2023 "On Your Left" Film Year-in-Review
It's that time again - celebrating a year's worth of movies! It was a great year overall as the movie industry tries to establish a post-pandemic and streaming-dominated new normal. The number of movies released in theaters, as well as the overall box office, each increased 20% from 2022. I may be forgetting some, but it seemed like there were actually fewer "big" movies that were streaming-only than there were in 2022 - a positive development! Action and horror genre movies continue to dominate, at least in sheer numbers, but there were some surprises that hit big, too. It was a down year for Marvel, fifteen years on from Iron Man. Some criticism and audience shunning was undeserved (The Marvels) in my opinion, while other efforts showed Marvel veering dangerously off-track (Ant-Man 3). But I got to see plenty of good, bad, and ugly through the year and I'm glad to share it with you!
Here is the format of this post, same as in years past:
- Top 10 films of the year!
- Most underrated/overrated films
- Most surprising/disappointing films
- Worst film of the year
- List of other films I saw in theaters (with links to my reviews)
- Films I saw on streaming
Please check out my companion post here, which is more like my Oscar-style awards. I hope you'll check out some of these movies for yourself!
Top 10 Films of 2022
10. Napoleon (directed by Ridley Scott; starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby)
In many ways a classic, Oscar-style biopic, Napoleon veers outside the genre's standards enough - and is too raunchy - to get snubbed at the awards. First, the title character is not exactly a traditional hero; many would understandably call him a villain. But this uncertainty is part of what makes the movie interesting, and Phoenix goes all in to make The Little Corporal entertaining; he remains a bit too mysterious, though, holding the film back. Napoleon's manners are quite raw, offering both humor and simple change of pace from the expected, particularly his closely observed relationship to Josephine. Oh, and this is Ridley Scott (Gladiator), so the battle sequences are spectacular, too.
9. Dungeons & Dragons (directed by Goldstein & Daley; starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Hugh Grant, et. al.)
From one expectation to the opposite: I never thought D&D would be any good, based on the miserable track record of game adaptations (though this year turned those tables! Pun intended). A strong cast, especially lead Chris Pine, earnest yet funny tone, and quality script resulted in one of the year's most entertaining movies. Pine is almost an audience surrogate here, an average guy in a fantasy world, and he uses all of his charm to good effect; his teammates are varied and likable, too. Their quest is a pretty familiar one, but it is enlivened by some genuinely inspired scenes and humor, particularly Page's brief "hero" role and a graveyard interrogation. You don't need to be a fanboy: all are welcome.
8. John Wick: Chapter 4 (directed by Chad Stahelski; starring Keanu Reeves, Bill Skarsgard, Donnie Yen, et. al.)
I never got around to a writing a review for this, which is bizarre considering I liked it so much. Right from the original, Keanu created a new action legend in John Wick, and the writers spun an interesting world around him. This is the final movie in the series and it manages to combine some of the more personal elements (as in the original) with such over-the-top action that you have to laugh - except that it's so well done that you're riveted and it never feels like a parody. Action movies easily blur together but Wick is distinctive and that remains true here, with spectacular sets from the very first battle to a crazy one around the Arc de Triomphe to the deadliest staircase of all time. I'll miss you, Baba Yaga.
7. The Holdovers (directed by Alexander Payne; starring Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Dominic Sessa)
Sometimes it's hard to beat a good old-fashioned dramedy, and that's what we get here. Simpler than most modern dramas - or comedies, for that matter - this focuses on the tense pairing of grizzled, grumpy old professor Paul (Giamatti) and his restless, resentful school-for-the-holidays charge, Angus (Sessa). As films of years past have done, the two reconcile by the end, but it's the often-bumpy journey that makes it worth it. It takes place in 1970; semi-modern, yet not encumbered by iPhones and other tech; it's just Paul and Angus, with a fun helping from Randolph's cook, Mary. The final act teeters on the edge of melodramatic but it fits, and the ending is satisfyingly direct yet modest.
6. American Fiction (directed by Cord Jefferson; starring Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Leslie Uggams, Sterling K. Brown, et. al.)
Another great dramedy here, but this one is quite modern - in mostly good ways. We follow the once-quiet life of single professor/writer Monk, and perennial supporting-actor Wright does a fantastic job carrying the movie in the role. The movie is split by the two halves of his life - the personal and the professional - and they offer quite the contrast. Monk's personal life is dominated by a family tragedy, though it's the smaller, hidden elements of their relational dynamics that come out in potent, effective ways. Monk's career enters almost stranger-than-fiction territory, on the other hand, as he gives in to the artistic commodification of Black suffering and finds surprising success. The two different tones don't always play nicely together, but it is a unique, thought-provoking, and well-made movie.
5. Barbie (directed by Greta Gerwig; starring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, et. al.)
Possibly the least-expected #1 movie of the year ever, Barbie earned both its critical and commercial success with a package that perfectly blended entertainment and insightful art. Margot Robbie is Barbie, by all indications (as Helen Mirren confirms in the narration), a stunning blonde, but she also morphs subtly and effectively from vapid toy-world queen into a strong but struggling woman in the making. Gosling kind of steals the show, though, with his hilarious Ken while his deadpan performance skewers toxic masculine culture effortlessly. Everything just clicks nicely, from the tongue-in-cheek visual presentation to the great cameo roles (McKinnon, Ferrell) to the crowd-pleasing musical numbers. It might have begun as overt product placement, but Gerwig transformed it into a Hollywood classic.
4. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1 (directed by Christopher McQuarrie; starring Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales, et. al.)
I feel a bit like a broken record with this one, but Tom Cruise just keeps making knock out action movies in recent years. In addition to last year's #1 movie, Top Gun Maverick, Cruise has turned MI from a one-off 90s remake into one of the best action franchises ever. The jaw-dropping stunts are what make the headlines (and Dead Reckoning has another great signature set) but Cruise is great throughout; I especially liked a mini-car chase through Rome (while hand-cuffed to someone else). This entry also features AI effectively in the main plot and brings plenty of personal stakes via both the villain and his increasingly familiar team. It's a wild ride, and no one is doing it better right now than Cruise.
3. Poor Things (directed by Yorgos Lanthimos; starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Willem Dafoe)
When I saw that a Lanthimos film was in the Oscar shuffle again, I was wary: the first of his films I saw, The Lobster, was awful, but the second, The Favourite, was weird yet well-made. I was surprised to see it showing at my local theater and took a chance on it, fortunately. This is definitely another weird one, a new take on Frankenstein. But Emma Stone is phenomenal in the lead "monster" role. Her physical, mental, and emotional evolution from newborn baby to a wise, independent woman is remarkable. Stone, and the movie overall, offers visceral thrills (from adults acting like babies to... sex, lots of sex), visual grandeur, and subtle social and psychological insights that fit neatly into the story. How many movies do all that, and do it well?? Give it a try - it'll take a few minutes to settle in, but it's worth it.
2. Elemental (directed by Peter Sohn; starring Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie del Carmen, et. al.)
Pixar is back! Well, it hadn't gone anywhere, but the last one that I saw in a movie theater was 2019's Toy Story 4. Elemental is working in the studio's wheelhouse: a familiar story - here, a rom-com - but with features possible only in a richly-animated world - a city full of fire, water, and other elemental beings. This was one of Pixar's more inspired combinations in my opinion, which is saying something. Animation allows the movie to fully express the significant personality differences and powerful emotions that take place in a romantic story; the stakes are higher, too, although it manages to keep the focus on its two main characters. It's not quite as riotously funny as some other Pixar movies, but it's one of the most poignant. Best seen in theaters, like all Pixar movies, but check it out on Disney+!
1. Killers of the Flower Moon (directed by Martin Scorsese; starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, et. al.)
In a year with some improbable or different-than-expected top movies, I think it's fitting that Killers of the Flower Moon takes the top spot for me. It's unusually long, at three-and-a-half hours, amid a trend in Hollywood of ever-longer movies; however, it doesn't feel nearly that long. Its historical subject is grim and bloody, yet it manages to do justice to the Osage tribe and also provide the audience with some earned catharsis, too. Based on the critically-lauded book of the same name, Killers pulls no punches in showing the white plot, led by William King Hale (De Niro), to not just rob the Osage tribe of its oil wealth but to do so by ingratiating themselves and, once in possession of inheritance rights, literally murdering their way to ownership. Horrific, but the movie also focuses on the relationship between Ernest (DiCaprio) - Hale's nephew - and Mollie (Gladstone), whose family is prominent among the Osage. Scorsese delves into the relationship and fully brings out humanity - the light as well as the dark - via these characters. When the feds finally get wind of the plot, the final act brings much-needed comeuppance to the villains. All is not well, of course - but when the credits run, you'll be deeply satisfied with this engrossing, affecting, and finely made movie.
Honorable mentions: Oppenheimer, Creed III
Most Underrated Film of the Year: The Marvels
Usually this award goes to a movie I liked a lot - often in my top-10 of the year - that was maligned by critics. No movies fit that description this year, so I'll go with The Marvels due to its use in endless superhero-genre eulogies and shockingly low box office (it made half - $84.5 million - of what the next-lowest MCU movie made). This is a pretty darn good movie - especially if you have been a Marvel fan, and I think there are a few of you out there, judging by the MCU's dominance of Hollywood over the last 15 years. The movie failed because it got sucked into an overall narrative that everyone was tired of superheroes and the admittedly-fair assessment that Marvel otherwise was having a weaker year. Even for non-fans, it offers plenty of entertainment - give it a try!
Most Overrated Film of the Year: Asteroid City
I admit it: I'm not a huge fan of Wes Anderson. I appreciate that he's a unique filmmaker, and we need more of those. But beyond the interesting visual geometry, I quickly weary of the quirky story- and character-styling that he does. Well, Asteroid City is all that on, uh, steroids. What was it all about? What even happened?? Who knows. I do find most of Anderson's work watchable and something charming in each one - except this one.
