by Abb Jones
The Reelness

2023 was an interesting year for film. There were a lot of really good movies (so many that a lot of our A grade movies ended up on the Honorable Mention list) but not a lot of standouts. One interesting observation – most of the films on our list this year are about women empowerment in some form, making 2023 a year for women in film. Here are The Reelness’ 10 Best Movies of 2023. Click on the titles for full reviews.

#10: A Good Person: A

Actor/writer/director Zach Braff tackles the random cruelty of fate in his drama starring Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman. It has several lump in your throat moments as Pugh’s Allison, rudderless after a life-changing car accident kills her would-have-been inlaws, struggles with grief, loss, guilt and addiction. Freeman is the father of the dead sister-in-law who, as fate would have it, ends up attending the same AA group as Allison.

#9: Fair Play: A

The secret engagement of two analysts at a cutthroat New York hedge fund is tested when one gets promoted over the other, forever changing the power dynamics of their personal relationship. Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton) gives a career-defining performance in this riveting psychological thriller, with an also strong Alden Ehrenreich portraying male insecurity, paranoia and betrayal to the max. That ending – wow.

#8: Palm Trees and Power Lines: A

A lonely 17-year-old Southern California girl starts a relationship with a man twice her age, only to realize that this seemingly exciting answer to her boring life may not be what he initially seems. In her feature film debut, writer/director Jamie Deck deftly captures the slow, subtle intricacies of grooming by sexual predators, with gripping, realistic performances from newcomer Lily McInerny and Jonathan Tucker (Westworld). A chilling ending makes this is a cautionary tale that should be seen by young teens and their parents.

#7: Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.: A

The long-awaited film adaptation of Judy Blume’s classic 1970 coming-of-age novel tells the story of Margaret, an 11-year-old who must navigate new friends, puberty and her religious identity after her family moves from 1970s New York City to suburban New Jersey. Abby Ryder Fortson and Rachel McAdams lead this sweet, charming and insightful love letter to those awkward moments of adolescence and learning to think for oneself.

#6: The Quiet Girl: A

An overcrowded, dysfunctional family struggling to make ends meet in 1981 Ireland sends their shy, neglected nine-year-old daughter to spend the summer with distant relatives mourning the death of their young son. Experiencing parental love and affection for the first time, the quiet and withdrawn Cait finally starts to blossom. The Quiet Girl is a devastating, heartbreaking tale of neglect and abuse, with Catherine Clinch, in her film debut, an absolute wonder. That ending will stay with you forever.

#5: Barbie: A (Best Comedy)

Stereotypical Barbie discovers the highs and lows of living in the real world after an existential crisis in this fantasy/comedy starring Margot Robbie as Mattel’s iconic fashion doll and Ryan Gosling as Ken. Working from a very clever and hilarious screenplay she wrote with her husband, director Greta Gerwig creates a charming, go for broke story that tees up equal doses of silliness, subversive humor and an important message about female empowerment in a male-dominated world.

#4: Sisu: A (Best War/Action)

A former Finnish military commando turned gold prospector goes Rambo on a group of invading Nazi German soldiers trying to steal his gold, in this epic war saga set in the waning days of World War II. It is a gleefully surreal and extremely violent revenge saga, with a group of Finnish female prisoners-of-war proving they are anything but damsels in distress.

#3: Killers of the Flower Moon: A

Director Martin Scorsese tells the true story of Oklahoma’s Osage Indians, whose discovery of oil on their property in the early 1900s made them the richest people on Earth – and the target of unscrupulous white people seeking to take advantage of them. Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro star in this Western crime drama, which spawned the creation of the modern-day FBI.

#2: Being Mary Tyler Moore: A+ (Best Documentary)

The year’s best documentary is an intimate exploration of the life and career of seven-time Emmy award winner Mary Tyler Moore and her groundbreaking portrayal of women in television in the 1960s and 70s. It is a meticulously detailed tapestry of archival footage and previously conducted interviews with Moore and those closest to her – a fascinating time capsule of Moore’s life that will make you feel like you really know her.

#1: Saltburn: A+

Treachery is the name of the game when a freshman on scholarship to Oxford befriends a wealthy classmate and joins him at his eccentric family’s sprawling estate for the summer. Emerald Fennell’s satirical class war takedown of decadent privilege has loads of shocking moments from her star, a disturbingly good Barry Keoghan. The finale is jaw droppingly savage.

Honorable Mentions:

Anatomy of a Fall: A
The Holdovers: A
The Starling Girl: A
Judy Blume Forever: A
Past Lives: A
The Little Mermaid: A
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1: A