The Movies of 2023
Just so LESS people get angry at my top 20, let me share what I watched (and what I rated it) for every month of 2023 before I get into the list! This way if you don’t see something you liked in the top 20 you can see if I even saw it. You can also double check my Letterboxd!
January
What I Watched:
Infinity Pool (2.5/5)
M3GAN (3.5/5)
Missing (3.5/5)
You People (3.5/5)
I think Infinity Pool lost me when the internal logic didn’t quite add up for me. I will not get into further detail incase you want to watch this unspoiled. M3GAN could have been more fun if it wasn’t PG-13 but I’m glad I called what the final showdown would be. Missing was just as solid as Searching for me. Especially after my mommy explained away my confusion about the mom in the movie. You People is probably rated too high but I truly appreciated the bit about “Niggas in Paris” and how Shelley was called out by Amira for the specific way she treats Black people.
February
What I Watched:
Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania (4/5)
Cocaine Bear (3.5/5)
Knock at the Cabin (3.5/5)
Magic Mike’s Last Dance (2.5/5)
Your Place or Mine (2/5)
I get that people think I’m joking about how much I like Ant-Man 3 but hear me out on episode 230 of Spoiled Rotten Podcast. It’s a timely (no Victor) call to action. Cocaine Bear had a lot of fun moments but felt like it was holding back some how. I don’t know. Knock at the Cabin held my interest during a time where I was constantly falling asleep due to untreated sleep apnea so I liked it but I get if people don’t like it. I only recently watched all the Magic Mike’s with the second one being my favourite since it had a competition against other teams and personalities. This third one forgot to give the other dancers personalities and that was a bummer. I won’t speak on Your Place or Mine… I didn’t even log it on Letterboxd!
March
What I Watched:
A Thousand and One (4/5)
Brother (3.5/5)
Creed III* (4/5)
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (4/5)
I Like Movies (4/5)
John Wick: Chapter 4* (4/5)
Rye Lane* (4/5)
Scream VI (3.5/5)
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (3.5/5)
Tetris (3.5/5)
What are those asterisks there for, you ask? Well while I was working on my Top 20 List Creed III, John Wick: Chapter 4 , and Rye Lane all appeared on that top 20 list at some point but then I saw stuff I liked more. Dungeons & Dragons was another solid entry I toyed with putting on the top 20 but never did. I was fully invested in the world and I was even a bit emotional during the finale. The lead of I Like Movies was insufferable by design and I appreciated his last scene, but man he was a tough hang throughout. Thank goodness for Terri and Alana in this movie! A Thousand and One has an amazing performance from Teyana Taylor and a confident director but I felt it got too close to struggle porn. It wasn’t, ultimately, but it was close. Brother got much closer to trauma porn but it was solid. Scream VI was good and it looks like VII is imploding… so there’s that. I liked Shazam 2 a lot more when I recorded episode 235 of Spoiled Rotten Podcast than I did after sitting with it for a week. And I like Taron Egerton so I liked Tetris just fine.
April
What I Watched:
Air (4/5)
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (3.5./5)
Beau is Afraid (3/5)
Chevalier (3.5/5)
Ghosted (2.5/5)
Renfield (3/5)
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (3.5/5)
I was surprised by how much I liked Air considering it couldn’t use Michael and kept the REALLY good Viola stuff till the end. I also liked Margaret’s letter to God just fine. As for Beau… I think I have beef with Ari after watching it and There’s Something About the Johnsons… but at least Patti LuPone was great in it. I wanted Chevalier to be 8 Mile for classical music but it was just alright. Ghosted had fun cameos - sue me, Renfield felt like it focused on the wrong aspects of the story and Ssuper Mario Bros. split up the Bros for some reason then had a Chris Pratt running to “No Sleep till Brooklyn” (this was a problem since I saw GoTG.3 like a day before). At least it did things from the games that I liked.
