It’s the time of the year when we look back at the top movies of 2023, and wonder if this was indeed a lucky year for cinema, despite the (important) delays that the Hollywood strikes caused. For many movie lovers, 2023 will go down in history as the Barbenheimer year and it is hard to dissociate the year’s two biggest releases from each other and the year as a whole. That’s not all though. The best movies of 2023 include more gems as John Wick, Miles Morales, Mario, and the Guardians of the Galaxy gave fans a lot more to cheer and enjoy. So here are the top 10 movies of 2023, and we hope there are a couple of movies in there that you can watch or rewatch during the holidays.
Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan’s latest masterpiece is a biopic on J. Robert Oppenheimer who is considered as the “father of the atomic bomb” and he was portrayed by Cillian Murphy who is known for his work in Peaky Blinders. Nolan’s commitment to impeccable storytelling and a visual spectacle to enjoy in theatres was well on display for Oppenheimer and it was supported by a stellar cast that includes the likes of Robert Downey Jr. and Rami Malek.
Watch Oppenheimer on Amazon Prime Video
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a work of art and continues Miles Morales’ journey as New York’s Spider-Man. The multiversal doors opened up in this movie, and it introduced Spider-society where different variations of Spider-Man resided. The movie’s innovative animation style delivered just as well as an engaging story about Miles’ discovery of what it means to be Spider-Man across the multiverse.
Watch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse on Netflix
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
James Gunn bid farewell to his beloved Guardians of the Galaxy by delivering the final movie of a trilogy, that took years of character development of various characters to their peak for a fitting farewell. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is an epic conclusion and arc completion for Marvel’s misfit group of superheroes including Drax, Mantis, Star-Lord, Groot, and Rocket Racoon.
Watch Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on Disney+ Hotstar
John Wick: Chapter 4
The boogeyman returned once again in 2023 and while the movie’s plot remains largely about John Wick’s attempt to get out of the deadly life, Keanu Reeves’ character’s aura and take on what an ultimate hitman is, does not seem to get old. What made John Wick 4 stand out was its exhilarating action sequences, showcasing that the franchise is nowhere near done with the rich lore and world of John Wick.
Watch John Wick: Chapter 4 on Apple TV+
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Nintendo’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the second-highest-grossing movie of 2023, only behind Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. It is also the first-ever movie based on a video game to surpass the $1 billion mark at the box office, and those statistics reflect just how entertaining the animated movie was. Starring Chris Pratt as Mario, the movie also had Jack Black portraying Bowser and Princess Peach was voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy.
Watch The Super Mario Bros. Movie on JioCinema
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Barbie
Directed by Greta Gerwig, the movie on one of the most iconic toys ever, surpassed all expectations at the box office, given that it was released at the same time as Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Barbie, starring Margot Robbie as the titular character and Ryan Gosling as Ken, portrays Barbie embarking on a self-journey when she finds herself in the real world. The movie touched upon themes such as self-esteem, equality, and existentialism.
Watch Barbie on JioCinema
Killers of the Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese’s latest epic has a stellar cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Brendan Fraser, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, and the legendary actor Robert De Niro. Killers of the Flower Moon is set in the 1920s period in Oklahoma where a series of Osage members have been murdered after oil was found on tribal land.
Watch Killers of the Flower Moon on Apple TV+
Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani
Bollywood came to the party this year as well with Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani which starred Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh. The movie also had the acting prowess of Shabana Azmi and Dharmendra to deliver a fun and entertaining love story full of complications and struggles to overcome. Ranveer Singh played the role of a Punjabi boy whereas Alia portrayed a journalist and the duo fell in love with each other. As is the case traditionally in India, the families did not approve of their love, and the duo decided to live with each other’s parents for three months before marriage.
Watch Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani on Amazon Prime Video
Past Lives
Past Lives is a romantic drama starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro and it depicts the story of two childhood friends and how their relationship went through ups and downs for 24 years. The movie was nominated for five awards at the 81st Golden Globe Awards, showcasing the prowess of director Celine Song and her directorial debut movie.
Watch Past Lives on Apple TV+
12th Fail
12th Fail is a story that looks to showcase the crippling education system of India, coupled with the political and family pressures that influence the career decisions of so many in our country. Starring Vikrant Massey, the movie is based on the non-fiction book by Anurag Pathak about the lives of Manoj Kumar Sharma and Shraddha Joshi Sharma and it is directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The movie shows how Massey’s character in the movie overcomes a plethora of difficulties to become an Indian Police Service officer after failing in 12th grade.
Watch 12th Fail on Disney+ Hotstar
Honorable Mentions
Every year, the movie industry blesses its audience with movies that simply deserve recognition and while we have our top 10 movies above, some gems need to be acknowledged for how brilliant they were such as Wes Anderson’s The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar which offers 40 minutes of Benedict Cumberbatch at his absolute best in a story written by Roald Dahl. Those who like this comedy/adventure movie will also find Netflix’s Kathal a great story about corrupt power and how ridiculous the idea of justice and seeking the truth can be.
Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One was a commercial and critical success this year, and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan was a surprisingly good flick from Bollywood that stars Ananya Pandey.
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