In ringing in the new year, the time has once again come for MXDWN to assemble its own list of favorite films for the past year. Many of our writers have participated and given their insightful thoughts as to why these films were worthy enough to be acknowledged and celebrated.
10. Elemental
Pixar’s latest film has truly become a valuable addition to its canon and the animation industry in general. Besides once again tugging its audience’s heartstrings, it has become one of the recent animated films in years to focus on romance. Additionally, it is one of the first animated films, and films in general, to explicitly delve into the complexities of immigration and the impacts it has on second-generation individuals without resorting to violence or the ‘othering’ of its characters. The film is highly American in its themes.
While many people initially discredited the film due to the medium and its seemingly cliché characters, early audiences were quick to praise the film and draw in more moviegoers. Quickly, the film garnered respect for its creative worldbuilding, charming and realistic characters, and compelling love story.
By: Nathalia Barajas
9. Saltburn
Emerald Fennel’s sophomoric film proves she can practically graduate. This horny psychological thriller will shock you with more than just glitter and sex, but deviance in the best ways. “It feels so good being bad” is the motto for Saltburn, you will never stop thinking about this film once you see it. Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan give their best performance to date! You will not be able to look away. Following suit of Barbie, Saltburn keeps its fun and wants you to enjoy squirming in your seat. Fennel took risks in being daringly authentic, which should prove it as an obvious, wicked favorite of the year.
By: Kylee LaRue
MXDWN’s Review
8. The Holdovers
Emotionally speaking, the most viscerally raw film of the year. Realistic nuanced characters drive a human story, with a great trio of headliners pushing it to the limit. There’s an aspect of the story that anyone can cling to, and by the end, not only does the movie feel it has properly justified itself, but it left me feeling seen and understood in a way a movie rarely does.
By: Raymond Adams
7. Killers of Flower Moon
In a year filled with films about the evil things humans are capable of, while keeping up cheery appearances (The Zone of Interest, Oppenheimer, May December, etc.), Killers of the Flower Moon may be the one with the most guilt in its soul: an almost three and half hour crime epic depicting the murders of the Osage people, and our eyes into the story belong to one of the perpetrators. Scorsese didn’t do that to garner sympathy for Leonardo Dicaprio’s Ernest Burkhart- he’s saying we are him. Humans are, by nature, well-intentioned, but so easily corruptable by capitalist greed.
By: Dempson Juvenal
MXDWN’s Review
6. Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer is one of those films where “larger than life” and “cinematic feat” go hand-in-hand. It’s a historical retelling with the highest level of craftsmanship with a veteran production crew and a slew of A-list actors. Nolan made one of the biggest box office achievements of the year and contributed to one-half of the Barbenheimer frenzy. Although this may not be a film that you watch for a feel-good movie night, it is a masterclass in technical production. Oppenheimer brought audiences to theaters more than ever before, and that itself deserves a nod.
By: Kylee LaRue
MXDWN’s Review
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. © 2023 MARVEL.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
When I saw the first Guardians in 2014, I didn’t expect to fall in love with the characters. But seeing them grow and change over the years, both as individuals and as a family, was an absolute pleasure. In a time when the MCU has been foundering, Guardians 3 was a breath of fresh air. Gunn’s steady hand directing led to a masterful film, with all the emotion you’d come to expect from a Guardians film. Not to mention, I’m a sucker for a happy ending, and this one gave each character that deserved it a happy ending. The conclusion to a story I’ve been watching for nearly a decade, and it made me happier than I can ever be capable of putting into words.
By Raymond Adams
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the perfect swan song for James Gunn’s tenure at Marvel Studios, and as of press time, the last great MCU movie since Avengers: Endgame. Gunn, now in charge of the DCEU at Warner Bros., had long stated this was his planned finale for Star-Lord and his madcap group of Guardians. Guardians 3 reveals Bradley Cooper’s Rocket Racoon to be the tortured and ingenious soul of the story. Chukwudi Iwuji absolutely kills in his performance as the malevolent The High Evolutionary, far out-pacing Marvel’s choice as the next big bad for their shared cinematic universe in terms of acting prowess, Jonathan Majors, who was playing Kang the Conqueror until his recent firing. Most importantly, it is a true finale for this part of the story. Each character arc is completed and many characters are shown to be moving on in appropriate ways. It’s the story that makes this superhero movie such a success.
By: Raymond Flotat
MXDWN’s Review
4. Godzilla: Minus One
Of the nearly 40 Godzilla films that there’s been over 70 years, each one brings something different to the table. But in the years since the original, none have reinvented the formula while sticking to tradition quite like Godzilla Minus One. Godzilla’s roots have always been founded upon the human condition, but none have been able to explore an individual like this one. A Japanese soldier who fled his duty in World War II comes back to a world where he has nothing, not even a drive to live. And just when he finds something to live for again, Godzilla shows up to threaten it all. Not only does it become a fight against Godzilla, it’s against the demons of the war that left Japan in shambles, and it becomes a battle for the soldiers’ own redemption. Every aspect of the film is impeccably played out, right down to the smallest bits of set design. It manages to stay respectful of the tone of not only the characters but also of the events it depicts while also giving a new perspective on the story that would surprise any die-hard fan. Monstrously amazing, more than deserving of its praise, and undoubtedly the best the series has offered since the original masterpiece.