Most Surprisingly-Good Film of the Year: tie-Barbie and Dungeons & Dragons
Both of these movies are in my top-10 of the year, so there's not much more I need to say. But when you can doubt that a movie is going to be any good just from a title, you know that it presents a challenge to the filmmaker. That each of these are so good is not just an impressive achievement for those involved in making them, it's also proof that so many ideas can be made into good movies - with an emphasis on can!
Most Disappointing Film of the Year: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania
This wasn't an outright bad movie - but it was the worst Marvel superhero movie yet, in my opinion. The first two Ant-Man movies, while they featured a clearly fantastical ability to shrink people to the size of ants (or smaller, or enlarge them... you get the picture), were also firmly grounded in the "real world" and so they had a certain charm that was unique in the MCU. By setting the third film in essentially an alien world, with a Guardians-like silliness, the groundedness completely vanished. Throw in a poor script and some shoddy plot development (again, by Marvel standards) and it was a disaster. Hopefully this was at least a good wake up call to the Marvel honchos to reign it in; with only Deadpool 3 coming out this year, perhaps they'll regroup and come back fresh.
Worst Film of the Year: Knock at the Cabin
The one good thing about this was that it was the first movie I saw in theaters in 2023 so... literally everything was better after that! No, it wasn't the only good thing about the movie. The initial home invasion is effectively creepy and mysterious, without resorting to gore or exploitation. But the movie then sets itself up for what should be an actually very valuable lesson: these lunatic invaders are convinced that the world is going to end unless the victims do (something) - and the movie should have shown that the invaders were in fact wearing the emperor's new clothes. Instead... the world actually is ending??? Sorry to spoil it for you - but hopefully I also just spared you from having to watch this.
Movies I Streamed in 2023:
- Air (B+). This is a very well-made and entertaining dramedy. I'm glad that they left Jordan himself (my favorite athlete ever) mysterious, instead focusing on Nike and a typically likable Matt Damon. Viola Davis adds some good heft, too. But still... it's a movie about a shoe.
- Nyad (B+). I wasn't really expecting to enjoy this too much, and it's not "fun". But Bening does a great job with the intensity and single-mindedness of the lead endurance (to say the least) swimmer. Rarely do I feel thrilled by an athletic achievement in a movie, but I did here.
- The Creator (B+). I considered seeing this in theaters but didn't, since my interest in sci-fi movies has been plummeting. But I'm glad that I caught it on Hulu, because it's definitely better than most of its kin. Washington does a good job and the story is creative and interesting (more AI!).
- Super Mario Bros (B). I knew I wanted to see this eventually - just not in theaters. Predictably, it's not a classic, but it's also better and more entertaining than it might have been. Jack Black was a great choice for Bowser, and lots of neat little winks (Star Power music!!).
- The Killer (B). I must admit, I already don't remember this very well, which isn't a good sign. Just a well-done action movie, better than most but be warned that it is brutal.
- The Burial (B). The premise here, an Amazon Prime original, is really interesting, and Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones are a fantastic duo. But the script is just a major letdown, dumbing it down and trying too hard to make it "relevant" when the story could easily speak for itself. Missed opportunity for a great one.
- Indiana Jones & the Dial of Destiny (B). I am a HUGE Indiana Jones fan, but after the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull debacle, I couldn't bring myself to face another disappointment in theaters. This is at least better than KCS but it still can't touch the originals. I think I'm personally too attached to the unique style of the first three, something I doubt can be replicated. This is fun, though, at least until the time travel.
- Strays (B-). Will Ferrell, using his innocent Elf voice on a live-action (or at least realistic digital) dog in a raunchy comedy. Odd premise, but it works pretty damn well. This is not for polite company and not everything works, but it got some nice laughs out of me.
- A Man Called Otto (B-). Poor Rotten Tomatoes reviews kept me away from the theater, but I was curious so tried it on Netflix. Yes, it's a fairly shameless tear-jerker. But Tom Hanks is still a great actor and he raises it above where it otherwise should be.
- Ghosted (C+). This should have been 1) so much better - and (only if 1 were true) available in theaters!! I mean, you've got Chris Evans bringing his charisma and humor from Captain America playing against type as the clueless civilian, and smoking hot, super cool Ana de Armas as the deadly spy. And it's still fun... but could and should have been so much better. Alas.
- No Hard Feelings (C+). I almost went to see this out of sheer desperation to see at least one pure, old-school comedy in the theater in 2023. I'm glad I didn't, though, because this is just so dull.
- Asteroid City (C+). I've already described this one - you already know if this one is for you or not!
Other Movies I Saw in Theaters:
- Dumb Money (B+)
- Renfield (B+)
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (B+)
- Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (B)
- A Haunting in Venice (B)
- The Flash (B)
- Haunted Mansion (B)
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (B-)
- Blue Beetle (C+). I didn't get around to writing a review of this because it was so... meh. It's not bad, you can do much worse if you just want a simple, fun thing to stream. The hero's family is fun, though the hero himself is dull as dirt, and the plot and action are very forgettable.
- Shazam: Fury of the Gods (C). See above. Definitely worse than the 2019 original. We lose most of the unique foster family dynamics from the previous movie and just get a lot more generic action in its place.
