Top 10 Movies 2023
Hello hello. Happy almost-New Year. I love movies and I love a list, so pulling together this list of my favourite 10 films of the year, is one of my favourite tasks. A few caveats- I live in the UK where we don’t get a lot of the big Oscar films until the New Year. Which is a bit rubbish.
Special shout out to a few films that didn’t make the list. My first cinema visit of the year was to see Aftersun, where I finally caught up with Paul Mescal (Normal People was my lockdown pop culture blind spot). For his impressive Glaswegian accent alone (I swear he sounded more Glaswegian than some Glaswegians I know), he would have made this list, if the film hadn’t been released in 2022.
Shout outs to 2023 films that just missed the cut inc Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (for being sheer good fun), How to have sex (British teens abroad during summer, a brilliant performance from Mia McKenna-Bruce), and Women Talking (very much a play on film, but that made it all the powerful).
Anyway, onto this year’s list.
10. Theater Camp
Summer camps aren’t really a thing in the UK, but if you’ve ever been in any kind of drama club, school show, or musical group, you will find so much to love about this. Theater Camp shows the drama, bitching, and bonkers moments, that happen in such an environment. Here, the staff of a camp in upstate New York try to put on a show, while at the same time, keep the camp from closing. An awful lot of fun.
9. #Chad Gets The Axe.
A bunch of social media influencers are killed off one by one, as they live stream their trip to the former home of a satanic cult. I saw #Chad Gets The Axe at the Glasgow Film Festival in March, and I’m mad that I’ve not heard anything of it since. I saw it with my sister and we had the best time. #Chad is an absolute scream. The most annoying aspects of influencers is portrayed so well, that you’ll actually be pleased when certain characters are murdered.
8. Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret
Confession- I didn’t spent my tweens reading Judy Blume. I was more of a Sweet Valley, Babysitters Club stan, which made me wonder if I would enjoy this. I needn’t have worried. Are you there god? it’s me, Margaret is completely charming. It follows an 11 year old girl who moves from New York City to the suburbs, and the alienation and awkwardness as she tries to make new friends, and adjust to a new life, is completely relatable. Abby Ryder Fortson who plays Margaret makes you completely root for her. Rachel McAdams as her mum is just wonderful too (though the fact that Regina George is now old enough to play Mums does make me feel a thousand years old). Do also check out Judy Blume Forever, the Amazon prime documentary about the author.
7. The Holdovers
This is one of those awards-potential films that won’t be out in the UK until January. I only saw it through sheer luck during a trip to New York, and it’s hella frustrating it’s not out here yet, as I want everyone to see it!
The Holdovers reunites Sideways director Alexander Payne, with the star of that film, Paul Giamatti. The latter stars as a curmudgeonly history teacher, forced to stay with the kids left behind at an exclusive prep school over the Christmas break. Giamatti is in his element, but watch out also for Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who plays the school’s cook, Mary. I predict seeing her on some best supporting lists come awards time.
A mega shout out though, to Dominic Sessa, a privileged but troubled student who forms a bond with Giamatti. This is an incredible performance and what is absolutely bonkers, is that this is Sessa’s professional film debut. The Holdovers has shades of Dead Poets Society, but is very much its own thing. High recommend.
6. Joyride
Joyride was the last cinema visit I had before Barbenheimer’s summer domination. I fear that it got lost amongst the sea of pink, and that’s a real shame.
It follows the story of 4 Asian American friends as they travel to China to find the birth mother of Audrey (Ashley Park – the best thing about Emily in Paris IMHO). Lawyer Audrey is also under huge pressure from her employer as the trip doubles as a chance for her to gain a promotion. Traveling with her is her best friend and hot mess, Lolo (Sherry Cola – also check her out in another under the radar film, Shortcomings), actress Kat (Everything Everywhere All At Once’s Stephanie Hsu), and Lolo’s cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu). Joyride is hilarious, with great characters and some really touching moments. Do seek it out.
5. Polite Society
I could gush about this film forever, but it’s explained here behind Door 12 of my Pop Culture Advent Calendar.
4. Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse
Like many people, I adored Spiderman: into the Spiderverse, so was worried about whether the sequel could recreate that same magic. I needn’t have worried. Spiderman: across the Spiderverse keeps the same humour and fun tone as its predecessor.
As well as checking back in with Gwen, Miles, and Peter B Parker (this time with cute baby!), the new characters are just so much fun. My personal favourites from the new cast have to be Hobie Brown/Spider-punk (Daniel Kaluuya), and Pavitr Prabhakar/Spiderman-India (Karan Soni).
If you’ve been holding back from the Spiderverse because you’ve reached your saturation of superheroes, allow yourself some mental space for this version of the Spiderman story. You won’t regret it.
3. Rye Lane
I’ve previously spoken about this wonderful film here.
2. Past Lives
And here’s where I spoke about the achingly beautiful Past Lives.
- Barbie
When I first did a Pop Culture Advent last year, I noted Barbie as something to look forward to in 2023. “Gut instinct tells me this’ll be a scream”. I had no idea Barbie would turn out to be as fun, as deep, as thought provoking, and as amazing, as it did.
I’ve written about the Barbenheimer Phenomenon here. But credit where credit is due, seeing Barbie itself was an event. There were the character posters, the pop up Barbie boxes at the cinema where people would queue to get their picture taken, the phrase “he’s just Ken” entering the cultural lexicon, and the fact that cinema goers would turn up to see the film dressed in pink.
This would all be incredible good fun on its own, but added to this, the movie was good! It’s got its detractors of course, and the many many think pieces, but I’m pro-Barbie for the following reasons:
Margot Robbie knowing exactly how to pitch this character, Ryan Gosling giving a career best performance as Ken, an absolute banger of a soundtrack, and a delightful ensemble of Barbie and Ken’s (side note – I am delighted for the press office of Doctor Who who must have been punching the air with glee that incoming Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa was in the biggest film of the summer).
But what elevated this film for me and made it so much more than a film about a toy, was America Ferrera as Gloria. I’ll leave you with her “it’s impossible to be a woman speech”. If she’s not on supporting actor lists for this, I will burn things to the ground.
Thanks for reading. Do check back soon for my top 10 stage shows!