10 of The Best Films of 2023

2023 is ending. In some ways, it’s hard to say if it ever truly began. The Covid pounds still lie on our waists, just as the Netflix subscriptions we swore we’d cancel sit uninterrupted on our sets.

But there’s no denying the standard of cinema that was delivered. Artists, hungry to return to the film sets after a two-year layoff, brought that much-needed energy, relieving viewers of superhero fatigue. Indeed, there is only one film on this list that could be classed as a superhero film. The rest center around real-life conspiracies, sex tapes, method acting, and a professor engaging in sexual politics with a student. There might be a World War II bio hidden in the list somewhere!

Oppenheimer

Unquestionably Christopher Nolan’s most impressive work, the director bravely allows the actors (including a career-best performance from Robert Downey Jr. as the embittered Lewis Strauss) to do the heavy lifting for him. What we get from Cillian Murphy, best known for his smoldering work in Peaky Blinders, is something that is astonishingly far-reaching and transformative. Murphy stars as the titular scientist, giving color to a character whose ingenuity brought one of the greatest wars to an end. Yet the results startled the scientist, who spends much of the film hiding from the severity of his actions.

Falling Into Place

It takes a brave person to act, direct, and write their own project, but Aylin Tezel’s work is so densely crafted, it shirks away any unwanted accusations of vanity. She stars as Kira, a German cast adrift from her art and her memories of Scotland. Determined to make sense of her life in London, she pleads to her boyfriend in an effort to alter the direction of her romantic journey. Bravely, the film is more concerned in its engagement with flawed characters, and peers at topics like self-harm and regression with surprisingly good taste. Tezel is strong, although her performance is matched by Chris Fulton who plays a struggling musician burdened by his sister’s struggles with depression.

Killers of the Flower Moon

Leonardo DiCaprio was reportedly unhappy with the first draft of the script and demanded a thorough rewrite. He was right to issue this complaint, as the finished piece peers at Osage tribes in greater depth. Sure, we missed out on the surprise (unlike the book on which it is based on the film makes no effort to conceal who the murderers in question are), but in its place, the film allowed for a more complex central performance from DiCaprio, who has to compare the needs of his people with the wishes of his wife’s. DiCaprio is strong, but Lily Gladstone is the real scene-stealer, portraying an Osage wife coming to terms with her husband’s nefarious nature.

Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse

Yes, we’re all tired of the superhero craze. Indeed, The Flash‘s awful box office returns were not only inevitable but well deserved. But I would urge you to re-consider this animated gem, delicately crafted, and designed to entertain the younger members of the family, without irritating the parents in the process. The film is as engrossing as it is effortlessly charming.

The Peasants

And on the subject of animation, let us look at this novel adaptation of a classic Polish work. Considering the density of the Nobel Prize winner, it’s no wonder that the creative team opted to shorten it, but the film nonetheless captures the color and aestheticism of the source. In a style that was used to good effect in Loving Vincent, the film features a selection of paintings that are put together to tell the story. That said, we should warn that the story – a young woman engaged in an affair with her husband’s more handsome son – might offend some younger viewers with its depiction of female nudity. But there’s no denying the ambition of either the story or the techniques used to bring Władysław Reymon’s vision to the big screen.

My Sailor, My Love

Set almost entirely on Achill Island, Ireland, this pastoral drama concerns a retired sea captain Howard (James Cosmo), and his determination to shut himself off from the rest of the world. His crusade is interrupted by the arrival of Annie (Brid Brennan), who is under strict orders from his daughter Grace (Catherine Walker) to open himself up to a life outside his bedroom. Surrounded by green beauty, Howard is slowly reminded of the splendor that surrounds him, just as his daughter falls deeper into personal distress. What starts off as a romantic film becomes something more perplexing and complex, cemented by stylistic performances from the triumvirate in question.

The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan

Eva Green sprang onto the scene as James Bond’s love interest in Casino Royale (2006), but now boasts what might be the most impressive trajectory of any Bond actress. Green plays Milady, and does so nicely, positing herself as a villainess par excellence. François Civil is formidable as D’Artganan, but Vincent Cassel (La Haine, Ocean’s Twelve) is equally as strong in the role of head Musketeer. Best of all, L’Auberge Espagnole heartthrob Romain Duris plays Aramis with singular, stoic resolve, fleshing out Alexandre Dumas’ character with terrific integrity.

Wonka

What many wrote off as an airless cash-in is actually one of the finest interpretations of Roald Dahl’s character to date. Timothée Chalamet bears an uncanny resemblance to Gene Wilder and amply convinces one that he has it in him to become the older Willy Wonka. As it stands, Wonka showcases the chocolatier in his younger days, discovering the necessary ingredients to entertain children with sugar, spice, and everything else that’s nice. Hugh Grant pops up as an Oompa Loompa and bears something of a resemblance to a former US President. Deliberate prodding from the filmmakers? If so, it’s a very clever gag.

May December

We are nine films into the list, and now we arrive at what I consider to be the best film of the year. May December features Natalie Portman (incidentally, one of the producers of the film) as Elizabeth Berry, an actress hoping to interview a subject she is about to play on screen. She meets up with Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore), who sees something of herself in the character. Gracie has a sexual history that many, including some of Elizabeth’s friends, find troublesome, but the actress is determined to find some justification and truth in her portrait. And the more she investigates her part, the more she sees herself in the character. Brilliant.

Pamela: A Love Story

Everyone loves a juicy documentary, but this one is more interesting because Pamela Anderson addresses some of the lurid details in her life. As she says she refuses to be the “damsel in distress” despite some of the comments made about her throughout her life. Bravely, she speaks candidly about her relationship with Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, describing the hurdles she endured over the years due to her association with him. It’s not our place to question the legitimacy of her concerns, but there’s no denying the courage it took to speak so candidly about her romantic life.

-Eoghan Lyng

Photo: Getty Images