Top Films of 2023

2023 felt like a year where a sea change became to take place in the world of cinema. It is customary for the changes that our culture experiences from decade to decade to begin to fully settle once we’re a few years in to the new ten-year period and this year was no different. After dominating the 2010s, it appears that the superhero movie genre has begun its death throes with 2023’s blockbuster cultural zeitgeist instead dominated by adaptations of toy and video game IPs and an auteur biopics. This year also saw the unexpected return of historical epics, a genre that experienced its own sudden death 60+ years ago. Outside of the multiplex, Hollywood saw a double work strike as writers and actors sought to stave off the rise of artificial intelligence and a more equitable share of streaming profits, the effects of which we will certainly feel in the years ahead.

As things changed around us, this year in film felt like the year of parity as the title for 2023’s could have legitimately been awarded to any number of titles. Indeed on our site’s list, the number ten film of the year could have claimed the top honor just as easily as number one has. This lack of separation made for an enjoyable year in movie viewing overall as the quality was spread around rather than concentrated amongst a few select titles. Below is our ranking of the 53 releases we watched this year.