2023 has become the year of great films. After several turbulent years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cinema has largely returned to normal. As a result, strikes between actors and writers caused painful delays again in the second half of the year. But this did not stop the release of films that became historical either due to their quality or impeccable commercial success.
In 2023, some of the greatest masters of our time and always have released films. Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, Greta Gerwig, Hayao Miyazaki, Victor Erice, Isabelle Quache, HA. Bayona, David Fincher… They were joined by names that were not so well known to the general public, but also left their mark. In fact, these were the 12 best films of the year. It’s worth noting that those not in the top three of the following list are not in any particular order, as they all deserve equal attention.
1. Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan
The summer of 2023 was divided between pink fever and the power of the atomic bomb. Christopher Nolan signed one of his best works with Oppenheimer, a biopic about the father of the dreaded weapon of mass destruction. Box office records, unusually good reviews, numerous moral debates, a cast in a state of grace with Robert Downey Jr. colossal… And, above all, the feeling of a film that will be remembered for a long time.
Nolan managed to outdo himself by releasing one of the most versatile films. Under a bewitching gaze Cillian Murphy, the first to unravel the fate of the modern world like Prometheus. And then he hits the ground running with a tense third act about the consequences of actions and immorality and the morality of people always looking to wash their hands and redeem themselves. He’s already gaining momentum in awards season, where he’s positioning himself as one of the top favorites. For all these reasons, plus its superb quality and outstanding commercial history, it’s the most important film of 2023.
2. Past Lives by Celine Song
The best climax of 2023 is marked with a caption Celine Song and it is a static plane that pierces like a dagger. IN Past Livesthe director reveals a story of reunion, love and destiny. The film talks about how decisions and circumstances shape life. A debut feature film, impressive for its humanism, which became very strong thanks to good reviews and especially thanks to public word of mouth. So much so that he is nominated for most awards and competitions.
The story of Nora and Hae Sung strikes an incredibly familiar chord in the heart of anyone, anywhere in the world. This film is an open letter to all those loves that were left on the sidelines, those stories that never happened. To all the “what ifs” castaways in a world that never stops. Strict in its forms, it is filled with feelings in its bittersweet depths. A beautiful film.
3. Spider-Man: Crossing the Multiverse, Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson and Kemp Powers
It was very difficult to get to the bar Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. But in Sony Animations They are up to the challenge and have released the second part, again exceptional. Miles Morales is the superhero in the best shape in all of cinema right now. His story is both ambitious and interesting. Because that’s the magic of this arachnid. Absolutely impossible things happen to him, right through the multiverse. But his problems are those of an ordinary boy his age who wants to take control of his life, create his own destiny and not disappoint his parents (or himself).
All this is told through unique art, embodied in a crazy animation style. The combination of 2D and 3D they implemented in the first film goes even further. Each character has its own design and distinctive seal. Spider-Gwen and Spider-Punk are especially beautiful. At the moment, Sony surpassed such a giant Disney on its territory and thanks to Spider-Man, it occupies a leading position in the format. The wait for the third part is already long.
Boy and Heron, Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki He was returning from yet another retirement to sign one last film, which, again, is not intended to be his final farewell. Ten years have passed since his previous feature film. WITH Boy and heron, the master of Japanese animation rediscovers his unrivaled magic and style. A story that speaks volumes. First of all, about losses. But also about memory, about the transition to maturity, about the importance of living and seizing the moment. It’s impossible not to feel overwhelmed by her. And everything is done under the director’s iconic visual and narrative lens, which creates a new hypnotic fantasy world in which you can get lost, escape and find yourself.
Moon Killers, Martin Scorsese
He is 81 years old and has more experience and skills than anyone when it comes to directing. Martin Scorsese to retry Moon Killers the same topic that always worried him. How people are capable of the worst, the dirtiest and the lowest – dominating others. Violence as a mechanism of power. Through the story of the Osage genocide in the 1920s, a New Yorker deconstructs the American Dream. He brings together his two fetish actors, Leonardo DiCaprio And Robert DeNiroalthough the one who leaves the performance as a memory is the one Lily Gladstone. A monumental work, thought out to the smallest detail, without the need for excessive artificiality in order to leave a lot of content.
