Posted in: Awards/Nominations, Movies | Tagged: air, barbie, best films of 2023, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Godzilla Minus One, past lives, poor things, spider-man: across the spider-verse, Talk To Me, the holdovers, wish

BC's Top Ten Films Of 2023- Jeremy's List: Spider-Verse Tops It All

A tad late, but here is Jeremy's list of top ten films of 2023. Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse was tops of 2023 according to him.

2023 was a strange year for films, not in theaters but outside of it. As the strikes raged and movies underperformed, it felt like making a top-ten list would prove tricky this year. And it was. I enjoyed it more than I didn't this year, though I couldn't help but feel underwhelmed by Oppenheimer, May December, Maestro, and Killers of the Flower Moon. Those films were high on my list of "these are shoe-ins." I didn't even get a chance to see my most anticipated movie this year (The Iron Claw), which is a guarantee to enter this list after the deadline once I actually get to it. For better or worse, this is my list and mine alone. It is in no particular order, except the top film. That one is Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse.

I didn't see in time for this list: The Zone of Interest, The Iron Claw, All Of Us Strangers.

Spider-Verse Is Number One

Godzilla Minus One

One of the best human dramas of the year, the fact that a giant lizard is in it is icing on the cake. Featuring some of the best character work in the storied history of the great kaiju, they figured out a way to get us to root against him and made Godzilla scary again. To think they only spent $15 million on this is mind-boggling.

The Holdovers

This came the closest to dethroning Spider-Verse for me. I waited a long time for Paul Giamatti and Alexander Payne to work together again after Sideways, and then Angus Tully swooped in and stole the whole movie. What a fiery debut for him, holding his own against a titanic performance from Giamatti. A well-told period drama that knocked me right on my ass.

Talk To Me

Speaking of knocking me on my ass, I saw Talk To Me for the first time at an advance screening at SDCC. The directors, Danny and Michael Philippou were sitting directly behind me, nervous as the lights went down. However, they needn't worry about anything as their film went over like gangbusters. This was the horror event of the year, featuring a powerhouse performance by Sophie Wilde and some of the creepiest scenes and gore in a long time.

Wish

If not for Spider-Verse, this would be my top animated film of 2023. Criminally underrated, this was a loving tribute to 100 years of Disney history while telling a classic tale Walt would be proud of. A great villain and performance by Chris Pine, a memorable heroine, and some of the best Disney songs in years, this was a winner that a few years from now better get the recognition it deserved.

Poor Things

Yorgos Lanthimos constantly challenges his viewers, almost daring them to enjoy his work, and Poor Things is no exception. A whacked-out version of the Frankenstein tale, and even that feels like an unfair way to describe it, Emma Stone does some of the best work of her career after also teaming with the director for The Favourite in 2018. Let's hope it is not so long for their next adventure together.

Air

Ben Affleck directed this fantastic drama about how Nike signed Michael Jordan and created the most iconic shoe brand in the world. Matt Damon, Affleck, and Viola Davis are all great, and Affleck found his groove again as a director. Damon's breakdown of celebrity culture in the film's third act may be the most riveting thing I have seen in a theater this year.

Barbie

The biggest bet of the year turned into its biggest blockbuster, as the world finally knows the brilliance of Greta Gerwig. There is no way to watch this movie and not think, "How did Mattel let them make THIS?". Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, try not to cry when the first notes of "What Was I Made For" come on. Try not to fall over laughing during the beach fight/dance-off with the Kens. Also, America Ferrera is superb in this movie. Give her more props, everyone.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

I watched this movie well after it opened and was blown away by it. I could kick myself for missing it in theaters because I bet it played like gangbusters with a crowd. Chris Pine again turned in a fantastic performance, as did Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, and Sophia Lillis. Their chemistry jumped off-screen, and was the best ensemble not in Spider-Verse in 2023. Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley could not have possibly done a better job bringing not only the worlds of the game to life but also the experience of questing and playing the game and the feelings that it brings. Man, do I hope we get another one?

Past Lives

My favorite non-animated film of the year. It was hard not to pick this. Greta Lee and Teo Yoo broke my heart, put it back together, and broke it again multiple times in those 106 minutes. The final scene of Nora walking Hae Sung to his Uber and the devastation she feels when he is gone was my favorite of the year and has stuck with me. I think about it almost every day. Celine Song's debut is a film that has deep meaning to many who have watched it and will deserve every award it may win.

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

There was only one film where I walked out and thought, "That was perfect." Across The Spider-Verse is art; just classifying it as a film does it an injustice. From my review: "One thing that sets these films apart from their live-action counterparts is an amazing sense of self-awareness about who and what Spider-Man is. That is something that those films only scratch the surface on, but the two Spider-Verse films spend the majority of their time on. It also has always set Miles Morales apart from Peter; he is missing that sense of dread and "Parker luck" depression that Peter hangs his hat on. Miles believes in himself to a fault but ultimately strives to be a hero in every sense of the word."

But for me, where Spider-Verse shines is with Gwen. I was firmly in the camp of "Cool costume, dumb character" when discussing her with people. This movie changed my mind in the first ten minutes. I get it now. As I type this, a smile is on my face, and a tear is in my eye. I think about seeing her origin played out in the most gorgeous animated scene ever put on film. People like to say they can do things on the comic page that they cannot in film, which is wrong. I have seen it now. Gwen is now one of my all-time favorite characters. I laughed, cried, grabbed my seat with exhilaration, and it happens every time I watch it. Years from now, these films will be the definitive version of Spider-Man we get on screen, and I cannot wait for the last chapter.

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