By: Raymond Adams
Minus One may just be the finest Godzilla movie made since the original in 1954. The lumbering lizard with an unforgettable voice has been misused in cinema far more than ever correctly represented, and this includes the recent slate of movies melding him with King Kong featuring Hollywood A-listers. This one is the brainchild of Takashi Yamazaki who wrote the script, directed, and led all of the visual effects for the movie. At its core, is the tortured soul of a population forced into a war they didn’t want and the post-traumatic stress that came with what they were asked to do. It’s the moments where the lead character Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) is struggling with whether he deserves a life with his newfound family or not that make this movie so compelling. It’s the family drama, not the reckless carnage. When Godzilla does arrive, it is as it should be. He’s not depicted heroically in any way. He’s a terrifying force of nature and a villain you’re happy to root against.
By: Raymond Flotat
Look, I’ve tried to convince myself this could not be true. But Godzilla Minus One is the movie of the year. It completely blows every other blockbuster out of the water. From the powerful acting performances, the stellar effects, and the extremely gripping plots, this is hands down one of the best films to feature the character Godzilla. This film grips you with its use of tension and fear as to how much damage Godzilla can possibly unleash onto Japan, and we get to grow close with the people who are suffering from this destruction. Additionally, the lead character’s arc of coming to terms with his PTSD from WWII hit me in my gut, and seeing him and the rest of the veterans in this film coming together to teach each other to keep living is beautiful. Hard to beat this one, Godzilla is one of cinema’s most important icons of all time.
By: Austin Waybright
MXDWN’s Review
3. Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos has always had a steely demeanor towards his films. Most of them are comedies that feature characters playing absurd situations completely straight. Poor Things feels like the first time he’s had capital c “Characters” at his disposal. Mark Ruffalo’s agonized fop is honestly one of the funniest performances from an actor this year. Emma Stone is a marvel to watch as her character faces the most relatable absurdity of all: how to be a person.
By: Dempson Juvenal
Poor Things took everything in Barbie and Saltburn and went the extra mile. Yorgos Lanthimos made the best picture of the year, and I say that with confidence. There is rarely a film that can capture so much with the amount of nuances that Poor Things does. Emma Stone has given the best performance of the year and she made it look so easy. Lanthimos’ film is hilarious, heartwarming, and breathtaking. The journey of womanhood is tumultuous and empowering and Poor Things shows that unapologetically. The production value is unmatched by anything in theaters; the world is weird and colorful, and it looks like Willy Wonka would just die for it. I believe this is the most cohesive and entertaining film of the year as it hits every note with a proud vibrato. For Yorgos Lanthimos created a world that is nothing but our oyster.
By: Kylee LaRue
2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Given the success of the first installment of the franchise, only excitement and anticipation awaited this sequel, and while some films might have crumbled under all these expectations, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse only excelled to new heights. Beyond introducing developed and enjoyable new characters like Miguel O’Hara, Hobbie Brown, Jessica Drew, and Pavitr Prabhakar, the film never loses its focus on Miles Morales’ coming-of-age story as Spider-Man. Building off the first film, Miles is now a confident superhero, but he now shares the burdens that so many spider-people endure: loneliness and sacrifice. As a parallel, the film also delves into Gwen’s relationship with her father and how that has impacted her journey, which allows the audience to see the varying consequences that follow Spider-Man, but it also provides hope for Miles’ story in showing that those consequences are not always negative.
The Spider-Verse franchise can arguably be responsible for a revival of experimentation in the American animation industry. Following the initial film, more studious, including animation royalty such as Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, have attempted to push boundaries in their feature-length films. While mainstream companies might have gotten their fame and begun by taking such risks (Snow White, Fantasia, Toy Story, etc.), they have begun to “play it safe” throughout the years since there would be more to lose if a film were to be labeled a failure. Due to this, Spider-Verse was a breath of fresh air and continues to push animation boundaries.
By: Nathalia Barajas
The innovative animation style used in these films is brilliant. It always keeps me on my toes. It complements the narrative extremely well, to the point where it’s another kind of character in the film. The plot was very engaging and interesting to me as well.
By: Nicole Dwyer
1. Barbie
Sarah Greenwood’s Production Design of Barbieland will go down in cinematic history amongst the generational greatest. Reminiscent of historical cinematic moments when viewers witnessed the Art Direction of Otto Hunte, Erich Kettelhut, and Karl Vollbrecht in Fritz Lang’s epic Metropolis.
Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie took the story of Mattel’s greatest achievement and adapted it into something special: from elevating both Barbie and Ken into the real world to a powerful monologue spoken by America Ferrera. From the Barbenheimer phenomenon to the power behind an emotionally charged moment between characters played by Margot Robbie and Rhea Perlman, Barbie is more than an adaptation, it is an experience. An achievement that the viewer takes with them from the theater as they ponder the experience.
By: Thomas Hughes
Barbie is my top film of the year because it had a major impact on the world cinematically and culturally. The film was hilarious, touching, and beautifully done. The set design, performances, and soundtrack were stellar. This film made a lot of women feel seen and heard in a way that has never been done before, and that is why it is my favorite movie of the year.
By: Nicole Dwyer
Barbie set the standard for how a film should be made with a global message: “Don’t take anything too seriously,” and “Don’t forget to have fun!” From the Barbenheimer internet craze to the amount of detail and production value in every aspect, there was no way this film could fail. Greta Gerwig makes history with this film and shows studios that women can make Billion-Dollar films. Barbie is the one film of the year I know I can watch a hundred times and still laugh and cry. Gerwig’s masterpiece will live on, and I cannot wait to see what studios will let her do next.
By: Kylee LaRue
Little needs to be said about Barbie that hasn’t already been. The juggernaut success of the film demonstrated powerfully an underrepresentation of female voices in not just cinema, but the artist in general. While its success was certainly propelled further by the star power of its two stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, the movie is excellent behind Gerwig’s nonstop comedic social commentary. It’s generally funny all the way through and pulls no punches as it examines the social constructs that women have endured for generations.
By: Raymond Flotat
MXDWN’s Review
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