For the first time in many years, it felt like theatre going in 2023 was back to routine business. With Covid restrictions loosened (as people continue to increasingly ignore an airborne disease) and release dates in place, 2023 was set to be business as usual, but turned out to be anything but, as two massive strikes by the writers and actors (not to mention this writer's own day job going to the picket lines) impacted the promotion and in some cases, releases of films. That didn't stop social media users from manufacturing the greatest PR campaign ever for Barbieheimer, resulting in the biggest box office success of two vastly different films on the very same weekend, proving that the standard studio PR may actually be money not very well spent. It helps that both those juggernaut films happened to be very good movies, and the whole experience of attempting to see both during opening weekend or at the very least, before the end of July, is a wonderful testament to the different tastes and palettes of moviegoers, many of whom will see any kind of movie, as long as it's good.
It is with this spirit in mind that I present to you, loyal reader, (or casual reader who stumbled upon this by accident), this list of the The Top Ten Films I saw in 2023. I know we refer to them as "best" and "worst" lists, but in reality, it's just ten of my favourites from the 64 films I did see in the 2023 calendar year, 22 of which I saw in theatres, the rest as rentals or streaming premieres. For those not keeping track of my past lists, that's almost twice as many trips to the theatre than last year (though close to the same amount of films watched overall) and exactly double the number of films I managed to screen in total in 2021. In fact, I would have to go back to 2004 and 2007 to find another year where I watched this many movies. Not sure if this speaks to the ever aligning interests between my daughter and I, or an increase of leisure time (sure doesn't feel like it), or the proliferation of streaming companies offering new content (building on what used to be consolidated libraries of older media). Maybe it's a decline from peak TV (though I did manage to watch some fabulous series this year--looking at you Beef, Yellowjackets, The Rehearsal, Jury Duty, Severance) but whatever it is, here's to the ten I enjoyed the most, in alphabetical order (not ranked):
10.
Confess, Fletch; I've been ready for a Fletch sequel for almost three decades now. I've always loved the character and I was one of those who lamented the fact that Kevin Smith never got Jason Lee to star in his version of the character, which I thought would have been perfect casting and the right amount of comedy in dialogue and delivery. If passing on that meant we got the Jon Hamm version, I'm happy to have waited, because he's everything I wanted and more. This film got unjustly dumped and distributed with little to no fanfare and it's my hope that home viewing numbers and the actor's passion to play such a devilishly fun scoundrel will result in many more follow ups. This film fills that genre space I so dearly love, the action comedy, with a hint of romance, murder and mystery, that doesn't seem to get the right treatment these days. It doesn't require a big budget, just enough to punch up the script, make the stakes feel real, and keep Hamm happy.
9.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3/
The Flash; For those unfamiliar with my top 10 lists, I often manage to squeeze in an extra title, or two (more on that later) when I feel like a few extras deserve some love. These two films represent the superhero film as best presented; plenty of laughs, crazy, elaborate action sequences, with an emotional punch that doesn't feel like it belongs in a summer blockbuster popcorn movie that's more often buoyed by CGI artists, as opposed to solid scripts and performances. The heart at the centre of these two films hold true to the rather eccentric characters found within, as the creators of both films figured a way to ground the galactic storylines and stakes in stories about family, loss, grief, and coming to terms with your failures and actions of the past and finding acceptance in your present. But I don't need all that emotional weight to defend the pure joy found in these films that consistently bring a smile to the 8 year old and 48 year old me.
8.
John Wick 4; Few franchises can boast a continued success rate like the John Wick series, as most fall to the law of diminishing returns. Yet there's no drop off here, in the fourth instalment (and even the spin off series The Continental, on Amazon Prime, provided great thrills). It's a testament to the man himself, Keanu Reeves, that he has steadily built upon what he believes in, as he gracefully shifts his legacy from Bill & Ted teenage dolt, Point Break and Speed action film heart throb, to Neo in the Matrix franchise, to now this, his most synonymous role yet. Keanu's zen nature lends itself to the focused, precision killer John Wick, a man of few words but bold action. Further to its appeal, the films have established a rather in-depth lore of contract killer world building, none of which detracts from the casual viewer who knows none of it and just comes for the expertly shot and staged fight scenes and set pieces.
