Best Films of 2023 [Poll][Deadline: May 19th] - Movies & TV

Hayden

Location: CDMX

EyeKanFly wrote:

Agreed on Poor Things, it'll probably go into my list somewhere but not nearly as high as some folks (including Letterboxd's general audience) have it.

I have a few movies to catch up on (including some low-hanging fruit like Nimona or other easily streamable movies) before I post my list, but I feel pretty happy with the number of films I've seen this year.

Nimona was an interesting work. Make sure to read the story behind the production before watching it. Slipped through the cracks a smidge, so I'm glad it landed the Oscar nom. It's... not exactly my thing, and the arc didn't interest me all too much, but there's some strong highlights (plus, it's a super speedy watch). There's a Metric-scored dance scene that's phenomenally enjoyable.

Poor Things almost hurts me Laughing

— I thought it was an incredible final result, but the premise is terrible. Acting, art production, score, costumes, cinematography, sets, casting, make-up, etc, etc under Yorgos was magnificent. Plot's kinda... disgusting? Loved the effort the ensemble put into it though— really eclectic group of actors too. It's the sort of film I expected to maybe even be my #1 of the year, but I just... can't. Because of the plot.

Speaking of which, Yorgos has a new film at Cannes this year Smile

— looking forward to it. I'm assuming there'll be a film or two added to the lineup (Mike Leigh?), but at first glance I have no idea who the frontrunner for the Palme will be. Exciting.

EyeKanFly
Head Bear Master/Galactic Emperor

Age: 33
Location: Gotham

Hayden wrote:

EyeKanFly wrote:

Agreed on Poor Things, it'll probably go into my list somewhere but not nearly as high as some folks (including Letterboxd's general audience) have it.

I have a few movies to catch up on (including some low-hanging fruit like Nimona or other easily streamable movies) before I post my list, but I feel pretty happy with the number of films I've seen this year.

Nimona was an interesting work. Make sure to read the story behind the production before watching it. Slipped through the cracks a smidge, so I'm glad it landed the Oscar nom. It's... not exactly my thing, and the arc didn't interest me all too much, but there's some strong highlights (plus, it's a super speedy watch). There's a Metric-scored dance scene that's phenomenally enjoyable.

Poor Things almost hurts me Laughing

— I thought it was an incredible final result, but the premise is terrible. Acting, art production, score, costumes, cinematography, sets, casting, make-up, etc, etc under Yorgos was magnificent. Plot's kinda... disgusting? Loved the effort the ensemble put into it though— really eclectic group of actors too. It's the sort of film I expected to maybe even be my #1 of the year, but I just... can't. Because of the plot.

Speaking of which, Yorgos has a new film at Cannes this year Smile

— looking forward to it. I'm assuming there'll be a film or two added to the lineup (Mike Leigh?), but at first glance I have no idea who the frontrunner for the Palme will be. Exciting.

I know Nimona was based on a webcomic (which in and of itself is crazy) and had a tortured production, I'll read up some more.

Poor Things... yes in addition to the disgusting premise/plot, one other thing that I can't get over is the scene she first encounters poor people is the only scene set in Africa. Idk, when I watched it, it just struck me as "really? This is what we're doing now?" But yeah the visuals, makeup & costumes, etc. were beautiful and the acting was all great (including wonderful performances by Ramy Youssef and Jerrod Carmichael who I'd only known of as comedians up until this point). Maybe just with all the changes going on in the US with reproductive freedoms, it was just bad timing for me to watch the movie with that focus in mind.

Anyway, I also just rewatched Asteroid City and had a great time, I think I enjoyed it more than the first time. I recognized Jarvis Cocker as one of the cowboys (and in a couple songs), but didn't realize that Seu Jorge was another cowboy! That's pretty cool; if Alexandre Desplat had been another of the cowboys, that'd be like the holy trinity of Wes Anderson musical accompaniment in scenes together.

And speaking of soundtrack/score: is there a subcategory for best music (whether it be soundtrack, score, or either)?
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51 Washington, D.C. albums!

Hayden

Location: CDMX

EyeKanFly wrote:

if Alexandre Desplat had been another of the cowboys, that'd be like the holy trinity of Wes Anderson musical accompaniment in scenes together.

And speaking of soundtrack/score: is there a subcategory for best music (whether it be soundtrack, score, or either)?

