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: