Looking back years from now, I think 2023 will be remembered similarly to how people remember 2007 and 2019. It was an incredible year for cinema, and it was therefore incredibly hard to cut this list down to only ten (with one honorable mention). Some of the films that almost made it onto the list, but came up just short, include All of Us Strangers, Fallen Leaves, The Promised Land, Infinity Pool, and La Chimera. It’s wild to think that even though I really loved Barbie, it wouldn’t even have found its way into a top twenty for the year — that’s how good of a year for film 2023 was.
F.A.Q.
- Why isn’t this or that movie on the list?
– Well, you know, either I just didn’t like it as much as you did, or I just haven’t seen it yet. You can’t see everything, and, unfortunately, every movie isn’t released at the same time everywhere.
Honorable Mention — The Killer — Dir. David Fincher
“Although David Fincher’s The Killer is not likely to be one of his most iconic efforts due to the generic nature of the premises, it is a thrilling piece of filmmaking that emphasizes that Fincher has his finger on the pulse and that he is still one of the world’s finest filmmakers. I don’t know that I can call it a top-tier David Fincher film on first viewing, but this is only because his filmography is so packed with greatness. Because, frankly, for most filmmakers, The Killer would be their greatest film, whereas for Fincher it is likely to be considered by most as merely a lightweight genre exercise. But make no mistake, this ‘genre exercise’ is faultlessly executed with a fine-tuned central performance, a memorable (and sometimes surprisingly funny) narration, outstanding sound design, instantly iconic use of music, as well as top-notch, seamlessly excellent filmmaking. I ate it all up and can see myself fall even more in love with it on subsequent viewings, but I can also understand if its ending won’t be enough for some.”
– Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen, from my review of The Killer.
#10 — Red Rooms — Dir. Pascal Plante
“What is also quite effective is the film’s big scare. In a scene where Gariépy’s character dresses up, another character stares directly into the camera. Now, that doesn’t sound particularly unsettling, but the way it is executed is downright goosebump-inducing. Here the film’s score, which often has these drums and electric guitar noises, is blended with a terrifying shriek as the music kicks into overdrive. Gariépy’s reaction is also just so revealing here. It is one of the best and scariest moments of any film from 2023. This is where the film peaks, but it is not a one-trick pony. Rather, Pascal Plante’s Red Rooms is one of the most unsettling thrillers I’ve seen in quite some time.”
– Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen, from my review of Red Rooms.
#9 — Anatomy of a Fall — Dir. Justine Triet
“Justine Triet’s expertly written Anatomy of a Fall works with language to great effect as it showcases what language means to relationships, systems of power, and legal processes. Here is a film that is uniquely interested in intercultural communication and the pitfalls of engaging in intercultural encounters. It is a story that stresses authorial intentionality and interpretation thereof, but also how best to present oneself in France as a German, and through it all language is the key aspect — language as a barrier, an affront, a middle ground, and as a means to plead your case no matter what the system prefers.”
– Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen, from my review of Anatomy of a Fall.
#8 — Sanctuary — Dir. Zachary Wigon
“In addition to being visually inventive despite its single-location setting, it’s also just a, to me, wildly entertaining film that constantly shifts between dark comedy and thriller elements, while, at the same time, feeling like a psychosexual blend of Inception, Succession, and a modern rom-com. It’s funny, oddly sweet in moments, freaky, occasionally sexy, and absolutely thrilling — the runtime flew by, for me.”
– Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen, from my review of Sanctuary.
#7 — John Wick: Chapter 4 — Dir. Chad Stahelski
“Chad Stahelski’s John Wick: Chapter 4 is, admittedly, quite long and overwhelming, but, throughout the runtime, the film’s direction, writing, stunt work, and acting keep on building and building until they’ve raised the bar to such a height that the film stands tall as one of the best and most intoxicating action films in recent memory. This operatic action epic feels both like a greatest hits flick and a successful attempt to crank it all up to eleven in the best way possible.”
– Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen, from my review of John Wick: Chapter 4.
#6 — Asteroid City — Dir. Wes Anderson
“Asteroid City snuck up on me. I expected it to be as stylized, charming, and witty as it is. But what I really warmed to about this multilayered Wes Anderson film was how it surprisingly carried this undercurrent of emotional heft to its themes. Only a select few Anderson films have managed to sweep me away on first viewing like Asteroid City has, and I suspect that my feelings about it will only become stronger with subsequent viewings as I become more informed on its depth. I found it to be an intensely rich film about grief, loss, and the meaning of life from the perspective of someone who may tend to look at life through the perspective of cinematic languages and structures, and this aspect of its metalanguage really spoke to me.”
– Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen, from my review of Asteroid City.
#5 — Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse — Dir. Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, and Joaquim dos Santos
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is as visually breathtaking as the first film and arguably even more impressive in its inventiveness and attention to detail in animation style and blending of these styles. Every frame of the film is full of love for the medium, the characters, and the universe. Simultaneously, these storytellers have told a story about daring to not stick to the formula at a moment in time when superhero films need this kind of talking-to. “
– Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen, from my review of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
#4 — Poor Things — Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos
“A near-masterpiece that I suspect will only grow to become even more admired as we look back on it, Poor Things is Yorgos Lanthimos at his very best. Its surreal style, its slightly uneven pacing, and its graphic nudity will steer some people away from this experience, which is a terrible shame because this effort features one of the bravest and best performances from a leading lady this century, a unique score from Jerskin Fendrix that takes you on an otherworldly journey, production and costume designing that tells a magical story, and a narrative all about the female experience and male possessiveness. It’s brilliant. “
– Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen, from my review of Poor Things.
#3 — The Zone of Interest — Dir. Jonathan Glazer
“A disturbing vortex of darkness obscured by mundanity, it is an impressive, masterful, and powerful piece of art filmmaking”
– Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen, from my review of Poor Things.
#2 — Killers of the Flower Moon — Dir. Martin Scorsese
“This neo-western is a piece of historical filmmaking that is fully aware of the sickness of 20th-century America and the film’s place in the immortalization of this very real American tragedy. With Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese asks us to interrogate our understanding of American history and those who are allowed to tell it with a film that is as sharply made, reflective, and concerned with morality as the ones he made his name with to begin with.”
– Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen, from my review of Killers of the Flower Moon.
#1 — Oppenheimer — Dir. Christopher Nolan
“One of the best films of Nolan’s career, it both emphasizes the toxicity at the core of the Red Scare and speaks to how the nuclear anxiety of the 20th century still resonates to this day. Some genies cannot be returned to the bottles from which they came. J. Robert Oppenheimer knew that and so does Christopher Nolan’s outrageously ambitious and bold biopic. Nolan smartly steers clear of hagiography by focusing on naivete, guilt, consequences, and the disturbing but clear-eyed self-reproach inherent in the quote that Oppenheimer is often partly remembered for.”
– Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen, from my review of Oppenheimer.
– Article and reviews written by Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen.
I'm Jeffrey Rex 