In 2023, Hollywood had a rough ride, especially in the second half of the year due to the impact of the 118-day SAG-AFTRA members strike, which is expected to significantly affect the film landscape for the next two years. The year also witnessed major setbacks in big-budget movies, notably big-budget superhero flicks like Ant-Man Quantaminia, The Flash, The Marvels, and the recent release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and even established franchises like Fast X, Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1, and Indiana Jones and the Dail of Time struggled at the box office. While some attribute this decline to franchise or superhero fatigue, I believe Hollywood might have taken its audience for granted.
Yorgos Lanthimos as the director, and the biggest standout is its cinematography. Despite a scattered storyline, it remains a distinctly unique movie. The casting is outstanding, but I wouldn't recommend watching it with children.
The Killer
David Fincher's work brought one of the best comic book movies of the year. It features an exceptional fight scene and, while some might find it slow, delves deeply into the mind of a killer, leading viewers on a thought-provoking journey.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese directed this 3-hour epic, a stark reminder of people's greed and cruelty inspired by money.
Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part I
Hayley Atwell's portrayal of Grace is a fantastic addition. Despite falling short of expectations, the 7th Mission Impossible instalment proves to be among the year's top spy espionage movies. It's thrilling and confirms Tom Cruise's enduring status as an action star.
Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan directs this star-studded movie on the father of the atomic bomb. For cinema enthusiasts, it's a celebration of exceptional cinematography, sound design, and performances.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Directed by James Gunn for Marvel Studios, this film humanizes a previously self-centred character who just happen to be a racoon. It potentially introduces one of the best cinematic comic book antagonists the high evolutionary played by Chukwudi Iwuji.
Godzilla Minus One
This Japanese production revisits World War II, portraying Godzilla solely as a destructive force. The weight of its consequences is amplified by well-developed characters. Not forgetting the best atomic breath we have seen.
Blackberry
Once a major phone brand, this movie effectively chronicles the tech company's rise and fall. Surprisingly funny, with standout performances by Glenn Howerton.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
A sequel to the underrated animation Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse from 2018. This film enhances its art style and emotional arcs, marking a significant improvement.
They Cloned Tyrone
Though its sci-fi premise is familiar, the film distinguishes itself through direction, performances, cinematography, and a unique storytelling approach.
John Wick: Chapter 4
To be straightforward, this is the year's best action movie and one of the finest in a long time. It's an experience that truly cements its status as a masterpiece and a compelling conclusion for the John Wick character.
Honorable Mentions
The Creator
While lacking groundbreaking storytelling, this movie's strength lies in Gareth Edwards' creation of a visually stunning sci-fi world with innovative ideas, despite a smaller budget.
The Creator. PHOTO | POOL
Avatar Way of Water
James Cameron's sequel offers an exceptional cinematic experience, pushing visual effects boundaries.
Sisu
Originally from 2022 but released in theatres in 2023, this movie is basically John Wick in the Second World War.
Barbie
Though overhyped, it is the most profitable movie of the year due to a strong marketing campaign and fantastic leading actors. It showcases good cinematography but falls short when it comes to the script and screenplay.
Barbie. PHOTO | POOL
Extraction 2
A sequel that builds upon the strengths of its predecessor.
2023 Worst movies
Knights of the Zodiac
Watching this movie on the big screen turned out to be a major disappointment for the year. It felt more like a B movie, a movie that should go straight to streaming.
While there were some intriguing ideas with the villain and the cast, the attempt to overreach resulted in its collapse. Visual effects, in parts, were passable, but overall, they were disappointing, giving the impression of a green screen-dominated film.
Fool’s Paradise
A satire exploring Hollywood's absurdity, boasting decent cinematography and performances. However, its downfall was an uninspired script. Despite being a star-studded film and despite my fondness for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, this comedy failed to elicit laughter or even a smile during its watch.
Meg 2: The Trench
While the first movie succeeded with a simple concept—giant sea creatures versus Jason Statham—this sequel faltered by emphasising human characters and delivering subpar visual effects, tarnishing the overall experience.
Despite the direction of the renowned director of Taken and From Paris with Love, starring John Cena and Christian Slater, this movie turned out to be disappointingly bad. Marketed as an action comedy, the uninspired action sequences and performances made it a dull and generic experience, although it did have a really good opening title sequence.
The Mother
A Netflix original action thriller starring Jennifer Lopez, where her star power appears to be the only strong aspect. Weak scripting and surprisingly poor CGI, despite the "okay" cinematography, poor performances marred the film.
The Mother. PHOTO | POOL
EExpendables 4
The fourth and final instalment felt like an attempt to exploit a dying franchise. Jason Statham's efforts weren't enough to save a story that felt like a mere shadow of its former self, with perplexing moments leaving viewers questioning the director's decisions.
Ant-Man: Quantumania
An example of attempting too much at once. While the concept was exciting, the movie struggled with an excessive number of characters, a basic Marvel formula, and an unsatisfactory introduction to the supposed marvel next "big bad".
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey
A misguided attempt at turning beloved kids' characters into a horror movie, executed poorly. I mean everything about this movie is terrible although like Barbie it actually made a profit and it will unfortunately have a sequel.
Ghosted
Featuring Chris Evans and Ana De Armas, this Apple TV movie turned out to be tedious, despite cameos from favourite Marvel actors. It was challenging to watch due to an underdeveloped and lazy screenplay, lacking chemistry between the main leads, giving the impression of being scripted by AI.
Heart of Stone
Despite having the ingredients for a great movie, this turned out to be a disappointment. Even with the involvement of producers from Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, Gal Gadot as the lead, and a substantial Netflix budget, it resulted in a generic and boring action spy thriller.
Dishonorable Mentions
Hypnotic
Starring Ben Affleck, this movie attempted to blend elements from X-Men and Inception. An intriguing plot suffered due to trying to encompass too many themes. The editing and reliance on exposition detracted from the overall experience.
