It’s been a rocky year in film. Box Office records have been smashed in both success rates and huge bombing. Disney and Marvel’s star continues to fall, while the Barbenheimer phenomenon made astonishing bank over the summer months. Plenty of films were delayed following the writer and actor strikes, the Indiana Jones franchise fizzled with a whimper, and personal tragedy struck when Mission: Impossible 7 didn’t do as well as I’d have hoped…
In terms of cinematic output, there remains a generous helping of good and bad. I was fairly bored by The Hunger Games prequel, really disliked The Super Mario Movie, Renfield and The Meg 2, and was scarred by MODOK in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania for a solid two months. And as always, there’s a huge amount of films I’ve still not had a chance to see, including Blackberry, Past Lives, Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers and Poor Things. Of course, some of these haven’t had UK releases yet, and some I’ve just not had the opportunity.
Honourable Mentions
However, with all that usual faffing, lets get on with the arbitrary list! Firstly, the honourable mentions for films I thoroughly enjoyed this year:
THE TOP 10
10. The Whale (dir. Darren Aranosky)
Darren Aranofsky delivers another wholly singular film, this time exploring depression, eating disorders and mortality. Brendan Fraser’s stunningly powerful Oscar-Winning performance goes much deeper than the brilliant prosthetic work, and together with Sadie Sink they present an incredibly moving piece of drama
9. Wonka (dir. Paul King)
A bonkers wonkalicious delight from Paul King proving the director of Paddington 2 can deliver quirky sentiment with whatever source material he’s given. Toe-tapping musical numbers and equal amounts of heart and comedy makes for charming festive viewing
8. Oppenheimer (dir. Christopher Nolan)
It’s a little too long, and it’s intentions are sometimes unclear, but Nolan’s biopic is still a shockingly powerful film that forces you to confront the emotions surrounding the birth of the atomic age. Cillian Murphy’s performance is revelatory, and will undoubtedly go down in cinematic history as one of the greats
7. Barbie (dir. Greta Gerwig)
With Greta Gerwig leading behind the camera, and a script co-written with Noah Baumbach, this is unsurprisingly a total delight, and probably the funniest film of this year. Narratively it’s a little weaker, but the empowered message, and fantastic lead cast, make for an incredibly successful feminist film based on the most unlikely subject
6. How to Blow Up A Pipeline (dir. Daniel Goldhaber)
A fantastically tense environmentalist action thriller about eight eco-warriors who decide to take action against the oil industry. Thrillingly shot, well performed and brilliantly scored, it’s an excellent demonstrator of the power of great filmmaking without high budgets.
5. Saltburn (dir. Emerald Fennell)
A gorgeously hypnotic and deliciously black comedy thriller with a stunningly brave central performance from Barry Keoghan. Though it’s sometimes unclear what she was trying to say, Emerald Fennel delivers a confident sophomore film with some beautiful photographed images
4. The Creator (dir. Gareth Edwards)
While it narratively lacks much subtlety or subtext, the visuals of this original sci-fi film are where this film absolutely thrives. With VFX that are as grounded and real as they are expansive and epic, Gareth Edwards once again triumphs as a uniquely original voice in modern sci-fi cinema
3. Rye Lane (dir. Raine Allen-Miller)
With wide-angle lenses and meticulous production design, if Wes Anderson, Terry Gilliam and Spike Lee collaborated on a Brit-Com, this would be it. At just 80 minutes, this 21st Century answer to Before Sunrise is a stunning debut by Raine Allen-Miller; zippy, funny, romantic and brilliantly well directed
2. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (dir. Christopher McQuarrie)
In their greatest mission yet, Cruise and McQuarrie have achieved the impossible: outdoing themselves. Less of a giddy stunt showcase, this seventh outing sports a more mature flowing narrative, while still delivering some of the most breathless action ever put on screen. Though the 6th instalment ‘Fallout’ remains a personal favourite, this franchise’s commitment to action cinema remains unrivalled.
1. Babylon (dir. Damien Chazelle)
Certainly the most controversial and divisive ranking on this list, Babylon remains my favourite film of the year. Despite its 3hr runtime, not once does this audacious film ever outstay its welcome. Exquisitely performed, stunningly shot, amazingly scored – this movie is a filthy odyssey through Hollywood’s debauched past, and I loved every second of it
And there we have it! 2023 has been a funny old year, with nothing really making a huge impact outside of the aforementioned media concoction of Barbenheimer. But here’s hoping a steady stream of good new releases in 2024 should see the film industry continue to regain its strength. We’re getting the delayed Dune 2, Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle, the second Gladiator, the third Paddington, A Quiet Place and Deadpool, the fourth Ghostbusters, the fifth Mad Max, the long-awaited Wicked musical adaptation, as well as a host of exciting sounding original projects, plus UK cinemas will finally get to see the highly intriguing Poor Things. Roll on 2024!
Daniel Robinson: From Reel to Real 