Movies watched in 2023

My 15 favorite films of 2023, and other thoughts on the moving pictures I’ve seen this year. If you’ve read my annual reviews before, you’ll know that I tend to enjoy lesser known gems, like the new Zora Neale Hurston PBS documentary.

Previous years: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012.

As you look over my favorites, keep in mind that I haven’t had a chance to see Barbie, Spider-Verse 2, Poor Things, Napoleon, Leave the World, Wonka, Gozilla, Maestro, Rebel Moon, Dream Scenario, Past Lives, and the new Miyazaki but they (among others) are on my list.

I continue to spend a lot of time tracking the preservation efforts of early-20th-century films. My Letterboxd view-count is up this year because I’ve watched many of the short 1940s Soundies in the new Blu-ray set from Kino Lorber. I also enjoy watching short films in general.

Details:

• Letterboxd – Zepfanman’s 2023 year in review (for my top 15 and various lists). For searchability, and sorted by least-recently watched:
  • Hannah Gadsby: Something Special
  • Boston Strangler
  • Black Mirror: Joan Is Awful (episode)
  • Asteroid City
  • Flamin’ Hot
  • Polite Society
  • Creed III
  • Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine
  • Insidious: The Red Door
  • Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles: Mutant Mahem
  • Champions
  • Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
  • Killers of the Flower Moon
  • I Am from Palestine
• Trakt – Zepfanman’s history (if you’re curious about TV shows I’m watching)

Here’s a list of my favorite films seen for the first time this year (sorted by release date):

• Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
• Strange World
• Smile
• Chevalier
• The Menu
• The Woman King
• The Whale
• Bones and All
• TÁR
• The Bubble
• Turning Red
• After Yang (2021)
• Puparia (2020)
• Nuuca (2018)
• A Visual History with Agnès Varda (2017)
• The Rider (2017)
• The Endless (2017)
• The Tracker (2002)
• Beau Travail (1999)*
• Fannie’s Film (1981)
• Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise (1980)
• The Eloquent Peasant (1970)
• I Am Somebody (1970)
• The Color of Pomegranates (1969)*
• Monterey Pop (1968)
• Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (1968)
• Indian Summer (1960)
• The Cry of Jazz (1959)
• O Seasons, O Castles (1958)
• Giant (1956)*
• The Red Shoes (1948)*
• Hot Chocolate (1941)
• Snow-White (1933)
• The Sea of Ravens (1930)
• Phil-for-Short (1919)

* 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die – I’ve now seen 524 of them. As of December 2021, though, the annual books have ended indefinitely.

To close out, here’s an example from the 2×25 project: 25 composers were invited to write a short piece of music. Subsequently, 25 filmmakers were inspired by the music to make a short film. This one is Untitled: