My Favourite Films of 2023
This year, I’ll keep it short and sweet. It was an incredible 365 days at the movies, where I had the chance to see some absolute incredible modern classics, and some films that will most certainly remain in my top tier lists, in the decades to come. From films of all budgets, shapes and sizes, here are my favourite films I saw in theatres in 2023.
Puss in Boots - The Last Wish
Rating - 8/10
Dreamworks animation at it’s absolute finest. A fitting story from beginning to end, with the addition of what I find incredibly rare these days (a great villain). Some say, that film is only as good as it’s Villain, and although there’s merit to that, Puss in Boots The Last Wish certainly delivers this theory home, alongside having incredible elements everywhere else. The animation was gorgeous, a whole new level of depth was added to our favourite adorable sword-wielding kitty, with tonnes of emotional beats throughout the picture.
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3
Rating - 8.2/10
Arguably the series that mostly defines the foundation of my music taste these days. Amongst a sea of marvelous marvel misses in recent times, GOTG Volume 3 goes down as one of the best ends to a trilogy, and absolutely tied the knot on all of my favourite guardians, whilst exploring new character territory, making the ending that much more rewarding. Albeit taking some worthy story risks along the way.
Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Rating - 7.5/10
Admit-alley, I’ve never been a huge admirer of the Hunger Games series, until watching this fifth instalment prequel. What an excellent story showcasing the utter demise of our lead character, President Snow, in his early years. Gorgeously shot, and an excellent study of how an individual can become so corrupt, so sinister, and so evil when we see them later in life. One of the biggest surprises for me this year, and completely critically underrated.
Godzilla Minus One
Rating - 9.2/10
Where do I begin with this… Firstly, a massive shoutout to my resident film-buff and best mate Christopher Gan, for introducing me to this excellent, and I dare say, perfect Godzilla film. The story behind this film is damn near unbelievable, given its budget relative to what you see on screen. After finishing the film for the first time, I immediately booked another session. Godzilla is menacing, but earned, his presence is familiar yet completely new, and ultimately his impact on the story, plus the world and it’s characters that live within it is unparalleled. The film almost had me out of my seat during major battle sequences, of which I had become totally mesmerised with looking at the visuals, plus the immaculate score.
Oppenheimer
Rating - 9.3/10
What can I say that hasn’t already been said, Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas are back with a chest thumping statement to Hollywood that you can deliver a 3-hour war biopic that has the pace of an epic action-film. I won’t lie, I’m slightly biased towards Oppenheimer due to my fascination with it’s IMAX filming process and distribution. As a result, I saw the film in multiple formats (at least 6 times in theatres during the run), and loved it every time.
After second viewing, I also had the chance to read American Prometheus, a deeply detailed and personal look into Oppenheimer’s life, and deepened my appreciation for Nolan’s adapted screenplay writing abilities. Below, I’ll leave some of the additional videos I created surrounded my experience watching Oppenheimer.
Honourable Mentions
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Fabelmans
Empire of Light
The Killer
Banshees of Inesherin
The Creator
John Wick 4
The Creator
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1