7.
Joy Ride; Every generation has its comedic touchstone. A film that defines a shift in cultural levels of crass and laughs. 2023 has offered up a number of raunchy, go for broke, big swing for the fences comedies, a favourite of mine being Joy Ride (with a tip of the hat to
Bottoms as well). The talent of these stellar ladies, comfortable sharing a scene through tears of laughter as easily as emotional tears of pain, doesn't so much straddle the line between the two tones, but rather punches heavy blows that land both comedically and empathically. This film is definitely not for everyone, but those willing to go along for the ride and able to appreciate the outrageous pushes at boundaries will be rewarded with shocking fits of laughter. Any one of these thespians could hold their own as the comedic contribution to an ensemble cast and yet this film smartly shares the spotlight across them all.
6.
The Menu/
Triangle of Sadness; The pairing of these two slices of delectable class warfare, viewed a few short months from each other, demonstrate the way film can cunningly cut across societal sickness in a playful, yet very damning and biting fashion. Pleasurable, yet sinisterly dark watches, both start out celebratory and refined, before devolving into the stuff of horrific nightmares. Never losing their satirical edge, each film shockingly surprises with revelations that even if noticeable, serve to judiciously squeeze enjoyment out of other people's pleasure and pain. Certainly not for the faint of heart, the themes each of these films explore are clever, inspired and expertly crafted in stylistic cinema choices that set them apart enough to be kindred spirits but not pale imitations of one another. In the case of The Menu, it's been awhile since a film's language became embedded in our daily parlance so readily and
tickling our tongues so joyously.
5.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One; It's almost come to the point where we take this film franchise for granted. Remember earlier when I mentioned the John Wick franchise's stellar track record? Same applies for the M:I franchise. There's a real throwback feel to this spy thriller though, that lovingly tips its hat to film history and cinematic moments we've loved in our favourite action thrillers. Never imitating, while stylistically channelling a breadth of spy and action imagery, the sole knock on this movie is that it's billed as a part one, so though it concludes on a suitable note, it hasn't fully played out its setup. That aside, a second viewing of this film greatly enhanced my appreciation for its moments, its introduction of new characters, use of old ones, and the incredible pacing job it does moment to moment, hurtling toward that heart stopping climax. Same as it always does. Looking forward to part two next year.
4.
Past Lives; The most complex, introspective human emotions are lovingly explored in the quietest, least intrusive manner in the devastatingly crafted and acted Past Lives. What it unearths, lying in the subconscious for many of us who have lived life past those forks in the road that have tremendous sway on where we live today, while simultaneously wrapping questions of cultural inter and intrapersonal relationships around those decision points, seems like a momentous undertaking. So it's a feat of deft direction and undeniably subtle yet powerful acting that makes breezy work of watching this trio of characters navigate the landmines of past and present entanglements and how they demonstrate the way we select our narratives and components that craft our identity and current place in life. Love can be so complicated, so multitudinous, beautiful and painful, all at the same time, and this film captures it wonderfully in its totality. A film that sits in your mind long after the credits have rolled.
3.
Polite Society; Fresh takes on familiar frameworks are always a welcome entry into the film archives and Polite Society does the unexpected with a unreserved glee that kicks you in the face from the first frames and doesn't let up until the final blow. Is this what feminist filmmaking looks like? If so, please fill our film houses with more because it is an absolute blast. Having not the personal touchstones of the film's protagonist, one can only hope that the thrill of seeing this film smash stereotypes, tropes and expectations is enhanced twelve fold for those of similar background. The movie tightropes a tone of zany comedy, romantic mishaps and royal chivalry alongside hard hitting fights that grow increasingly more destructive and high stakes as the film progresses. The enthusiasm for this film has yet to be fully realized and its ground breaking and cult following is sure to emerge in due time.
2.
