December 23, 2023
0 Comments
2023, a year that started with “Barbie vs. Oppenheimer” fever brought the audience back to the theatres post-Covid. Along with the big-budget spectacles, smaller stories waited to steal the show. This year belonged to the quiet powerhouses. Think fresh-faced filmmakers pouring their souls onto the screen, like Joyland. Or “Poor Things,” a darkly comic adventure that tickles your funny bone and chills your spine in equal measure.
They weren’t popcorn flicks, but slow-burn journeys, like finding an amazing local band hiding in a back alley bar. These movies had something richer, something more human – stories woven from raw emotions, lived experiences, and the unyielding desire to understand this crazy world.
So, we’ve compiled a list of must-watch movies, a dive into 10 films that were the year’s highlight—the debuts that dared to bare their souls and the audacious experiments that defied expectations.
1. Killers Of The Flower Moon
Forget whodunnit! Scorsese skips the mystery and takes you straight into the twisted mind of Mollie’s bad-boy husband (DiCaprio). Get ready for a dark dive into small-town evil disguised as good ol’ American charm. It’s not a happy ending, but this raw, brutal masterpiece will stick with you like gum on your shoe. Think less “happily ever after” and more “OMG, that dude is messed up,” all wrapped up in Leo’s acting magic. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s definitely a movie you won’t forget.
2. Past Lives
Childhood pen pals, reunited years later. Sparks fly, but there’s a catch: marriage! “Past Lives” is no fairytale. It’s missed chances, messy triangles, and love in all its raw forms. Lee, Yoo, and Magaro shine, making you root for everyone, even the “bad guy.” Director Celine Song crafts a masterpiece about choices, fate, and love’s enduring power. It’s not happily ever after, it’s real, heartbreaking, and unforgettable. The best film of 2023? No question.
3. Talk To Me
Talk to Me thrills with a wicked blend of “Evil Dead” energy and teen tech-horror. Gruesome effects and jump scares keep hearts pounding, while sharp commentary on grief and social media chills deeper. A twisted, inventive debut to savour.
4. You Hurt My Feelings
You Hurt My Feelings charms with its low-key brilliance. Louis-Dreyfus and Menzies crackle in this honest, funny take on communication flaws in long-term relationships. Don’t let the “middlebrow” label fool you – this gem packs a subtle emotional punch.
5. Poor Things
Poor Things explodes onto the screen with steampunk whimsy and darkly comic satire. Stone is luminous as a Frankenstein’s monster with sass, navigating Victorian absurdity with hilarious aplomb. Lanthimos’ trademark oddity finds new heights, a wild ride that provokes thought even as it tickles the funny bone.
6. Barbie
Gerwig’s “Barbie” dazzles with subversive wit and technicolor glee. A feminist manifesto disguised as a candy-coated romp, it celebrates female power and shatters stereotypes. Cera steals the show, but Margot Robbie reigns supreme, Barbie reborn as a wry iconoclast. Smart, subversive, and unapologetically fabulous.
7. The Blackening
The Blackening explodes with unapologetic hilarity. Perkins’ witty script skewers stereotypes while embracing Black culture in all its glorious absurdity. The cast sparkles with comedic chemistry, each chase scene and quip landing with infectious laughter. It’s not just funny, it’s subversive, a horror-comedy that redefines the genre with outrageous joy.
8. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3
Gunn’s “Guardians Vol.3” blasts off with heart and humour. Cosmic action explodes, but it’s Rocket’s emotional journey that steals the show. Tears and laughter swirl like a celestial nebula, proving this ain’t just another space romp. It’s an epic farewell that reminds us family’s not just who you’re born with, but who you fight for.
9. Joyland
Joyland weaves magic on screen. Poignant desires thrum beneath playful smiles, a forbidden love defying societal shackles. Stunning visuals and delicate performances draw you into a world where laughter hides heartbreak, and tradition clashes with yearning. A masterpiece, tender and bold, that whispers truth from rooftops.
10. Godzilla Minus One
Godzilla Minus One roars onto screens, rekindling atomic awe and weaving post-war trauma into its colossal beats. Yamazaki’s vision is both epic and intimate, Kamiki’s protagonist reflecting Japan’s scarred soul. Action soars, effects dazzle, but it’s the film’s poignant core that resonates. More than monster mayhem, it’s a human story of rebirth, a roar against despair.
