2023 brought cinema back in a big way.
Credit: Mashable composite; Warner Bros., Sony, Searchlight Pictures
2023 has been…weird. Join Mashable as we look back at everything that’s delighted, amazed, or just confused us in 2023.
Whether in cinemas or on streaming, movies have given us a lot to thrill and think over in 2023.
The first half of the year brought plenty of action with fresh adventures from archeologist Indiana Jones (And the Dial of Destiny), secret agent Ethan Hunt (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning), and fast and furious family man Dom Toretto (Fast X). Superheroes poured forth for better (Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse, Blue Beetle, The Marvels) and worse (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Flash, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania). Comedy got raunchy with No Hard Feelings, Bottoms, and Dicks: The Musical. Animated offerings spanned from the frolicking trolls (Trolls Band Together) to a high-spirited shapeshifter (Nimona) and the latest meditation from Hayao Miyazaki (The Boy and the Heron).
And of course, summer movie season climaxed with Barbenheimer, the head-to-head of Christopher Nolan’s World War II drama Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s violently pink and gleefully wild comedy Barbie.
With fall came a flood of daring dramas based on real events, ranging from the Leonard Bernstein-focused Maestro, the opioid crisis-centered Pain Hustlers, the true crime-influenced May December, the epic war story of Napoleon, and the deadly conspiracy at the heart of Killers of the Flower Moon. Meanwhile, romance bloomed in the colorful environment of Rye Lane, the restrained sci-fi of Asteroid City, the city streets of Past Lives, and the lusty shadows of Saltburn.
Coming-of-age stories were big and beautiful, boasting an ardent adaptation of a Judy Blume classic (Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret), an awe-inspiring anime (Suzume), a butt-kicking fantasy (Polite Society), a snarling comedy (The Holdovers), and a globe-trekking journey of lust and learning (Poor Things). Then, thanks to a menacing M3GAN, a stalking Boogeyman, beguiling ghosts, and repugnant demons, horror had such a good year we gave its best its own list.
This is all to say that it’s been an extraordinary year in cinema, which made crafting a top 10 Best Films for 2023 virtually impossible. We couldn’t stop. So, here is our top 25 ranked.
Whether you’re seeking to laugh, cry, marvel, or lose your mind, we’ve got a film that’s sure to please. Here are the best movies of 2023.
25. Polite Society
A genre-blended dazzler.
Credit: Focus Features
One of our favorites out of Sundance, Polite Society comes from writer/director Nida Manzoor, who also created the sensational series We Are Lady Parts. In her feature directorial debut, Manzoor genre-blends, combining elements of martial arts movies, Bollywood musicals, and coming-of-age comedies to dazzling effect.
Polite Society centers on two British-Pakistani sisters: Ria (Priya Kansara), who dreams of being a stuntwoman, and Lena (Ritu Arya), whose artistic aspirations have been recently crushed. They support each other’s “unconventional” goals, even when the rest of the world doesn’t. But when Lena receives a seemingly covetable marriage proposal, Ria’s worldview is placed in peril.
What ensues is an irresistible series of events, underscored by family and sisterhood but punctuated with tons of action, extravagance, and laughs. The film is truly one-of-a-kind — an explosive watch. — Meera Navlakha, Culture Reporter
How to watch: Polite Society is now streaming on Prime Video.
24. M3GAN
She’s an icon.
Credit: Universal Pictures
2023 got off to a strong start with M3GAN, a killer doll horror romp with an AI twist. The titular toy was intended to shoulder the care of a grieving kiddo who’d recently lost her parents. But when her devotion turns deadly, it’s up to her creator (Get Out’s Allison Williams) to stop the singing, dancing, killing machine.
We fell hard for M3GAN when she first slayed in a teaser with some sharp choreography. Seeing how the emerging fandom for the movie skewed young, Blumhouse went back into the editing bay, turning Akela Cooper’s R-rated script into a PG-13 release. Yet cutting some gore didn’t detract from the glory of queer horror’s latest icon. Directed by Gerard Johnstone, M3GAN not only boasted sensationally scary sequences that scratch that evil-kid itch, but also a biting sense of humor that had us rooting for this femme slasher, whether she was whispering pop songs, terrorizing a child bully, or threatening this film’s frustrated Final Girl.
Critics cheered and so did audiences, leading M3GAN to box office success and to score a green light for a sequel. Here’s hoping this time she’ll go full musical.
How to watch: M3GAN unrated is now streaming on Prime Video.
23. Nimona
A fantasy romp with an important message.
