{"id":42186,"date":"2024-01-02T00:15:43","date_gmt":"2024-01-02T05:15:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=42186"},"modified":"2024-01-01T07:27:32","modified_gmt":"2024-01-01T12:27:32","slug":"our-top-ten-films-of-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2024\/01\/02\/our-top-ten-films-of-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Top Ten Films of 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It’s been a crazy year for the movies, and it’s been a crazy year for Hollywood. There was Barbenheimer, the massive SAG-AFTRA\/WGA strike, the continued streaming wars, the decline in the popularity of superhero movies, the end of the DCEU, the phasing out of physical media in major chain stores, and twenty five years after “Family Matters” ended, Steve Urkel got his own animated movie.<\/p>\n

What a long, strange trip it’s been.<\/p>\n

Here are Our Top Ten Movies of 2023. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Please to remember this is our opinion, and only our opinion, not gospel. But we encourage you to let us know your top ten movies of the year or what other nineties icon you think will get an animated movie next.<\/strong><\/p>\n


\n\"\"<\/a>10. No One Will Save You
\n<\/em><\/strong>Directed by: <\/strong>Brian Duffield
\nWritten By:<\/strong> Brian Duffield
\nHulu
\n<\/strong>Apocalypse movies have really pivoted over the years from \u201cWe can save it if we try,\u201d to \u201cNo one or thing is coming to save the world. We\u2019re doomed.\u201d The obvious proof is \u201cNo One Will Save You,\u201d a twisted amalgam of a survival film, a home invasion film, an alien film, and an apocalyptic horror film. \u201cNo One Will Save You\u201d garners zero lines of dialogue and is primarily a visual and emotional experience allowing everyone from director Brian Duffield to star Kaitlyn Dever to shine and shine bright.<\/p>\n

Dever\u2019s performance as a pariah tasked with fending off against aliens in her home is just a mind blowing experience teeming with tension, anxiety, and one hell of a deliciosuly demented final scene. Dever offers one of the most out of left field performances of the year, proving she\u2019s an actress to look out for.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>9. M3GAN
\n<\/strong>Directed by: <\/strong>Gerard Johnstone
\nWritten By: <\/strong>Akela Cooper
\nUniversal Pictures
\n<\/strong>Two big doll movies were released this year, both were viral sensations, and out of the pair, I had the best time with \u201cM3GAN.\u201d I mean, yes, I enjoyed \u201cBarbie\u201d quite a lot, but \u201cM3GAN\u201d was so much more on my speed. Filled with buzz and word of mouth before it was even released, \u201cM3GAN\u201d is thankfully a fun, weird, and campy good time that packs in some good old fashioned good toys gone bad spooks for good measure.<\/p>\n

Along with a slew of great performances from folks like Violet McGraw, and Allison Williams, there are also some raucous moments sure to go down in horror history including M3GAN\u2019s famed dance of death, her bloody confrontation with a bully in the woods, and the big robot throw down in the finale. I\u2019m sure with the inevitable sequel we\u2019ve only just begun to see what M3GAN is capable of.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>8. Enter the Clones of Bruce
\n<\/strong>Directed by: <\/strong>David Gregory
\nSeverin Films
\n<\/strong>Ever since I was a kid the idea of the Bruce Lee clones trying to fill the meteor sized hole that Lee left after his untimely death was a running joke. We often mocked the \u201clame\u201d Bruce Lee wannabes, but David Gregory takes a deep dive in to an often derided sub-genre giving dignity to the performers that studios tried to use as a means of continuing making money for them.<\/p>\n