May
What I Watched:
Fast X (4/5)
The Little Mermaid (3/5)
I get why people don’t like Fast X, but as I said during episode 244 of Spoiled Rotten Podcast, It’s weird if you like any of the movies after 7 but don’t like Fast X. I’m glad The Little Mermaid (2023) exists but it just didn’t fully work for me.
June
What I Watched:
Asteroid City (4/5)
Elemental (3/5)
Extraction II (3.5/5)
The Flash (3.5/5)
Indiana Jones: Dial of Destiny (4/5)
No Hard Feelings (3/5)
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (3.5/5)
Asteroid City was apparently referencing things I’ve never heard of… I just liked the story and performances. Plus I’m notorious for liking the Wes Anderson films people don’t love. Elemental isn’t great but people are missing the very specific racism it is talking about so I don’t know… maybe cool it with the hot takes. I was told by my dad to not like Extraction II more than the original but it kept my attention and I kind of did like it more. Woof. The Flash… I like Batman, so I had a pretty positive review of it on episode 248 of Spoiled Rotten. But, it is a movie I can’t imagine ever watching again for fun. I liked Indiana Jones more than most. I don’t have a good reason for why. No Hard Feelings felt like it was a movie from 20 years ago which worked better for others than it did for me. Honestly, I don’t care about Transformers but when Bumble Bee used LL Cool J as entrance music, I got excited!
July
What I Watched:
Barbie* (4/5)
Haunted Mansion (3/5)
Insidious: The Red Door (2.5/5)
Joy Ride (4/5)
Theatre Camp* (4/5)
Barbie was in the top 20 till the very last minute! I’’m in the bag for Margot Robbie performances, so this movie truly felt like it was in the right hands once Amy S****** stepped away and Anne Hathaway went over to that Sesame Street movie with Bo Burnham…. I also have to respect Ryan Gosling’s delivery of SUBLIME and the final joke of the movie! Overall I think it falls short politically (that Native American joke… oof). But, it is a lot of fun and is funny. As a fan of Dear White People, I wish I liked Haunted Mansion more. It had its moments though. I was way out of my depths watching The Red Door. I thought it was like the third movie, not fifth, in the series. I still think what I found confusing was confusing no matter what though. I really got emotional at the end of Joy Ride which is great because I was laughing all the way up until then and needed a good balance. Theatre Camp was another movie in the top 20 once. I ugly cried at the end when they sang the song. Plus it mixed summer camp with music theatre so I was always going to dig it.
August
What I Watched:
Blue Beetle (3.5/5)
Gran Turismo (3.5/5)
Passages (3.5/5)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem* (4/5)
I had major issues with Blue Beetle. I get into them on episode 258 of Spoiled Rotten Podcast. Ultimately, the family won me over. I am glad I only found out the details of the true story that Gran Turismo was “based” on after seeing it because it truly took liberties. However, I’m a sucker for movies where the parents finally get on board with whatever the kid is up to. Passages was maybe a bit too straight forward for me? I don’t know. It was a solid watch but I was left wanting a bit more. Mutant Mayhem also had a spot on the top 20 once upon a time and I explain what I liked about it on episode 256 of Spoiled Rotten Podcast.
September
What I Watched:
The Creator (4/5)
Dumb Money (4/5)
A Haunting in Venice (3.5/5)
No One Will Save You (3.5/5)
Isn’t it funny how people complain about everything being a sequel or IP driven? Anyway I liked The Creator a lot and you don’t need to, but you have to at least go out and see it in theatres if you’ve made complaining like that your online personality. As someone who liked the Big Short, I liked the watered down version of that known as Dumb Money as well. I have never read one of the Poirot novels or seen any non Branagh adaptations so I’m enjoying being able to guess who did it and how as I go through the series. I respected the commitment to the bit in No One Will Save You more than I enjoyed watching it. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a solid movie though.
