Read about my favorite films of the year, here.

Wow, what a phenomenal year for movies. 2023 awakened the film-bro within me, going to multiple film festivals and even traveling internationally for my first ever TIFF, strengthening my love for cinema.

We were blessed with films from auteurs such as Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon) and Hayao Miyazaki (The Boy and the Heron), from seasoned veterans Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things) and Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Evil Does Not Exist), and from newcomers Celine Song (Past Lives) and Cord Jefferson (American Fiction). We also can’t forget the sensation that was Barbenheimer, oh what a time that was. There’s also a few films I haven’t gotten the chance to see that I know I’d love, such as The Taste of Things, but oh well.

The state of cinema is in a very good place right now; there seems to be a public shift from an interest in blatant money-grabbing films to more expressive, artistic pieces of work. If 2024 is even half as good as 2023, we’ll be in for a treat.

10. May December

Let not the recent controversy regarding the Golden Globe nomination of May December as a comedy fool you from what it truly is: a horror. From what seems to be Natalie Portman’s best performance since Black Swan — where she plays a similarly obsessed artist — to Charles Melton’s bone-chilling depiction of a groomed victim who deals with arrested development, there is nothing short of actorial firepower. As haunting and devastating as it is, it remains tonally magnificent, capturing the nuances of adolescence and adulthood within each character.

9. Godzilla Minus One

As a society, we should have never let Godzilla become the franchise it is today, however, Godzilla Minus One has potentially wiped the slate clean as it takes us back to what made the original Godzilla so great in the first place. As a primarily human-centered drama with anti-government and anti-war propaganda and emotionally charged thematics about living and perseverance, it may potentially be the best Godzilla film of all time. Yes, it’s that good; though I can’t promise that the upcoming Godzilla x Kong movie won’t set us back another 10 years.

8. Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

I’m a slow-burn enthusiast, so it only makes sense that Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, a 158-minute film where almost nothing happens at all, falls into my top 10 list this year. Vietnamese director Pham Thien An, with his directorial debut, uses the serenity of the distinct Southeast Asian landscape to its fullest extent, creating the most unique viewing experience I’ve ever had in the cinema. The film is best described as visual poetry; it moves elegantly with slow camera-work and illustrious sound design, immersing the viewer in its own dreamlike world. I wrote a much longer, in-depth article, here.

7. Anatomy of a Fall

Has there ever been a better acting performance by a dog? In all seriousness though, Anatomy of a Fall, with all of the hype it received through its winning of the Palme D’or at Cannes, meets every single expectation and more as an introspective courtroom drama. Sandra Hüller’s performance is so good that it makes a dialogue heavy drama have the same intensity as an action film, breathing life into even the slowest sequences. The screenplay is one of the best I’ve seen this year, and although it is technically a courtroom drama, its intentionality is moreso pointed towards the familial aspect. It shows us that although society, or in this case the justice system, may paint us to be monsters with their skewed and limited knowledge, we are all unmistakably human.

6. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

I think it’s safe to say that 2023 was not the year of the superhero movie, with films such as Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania coming out, but we did get an astounding second Spider-Verse film, and it may have more than made up for it. There’s so much to love in this sequel — which I think is significantly better than the first — from the ambitious animation to the extremely lovable characters, and it brilliantly sets up the finale of the trilogy whilst simultaneously being a complete film on its own. By far the most fun I’ve had in a theater all year.

5. The Boy and the Heron

From Japanese auteur Hayao Miyazaki comes the latest entry (and potentially his last) into the Studio Ghibli franchise: The Boy and the Heron, also known as How Do You Live? With his most mature work to date, the film is a hand-crafted emotional journey about grief and living past its consequences, and it only makes sense that it comes in the sunsetting of his career. It has everything your quintessential Ghibli movie needs such as a fantastic Hisaishi-composed score and picturesque animation, but its beauty lies in its message: it’s okay to forget.

4. Poor Things

Poor Things is nothing short of magnificent as a rich and illustrious tale of self-discovery, centered around a scientifically reanimated woman learning her way around a manipulative and selfish world. It’s not necessarily a feminist film, as that word has polarized the reviews — though one can argue whether it is or isn’t — but a film of liberation. Fueled by absurdity in pure Yorgos Lanthimos fashion, this dark comedy is perhaps one of the most enjoyable films to see on the big screen this year. Whether it’s because of Emma Stone’s best performance of her career, the elegant costume and production design, or the creatively aesthetic cinematography, expect Poor Things to be an Oscar winner.

3. Oppenheimer

Taking the world by storm was the pop-cultural phenomenon known as Barbenheimer, and it’s safe to say that the latter half succeeded past its expectations by a landslide, raking in over $900 million as a 3-hour historical biopic. It’s truly Christopher Nolan at his best (potentially the greatest film he’s ever made), but the performances of Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt cannot be overstated, as they bring the film home with overwhelming emotion. Immersive sound design and ambitious practical effects allow for a sensational viewing experience, but its dive into the hubris of Oppenheimer, and how it disguises the world around him, make this film great.

2. Past Lives

I think that over my past 8,000 lifetimes I have encountered Past Lives in one way or another, because the 8,000 layers of In-yun that I hold with this film are practically impenetrable. Celine Song, with her unbelievable directorial debut, crafts a bittersweet and emotional gut-punch of a story that plays with your preconceived notions of soulmates. The idea of a first love is so delicately encapsulated by Greta Lee and Teo Yoo’s chemistry, or lack thereof, making you yearn for something that may have never even existed. Sometimes the most beautiful moments aren’t always the happiest — sometimes they’re quite the opposite – and this film captures those nuances with perfection.

1. Monster

We’re truly living in the presence of one of Japan’s greatest directors, in the likes of Kurosawa, Miyazaki and Ozu, and Monster only further cements his legacy. Hirokazu Kore-eda directs his most ambitious project yet, one that almost antithesizes the rest of his other works. Monster is told in three acts and through three perspectives, telling a non-linear story about the haunting truth that two innocent boys must endure. It’s both heartbreaking and heartwarming, making you wonder whether you’re crying tears of joy or sadness. There’s so much that makes it the best film of the year and it’s a bit too complex to describe in a matter of sentences, so you can read my full review, here.