From “Barbie” to “Bottoms,” theatrical and streaming releases in 2023 proved that the art of filmmaking is more alive and well than ever, even though the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike halted the industry for much of the summer and fall.
The Daily Mississippian’s in-house film experts, Aaron Barrow and Will Jones, offer their carefully curated list of the best films released this year.
#10. “Asteroid City”
Wes Anderson offers his most accomplished film to date in meta sci-fi commentary “Asteroid City.” Anderson’s deeply personal film strikes a precise, delicate balance between a certain post-quarantine timeliness and a universal timelessness, tapping into the powers of storytelling and human connection. — WJ
#9. “Priscilla”
Sofia Coppola’s latest film offers a unique perspective on one of America’s most well-documented relationships. “Priscilla” details the relationship between Elvis and Priscilla Presley through the eyes of Priscilla in a way that, unlike Baz Lurhmann’s “Elvis” from 2022, abandons the extravagance and overwhelming glossy sheen that most find appealing when considering the Presley name. While both interpretations are commendable, I found Coppola’s delicate approach to be quite an impactful examination of the complexities of love. — AB
#8. “Bottoms”
Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott’s unexpected follow-up to their delicious cringe comedy “Shiva Baby” is the type of giddy, mad genius that comes once in a generation; it is the high school movie to end all high school movies. “Bottoms” proves to be a truly bold and revelatory satire as well as a laughing riot with a palpable heart and tenderness at its core. — WJ
#7. “Oppenheimer”
Nolan’s latest serves as the perfect marriage of every type of film he has made up until this point in his career. Ferocious in its presentation, but ultimately profound in its thematic ideas, “Oppenheimer” displays Nolan at the height of his powers. — AB
#6. “Barbie”
As the ultimate feminist fantasia for our times, Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster gamble generates the perfect alchemy between the epic scope of studio filmmaking and the creative verve of independent-minded storytelling. Every moment within its artificial, plasticized world is brimming with authenticity. — WJ
#5. “Beau Is Afraid”
Ari Aster’s “Beau Is Afraid” is a film that basks in its inherently absurd, and oftentimes stupid, premise, and it is all the better for it. To fully surrender to the film’s energies is the best way to experience all that it has to offer. Aster begs us not to turn our brains off, but to open them to the wildest possibilities imaginable. This is not to say that everything aimed for is achieved, but I would be doing the film a disservice to say that it fails to innovate. — AB
#4. “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Martin Scorsese’s sociological X-ray of the erasure of the Osage Native Americans is, perhaps, the most restrained distillation of his career-long wrestling with sin. Complete with superlative performances and transportive production design, “Killers of the Flower Moon” is a true plunge into America’s heart of darkness, proffering whether we are fundamentally good or fundamentally evil. — WJ
#3. “Blackberry”
“Blackberry’s” seemingly mundane premise makes for one of the most riveting and downright hilarious retellings of true events in recent years. Glenn Howerton is an absolute powerhouse and commands every frame with breathtaking results. Director Matt Johnson succeeds in elevating a run-of-the-mill tale of corruption and greed into something legendary. — AB
If the previous “John Wick” installment was dialed up to 11, then “John Wick: Chapter 4” is dialed up to 100. “John Wick: Chapter 4” is an absolute masterclass of action filmmaking that remains as my favorite film of the year by far. The film takes everything that worked throughout the franchise and capitalizes on those strengths with brute force and a shocking undercurrent of heart and thematic girth. To say that this film is an awe-inspiring crowd pleaser is an understatement. To say that it is one of the greatest films of its genre is apt. – AB
#1. “The Killer”
Despite its pulpy exterior, few movies in 2023 felt as personal as David Fincher’s latest, “The Killer.” The film is a rare gem: featuring an obsessive, taciturn filmmaker expressing himself in an equally obsessive, taciturn protagonist and yielding a profound and wickedly hilarious treatise on the futility of control. While Fincher predicates his career upon works about outsiders, from the satirical screed of “Fight Club” to the true-crime vampirism of “Gone Girl,” his latest film instead aims to interrogate someone who confidently slips between the cracks of our increasingly transactional society. The result is the work of an artist vulnerably contending with their past choices, examining our collective unconscious with emotionally stirring results. “The Killer” is a film that simultaneously delights and devastates, proving to be brilliant in every conceivable manner. — WJ