October
What I Watched:
The Burial (3.5/5)
The Killer (4/5)
Pain Hustlers (2.5/5)
Priscilla (4/5)
The Royal Hotel (3.5/5)
Totally Killer (4/5)
The Burial wasn’t my favourite courtroom drama of the year but it is a good watch on a Sunday afternoon. David Fincher is another one of my guys so I was happy he was doing a comic book movie this year! While I thought the movie started shaky, it was clearly setting us up for how to properly watch it and I gotta respect that. Also you gotta respect Tilda’s bear joke! I rated Pain Hustlers the highest out of everyone I follow on Letterboxd and I didn’t even like it. Do I rate things too high? Best not to overthink it. This year was the year I realized Jacob Elordi knows how to smoulder on camera. We can’t forget about the titular Priscilla in Priscilla, Cailee Spaeny. I’ll repeat my Letterboxd joke here: I’ve been a fan of hers since Pacific Rim: Uprising! I just felt like the lead characters in The Royal Hotel were destructive in every way possible. Made it hard for me to fully enjoy the movie. Totally Killer was so fun. Trying to crack into your parents’ social circle while they were in High School is a great hook. I wish more people I knew saw it and wanted to talk about it with me.
November
What I Watched:
The Holdovers (4/5)
Leave the World Behind (3.5/5)
Maestro (4/5)
The Marvels (4/5)
May December (3.5/5)
Napoleon (3.5/5)
Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain (3.5/5)
Rustin (4/5)
The Holdovers isn’t my new favourite Christmas movie, but it is an undeniably good film! Leave the World Behind had a dance scene to Next’s “Too Close” that truly made my skin crawl and an ending I didn’t love but I enjoyed some of the conversations that were had along the way. I guess I’m in the minority for thinking Maestro was a great showcase of Bradley Cooper as an actor and all around filmmaker. The shallowness was a feature not a flaw to me… anyway. The Marvels was just as fun as the trailers made it out to be so I’m not mad at it. You can hear more of my thoughts on episode 270 of Spoiled Rotten Podcast. I think May December is fine but it didn’t do for me what it did for many others I respect so I’ll have to just sit with knowing it’s better than I give it credit for. Napoleon, on the other hand was just fine. The Josephine stuff needed to be better fleshed out though. I liked the new Lonely Island movie. That’s not a jab, by the way. Also their soundtrack really worked for me. I gave Rustin a high mark because it was messy but it had amazing performances from Colman Domingo and Jeffery Wright and made sure to show how the fight for civil rights wasn’t so smooth interally. Black people are not a monolith and some difficult conversations needed to happen. I also appreciated that it focused on the Black people fighting and had 0 white saviours!
December
What I Watched:
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2.5/5)
The Color Purple (4/5)
The Iron Claw (3.5/5)
Merry Little Batman (3.5/5)
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2.5/5)
Wonka (3.5/5)
I spoke about Aquaman 2 on episode 273 of Spoiled Rotten Podcast. Spoiler Alert… I didn’t like it. Merry Little Batman was a fun Christmas watch, and Rebel Moon proves my point about Zack Snyder. Things fall off apart when he isn’t adapting comic book panels… and they’re not great when he is copying comic book panels either. I’ve never wanted a movie to end faster than The Iron Claw. Not because it was bad, I just couldn’t hang with how truly upsetting it was. The Color Purple felt lopsided pacing wise but I was on board for the pure joy exuding from most of the musical numbers and I appreciated the “reunion” at the end. Did I tear up once “Pure Imagination” was being sung in earnest because someone was having their dream come true? Yes. Did I remember any of the other songs hours after I saw the movie? No. Wonka was still better than I thought it would be. Now let’s get to the top 20 already!
My Top 20
Rank: #20
Movie: Saltburn (4/5)
Why: I see more and more people coming out against this movie. I’ve also listened to the writer/director, Emerald Fennell talk about this movie as if she doesn’t understand what she made. Ultimately this movie felt like it was exploring how you lose your humanity when striving to be part of the 1%. Oliver is in a tragedy, even with his “Murder on the Dancefloor” dance. I also appreciated how Richard E. Grant depicted the “funny” white guy who, make no mistake, will ruin you if you disrupt his right to comfort. This goes for his half black nephew too. It basically was putting on display, all the things I talk about on Uncolonized weekly. I even put it in song last year.
