Owen Hollander's Top 10 Films of 2023

What a year for movies! 2023 gave us some of the highest caliber of films I can think of in recent memory. It contained an extremely diverse variety of films ranging from vastly different genres, styles, and subject matter with projects that excelled in every category. This truly felt like the biggest comeback year for cinema since the pandemic and it only instilled me with higher hope for the future of film in general. We have finally returned to having a large amount of widely praised original stories overflowing with personality and passionate voices. 

This year we received films from legendary directors, such as Scorsese, Wes Anderson, Nolan, Payne, Fincher, Miyazaki, Michael Mann, Wim Wenders and more, we saw incredible feature-film debuts from the original voices of Cord Jefferson, Celine Song, Raine Allen-Miller, A.V. Rockwell, Juel Taylor, and continued great work from modern auteurs like Emma Seligman, Todd Haynes, Greta Gerwig, Ari Aster, Emerald Fennell, Sean Durkin, Kelly Fremon Craig, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Andrew Haigh. We were treated to summer blockbusters, nostalgic teen comedies and rom-coms, instant indie classics, and even the resurgence of concert films like those from Taylor Swift and Beyonce. All in all, this only meant that making a top 10 films of the year list was extremely difficult, but I tried my best.

I’ll kick off the list with my honorable mentions for the year from 25 to 11 being:

25). They Cloned Tyrone (Dir. by Juel Taylor)

24). Perfect Days (Dir. by Wim Wenders)

23). Are You There God? It's me Margaret (Dir. by Kelly Fremon Craig)

22). The Zone of Interest (Dir. by Jonathan Glazer)

21). How to Blow up a Pipeline (Dir. by Daniel Goldhaber)

20). The Boy and The Heron (Dir. by Hayao Miyazaki)

19). A Thousand and One (Dir. by A.V. Rockwell)

18). Barbie (Dir. by Greta Gerwig)

17). Blackberry (Dir. by Matt Johnson)

16). Beau is Afraid (Dir. by Ari Aster)

15). Saltburn (Dir. by Emerald Fennell)

14). Rye Lane (Dir. by Raine Allen-Miller)

13). American Fiction (Dir. by Cord Jefferson)

12). Spiderman: Across The Spider-Verse (Dir. by K. Powers, J. Dos Santos, & J. Thompson)

11). The Iron Claw (Dir. by Sean Durkin)

10). MAY DECEMBER - Dir. by Todd Haynes

It’s hard to determine what the essence of May December is. People have called it camp, a soap opera, a mystery, but even the director, Todd Haynes, has denied all of those claims. In my opinion I believe that with May December, Haynes delivers a riveting character drama that deeply explores the complex ideas of truth, intention, and hypocrisy. Haynes is able to accomplish this deep dive of a film with the aid of incredible performances all around by making great use of the powerhouse that was Natalie Portman, Juliana Moore, and, the certainly soon to be Oscar nominee, Charles Melton. Each actor is entirely on their own journey in this piece that clashes and complements perfectly with one another the whole time. I really appreciated this ‘chaotic harmony’ that left me completely engrossed in the narrative.

This direction and acting combined with the flowing camerawork and melodramatic score made for a very hypnotic watch that has still been sitting with me. The screenplay was incredibly layered as well with its use of meaningful motifs and symbols that only strengthened the character dissection that I got to sink my teeth into afterwards. Netflix once again delivers their yearly artisan film that grabs a lot of praise and attention to maintain respect from critics everywhere and gather a few well-deserved Oscar nominations along the way. 

9). ASTEROID CITY - Dir. by Wes Anderson

I completely understand why Asteroid City has proven to be divisive for a large number of viewers. This film has been referred to on the internet as Wes Anderson at his most Wes Anderson and if his extremely specific style isn’t for you, then I can understand why this film wouldn’t click with you. Personally, I have always been very intrigued by Anderson’s filmography and his ambition, which made Asteroid City an incredibly entertaining watch for me. Besides the obvious praises that Anderson typically garners, such as a stacked ensemble cast, intricate production design, and enough color to satisfy me for the year, this film was very special for me because of how much it felt like one of the auteur’s most personal and vulnerable features in my opinion. The movie was able to deeply explore what it means to be an artist not only in the creative sense, but also in our everyday lives. It possessed a deep connection to the natural creative spirit of the universe that we all constantly harness and how this influences our passions, intentions, and purposes in life.