These men were filled with talent and charisma, and were mostly mainly seen as a means of producing cash. Only a few of them managed to stand out and rise above the pigeonholing. Every surviving Lee stand in are given a chance to discuss how hard they worked and how little they were appreciated. \u201cEnter the Clones of Bruce\u201d is a marvelous, long overdue history of this criticized and lampooned corner of the movie world that will keep movie buffs buzzing for days.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>7. Past Lives
\n<\/strong>Directed by: <\/strong>Celine Song
\nWritten By: <\/strong>Celine Song
\nA24
\n<\/strong>Celine Song\u2019s romance drama is a movie for the old fashioned romantics, and the people that have had their \u201cpast lives.\u201d This is a movie where I could constantly hear \u201cErykah Badu\u2019s\u201d \u201cNext Lifetime\u201d playing over and over in my head. It\u2019s just an absolutely gut wrenching and emotional tale about three people stuck in this awkward moment in time where love and nostalgia are in this dead heat. Nora is faced with the love of her past.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile the love of her present and is forced to come to grips with how she feels about who she always considered first love. What could have been an infuriating experience is a gentle, sweet, and mature look at love’s complexities. It\u2019s also an ode to the pain and joy of true<\/strong><\/em> love. We\u2019re not quite sure what will happen from the moment the screen fades to black, but we know these characters are never going to be the same again.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>6. Reality
\n<\/strong>Directed by: <\/strong>Tina Satter
\nWritten By: <\/strong>Tina Satter, James Paul Dallas
\nHBO Films, Inc.
\n<\/strong>While Sydney Sweeney is getting a ton of attention in late 2023 for her role in a cheesy stock rom-com, her best role of the year is \u201cReality.\u201d That is where Sweeney is able to smash her pigeonholing from HBO\u2019s \u201cEuphoria\u201d and really shine as an actual actress of clear cut substance and range. Sweeney is intense as Reality Winner, the Intelligence specialist who received jail time for leaking Russian interference in the elections to the American media.<\/p>\n

Sweeney is completely void of the usual polish, shedding her sex symbol status in favor of a down to Earth and stark performance of a young girl who\u2019s sadly going to be harshly punished merely for doing the job she signed up for. It\u2019s a sobering and grim drama piloted by Sweeney\u2019s vulnerable starring turn. I hope we get to see more of these roles from the actress very soon as she has promise.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>5. Scream VI
\n<\/strong>Directed by: <\/strong>Tyler Gillett, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
\nWritten by: <\/strong>James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick, Kevin Williamson
\nSpyGlass Entertainment
\n<\/strong>SpyGlass Entertainment had it in the bag. They made the smooth transition from Sidney Prescott to a pair of engaging final girls. They gave the main final girl a link to the original \u201cScream,\u201d and created a festering conflict that could have exploded at any time. And, like it or not, they even had the marketable \u201cCore Four\u201d nickname. And they blew it.<\/p>\n

That said, \u201cScream VI\u201d is a great final (?) romp for Tara and Sam Carpenter; it\u2019s a New York centric, Halloween tinted outing for Ghostface that is packed with grue, mystery, and respect for creator Wes Craven\u2019s groundwork. Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega are as great as ever, and if this has to be the final journey with the \u201cCore Four\u201d I\u2019m glad it ended on a clear cut resolution. In the end, the Carpenters set out together to face whatever awaited them. It\u2019s been a fun ride.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>4. Full Time (\u00c0 plein temps)
\n<\/em><\/strong>Directed by: <\/strong>\u00c9ric Gravel
\nWritten By: <\/strong>\u00c9ric Gravel
\nMusic Box Films
\n<\/strong>It\u2019s tough to imagine a more anxiety laden drama this year than \u201cFull Time.\u201d Director \u00c9ric Gravel\u2019s drama is a masterpiece that any working class family that\u2019s ever existed can relate to. Faced with raising two kids on her own, a job hanging on by a thread, and an impending transit strike, she spends the duration of \u201cFull Time\u201d racing against the clock, and working at an almost Sisyphean fervor.<\/p>\n

\u00c9ric Gravel\u2019s direction is just dynamite successfully conveying the stress Julie must endure day in and day out. Seemingly small tasks like looking for babysitters and making it to work on time become massive endurance tests. Through it all she has to hope against all odds that for once life will give her a much deserved window to breathe for a little while. If you\u2019ve ever been a single parent, this film is for you.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>3. Are you There, God? It\u2019s Me, Margaret.
\n<\/strong>Directed by: <\/strong>Kelly Fremon Craig
\nWritten By:<\/strong> Kelly Fremon Craig
\nLionsgate Films
\n<\/strong>I was never a reader of Judy Blume books as a kid as she wrote specifically for young girls but I was more than optimistic about her iconic book being turned in to a film. Thankfully, the big screen version of Blume\u2019s coming of age drama is a fantastic, sweet, and touching tale about growing up, grappling with your faith, and realizing that you ultimately have to make decisions that work for you, even if they hurt the ones in our lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you There, God? It\u2019s Me, Margaret.\u201d is an absolute gem that every mother and daughter should watch together. It confronts the tough topics with great subtly while also delivering on an engaging story. Abby Ryder Fortson does a wonderful job leading a cast that includes Kathy Bates, and Rachel McAdams, respectively. I loved this movie, and I wish it\u2019d been more of a box office smash.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>2. The Iron Claw
\n<\/strong>Directed by: <\/strong>Sean Durkin
\nWritten By:<\/strong> Sean Durkin
\nA24 Studios
\n<\/strong>It\u2019s one of the most tragic, if not the<\/em><\/strong> most tragic story in all of pro wrestling history, and it\u2019s transformed in to a respectful albeit emotionally turbulent drama. \u201cThe Iron Claw\u201d will just rip you to shreds. It\u2019s a sad and affecting tale about brothers, toxic masculinity, family, and the all too unsafe conditions that wrestlers worked in and continue to work in to this day.<\/p>\n

Although realistically to tell the full story of the Von Erich\u2019s you\u2019d have to build a six hour epic film, \u201cThe Iron Claw\u201d does a wonderful job of telling this family tragedy while also delivering some of the best performances of the year bar none. Folks like Jeremy Allen White, Zac Efron, Maura Tierney, Harris Dickinson, and Holt McCallany (respectively) offer mind blowing turns in what promises to become a classic film about fathers and sons.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>1. Evil Dead Rise
\n<\/strong>Directed by: <\/strong>Lee Cronin
\nWritten By: <\/strong>Lee Cronin
\nStarring: <\/strong>Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, Nell Fisher, Lily Sullivan, Gabrille Echols
\nWarner Bros. Pictures
\n<\/strong>Damn it, Lee Cronin tried for something different and it was a rollicking success. Ever since it premiered, I\u2019ve seen \u201cEvil Dead Rise\u201d at least twelve times. And every single time it manages to just get nastier, gorier, and slicker. \u201cEvil Dead Rise\u201d is a meticulously crafted and beautifully composed horror sequel in the tradition of Sam Raimi\u2019s original films that doesn\u2019t mind fucking with us every now and then. Veering away from the cabin in the woods setting to an abandoned high rise in the middle of the city is a stroke of genius, and Cronin is able to derive so many interesting ideas and concepts with this confined setting.<\/p>\n

Co-star Alyssa Sutherland is mind blowing as the resident mommy deadite Ellie, who, like every other deadite before her, is a nasty, sadistic, and manipulative demon bitch that delights in tormenting her family psychologically as well as physically. Cronin is able to garner so many interesting sequences and scenes of pure dripping terror from his own installment, whether it\u2019s a horrific wig pull, the opening title emerging from a lake, a call back to the sneak a peek game from the first film, or an excellent variation on the possession sequence set in an elevator.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d be remiss if I didn\u2019t mention the amazing carnage sequence witnessed through a peephole that is as effective as it is fucking cool. I love \u201cEvil Dead Rise\u201d from its gory gooey center to its clever commentary about motherhood.<\/p>\n

I LOVED IT; NO ONE ELSE DID:
\n<\/strong>Indiana<\/strong> Jones and The Dial of Destiny<\/strong><\/p>\n

Almost Made It:<\/strong> Skinamarink, Creed III, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Sisu, Barbie, Oppenheimer, Joy Ride, Cobweb, John Wick Chapter 4, The Holdovers, Leave The World Behind, Saltburn, Talk to Me, The Marvels, Dumb Money, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, May December, Monica, Poor Things<\/em><\/p>\n

The Worst of the Year:<\/strong> Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, House Party, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, Elemental, Expendables 4, Children of the Corn, Flamin’ Hot<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s been a crazy year for the movies, and it’s been a crazy year for Hollywood. There was Barbenheimer, the massive SAG-AFTRA\/WGA strike, the continued streaming wars, the decline in the popularity of superhero movies, the end of the DCEU, the phasing out of physical media in major chain stores, and twenty five years after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[219,302,367,477,922],"class_list":["post-42186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-year-enders","tag-comedy","tag-drama","tag-foreign","tag-horror","tag-sequel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42186"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42218,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42186\/revisions\/42218"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}