Rank: #19
Movie: The Blackening (4/5)
Why: This movie is really funny but it also uses some pretty affecting imagery that made me feel genuinley scared. I’ll also be forever haunted by the fact that I only know one verse from the Black National Anthem. I also truly appreciated the performances. Even characters that threatened to be cookie cutter proved to be more interesting by the end of the movie.
Rank: #18
Movie: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (4/5)
Why: I don’t say it enough, but Mission: Impossible is my favourite non superhero related franchise so yeah, of course I liked this movie. I specifically liked that Hayley Atwell got to play someone not named Peggy Carter and that the train scene, more than anything else, had me on the edge of my seat. It was truly a rush watching this movie!
Rank: #17
Movie: American Fiction (4/5)
Why: I’m not a fan of criticism that boils down to “this movie wasn’t what I made up in my head before hand” … but this movie wasn’t what I made up in my head before hand. That doesn’t make it bad, it’s in the top 20 after all, but it wasn’t in the top 3 like I assumed. Tracee and Sterling are truly amazing in this, and I’ll always welcome a performance from Erika Alexander. I grew up on Living Single! But I found Monk to have less of an arc than I would have hoped. It’s a good thing there were a bunch of laughs and solid emotional moments though.
Rank: #16
Movie: Godzilla Minus One (4.5/5)
Why: I never liked a Godzilla movie before this one so this was a big surprise to me too. I was invested in the humans and I got hype whenever it was time to square off against Godzilla. I could have done without endangering Noriko who had already proven to be a survivor. I also didn’t need them to show me THAT convo about the fighter plane. Overall, though, this movie was the goods!
Rank: #15
Movie: Nimona (4.5/5)
Why: I have never been on board with a titular character not named Batman so quickly in a movie! I can’t quite describe it but Nimona, the character, and thus the movie, is so engaging that I fell in love with this movie pretty quickly. I might have loved this movie so much because I had no expectations, but here we are.
Rank: #14
Movie: The Boy and the Heron (4.5/5)
Why: Here’s a fun fact… I only really like the Hayao Miyzazki Ghibli movies. I’m sure that has upset people already. But I did watch this subbed not dubbed. Did that win anyone over? Anyway, even Miyzaki has stated he doesn’t fully understand what he’s made. I don’t believe, him, but I appreciate him giving people the room to not have a specific answer as to what this movie is all about. What I appreciated was the other worldliness, and I did like the titular Boy and Heron, as well as both versions of Kiriko. It was a great movie to just surrender to and enjoy the journey.
Rank: #13
Movie: Bottoms (4.5/5)
Why: Comedy and violence… yeah, I’m in! I already liked the two lead actors but I truly felt for their characters even though they were dishonest and kinda creepy when it came to their crushes. I think the movie truly worked for me because of how fully it committed to its elevated reality. I was stunned by the pep rally fight and truly happy with the final battle. It’s truly a movie that knew how to be fun.
Rank: #12
Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (4.5/5)
Why: As I mentioned during the episode 242 of Spoiled Rotten Podcast, this was a great way to wrap up the trilogy. The end doesn’t have to mean death. We can actually celebrate people growing and moving on.
Rank: #11
Movie: How to Blow Up a Pipeline (4.5/5)
Why: I have never been happier that a title was so straightforward. While it does make for an awkward Google Search, it is a great movie about people realizing that change doesn’t come from being nice about things. Change involves violence of some sort. I also appreciated the debates the team had to properly illustrate the complexity of the decision. I could have done with more of that, but the movie is still solid.