Desplat as a cowboy would've been a great touch Laughing

— especially if the character kinda still... resembled him? Just with a cowboy hat or something. Not sure what kind of person Desplat is, but I hope he would've done it if asked.

And yeah, speaking of— I didn't list a soundtrack category. We could do one. (10 entries per submission, final list being the top 5). I'll make the edit (and think of my list).

Re: Poor Things— Ramy Youssef (who, I've never seen in anything prior) was particularly good. Perfect casting despite it looking unassuming on paper.

Hayden

Location: CDMX

Completely unrelated sidenote: I'd been putting off watching 20th Century Women since... well, 2016.

Just saw it.

Why did none of you force me to watch it earlier Not talking

What a film. Might be one of my favourites of the 10s.

Olli

Gender: Male
Age: 54

I'm still trying to watch at least 100 films from 2023. Your lists are very helpful to me. Applause

There are films that are not very popular and are difficult to find or are not released in the country where I live. I have a tip for a film from Germany where I live, it's from 2023...

Sun and Concrete (in German original: Sonne und Beton) Smile

Here is a trailer from this film with engl. Subtitles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YseO5USMSLA

Applerill
Autistic Princess <3

Gender: Female
Age: 30
Location: Chicago

I don’t know if I’ll see many more 2023 films by the deadline, but I think Claire Simon’s Our Body might be my new #1.

AgainstMeAgainstYou

Gender: Male
Age: 28
Location: Ajax, ON

My list in Letterboxd form! Will update if there are any changes, but I'm currently at 136 films as of May 1st and there isn't anything else that screams out to me as a missed opportunity for the purposes of this list.

What an absolutely staggering year.

50: Gran Turismo
49: Dream Scenario
48: Sisu
47: John Wick: Chapter 4
46: The Blackening
45: Talk to Me
44: Ferrari
43: Air
42: About Dry Grasses
41: May December
40: Poor Things
39: Concrete Utopia
38: Fallen Leaves
37: The Little Mermaid
36: Blue Jean
35: The Peasants
34: All of Us Strangers
33: The Killer
32: Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
31: Fair Play
30: Io capitano
29: Of an Age
28: Brother
27: I Like Movies
26: Joy Ride
25: The Creator
24: Beyond Utopia
23: Anatomy of a Fall
22: Passages
21: Past Lives
20: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
19: Shortcomings
18: Saltburn
17: The Teachers' Lounge
16: Killers of the Flower Moon
15: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
14: How to Blow Up a Pipeline
13: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
12: The Adults
11: Infinity Pool
10: The Holdovers
9: Theater Camp
8: Barbie
7: American Fiction
6: Perfect Days
5: Mutt
4: Maestro
3: Riceboy Sleeps
2: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
1: Oppenheimer

MALE PERFORMANCES

10: Andrew Scott as Adam in All of Us Strangers
9: Sterling K. Brown as Clifford Ellison in American Fiction
8: Ethan Hwang as Dong-Hyun in Riceboy Sleeps
7: Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
6: Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham in The Holdovers
5: Teo Yoo as Hae Sung in Past Lives
4: Lío Mehiel as Feña in Mutt
3: Kōji Yakusho as Hirayama in Perfect Days
2: Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer
1: Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer

FEMALE PERFORMANCES

10: Margot Robbie as Barbie in Barbie
9: Sandra Hüller as Sandra in Anatomy of a Fall
8: Emma Stone as Bella Baxter in Poor Things
7: Mia Goth as Gabi Bauer in Infinity Pool
6: Lily Gladstone as Molly Burkhart in Killers of the Flower Moon
5: Leonie Beresch as Carla Nowak in The Teachers' Lounge
4: Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Mary Lamb in The Holdovers
3: Carey Mulligan as Felicia Montealegre Bernstein in Maestro
2: Greta Lee as Nora in Past Lives
1: Choi Seung-yoon as So-Young in Riceboy Sleeps

ORIGINAL SCORES

10: Saltburn by Anthony Willis
9: The Peasants by L.U.C
8: Godzilla Minus One by Naoki Satō
7: Barbie by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
6: Past Lives by Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen
5: The Killer by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
4: Killers of the Flower Moon by Robbie Robertson
3: Poor Things by Jerskin Fendrix
2: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse by Daniel Pemberton
1: Oppenheimer by Ludwig Göransson