The bright bubblegum colors of Anderson’s 1950’s western town were mesmerizing alongside the bright orange and yellows of the picture-perfect desert. The whole production design and screenplay aided each other with how meta, self-aware, and unique the project was. He truly elevated his signature style to another level with Asteroid City by taking some artistic risks that we’ve never seen from him in this way before. An experimental Wes Anderson was an exciting one, and I enjoyed being able to see him push the boundary just that much more. Unfortunately, it will not be a happy day when this film is snubbed by the Oscars in 2024, as is also in typical Anderson fashion. 

8). OPPENHEIMER - Dir. by Christopher Nolan

Being able to experience ‘Barbenheimer’ opening weekend was one of the best highlights of 2023 cinema. This included my 11AM screening of Oppenhiemer in 70mm at the historic Westwood Fox Theatre in Los Angeles, which only made the film that much more special and immersive. The authentic 70mm screening made the black and white cinematography pop off the screen in a way that I’ve never seen before (especially since only 30 screens worldwide were able to project the reel). The lighting and shading were incredibly pure and spotless, especially compared to my rewatch of the film on 35mm that couldn’t compete with how sharp the 70mm picture was. The visuals throughout the entire film were of course flawless with its use of practical effects and interesting style choice of the color and B&W changes to help portray the story. It is a film that uses traditional filmmaking, but subverts our expectations of the techniques by expanding upon them and turning them into very interesting choices. 

It has been difficult for me at times to always connect with Nolan’s filmography, but Oppenheimer was the film that I have been waiting so long to see from the director. It is easily my personal favorite of his work and I think the deeper character study of Oppie’s psyche could only be done in this way by Nolan. He was able to utilize his traditional action and sci-fi tones and visuals to experimentally convey a story so brutal and layered, yet deeply human. The close-ups of Cillian Murphy were suffocating in the best way possible to help capture his tormented performance that likely secured his Oscar win next year. It’d be an understatement to call this ensemble cast incredibly stacked and talented as well, but the description fits the bill. Nolan and company were able to pull out all the stops for this historical epic that will be studied and hailed as an essential viewing for years to come. 

7). BOTTOMS - Dir. by Emma Seligman

I couldn’t be happier that Emma Seligman is becoming one of the most interesting and exciting working directors today since her debut in 2021 with Shiva Baby. She follows that triumph with another, if not greater, one with the hysterical teen comedy that was Bottoms. Seligman uses her secret weapon, Rachel Sennott, once again to elevate this film to the next level, only strengthening it with the addition of the brilliant Ayo Edebiri. The film had my entire packed theater and I dying of laughter the entirety of its runtime. The comedy was so funny that the woman next to me literally spilled her drink on my lap by accident from laughing so hard. I believe that this was a film that we crucially needed today in the current madness of the world with the way that it offered us pure escapism, entertainment, and an immense amount of heart. The entire picture was very charming and had me only wanting more by the end. 

Seligman’s direction was even punchier and more vibrant than that of Shiva Baby by really experimenting with her engaging and sporadic camera movement. The cinematography heightened both the comedy and stakes of the film. The editing was also a major contribution to this as it knew exactly when to cut or stay for comedic effect. It felt like Seligman was able to capture a type of contemporary nostalgia that benefitted from teen comedies of the past, but was refreshingly original with the way she successfully pushed the envelope. I certainly cannot wait for her next film and I will be watching with great anticipation.

6). ANATOMY OF A FALL - Dir. by Justine Triet

It is very easy to create an underwhelming and bloated courtroom drama, but fortunately Anatomy of A Fall is far from this. The film’s biggest strength lives in its screenplay, which is dense in detail and character, but never gets messy, redundant, or holds the viewer’s hand. It absolutely deserves the Oscar nomination next year for best original screenplay simply for the fact that it almost just feels like a visual novel. I love the subtle camera work that almost stands back from the scene in a way where the audience gets to feel like an observer of the story the whole time as we get to participate in the mysterious ‘whodunit’ aspect of the film. If we are not distantly spectating the plot unfold, then we are uncomfortably close to the protagonist as we begin to feel as trapped and tight as she does. 