Renfield; Similar to Polite Society, in the way it takes the cinematic tropes we've come to expect, turns them on their head and executes them beyond precision like accuracy, with over the top, blown out execution, cranked to 11. Genre blending films are a tricky proposition and more often than not, result in well intended action comedy horror films that trip over one of the many landmines they can step on. Renfield runs head first into the mine field, and gracefully leaps NOT between the potential explosive dangers, but rather gleefully sets off each one, vaulting from one comedic satirical beat to gruesome body exploding horror effect to the next crazily choreographed combat after another. Just when you think it has gone as ridiculously camp and crazy as it could, it sets up another psychotic scene to test the psychologically damning relationship at the center of Renfield and his narcissistic master, Dracula. Pure sadistic joy.
1.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; It wasn't the best year for animation, but it certainly was a welcome return to Sony's Miles Morales Spider-Man universe. The groundbreaking style of the first film is elevated to even more fantastical visual (and emotional) heights, with watercolour flooding the frames of Spider Gwen's intro narration, bursting across the screen in full, expressive power. The genius at hand in the animation doesn't overshadow the fabulous voice acting that breathes life into the new characters and deepens the familiar ones. The only knock on this sequel is, much like M:I-Dead Reckoning Part One, the fact that it's a planned instalment of a larger narrative. We get an amazing setup and web swinging, multiverse spanning adventure, but without a satisfying resolution. In fact, there's less wrap up here than in M:I, and the cliffhanger ending is less fulfilling, but definitely leaves us hungry for more. A sequel that excels upon its predecessor, cementing the Spider-Man films as historic chapters in the history of animation cinema.
So, there are 10 (or 12) of the films I really enjoyed that I watched in 2023. Here's a few more that didn't make the cut but certainly deserve a watch if you have the opportunity...
With some chagrin, I share the following five worst movies I saw in 2023. I offer these not to be an annoying critic, an online hater, or internet troll. I do so in the service that if you find that your tastes tend to align with many of mine, then you may not want to waste your time viewing these movies. Or you may want to see them regardless and determine for yourself if you find them of value or to your own liking. Each film is a project that is shepherded to its final cut by dozens, hundreds, sometimes thousands of artists and who are we to say what's good or bad, when the creation of art is itself its own reward and beautiful act. That being said, these are the five worst films I saw in 2023...
5.
Shotgun Wedding; To be honest, many of the movies that linger at the bottom of the Top 5 worst lists are more often than not, disappointments more than they are horribly awful or have little redeeming value. This film, at one point in time, maybe the mid-80s, would have been a win as a direct to video sleeeper or in the early days of streaming, a pretty decent offering from what is an online bookstore turned shipping company/penile shaped rocket ship launcher. Why it ends up on this list is that it could have been so much more with someone steering it out of predictable potholes and not off a cliff but rather guiding it to places unexpected and using the (mostly) talented cast to greater effect. Jennifer Lopez has always been a frustration for me, because her early cinematic acting choices held so much promise, but she seems to select two duds for every role she
nails. Try
The Mother instead of this one if you want to see a better, more nuanced performance from her.
4.
Blue Beetle; There's a lot to love about this film, and there are certainly champions of it out there. But I can't in my right mind, nor with a straight face, recommend this to unsuspecting cinema goers. Back in my video store days, I would know the type of customer to recommend this to, but I wouldn't be offering it to any random family. It's akin to the Spy Kids franchise, where the line of what's considered an acceptable quality level of jokes and special effects has been set to a much lower height than usual. It doesn't help that George Lopez seems to be acting in an entirely different film, sometimes to great results, but mostly he just elicits a head scratching response. It's sad how much Warner Bros. has lost the handle on their cadre of DC characters that could provide laughs, thrills and deeper storylines. Here's hoping James Gunn can right the ship without being in complete control of every script, film set and production (or maybe he will be that involved?
3.