Anatomy of a Fall, Justine Triet
This analysis of collective prejudice is based on the flaws and dark places of his characters. So, director, Justine Trietspends a lot of time making it clear that Sandra (Sandra Haller) is a woman full of them. She could also have killed her husband Samuel (Samuel Tice) and hide it under a dispassionate appearance. The film is based on interpretations of other people’s actions. From Sandra, who smokes, drinks and is promiscuous. About Samuel, idealized as the perfect victim. The film plays with the idea of guilt with a brilliant plot and some of the best suspense scenes of the year.
Barbie by Greta Gerwig
Greta Gerwig turned the beloved doll of several generations into a symbol of feminism and the collective struggle for self-realization. And this, among the choreographed dances, is a sharp script, full of jokes about female and male roles, as well as visual parts that are amazing in detail. The result is a memorable comedy with more depth than might be expected at first glance. And also an exemplary joke about machismo and the imbalance of power in the modern world. There’s a reason it’s the highest-grossing film of the year.
Poor things, Yorgos Lanthimos
Transformed into a symbol of personal freedom and the search for purpose, this version of Frankenstein is of rare origin. The experiment mixes a woman’s body with her brain – personality, perhaps? – fruit. The result is a delusional girl/woman combination seeking to find her place in the time in which she lived and to free herself from any moral restrictions. Scenario Tony McNamara– film adaptation of the novel of the same name Alasdair Gray — is as strange as its premise. This causes him to show London transformed into a colorful and distorted landscape. Then the Victorian world with its abundance of twisted architecture. The film, an aesthetic and narrative marvel, manages not to lose sight of its premise or become too melodramatic.
Remains of Alexander Payne
Paul (Paul Giamatti), the most annoying and sour teacher at an elegant New England boys’ boarding school in the 1970s, and the one in charge of caring for those who, for some reason, must stay at the institution over Christmas. When one of them is left in the snow on Christmas Eve, both begin a slow evolution towards redemption. Alexander Payneturns a coming-of-age story into the most charming film of the year. Especially when exploring loneliness and the search for purpose. And all this with solid production and visuals that might seem anachronistic if it weren’t for the nostalgia postcard.
Monster Hirokazu Kore-eda
Director, Hirokazu Kore-eda, tells a story that ends and opens with tragedy. Additionally, it is told from three different points of view. They all come together in an ideal scenario to gain a deeper understanding of how truth manifests itself, but there is much more that can be analyzed. Scenario Yuji Sakamototells how Minato (Soya Kurokawa), a fifth-year teenage student appears to be being harassed by his teacher. His mother Saori (Sakura Ando ), asks Hori for an explanation (Eita Nagayama ), child’s teacher. But what begins as a ostensible high school drama soon develops into an almost Kafkaesque plot with its many layers and musings.
Snow Society, J. A. Bayona
Jose Antonio Bayonatook the infamous account of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 in the Andes mountain range in 1972 and turned it into a story of survival. This, moving away from the sensational and scandalous tone of other films and documentaries, focuses on the people who fought for their lives among the mountains. Movie Snow Society, doesn’t shy away from painful topics – and shows them – but puts willpower at the center. Which turns the plot into a portrait of human strength in front of the simple disaster genre.
Close your eyes, Victor Erice.
It took 30 years Victor Ericerelease a new feature film. His last film Quince sun, released in 1992. Since then, with the exception of some minor works in collaboration with other artists, the director has shown few signs of life. But the wait is worth it. close your eyesnominated for 11 Goya Awards and named the second best film of 2023 in the world according to the prestigious Cahiers du Cinema, is an ode to the best that cinema can be. A sentence reflecting friendship, memory, the passage of time. And finally, about the transformative power of cinema. It has one of the most beautiful endings shown all year.
Source: Hiper Textual
