Best Movies of 2023 (So Far)

We have reached the halfway point of 2023, which means it is time to look back at the best movies of 2023 so far. I have seen 73 new release movies so far in 2023 (102 total including film festival movies and movies that will be released later this year.

Overall 2023 has been a pretty good year for movies. I will say that of all the movies I have seen, my top six or seven films were truly great. We got some great directorial debuts from Celine Strong and Michael B. Jordan and saw award-winning filmmakers like Ben Affleck and Wes Anderson produce some of their best work. There were also excellent franchise entries and some stellar indie films.

Here are my picks for the best movies of 2023. I am first going to rank my ten favorite films of the year in order. Then share my picks for the best performances of the year, ranking each category (Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress) in alphabetical order, with my pick for the winner being highlighted in bold. I will also give my picks for the best technical achievements of the year, along with some movies I missed, some movies that you may have missed, and the movies I am most excited about for the rest of the year.

 

Best Picture

1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

• A game-changing, revolutionary film and the most epic animated movie I have ever seen.

2. John Wick: Chapter 4

• A jaw-dropping action spectacle.

3. Past Lives

• A beautiful, emotional, decade’s-spanning portrait of fate, love, and connection.

4. Air 

• Ben Affleck’s energetic and entertaining story about Nike landing a shoe contract with Michael Jordan.

5. Creed III

• Michael B. Jordan’s impressive directorial debut is an exciting and dramatic look at legacy and dealing with your past.

6. Asteroid City

• Asteroid City is Wes Anderson firing on cylinders with another gorgeously shot and constructed film with an incredible ensemble.

7. BlackBerry

• A gripping and funny look at the rise and fall of one of the most popular tech companies of the 21st century.

8. Beau is Afraid

• Ari Aster’s third film is a horrifying and twisted look into one man’s psyche and insecurities.

9. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

• A delightful and charming film about female adolescence and the problems that come with it.

10. Knock at the Cabin

• Another tense and thrilling film from writer/director M. Night Shyamalan.

Best Director

Ben Affleck, Air

Wes Anderson, Asteroid City

Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Chad Stahelski, John Wick: Chapter 4

Celine Strong, Past Lives

• Celine Strong’s poignant, tender direction makes Past Lives the best directorial debut of the year. 

Best Actor

Dave Bautista, Knock at the Cabin

Matt Damon, Air

Joaquin Phoenix, Beau is Afraid

Keanu Reeves, John Wick: Chapter 4

Yoo Teo, Past Lives

• There were a lot of great performances to choose from in this category, but Reeves’s physicality, charisma, and movie stardom shined brightest for me this year.

Best Actress

Abby Ryder Fortson, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

Greta Lee, Past Lives

Margaret Qualley, Sanctuary

Teyana Taylor, A Thousand and One

Michelle Williams, Showing Up

• Greta Lee brings Celine Strong’s film to life in the year’s breakout performance.

Best Supporting Actor

Jason Bateman, Air

Glen Howerton, BlackBerry

Nathan Lane, Beau is Afraid

Jonathan Majors, Creed III

Donnie Yen, John Wick: Chapter 4

• Howerton gives a manic, insanely hilarious performance as one of the co-founders of BlackBerry.

Best Supporting Actress

Carrie Coon, The Boston Strangler

Viola Davis, Air

Patti Lupone, Beau is Afraid

Rachel McAdams, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

Sigourney Weaver, Master Gardener

• McAdams gives a sweet and endearing performance as the mother of an adolescent girl trying to keep it together even as her life crumbles.

 

BEST OF THE REST

Best Original Screenplay – Past Lives

Runner Up – Air

Best Adapted Screenplay – How to Blow Up a Pipeline

Runner Up – Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

Best Editing – John Wick: Chapter 4

Runner Up – Creed III

Best Cinematography – John Wick: Chapter 4 

Runner Up – Asteroid City

Best Production Design – John Wick: Chapter 4 

Runner Up – Asteroid City

Best Ensemble – Asteroid City

Runner Up – Brooklyn 45

Best Comedy – Asteroid City

Runner Up – BlackBerry

Best Action Movie – John Wick: Chapter 4

Runner Up – Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Best Superhero Movie – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Runner Up – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Best Horror/Thriller – Knock at the Cabin

Runner Up – Beau is Afraid

Best Animated Movie – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Runner up – Elemental

Biggest Surprise – Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Runner Up – Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

Movie I Liked More Than Most – Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre

Runner Up – 65

Movie Everyone Liked More Than Me – M3GAN

Runner Up – Cocaine Bear

Biggest Disappointment – The Flash

Runner Up – Renfield

Worst Movie – White Men Can’t Jump

Runner Up – Ghosted

 

Five Movies I Missed But Will Eventually See

Chevalier

The Covenant

Sisu

Suzume

You Hurt My Feelings

Five Movies To Seek Out That You May Have Missed

Brooklyn 45 (available on Shudder)

Bruiser (available on Hulu)

How to Blow Up a Pipeline (available for rent)

R.M.N (available for rent)

A Thousand and One (available on Peacock)

Five Most Anticipated Movies for the Rest of 2023

Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan, July 21)

Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos, September 8)

Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese, October 6)

Dune Part Two (Denis Villeneuve, November 3)

Napoleon (Ridley Scott, November 22)

 

 

 

 

 

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