White Men Can't Jump; Why studios feel the need to tie new projects to old films or IP is beyond me. I get the build-in audience they hope to draw immediately by name recognition alone, but it truly does a disservice to the project in the case of something like this movie. If Jack Harlow wants to make a film that had race relations and basketball at the heart of it, why not call it something else (like maybe after a hot title track he creates to go along with the movie soundtrack) and let any odes, allusions or similarities to the Snipes/Harrelson film be exposed as a love for its impact on the new stars/creative team. Instead, we have a movie that isn't as funny or as memorable as that pairing...but it's like they're not even going for that same tone or approach for this film. So why evoke the name to begin with? A serviceable time diversion for fans of its stars or those who can't get enough basketball in movies in their life. Anyone else, take a pass on this one.
2.
Darby and the Dead; Yet another willing and able and game cast let down by mediocre material and what feels like a studio score card approach to decisions in movie making. It's like studios know how to sell or pitch a film, but they don't know how to fully execute a finished product. We have half baked ideas, repurposed premises and attempts to be different or edgy or quirky but in a safe, predictable, boring manner. The cast and crew behind this already possess a list of distinguishable credits that show bonafide talent and promise. Let this serve to be a training ground of what not to do, and hope their careers all survive whatever this is supposed to have been. On individual levels, the young cast has the ability to shine bright, while the adult roles are trying to offer some quality moments to actors we've loved before. This movie is D.O.A. but hopefully the talents involved have a long, fulfilling second life.
1.
Knock at the Cabin; What's worse than a M. Night Shyamalan movie these days? How about one that doesn't even attempt his signature twist moment, but rather reveals its cards early, tries to disguise them by delaying the trajectory, only to fully unfold as expected, wasting the audience's time in the process. This is a completely unsatisfying film that makes us feel trapped and held hostage to actors that have had better projects, trying valiantly to elevate a premise so threadbare. It attempts to make a moral conundrum or philosophical question materialize as a real life role play, but fails to intrigue, cause us to reflect, or consider for a moment that these nut jobs are anything but fanatical crazies that populate internet spaces these days. If there were better development or something more than the slow, plodding pace to an unsatisfying ending, I'd say give it a shot. But even those
intrigued by the trailer shouldn't waste their time on this huge let down. Big bust.
There were many more bad films I stubbornly sat through or was brought along to witness against my better judgement. And several of them have fan bases fanatically posting and raving about the merits of what I found mediocre, so I won't bother to list them here. To each their own, share your love for your favourites, and continue to keep it reel in 2024. Find my reviews now on BlueSky (hit me up for an invite code if you need/want one: @joejamesfilm.bsky.social ) or Letterboxd ( JoeJamesFilm ) as I leave another media platform to the annals of time, from newspaper to radio to Twitter, I continue to watch the best and worst films, and telling you about it, hoping you will do the same too and keep cinema joy alive for another century to come. If you made it this far, thanks for reading to the end! Peace and Be Wild.
5. Captain America: Brave New World; This one could have used a little more bravery, a lot less new world. In the aftermath of what we now know to be only the beginning of the worst year of American history in my lifetime, real life events called for bold responses, and the journey of Sam Wilson's Falcon to Captain America should have been the perfect setting to deliver a strong story. Instead, it seemed like pre-election jitters made Marvel paint this with an entirely apolitical bland approach, overemphasizing comic book buffoonery and neglecting the seeds planted throughout Sam Wilson's storylines and screen time to tell a mature, thoughtful critique of all that is wrapped up in the mythos of Captain America and the possessor of the shield and the ideals that come with it. A really waste of time and Harrison Ford. It didn't help that I saw this after the surprising psycho/sociological exploration of Thunderbolts*.
4. Fear Street: Prom Queen; Much like the film in the five slot, this one suffered from a similar disappointment of not being what it could have been. Or at least what was expected. The original Fear Street trilogy that Netflix released in the summer of 2021 had a clever thread going through each film and played with the genre conventions of the various horror eras of each film's setting with some tongue-in-cheek aspects. This instalment has a different approach, existing as though it were an artifact from the eighties. And not in a good way. IF that was the intended outcome, then they succeeded. But then one would have to wonder why exactly they set out to make a bad 80s film in the 2020s. I'm pretty sure there is an audience for this sort of thing, but given the delightful surprise the three Fear Street films provided over three weeks in July 2021, this was a complete and utter letdown.