The other biggest strengths of the film lie in the direction and performances that are all brilliantly played in completely interpretative and complex manners. These factors only add to the movie’s naturalistic approach in character and space as you fully become immersed in this setting and forget you’re even watching a movie. This really helps the runtime fly by unnoticed as we get to only guess at the next twists and turns where anything could really happen and we’d be none the wiser. I loved the minimal use of locations and specifically released information through flashbacks and confessions which only increased the audience’s forced perspective on the unpredictable events before them. 

5). ALL OF US STRANGERS - Dir. by Andrew Haigh

The biggest surprise, yet delight, of this year’s releases has got to be Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers. For a film that got seemingly little promotion or attention compared to other major releases this year, I was blown away by how powerful and unpredictable this film was. The camerawork and editing possessed a psychedelic style that perfectly aided the confused blurriness of the story and the main character’s emotions. The lighting was constantly either these soft dream-like fills or hypnotic neons that consistently left me transfixed throughout the picture’s runtime. The stark contrasts of light and dark maintain a consistent presence over this film that contribute to the tone of loneliness and regret in very unique ways. Each scene’s setup felt so meticulously planned and prepared that it was able to complement the production design and the actors’ blocking with perfection. The ethereal visuals and mood greatly heightened this spiritual ‘ghost’ story in a way that was crucial to its success. 

The writing itself was overflowing with immense emotion that really touched me. The script had such a fantastic balance of nostalgia, love, loss, depression, and more that I was able to fully strap into this rollercoaster of feelings. The characters possessed such a deep vulnerability that felt very raw and true-to-life. Of course, they only felt this way because of how excellently pulled off they were by Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal. Their chemistry was unparalleled to most others this year. Mescal has proven once again that he will be one of the leaders in the next generation of great actors and I can’t wait to keep seeing more from him. The climax to the ending hit me like a train in the best way possible where I never wanted to quite leave this environment. The final sequence with the needle drop of “Power of Love” by Frankie Goes To Hollywood was transcendent and I haven’t been able to get those concluding visuals out of my head. The whole movie almost felt like a ‘comforting heartbreak’ for lack of better words. It felt almost European in its approach to style and rhythm with its nontraditional story structure that presented the audience with simply an atmosphere to live in as opposed to the typical three act arc. The story is constantly elevating itself and exploring the possibilities of its realm. 

4). THE HOLDOVERS - Dir. by Alexander Payne

In 2023 we got to view many great cinematic genre returns that have been obsolete in the mainstream for quite some time. One of these is the heartful family Christmas feature that hasn’t had a significant splash to wider audiences in quite some time. This is why I was so enthralled to receive The Holdovers this year, which will certainly become a recurring picture in my yearly Christmas rotation. Alexander Payne has really built his directorial style off of being the king of generational comedies with endless charm. Payne is able to shine once again here with this nostalgic coming-of-age holiday story that explores what it means to be growing in this confusing world as both a boy and an older man. Like many of his other notable works, his characters here parallel each other in their journeys while still solely traveling their own paths. These elements only instill a deeper root in their connections as they are able to both learn and grow through one another. The cast was phenomenal under Payne’s direction with the shining familiarity of Paul Giamatti, the powerful breakout performance of Dominic Sessa, and the complete heart and soul of the film that was Da’Vine Joy Randolph. The three truly are the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of the story here in this incredible dramedy that I’m glad got the praise it deserved. 

The vintage style and color grading of the picture perfectly captured the essence of nostalgia that the filmmakers were going for as well. It looked so real and pure in fact that I was shocked to learn that the film was shot digitally on the Arri Alexa Mini and not some forgotten 16mm reels from the time period itself. The artificial film grain and color contributes to the emotion of the film feeling so warm and comfortable in a way that could have easily not worked, but it fortunately succeeds. It’s so interesting to see how Payne and his team were able to create something that feels so classic, yet so nuanced in its execution. 

3). KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON - Dir. by Martin Scorsese

When you see the 81 year-old Martin Scorsese continue to drop consistent modern masterpieces you have to wonder why other legendary directors aren’t always able to follow suit. Scorsese delivers yet another film at his most ultimate Scorsese-style that triumphs in its execution. We are given all of the typical Scorsese staples of his filmography, such as cutaway storytelling, an exploration of family dynamics, the corruption and greed of man, an impactful multi-talented cast, and of course his two favorite actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. Killers of The Flower Moon stays on its feet, sharp in style and camerawork, in a way that a director in their 80s wouldn’t always do. Scorsese cranks out another 3 and a half hour masterclass that transcends any restrictions or limitations of his age. It can be dirty, it can be refined, it can be quiet, and it can be loud, yet it all effortlessly flows not only due to his direction but also because of his longtime editor Thelma Shcoonmaker that keeps the film punchy despite its length. 

Lily Gladstone is of course one of the most notable performances of the year with her role in this which will likely land her the Oscar win in 2024 and many more mainstream roles in the near future. She is electric and has a powerful amount of screen presence in every scene as she plays the quietest, yet loudest role I may have ever seen. She builds such an interesting chemistry within her character and her relation to the scenes around her. What could have been a performance played too reserved was actually incredibly noticeable and insightful into her world that the other characters are invading. It is a tight film in style, which calls for tight performances that Gladstone might be the most excelling at here. 

2). POOR THINGS - Dir. by Yorgos Lanthimos

Poor Things was probably my most anticipated of the year, so I am happy that it very much lived up to my expectations. With each of his films, Yorgos Lanthimos tries to expand his style every time in very unique directions. I am always excited by the way he continues to give the audience so many expectations and then completely subverts them and makes them even better every time. This is Lanthimos’ best film in my opinion as he has made probably the most palatable, yet weirdest feature he could have made. It’s always a great time when studios give adventurous directors larger budgets to really bring their grandest fantasies to life. Alongside the trippy and beautiful visuals were the eye-catching costumes and production design, which transported Poor Things to a world entirely of its own. The aesthetic is so expressive and artistically satisfying, yet never distracting or derivative. 

We get to view another stellar cast of 2023 with every actor getting to radiate throughout their scenes. Willem Dafoe is as great as always and Mark Ruffalo gives one of the most surprising, but enjoyable, performances of the year. Obviously the supreme star of the feature is Emma Stone as is common to most of her filmography. Stone presents us with a masterclass in acting with how much she is able to accomplish by instilling such a constantly developing arc throughout the movie. She ends the story as an utterly different character through her growth, but her progression is so subtly done that you don’t even notice it until the credits roll. She is able to keep core aspects of the character completely present the entire time, but spiritually elevates the character into a fully fleshed individual despite how unusual the story is. I also really enjoyed Jerrod Carmichael’s performance in the picture that brought a real naturalism to this bizarre world. It grounded the film in a way that needed it for Stone’s character growth to become well-rounded in that portion. It is rumored that Lanthimos may already have another film releasing in late 2024 starring Stone and Dafoe again, so I can’t wait to hear more about that.

1). PAST LIVES - Dir. by Celine Song

When I have to think of the film in 2023 that has stayed with me the longest and strongest, it’d have to be Past Lives. Celine Song delivers what could be one of the best directorial debuts ever with this contemporary masterpiece about love, loss, and everything in between. It is a raw and heart-wrenching screenplay that I fell in love with. Song presents us with a vulnerable tale that perfectly captures life as ever-moving and linear in an insightful manner, as opposed to how forced these themes can oftentimes be presented. I loved the exploration of indifference versus regret towards one’s past as they are all philosophies many of us have grappled with ourselves. What comes out of this is a movie that is entirely human and captures the simple act of living flawlessly. It’s a breath of somber fresh air that can resonate with almost anyone. 

The cinematography strengthens the screenplay as it feels like seeing the little things in life for the first time in a way. I could watch the beautiful, soft b-roll from this film for two hours alone with how seamlessly mesmerizing and flowing it is from scene to scene. The camera acts as a third eye in the movie that wants to look around the environment and take every detail in as opposed to just watching actors. This very much makes the film feel like the distant daydream memories that make us reminisce on life itself. All of this cascades into the strongest ending scene of 2023 that totally broke me both times I watched it when combined with the gut-wrenching, yet gentle score and unforgettable performances from Greta Lee and Teo Yoo. I can’t wait to see what Celine Song does next with her career because I have high expectations now, but I am confident that she will deliver.