Here are my favorite 2023 movies. It might be a while until you can see all of them.

Since 2017 when I started tracking awards season I’ve lived in San Antonio, New York City and Seattle. Living in all three places has really illuminated for me just how difficult it can be to see widely acclaimed movies in a given year if you don’t live in a major movie city.

As you’d imagine, New York City is a dream for a movie lover. Some of the most iconic movie theaters in the world sit on that tiny island and they’re frequently hosting some kind of event or showcase of the best in film. My favorite movie going experiences all happened while I was living in NYC and that even includes the city-wide shut down during COVID.

The filmmaker/distributor/programmer ecosystem is complicated and to be honest it’s not something I fully understand. I get that there are business implications for when and how to release movies, but I wish they’d just let us see the damn things. Even the buzziest movies coming out of film festivals sometimes take months to reach general audiences. There has been a silver lining when it comes to having access to more movies in the streaming era with filmmakers having more opportunities for their movies premier in more places. But even for someone who knows where to go and what to look for, it’s a frustratingly complicated journey catching up with all of the movies I want to see in a given year.

I was really looking forward to seeing movies like The Zone of Interest and The Taste of Things when I first heard the chatter coming out of the film festivals, but those movies didn’t come to the Seattle market until January and February. So I’ve been waiting to finalize my list until I had a chance to see the movies I thought could very likely land in my top 25 of the year. I’m glad I did.

I wrote a few months ago about how the mid-year, movie-watching slump felt especially low with the SAG and WGA strikes, but I’m glad to say 2023 had a strong finish. Here are the movies I think you should make some time for. And if you can’t find them on VOD, streaming, or at a theater near you, blame it on the system.

# 1 Barbie

Yeah yeah. You’ve heard of it.

#2: Spider-Man: Across
The Spider-Verse

I really didn’t think they’d be able to do it again, but they did. And possibly even better?

#3: John Wick Chapter 4

I’m as surprised as you are there are so many sequels at the top of my list. It just so happened to be a killer (no pun intended) year for characters we already know and love.

#4: The Holdovers

When I saw the first trailer for this movie I was underwhelmed. But then the raves started rolling in, so I reluctantly made my way to the theater to see it…now I’m going to be watching this movie every Christmas because I love it so much.

#4 Oppenheimer

The stars are aligning for Christopher Nolan this year and I’m here for it.

#5: Killers of the Flower Moon

Late stage Scorsese is my favorite Scorsese.

#6 Wonka

Timothy Chalamet singing his little heart out is the heart-warming pick me up we didn’t know we needed.

#7 The Taste of Things

It’s the most gorgeous food movie I’ve seen in a long time. It’s entirely mesmerizing and pretentious and I can’t recommend it enough.

#8 Air

Air is the smart way to do a sports movie: make your audience fall in love with the ensemble. Also, cast Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Jason Bateman.

#9 Are You There God?

It’s Me, Margaret

I didn’t read Judy Bloom novels growing up, but it didn’t stop me from falling in love with this coming of age story.

#10 Godzilla Minus One

If there was an ideal template for a Godzilla movie, this would be it. It’s got the action-packed monster stuff, but it’s also got a lot of heart.

#11 Beyond Utopia

If there was one documentary that rose to the top this year, it was this moving story about families trying to flee North Korea. Probably the most egregious Oscar nom snub in my view.

#12 Guardians of the

Galaxy Vol. 3

Of all the Marvel properties, this is one of my faves. I had some issues with the handling of a few story points, but on the whole, it was a fitting end for this group of misfits.

#13 Theater Camp

I wasn’t even a theater camp kid, but this one had me in stitches. Pitch perfect delivery of some of the funniest movie moments of the year.

#14 Perfect Days

Simplicity, contentment, and the ache of loneliness — all captured in this quietly moving movie about a man who cleans toilets in Tokyo.

#15 Priscilla

Sofia Coppola can really capture a mood and this movie is no exception. Based on Priscilla Presley’s autobiography, this movie follows the tragic love story between Priscilla Presley and Elvis Presley from the moodiest of POVs.

#16 Mission Impossible:
Dead Reckoning Part 1

I love this franchise. Despite all of the crazy Tom Cruise has brought into the world, he’s also given us so much in this near-perfect action film franchise and this sixth installment was no exception.

#17 Maestro

When Cooper commits, he really commits. The guy spent years training to be a conductor for this biopic about American composer, Leonard Bernstein. Despite a few wobbly thematic elements, I was really impressed with Bradley Cooper’s directing.

#18 Society of the Snow

Based on the true story about a rugby team that crash landed in the Andes mountains in 1972, this isn’t an easy watch, but it’s worth it.

#19 Leave The World

Behind

Something about Sam Esmail’s mildly unsettling and smart tone really works for me. This movie nails that tone and this cast is some of the best to do it.

#20 Blackberry

Blackberry was a surprising sleeper hit to come out of a year inundated with movies about products.

#21 The Killer

David Fincher’s newest film quietly landed on Netflix over the summer and it has all of the stereotypically dark thematic elements you usually find in a Fincher movie, but with a surprisingly hopeful twinge to it.

#22 The Boy and

the

Heron

The wild and weird world of Miyazaki is always a treat. Where his earlier works had a more child-like, lighthearted quality to them, this movie is more reflective of a world-weary man in his 80s.

#23 20 Days in Mariupol

This movie was the long overdue education I needed on the humanitarian crisis happening in Ukraine. It’s the difficult but necessary documentary of our current moment.

#24 Flora and Son

I was floored when I learned that that the lead of this movie holding her own next to Joseph Gordon Levitt, is none other than the daughter of U2s leading guy, Bono. She’s got chops and I hope we see her in a lot more movies in the future.

#25 The Wonderful

Story

of Henry Sugar

Wes Anderson put out several projects this year. His feature film, Asteroid City, is a little bit farther down my list, but this short film that landed on Netflix without much fanfare is more in line with the quirky and lovable Wes Anderson I prefer to see.