan Soni was a joy as Pavitr Prabhakar, but my favourite was Daniel Kaluuya’s Hobie, bringing that Brit punk attitude! I know some didn’t like what they see as a cliff-hanger ending, but for me, this film had a storyline of its own about both Miles’ journey and Gwen’s, so I left it very satisfied and excited for the third film.

4. Hit Man (releasing in 2024 by Netflix)

As I said at the start of this piece, I’ve chosen to include any new film that I saw in 2023, regardless of whether that’s just at a festival and that decision was mainly made as any favourite film list of mine for 2023 wouldn’t have felt correct without Hit Man, which is yet to release anywhere outside of the festival circuit. I loved this film. It was my favourite from those I watched during October’s London Film Festival and it will be one I’ll be telling everyone to see as soon as they can.

It’s loosely based on the real life of Skip Hollandsworth, a teacher, who also assisted the police in arresting people who try to hire hit men, who finds himself suddenly having to go undercover, posing as various hit men, when the officer who usually does it is put on leave and the double life he begins to leave only gets more insane as time passes. It’s one of the best action comedies I’ve seen in years and if you can see it in a cinema with a crowd, I urge you to do so, although as Netflix will be releasing it, that might not be easy. Glenn Powell, best known as Hangman in Top Gun Maverick is the lead (and co-wrote the script with Richard Linklater) and he’s phenomenal in this. Seriously. This should propel him higher up the ranks of acting talent. He is both funny and serious, with tonnes of charm and charisma and the chemistry between him and Adria Arjona is palpable. I’m so excited to see it again next year and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

5. The Holdovers (UK release date- 19th January 2024; out now in the US)

Another film I saw at the London Film Festival, which despite being set over the Christmas/New Year period and being on release right now in the US, is one we don’t see in cinemas in the UK until 19th January. Whoever decided on that strategy is crazy in my opinion, as this would’ve been the perfect family film to see this week. That being said, don’t let it pass you by in January, as it’s one of the best films of the year. Paul Giamatti plays a private school professor, forced to keep an eye on the students who “hold over” at the school over the holidays and what we see is the growing connection between him, student Angus (played superbly by Dominic Sessa in his first film role!) and cook (Da’Vine Joy Randolph). It has some of the best dialogue, with Giamatti delivering witty insults I’d love to get away with and it’s very funny, while also being very emotionally satisfying too, as we learn more about the lives of three very different people over the course of the festive holiday season. It’s also directed to feel like it was made in the 70s/80s and it really could be a film from that era. It’s the definition of heart-warming and I can see it becoming a Christmas classic for years to come.

6. Poor Things (UK release date – 12th January 2024, although it is on limited UK release right now; out now in the US)

And here’s another film releasing in early 2024 in the UK compared to the US, which I absolutely loved. Of the previous Yorgos Lanthimos films I’ve seen, I really wasn’t sure if this would be my cup of tea, but I fell under the spell of Bella Baxter, who is easily my favourite female character of the year’s films. Based on the book by Alasdair Gray, it’s the charting of Bella, from child to young woman. Yet, the quirk is she spends that whole timespan in the body of a young woman, after a scientist, fascinated by the human body and mind finds the body of a young woman and implants the brain of her unborn baby in her body and reanimates her.

I know, I know. It sounds nuts and it is, but it works and I loved following Bella’s journey through the world, as she matures at an accelerated rate, but is free of all the societal filters that regular people grow up with, which means she moves through the world on her own terms, saying and doing exactly what she wants, so that she can learn. It’s because of that that I found Bella to be a hugely liberating character. She lets herself experience the world without fear or any self consciousness. It’s a stunning performance from Emma Stone and for me is the best of her career and the best female performance of the year. The supporting cast are also great (Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe and Kathryn Hunter all impress), the score is suitably weird and wonderful and the fact it’s set in a fantastical version of the world means the production design takes is in to somewhere I’ve never seen on screen before. It looks gorgeous. I’d have gladly spent hours more with Bella and I’ll be back for my 3rd viewing when it finally releases in UK cinemas in January!

7. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

This film being so high on my list might surprise some, but I really enjoyed this prequal to The Hunger Games franchise, having thoroughly enjoyed the book when it came out in 2020. From a Hunger Games perspective, the first book/film has always been my favourite and that’s largely because I preferred the darker, grittier exploration of the oppressive world, from our time in District 12 to the Games themselves and for those reasons, I really enjoyed this story set decades earlier, showing us the backstory of President Snow.

I know many didn’t like the three part structure of this film, which is the same as the book, but it works for me, as it’s not a story about the Games. If that’s what you think the film is about, then you’ll likely feel unsatisfied and think the final third is lacking, but it’s actually a three act story of Coriolanus Snow. We see him as a student, as a Games mentor and then as a peacekeeper after the Games, following his fall from status and I love the final third, as this is where we truly see the foundations of the man he grows up to be. It’s here we see just what he’s willing to do to regain power, status and respect. Did he ever love Lucy Gray? I’m still not sure. It was in his interest to help her and although he chooses 12 to be near her, the moment he realises his old life is not lost to him, that takes priority. Had he not found those guns, maybe they could’ve led a happy life together somewhere, but I always sensed that was his consolation prize. It’s a fascinating character study of him and helped me to understand him much better. What’s more, Tom Blyth was superb. I hadn’t seen him in anything else and he really impressed me and I really think he’s going to be a huge talent to watch out for. Rachel Zegler continues to be a star and all of the ensemble is very strong. I’m thrilled this film was made and it’s a fantastic addition to the Hunger Games franchise. My 4K steelbook disc set is already on pre-order!