Credit: Netflix
From his comic book series like Lumberjanes to his Netflix reboot of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, ND Stevenson has cemented himself as a whiz at delivering LGBTQ stories with a fantastical edge. 2023’s adaptation of Stevenson’s graphic novel Nimona is no different. The film — canceled by Disney, then resurrected at Netflix — is a rollicking fantasy romp about challenging authority and accepting others for who they truly are.
Nimona transports us to a futuristic medieval world where knight Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed) is on the run for a crime he did not commit. However, it’s his label as a “villain” that brings shapeshifter Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz) into his life. More comfortable as a shark than a human girl, Nimona is a delightfully deviant fiend who wants nothing more than to stick it to the all-powerful Institute. She and Ballister make quite the odd pair — she wants to wreak havoc, he just wants to clear his name — but together, they may just defeat an evil lurking in their kingdom.
Between some electrifying fight scenes and its graphic animation style, Nimona is a blast of a viewing experience. But its message and LGBTQ visibility is what truly sets it apart. Not only is Ballister’s relationship with knight Ambrosius Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang) a key element of the film, but Nimona’s own fluidity and negotiation of her identity calls to mind transness in a meaningful, important way. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Nimona is now streaming on Netflix.
22. Rye Lane
The chemistry!
Credit: Searchlight Pictures
One of the most joyful movies of 2023 hands down is this rom-com out of England. Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson star as Yas and Dom, two losers in love who share dazzling chemistry. Sure, they might be hot off some crushing break-ups, but a meet-not-so-cute in a public toilet leads to one of those impromptu day-long dates that you remember for a lifetime. And viewers are invited to come along for the ride!
Directed by Raine Allen-Miller, Rye Lane not only thrills audiences with a winsome romantic comedy romp, but also awes us with the visual splendor of its titular, colorful London neighborhood. Per our review: “Allen-Miller captures Rye Lane and its assortment of shops, street art, and eccentric characters with such passion and detail that you can almost smell the burritos baking or reach out and touch the fresh produce glistening in the brightly painted stalls.”
And that’s not all! This mirthful movie also weaves in wild comedy; a Love, Actually cameo you’ll drool over; and the ultimate scene of showing up an ex. Whether you’re in a relationship, single, or “it’s complicated,” Rye Lane is sure to win your heart.
How to Watch: Rye Lane is now streaming exclusively on Hulu.
21. Beau Is Afraid
Mommy issues.
Credit: A24
Among the most polarizing films of 2023, Beau Is Afraid challenged audiences to a point of frenzy. Writer/director Ari Aster made his name with mind-bending, stomach-churning horror hits like Hereditary and Midsommar. Then, he teamed with a star-stuffed cast — including Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Ryan, Nathan Lane, Parker Posey, Bill Hader, and Patti LuPone — to deliver a tale of fear that wasn’t scary so much as it was a singular blend of neurotic comedy.
Beau Is Afraid follows the eponymous coward (Phoenix) on a bizarre and winding odyssey to visit his mother (LuPone). This deceptively simple premise pitches audiences into a minefield of a mental health crisis, steering from an urban war zone to a psychologically twisted suburbia to a heady theater camp, and beyond. Some cheered Aster’s epic exploration of fear, anxiety, and mother-son relationships turned deeply toxic. Others jeered the film’s mind-bending plot twists and methodical pacing. But love it or hate it, it’s hard to argue against the mastery of cinematic carnage Aster has unleashed here.
Hell, for the sex scene alone, we’ll never be able to forget Beau Is Afraid.
How to watch: Beau Is Afraid is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
20. Zone of Interest
Sandra Hüller as Hedwig Höss, standing within the family’s garden.
Credit: A24
Jonathan Glazer’s magnificent, disquieting drama The Zone of Interest is one of the more unsettling film experiences of the year, thanks to the juxtaposition of a subtly violent soundscape with scenes of domestic normalcy.
Based on Martin Amis’s 2014 novel, The Zone of Interest makes you a deeply uncomfortable guest in the well-appointed home of the longest-serving Auschwitz commandant, Rudolf Höss (an impeccable Christian Friedel), his wife Hedwig (an unnerving performance by Anatomy of a Fall star Sandra Hüller), and their children. Just beyond the Höss family’s lush garden wall lies Auschwitz itself, where over 1.1 million men, women, and children — about one million of which were Jewish — were murdered.
The Under the Skin director reunited with musician and composer Mica Levi and sound designer Johnnie Burn to create a disturbing sonic environment informed by the Nazi atrocities happening just offscreen. The contrast of the Höss family’s blissful everyday life with the sounds of the nearby camp, with its omnipresent gunshots and screams, renders The Zone of Interest a chilling portrait of complicity. — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor
How to watch: The Zone of Interest opens in limited release Dec. 15.
19. The Teachers’ Lounge
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