Rank: #10
Movie: Killers of the Flower Moon (4.5/5)
Why: The big qualifier here is that since it’s Marty making this movie, there’s only so deep it can go if you’re looking for a true Osage experience. What does come through is Marty’s talent for depicting white men dealing with vice. Lily Gladstone is also a treasure that I could have done with more of. Same goes for Cara Jade Myers who plays one of the sisters.
Rank: #9
Movie: Sanctuary (4.5/5)
Why: One thing about me is I’m going to like a true TALKIE. This movie features two people in a hotel room sparring with words… and other things… but mostly words! I don’t even particularly love these actors outside of this movie so the fact that I was hooked the whole time truly speaks volumes. Also this movie is about a sex worker and someone who has paid for her services… so know that before throwing this on.
Rank: #8
Movie: Talk to Me (4.5/5)
Why: One thing that stopped this from being in the top 5 is that it feels like all the Black people have sad endings in this. Outside of that, the sound design and overall intoxicating feel of the movie (I heard your TikTok’s using THAT song) ultimately outweighed that for me. I’m sure there are other movies that deal with drug use in this way but it really did come off as fresh in this packaging.
Rank: #7
Movie: Poor Things (4.5/5)
Why: I like Yorgos Lanthimos a lot so something was going to have to go terribly wrong for this to not end up in the top 10. While this felt the LEAST Yorgos to me, it still commit to its reality and I have nothing but respect for this movie. The movie is at its best when it has Emma’s Bella is confused by how we humans try to control things. I think the last section felt weirdly tacked on but at least it meant that BOTH Sanctuary actors got to be in this movie too!
Rank: #6
Movie: They Cloned Tyrone (4.5/5)
Why: Another Jamie Foxx joint? And it’s got the amazing John Boyega and Teyonah Parris? Add a great soundtrack and people fighting to change their circumstances instead of opting for moral wins? Yeah this is the perfect blend of sci-fi and Blacksploitation for me.
Rank: #5
Movie: Anatomy of a Fall (4.5/5)
Why: This was another TALKIE but set in a courtroom! I guess I like courtroom drama movies… not really procedural shows. If you’re worried you’ll be bored, you should know that 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P.” factors into this movie heavily. In all seriousness, I appreciated the conversations that the characters were forced to have and the incredulity of the prosecutor, played by Antoine Reinartz. I even liked the child’s performance.
Rank: #4
Movie: BlackBerry (5/5)
Why: As an iPhone user who openly mocked all BlackBerry users who tried to hold on in the last days, it’s important that I confess this movie had me rooting for BlackBerry. I was especially on board with Jay Baruchel’s Mike who lost sight of his one rule about things not being allowed to be “fine.” The movie is fun, funny, sad, and intense. It’s got a little of everything and I’m so happy I caught it in theatres.
Rank: #3
Movie: Past Lives (5/5)
Why: Greta Lee is a phenomenal actress and I’m glad this movie put Teo Yoo on my radar. The mature (to me anyway) conversations these two have in the back half about the nature of love and frienship truly got through to me and I even respected Arthur, as a writer, had to admit that in another story he’d be the villain. This is truly an ADULT film in the best ways possible.
Rank: #2
Movie: Oppenheimer (5/5)
Why: Yeah, I’m a fan of Christopher Nolan. However, I do think that this epic as seen on an IMAX screen is hard to argue with. I get what some people wished they showed Japan, but, to me, this was about a man who was paralyzed by his thoughts. I understood the decision to keep it to his experiences state side. I was all in for the deposition stuff and for Emily Blunt getting in some cut eye near the end. The visuals, though… they were chef’s kiss!
Rank: #1
Movie: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (5/5)
Why: I’m not sure what else I can say about this movie, other than what was said on episode 246 of Spoiled Rotten Podcast. It’s a movie that is about parents needing validation (which hit for me as a new parent). It’s a movie about the isolation you face as a black person around non black people (this also hit for me) and it has so much more going for it thematically. Then you add the amazing score and soundtrack to the visuals and you have my favourite movie of 2023.
-YG