8. Perfect Days (UK release – 23rd February 2024; out now in the US)

Another film to watch out for its UK release in early 2024 is the latest from Wim Wender and from what I’ve seen, this is either a film you love, or find very boring. We follow Hirayama (played by Koji Yakusho), a middle-aged Japanese man, who works as a cleaner of public toilets in Tokyo. He lives a very simple life; working, reading, tending his plants, listening to music and eating at the same places each day. It’s all about routine and we spend a lot of the film observing him going about this everyday life, day after day, so I see why for some this could be too repetitive. Yet, I found it incredibly relaxing and loved how its simplicity of story really highlights the joy and beauty of the everyday, whether the sun shining through your favourite tree, or reading a chapter of a book before bed. I also liked how we slowly learn more about Hirayama through his interactions with other people, whether strangers, or those he knows. Yet, I also appreciated the choice to not tell us everything, as that’s not what the film is about. It’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but I would’ve gladly followed this man around for hours and was sad when the film ended. It’s easily my favourite lead actor performance of the year and I’d dearly love to see him nominated although I don’t think that’ll happen. I cannot wait to see it again in 2024.

9. Saltburn

I knew not everyone would like Saltburn, but I am surprised at just how divisive it has proven to be! For me, I had a great time watching this film. Maybe it helped that both times I saw it were with an audience in a cinema. I also don’t try and look too deeply at whether it has a message. For me, it’s just a dark, sometimes comic, twisted look in to the weirdness of one wealthy family and one young man’s obsession with them as a family and the opportunity they give him to improve his personal status in life. I thought the cast were fantastic, with Barry Keoghan continuing to demonstrate why he’s one of the most exciting young actors, and so many strong supporting performances across the board. Visually, it looks beautiful and I definitely appreciated the style Emerald Fennell went for direction-wise, alongside cinematographer Linus Sandgren. The choice to present it in 1:33:1 aspect ratio, so it has that square screen ratio, framing the whole film like a painting, also really worked for me. Production design is easily some of the best of the year too. Yes, I saw the ultimate end coming once the twist was revealed (which I didn’t see coming), but I didn’t mind that and Keoghan’s performance sold it for me. And yes, there are some scenes in here that are deliberately shocking, but they worked for me in the context of this insanely warped world. Oh and I love that last scene (which apparently took 11 takes to get perfect). It’s clearly not for everyone, but I had great fun with Saltburn!

10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

It’s not been a great year for comic book movies has it? So it’s ironic that the best two, in most people’s minds, both make an appearance in my top ten. This was an absolutely fantastic conclusion to the current Guardians, who we’ve all grown to love since their first film and if you’re someone like me who doesn’t read many comic books, you probably weren’t aware of them as characters before! In my mind, GOTG Vol. 3 is an example of why those who keep banging on about superhero films lacking depth and emotion are wrong, as this film was packed with heart and emotion and yes, it did make me shed some tears. Centring the story on Rocket and his backstory was a great choice and really made me look at the other films anew too knowing all that he’d been through. I also loved seeing just how far Nebula has come as a character. It’s a perfect balance of silliness, action, drama and emotion and for me, the GOTG trilogy is now my favourite MCU trilogy. I’ll miss that band of misfits a lot.

Honourable Mentions:

A top ten favourites list feels right to me, but there have been so many fantastic films this year, that I had to include some honourable mentions.

  • All of Us Strangers – This arrives in UK cinemas on 26th January and it’s an incredibly impactful film, with an outstanding lead performance from Andrew Scott, who if you know my theatre posts, you’ll know is already one of my favourite actors. It’s a moving story of love, grief and loneliness, with a beautiful script and a really beautiful visual, almost otherworldly, visual lighting style.
  • John Wick 4 – God, this film was great. There hasn’t been a bad film in this franchise, but this is easily my favourite. The action set pieces, the stunt work, the cinematography and use of colour, the music choices, all made it a thrill ride from start to finish. Do I think there should be another one? I’m not sure. I’d perhaps tell a story following some of the characters we met in this instalment, as I’d gladly watch more of their lives.
  • The Killer – I know this was underwhelming for some, but I really enjoyed The Killer. Yes, it’s a simple story, as we follow Michael Fassbender’s assassin from job, to revenge mission, but it maintained the tension for me and I was engaged in the story from beginning to end. Fassbender is fantastic, the fight scene is superb (with an extra chuckle from me for the appearance of Fiona Bruce on the TV show playing in the background!), it’s some of the best sound design of the year and it left me completely satisfied.
  • Anatomy of a Fall – I loved this twisty thriller, turned court room drama, as we try and decide if Sandra Huller’s character did or didn’t kill her husband. Huller is superb, as the film delves in to more than just a murder case, but also raises questions about how women are perceived by society, the expectation of how they should act, about the balance within a marriage and about how well we can ever know someone else. I loved that by the end we still don’t know the truth. Did she or didn’t she? It’s left for you to decide. It also has one of the best supporting performances from young Milo Machado Graner.
  • As for the others… Shout outs to Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, Close, Priscilla, American Fiction (look out for that in 2024 in the UK), The Great Escaper and Fair Play.

So, those are my favourite films of 2023. Look out for posts with my favourite TV shows and theatre shows of the year coming later today!