Top 10 Bestest Films of 2023
a review by Evan Landon
Welp. Everyone else is doing a Top 10 Films of 2023 and we all know I'm not strong enough to stand up against the trends, so here we are. I would say “again”, but I don't think I've ever done one officially. Strange to start one this year, but maybe that means the inaugural annual Top 10 films of said year will be the bestest. Maybe I will just call it that.
Before I jump in head first without a paddle, I'll just my own personal guidelines and rules for myself from this point on: I will NOT be grading any movies that I have not seen, nor will I be ranking any big budget movies (which shouldn't be hard because all of them sucked) because a) I probably didn't see them, & b) they don't need any more help.
Here are my Top 10 Bestest Films of 2023:
10) EVIL DEAD RISE – This one I struggled with, but only because I thought it would be a lot higher in the list. In most cases, any prequel, sequel, reboot, or spinoff of any kind would render me uneasy. After watching “The Hole In The Ground” by Irish writer/director Lee Cronin when that came out, I was definitely looking forward to what he would do next. Obviously, the writing comes off nothing more than fan-fiction, but what really salvages this for me is how original of a script and special effects they were able to turn out with their hands already tied. Going up against a budget of $19 million and recouping $146 million world wide, I doubt this will be that last we see of this wonderful franchise.
9) THE IRON CLAW – Thinking about the entire trails and tribulations that surrounded the Von Erichs, I have no idea the frenzy that they endured. I am an admitted professional 'rasslin fan and dear god, this story is hard to take in. I won't go too far into it, but this true life tale is difficult to even read much less depicted in a tasteful manner, but for whatevs reason writer/director Sean Durkin is able to translate it to the screen. The physical aspects of the phenomenal work all four playing the brothers do is truly an accomplishment in itself. Maybe drug test those guys.
8) THE HOLDOVERS – Alexander Payne has really come a long way. By that, I mean he has truly encapsulated what he set out to do in his earlier films, such as “About Schmidt”, “Sideways”, and “The Descendants” to name a few. Teaming up again with Paul Giamatti, this movie will definitely be considered an overlooked Christmas classic in the coming years. With superhero and rage-bait movies contemporizing the cinematic forefront these days, why couldn't this become the new “Harold & Maude” or “Dead Poets Society” that is often spoken to in reverence decades later? What, did you think this whole list was going to be horror movies?! For shame.
7) THE KILLER – Gone are the days of when people would rather see a David Fincher film in the theater, but no one really had a chance with this diamond in the rough as it was instantly shelved into streaming. The writer/director/producer has been noted for many stalwarts that are universally adored, such as “Se7en”, “The Game”, and “Fight Club” to name a quick few. I would say this movie is up there in consideration for some of his bestest works with a very affable Michael Fassbender playing the titular character and narrator. Netflix is becoming good at making some pretty awesome movies. Not all of them, but some.
6) THANKSGIVING – Let's just say that I've had a very laborious relationship with Eli Roth movies; i.e., “Hostel”, “The Green Inferno”, and “Knock Knock”, but I think he has really turned a page into what he is as a filmmaker with just having fun with the entirety of the concepts he creates. I mean, the idea came from a make believe trailer he made for the Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez hybrid they affectionately called “Grindhouse” to float between “Death Proof” and “Planet Terror” (to which the former, I absolutely adore). Finally finding his stride between nostalgia, contemporary gore, and dark comedy has truly benefited the book of Eli.
5) SALTBURN – I truly wanted to put this one in the Top 5, so there it is. The story is fantastic, the acting is definitely on par, and it could quite possibly define a new era of movies just like this. I wouldn't say that is the problem though; it almost seems like this movie loses itself within the first two acts to go for bold, reprehensible shock instead of the character study that it tries so hard to deliver, yet falls short. Emeral Fennell may be a blossoming new filmmaker to keep an eye on after scoring really big with her first film, “Promising Young Woman” which I absolutely loved. You know I love substance above garnish, but when you look at the actors that are only defined in shallow morals, there really is nothing to grasp onto. Maybe that's its point.
4) TALK TO ME – Where do these YouTubers get off making movies this damn good?! It was probably filmed on an iPhone through on Instagram filter, but you would never notice because the cinematography is almost flawless. What I was really impressed with was the acting, the story, and the overall execution of such a simple premise that usually misses the mark, but this was fantastic and deserves all the recognition it has received.
3) INFINITY POOL – Coming into 2023, I really thought this would be the bestest movie of the entire year. I was just a little off because I was not aware of the next two, but this horny little body horror gem from Brandon Cronenberg (son of David) delivered on all fronts for me. Pun definitely intended there. When the gore, effects, acting, and story are hitting on all cylanders at the same time, it takes a certain kind of magic that cannot be taught. Mia Goth continues to spellbind me with every performance and Alexander Skarsgard has absolutely no ceiling as an actor. Movies like this are not celebrated as much as they should be.
2) POOR THINGS – Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos really knocked this shit out of the park, in my humble opinion. I don't usually listen to people when they try to sell me on some international indie darling, but holy hell did this one blindside me! I loved his two other movies before this one for the same reasons, “The Lobster” and “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” which is why I am not at all surprised that this one was equally as good, if not better. Emma Stone turns in a fantastic performance, as does Willem Dafoe who plays up the Dr. Frankenstein part with warmth, complexity, and vulnerability that only he can. Mark Ruffalo is also good, but I've never been much of a fan. Maybe he found a despicable character that almost seems tailor-made for his staunch ability to not act, yet still get roles. The whole world is wildly reminiscent of Terry Gilliam and that is no knock against any filmmaker in any sense.
1) WHEN EVIL LURKS – What else could it possibly be? When our Monster Fam (yes, it is called that) wound up playing this Argentinian supernatural/psychological body horror over Discord in complete reverence, I had no idea what to expect. What followed was being immediately transported to a world of demons that are so frequent, it seems like an entire country is aware of them and even have laws on how to dispose of them. The Winchesters would have a had a field day, but the problem for everyone in this universe is that The Winchesters aren't around to take care of it the right way. What ensues is a scramble to not only contain an enemy that you cannot see, but can become anyone at any point. Every single scene in this movie is damn good, I could probably rewatch it in my head every single day of the week. Demián Rugna does a fantastic job of bringing all of this together almost seamlessly without skimping on the character development that truly sells the most macabre parts. I didn't see it in English, so if you hate subtitles, I don't think it even matters because of how visceral it is. So good, I knew up until the very end that this was my absolute favorite.