For me, 2023 was the embodiment of the Ferris Bueller quote:

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Yup, that was my year as a husband, father, school teacher, podcaster, editor, and movie critic. The continuing stresses of my work-life balance occasionally morphed into joys where, when the flow was right, chasing movies didn’t matter. Normally, I would regret the blind spots, but this was a year where I didn’t completely.

My wife and I took our two children (ages 10 and 8 at the time) on their very first plane ride for their very first real, out-of-town vacation away from Chicago in June. True to my school teacher’s core, we spent a week in Washington, DC (where I still did “work” and scored a press screening to see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny). One successful family vacation created a second because I’m writing this very column from Houston, Texas visiting family and letting my kids touch their first ocean. The entire month of August pulled me away from the theater after changing teaching jobs and schools quite suddenly after four years at the same place.

Letterboxd says I saw 93 movies released in 2023. 75 made it into written reviews on Every Movie Has a Lesson (and another dozen are waiting in drafts). Those are on top of 45 episodes of the Cinephile Hissy Fit podcast with Will Johnson, guest appearances on other shows and pods, opening a merch store for Every Movie Has a Lesson on Teepublic, getting a refreshed website logo, Tiktok videos, a Netflix trip to Los Angeles for the Critics Choice Association, and my editing and content supervisor duties on the first year of Film Obsessive branching out on its own. For 2024, I’ve been promoted to Editor in Chief on that wonderful site. The duties and “gets” don’t stop and always grow.

Life does move fast, and I chose in 2023 to look around. If what I looked at was a movie, then that was a bonus. Looking back at all my peaks and valleys, I’ll take 75 written reviews and 90+ seen films. Alas, with the changing of calendars, I’m as close as I’m going to get the “10 Best” list I owe you every year. Away we go!

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MY 10 BEST FILMS OF 2023

1. Barbie

2. Origin

3. Black White and the Greys

4. Maestro

5. The Iron Claw

6. The Killer

7. Past Lives

8. Linoleum

9. American Fiction

10. Dreamin’ Wild

I found 2023 to be either a very backloaded year or my scruples are getting tighter. I didn’t see my first five-star film until July (Barbie) and, after that, I didn’t see another until October (Black White and the Greys). In all, I only gave top marks to only six films which, coincidentally, is the same number of 5s I had in 2022. I don’t think I’m getting harder to move or impress because, in my eyes, there’s nothing wrong with 4 stars out of 5. As many of you know, it’s not all “trash” or “masterpieces” with me, two words I refuse to use. There’s a wonderful middle filled with 2-star, 3-star, and 4-star movies where 80+% of movies land and there’s nothing wrong with that.

That said, I didn’t see a better or more complete film this year in craft, performance, and entertainment than Barbie. Honestly, it hasn’t been close either. The volume of artistic creativity used to make that movie is off the charts and amplified the best ensemble cast of the year. As a total work behind-the-scenes and on-camera, Maestro and The Killer from directors Bradley Cooper and David Fincher would be the next best accomplishments where they hit every technical level they can. Sorry, my more high fallutin’ peers, but you can keep Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon.

In between those are the ones that hit the feels. I have yet to write my review of Origin (it’s not out yet as of this publication), but Ava DuVernay continues to move hearts and minds with her features better than most of her peers and contemporaries. The Iron Claw translated its sadness masterfully and impressively. Right there with those with emotional impact and following in the footsteps of Relative from my 10 Best list last year was the micro-budgeted Black White and the Greys, a COVID time capsule movie that needs to be seen by more people. Seek those three out.

After those six 5-star films, the four best 4-star films fill out slots seven through ten. You’ll find Past Lives higher on many lists, but it didn’t end on the same crushing oomph for me that it did others. That movie and American Fiction will be two of the little-movies-that-could this Oscar season, and I’ll be rooting for them to box out the bigger films hogging the consideration clout above them. The last two in my bottom half are two more even-smaller movies that need a little love and attention like Black White and the Greys. If all you know of Jim Gaffigan is his stand-up comedy and you’re brave enough for a quirky drama, find Linoleum on Amazon Prime. If music stirs your heart, Dreamin’ Wild, starring Casey Affleck, Walton Goggins, Beau Bridges, and Chris Messina, is a folksy true story that is wonderfully stout and serene at the same time.

Past my 10 Best and listed below are the next ten and the “honorable mentions” of anything else that got four stars from me on Every Movie Has a Lesson. Like the top list, there’s not a dud in the bunch. Take those high recommendations and enjoy your time!

Poster images: impawards.com