2023: A Year in Cinema

By Philip Grippi

In rhythm with the great clockwork of the cosmos, the Earth has once again completed its long trip around the sun. You know what that means…it’s time for an arbitrary ranking of my favorite movies from the last year. So here we go…TOP 10 FILMS OF 2023. 

10. Jawan

Thanks to my darling fiancé, I spent the year becoming acquainted with Bollywood. In my sojourn through the bombast and spectacle of Indian cinema, I learned a few things, and one thing most of all: Shah Rukh Khan is king. This man is pure star power on a scale few in the US can even dream. MAYBE Tom Cruise or even, once upon a time, Will Smith can say they operate on a level of raw charisma and sex appeal as Shah Rukh Khan. This is on full display in the action thriller epic, Jawan. Every frame of this film is brimming with energy and style. The music is constantly pounding with the rhythm of your own heartbeat and the story.  The script, while largely absurd and driven by every Hollywood cliche and contrivance imaginable, weaves an explosive tale of inciting radical social change, spanning multiple generations. It’s Bollywood, so naturally there are vibrant and fun musical numbers to punctuate the otherwise standard action-heavy plot. The film is loud, fast and ridiculous but I couldn’t look away. It’s pure adrenaline and spectacle distilled into an extravaganza of color and song with a powerful, if heavy-handed, showcase for the social injustices in Indian society. And never forget the power of Shah Rukh Khan. 

9. The Creator

I’m of two minds on this film. Objectively it’s a gorgeous work of cinema. Gareth Edwards returns to the theaters with a brilliantly realized science fiction landscape steeped in various Asian cultures and the metaphors at play are timely and resonant (US imperialism is bad and the war on terror was clumsy and misguided). The performances from its stellar cast are terrific. The film is a technical marvel to behold. All that said, this year saw two union strikes in Hollywood largely catalyzed by the looming specter of AI phasing real artists out of the industry. So a narrative, however allegorical as it may be, where AI is cemented as the next phase of evolution and humanity has one foot out the door…might seem a bit irresponsible. I’m sure it wasn’t intentional because the film is clearly juggling some heavy symbolism and AI is just a narrative proxy for foreign nations in the wake of US imperialism…but it's still a rather troublesome message on the surface if taken at face value. All that said…I love the artistry on display and it reminded me what a true master of the Hollywood Epic Gareth Edwards is.

8. Nimona

2023 saw the return of an animation titan in the form of Miyazaki’s The Boy & the Heron and, while the film was certainly touching and well made…I couldn't help but feel a sense of lacking when I finished it. Miyazaki is a master of his craft. He made a good film, there’s no denying him that. That said, after the film’s win at the Golden Globes recently I couldn’t shake my disappointment. It’s like when Meryl Streep wins anything these days. She’s a good actress and has a stellar career of great performances…but was she really the best that year? Or are we just giving an award for being Meryl Streep. Miyazaki did not make the best animated film of the year. Not in my opinion. There were quite a few that I felt so much connected to by the rolling of their credits. One such film was Nimona. With explosive color, wit and imagination, Nimona cut to the ugly heart of the many archetypes and tropes that have inundated the fantasy narrative for centuries. This story of knights slaying monsters turns the conventions on their head and delivers a heartbreaking story of love, rejection and prejudice. The film wears its queer representation as a badge of honor in ways both obvious and subtextual. Not to mention the terrific vocal performances by Chloe Grace Moretz as the titular Nimona and her companion in arms, Riz Ahmed’s Ballister Boldheart. There are many powerful messages to this film: Monsters take many shapes (and not always the ones we expect), they are created by us (usually against their will), and even they have their own stories to tell. 

7. Wonka

In terms of fantasy literature that’s dominated pop culture, some kids grew up loving Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. Some had Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia. For me, it was somewhat different. Sure, I saw those movies. I even read some of the books. But I had a strange, silly trinity of fantasy epics that shaped me. One was Artemis Fowl. I loved those books so much and no, I won’t talk about the movie because I’ll get mad and cry. Another was Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, with its delightfully quirky tales of macabre misfortune in a maladjusted world. But before all that…there was the works of Roald Dahl. While some elements of his work haven’t fared well under the modern microscope of what’s deemed tasteful, his work remains mostly timeless and magical and I will always find love for his stories. The Witches, James & the Giant Peach, Matilda. All classics on page and on screen. But above all, there is Willy Wonka. A twisted but whimsical satire of greed, Dahl spun a joyous, sneakily macabre tale of a young, poor boy finding dreams he never knew he had…and those dreams lie in the clutches of a magical, slightly deranged chocolate mogul and his army of little orange men (whom he’s drafted into a life of making candy in a factory). By all accounts, Willy Wonka is a terrifying character…but through Dahl’s deft writing and the eventual performance by the electric Gene Wilder, Wonka has become a fantasy icon in pursuit of true innocence among a sea of greed and corruption. The original film, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,  is among the greatest fantasy films ever made with a definitive performance by Wilder as Wonka. So naturally, a prequel starring the kid from Dune is doomed to fail…right? WRONG. File Wonka under D for DELIGHTFUL. Under the direction of Paul King, of Paddington fame, what we got was a truly magical, timeless love letter to the original classic that still forges its own identity. It does so with sharply crafted wit, dazzling musical numbers and a warm, beating heart to every character on screen. Timothy Chalamet really makes the role his own while both paying respect to Wilder but also deviating from him.  Hugh Grant begrudgingly plays the main Oompa Loompa and it’s hilarious, especially since he apparently hated doing this movie. The film is magic for every member of the family and I loved it. 

6. Spider-man: Across the Spiderverse

The first Spiderverse movie is amazing and most likely the best iteration of the classic marvel character put to screen. It pays loving homage to the 60+ year legacy of Marvel’s most prolific hero while telling a story that’s both new and inventive. The animation was revolutionary, and the cast was electric. The sequel doubles down on everything that worked with the first and expands it to an epic scope that’s both dizzying and dazzling. The animation continues to amaze while the journey of Miles Morales, a newcomer to the mantle of Spider-man, takes on its own depth and vastness as a mythology. The harsh, cruel working conditions of the animation studio is truly heartbreaking and does sour the film a bit for me…but there’s no denying that when I first saw it and the credits rolled, I was in awe of what I had just seen. This could very well be the greatest superhero trilogy in film history if they nail the third one right. Hopefully they don’t torture their animators to achieve it, though. 

5. Polite Society

A riotous, explosive action comedy that examines Pakistani gender politics through a lens that I can only liken to the ingenuity of Scott Pilgrim vs the World. The film is hilarious. It’s equal parts clever and heartfelt as it examines the relationship between 2 Muslim sisters living in the UK. The eldest, a struggling artist suffering a creative crisis, abandons her dreams in lieu of an arranged marriage. This devastates her younger sister: a wild free spirit with dreams of being a Hollywood stuntwoman. What ensues is an odyssey through the younger sister's imagination as she envisions a scenario where she saves her sister from the evil schemes of her betrothed and his sinister Mother…and she does it with martial arts and a wedding heist. The stylish use of magical realism crafts a unique world of pulse pounding action that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, forcing the viewers to question the reliability of the film’s narrator. Is the world she lives in simply this awesome and fantastical? Or is she having a mental break while her relationship with her sister dissolves?  Director Nida Manzoor knocks it of the park with this film and it was a truly special experience to behold. 

4. Barbie

Sadly I didn’t get to partake in the Barbenheimer phenomenon that swept theaters this past summer. Oppenheimer is on my list of things to see eventually. I’m sure it’s quite good, really. It’s certainly making the voters at the Golden Globes happy. My priority that month, however, was Greta Gerwig’s dazzling feminist odyssey through the existential crisis of a toy. Barbie is a brilliant metatextual satire of gender politics, commercialism, and the yearning for purpose that lies within all men & women.  Margot Robbie is delightful as Stereotypical Barbie, joined by an army of equally joyful turns as the countless other Barbie variants…alongside a hilarious cast of Ken’s spearheaded by the miraculous Ryan Gosling. What could have been a cheap, feature length toy commercial wound up being an inventive, thoughtful meditation on gender, life and the universe. This film is honestly a miracle and it will be a treasure of cinema in the years to come. I can’t wait to see where Greta Gerwig goes after the massive success of Barbie. 

3. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3

That’s right. I’m a shameless Disney shill here to give a marvel movie a glowing review. Obviously I was paid to do this, right? It’s not like Marvel movies are cinema or anything. Or so the pretentious gatekeepers continue to parrot…whatever. Guardians of the Galaxy volume 3 was fantastic. Marvel may be stumbling here and there but they’re still one of the most iconic film franchises of the last decade, and James Gunn continues to be a master at what he does. The found family of misfit outlaws  turned space-faring heroes once again takes to the screen to make us laugh, cheer and cry ugly tears over the sad life of a CG talking raccoon. A heartfelt swan song for possibly the MCUs strongest and most consistently fun franchise, Volume 3 delivers thrilling action, uproarious laughter and heart wrenching drama. The series finally realizes who the real star of these movies is and shifts the focus onto Bradley Cooper’s Rocket Raccoon, exploring his tragic origin and delivering one of the MCU’s most evil and hateable villains to make the jump from page to screen. The moment when the Guardians finally take The High Evolutionary on is one of the most satisfying, rewarding superhero beatdowns I’ve ever seen. You will cheer when you see this guy finally get the shit kicked out of him. It’s glorious. It’s sad to see James Gunn bid farewell to the Marvel universe, but at least we have his undoubtedly superb take on Superman to look forward to. 

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Seth Rogen is carving himself an impressive niche as the Kevin Feige of offbeat Indie superheroes. He gave us Preacher, Invincible and The Boys…and now he’s put his stamp on the Ninja Turtles to brilliant effect. The impressionistic animation perfectly captures the childlike wonder and imagination that beats at the heart of the decade-spanning franchise, giving life to a sweetly human story of 4 outcast brothers who simply want to find their place in the world. Delivering on the revolutionary concept of casting actual teenagers as the teenage mutant ninja turtles, the cast is electric and delightful as they bring a joyous enthusiasm to their characters. The soundtrack is superb, while the story is equal parts intimate and epic. The city of New York is itself a character in the film, knee deep in the local culture in the most authentic and loving ways. This was the best superhero film of the year, as well as the best animated film. Its snub at the Golden Globes will not be forgiven. 

And finally…number 1: 

Godzilla Minus One

Godzilla is many things to many people. For me, he’s been a lifelong fixation that’s plagued me since childhood. In the near 70 years that he’s stomped through cinemas, he’s been a superhero. He's been an ambivalent force of nature. At his core, however, he is a horror icon. An allegory for the horrors of nuclear holocaust and American imperialism post-WWII. The American films try to mitigate these elements, but Godzilla Minus One has cast away the illusion. This Godzilla is no superhero. The new Godzilla is an unholy reckoning, and he is scary once again. 
The film is an emotionally powerful war epic that cuts to the heart of post-war Japanese culture and identity. The human drama is truly the driving force and the heart of the film. Make no mistake, though. Godzilla is, as always, a legendary, monolithic icon of cinema. It’ll have been seven decades of these films come this November, and Godzilla isn’t going anywhere any time soon.