808 lines about 404 movies (Part 2)

Finishing up my countdown of the best movies of 2023

First off, my apologies for being a day later with this, and for no newsletter yesterday This took longer than I expected! There will be a second post later today.

As I stated earlier this week, when I was cramming my movie-watching to prepare for the PFCC and CCA awards voting deadlines, I realized I was coming up on 400 movies watched for the year. So I thought it might be fun to rank them all, from worst to best. I ended up with a bit over 400 since I got in a couple of extra ones last week. (See part 1 of this, published yesterday.) 

Once again, this list includes 2023 movies that I saw in 2023, as well as movies I saw in prior years (mostly at festivals) that were released in 2023, as well as movies I saw in 2023 (again, mostly at festivals) that will be released at some point in the future, most with undetermined release dates. Also, this is not my final list for the year, as I will likely view a dozen or two more movies between now and December 31. If you’re interested in following that ranking, see my running Letterboxd list (or better yet, follow me on Letterboxd.)

Also, the listed streaming homes are where they currently are, as of this writing in December 2023, and are subject to change. And “streaming on VOD,” unless otherwise noted, means the film is available to rent from Amazon, Apple, and other major video-on-demand providers, for $3.99, give or take a buck. 

Here we go: 

201. Destination NBA: A G League Odyssey

Dir. Liam Hughes and Bryant Robinson, streaming on Prime Video, subject interview here 

A behind-the-scenes look at a few players from the NBA’s minor league, the G League, including Ryan Turell, who is trying to become the NBA’s first Orthodox Jew. Compelling, but some of the subjects are more interesting than others. 

200. Television Event 

Dir. Jeff Daniels, streaming on VOD 

Interesting documentary about the TV movie The Day After, and how it scared people about nuclear war. The director, by the way, is NOT Jeff Daniels the actor, as he informed me himself on social media. 

199. Fanny: The Right to Rock 

Dir. Bobbi Jo Hart, streaming on Hoopla and Kanopy 

The rockin’ story of the 1970s all-female rock band Fanny. The better of two documentaries this year about under-appreciated female music figures of the past named “Fanny.” 

198. Nathan-ism 

Dir. Elan Gold, not streaming, review here 

The story of a man in his ‘90s who once guarded war criminals during the Nuremberg trials, and now produces drawings about his life experiences. Also takes a brief detour into wondering whether the stories are true. 

197. Black Ice 

Dir. Hubert Davis, streaming on Hulu, review here 

Documentary about the Coloured Hockey League, a sort of Negro Leagues for hockey, and the issue of racial prejudice in hockey more broadly. Does not deal at all with Don Cherry, as that might have required the film to be twice as long. 

196. Anthem 

Dir. Peter Nicks, streaming on Hulu 

Documentary about the theoretical quest to create a new national anthem. The idea of traveling the country to explore musical influences is better executed than the music itself. 

195. Let the Canary Sing 

Dir. Alison Ellwood, not streaming, review here

A career-spanning documentary about Cyndi Lauper, covering everything from her 1980s heyday to her recent work as a Broadway composer. Successfully explores how Lauper was able to successfully write musical theater music when so many pop stars have failed at that. 

194. Tetris 

Dir. Jon S. Baird, streaming on Apple TV+, review here

Another of the spring 2023 wave of movies about products and corporations, and not the best one. Some fun geopolitical intrigue, but I’m not sure why the hero is the marketer and not the inventor. 

193. Sharper 

Dir. Benjamin Caron, streaming on Apple TV+, review here

A stylish con-artist thriller, and one of those movies in which there’s a massive plot twist every ten minutes. The second-best 2023 movie in which Julianne Moore plays a master manipulator. 

192. Orlando: My Political Biography 

Dir. Paul B. Preciado, not streaming 

An experimental documentary riff on Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, acted out by a group of trans people. Decent, but 2020’s No Ordinary Man, about Billy Tipton, was a better execution of a similar idea. 

191. The Marvels 

Dir. Nia DaCosta, not streaming, review here. 

Notorious as the first big flop in MCU history, it’s middling and inoffensive, but also entertaining in some parts. In no way deserving of the vitriol. 

190. That Peter Crouch Film 

Dir. Benjamin Hirsch, streaming on Prime Video 

Enjoyable if conventional documentary about retired English soccer star Peter Crouch, who played for a time with my beloved Tottenham Hotspur. Ted Lasso might not have been realistic, but its implications about decency in English soccer live on in Crouch. 

189. Boom! Boom! The World Vs. Boris Becker 

Dir. Alex Gibney, streaming on Apple TV+

Comprehensive documentary about the 1980s tennis star, covering everything from his tournament wins to his scandals to his imprisonment on tax charges. There’s something about tennis that seems to lend itself to outstanding documentaries. 

188. Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate

Dir. Benjamin Cantu, streaming on Netflix.

Chilling documentary exploring queer life in Germany before the rise of the Nazis, focused on a queer-friendly nightclub in 1920s Berlin. Like the third act of Cabaret, as a doc. 

187. Enys Men 

Dir. Mark Jenkins, streaming on Hulu 

Weird, stylish, experimental horror movie, about a woman researching an English island in the 1970s. Great style, but kind of hard to find a way in. 

186. Mama Bears 

Dir. Daresha Kyi, not streaming, review here 

Wonderful documentary about mothers from rural and conservative parts of the country, who stand strongly behind their LGBTQ children. Inspiring stuff, really putting a human face on the result of exceptionally cruel legislation. 

185. Alliance 

Dir. Susan Donnelly, not streaming, director interview here

Documentary, from the Jewish film festival circuit, about a Jewish farming colony in New Jersey in the 19th and 20th centuries. Was part of an ambitious idea, of such colonies, but this was the only one that succeeded. 

184. Pain Hustlers 

Dir. David Yates, streaming on Netflix 

Docudrama about sleazy pharma reps hawking painkillers, all the subject of two major streaming miniseries. Worth it, though, for an outstanding, against-type performance by Emily Blunt as a working-class pharma rep.

183. The Royal Hotel 

Dir. Kitty Green, streaming on VOD 

The director of 2000’s outstanding The Assistant returns with another story of women enduring men behaving badly. Strong performances by both Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick. 

182. Magic Mike’s Last Dance 

Dir. Steven Soderbergh, streaming on Max

A very strange direction to go for the third and final film in this series and the camaraderie of the group is missing save for one Zoom call. But still a winning outing, thanks to the crackling chemistry between Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek.

181. After the Bite 

Dir. Ivy Meeropol, streaming on Max, review here 

The granddaughter of the Rosenbergs makes a movie about something other than her family’s history. It’s a fine, multifaceted examination of what happened in a New England town after a fatal shark attack. 

180. The Burial 

Dir. Margaret Betts, streaming on Prime Video, review here. 

A fine, old-school lawyer movie, featuring strong performances by both Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones. Made me more miss the era of this type of movie, than enjoy the movie itself. 

179. Jerry Brown: The Disrupter 

Dir. Marina Zenovich, streaming on VOD

Conventional but convincing documentary about the politician, who was elected as governor of California as a young man, and again as an old man. In between, he ran for president in 1992. 

178. In the Company of Rose 

Dir. James Lapine, streaming on VOD 

The legendary theater director makes a documentary about the life of Rose Styron, the widow of author William Styron, and a poet and journalist herself. A fine exploration of a woman now in her late 90s. 

177. Talk to Me 

Dir. Michael Philippou and Danny Philippou, streaming on VOD, review here

Australian horror movie about an evil hand figurine. Legitimately scary at times, but it’s no The Babadook. 

176. Peter Pan & Wendy 

Dir. David Lowery, streaming on Disney+ 

A very creative and enjoyable reimagining of the Peter Pan mythos. One of those things that popped up one day on Disney+ and undeservedly sank out of sight immediately. 

175. Sharksploitation 

Dir. Stephen Scarlata, streaming on AMC+, review here 

Extensive documentary about the story of shark movies, both high- and low-brow. Jaws casts a big shadow over everything, it’s made very clear.

174. The Starling Girl 

Dir. Laurel Parmet, streaming on Showtime, review here. 

A very unsettling story of a young woman in a Christian community, who has an affair with her youth pastor. Very strong work from actress Eliza Scanlan.

173. aka Mr. Chow 

Dir. Nick Hooker, streaming on Max 

Entertaining documentary about the famed restaurant Michael Chow, and his personal and professional lives. I had no idea he had been married that many times. 

172. Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis

Dir. Anton Corbijn, streaming on Netflix, review here 

A very fun music documentary about the studio that made some of rock’s most famous album covers. A nice throwback to the days when album covers mattered. 

171. American Pain 

Dir. Darren Foster, streaming on Max

The very Florida story of a pair of twin brothers who ran opioid pill mills. It kind of treats it as an afterthought that one of them was a Nazi. 

170. Trolls Band Together 

Dir. Walt Dohrn, now in theaters, review here 

The second sequel to the original Trolls turns its attention to boy bands, as a backdoor way of introducing an NSync reunion. Not much, but the animation is cool and the songs are decent. 

169. Reptile

Dir. Grant Singer, streaming on Netflix 

Real estate-based murder procedural, which doubles as a 25-years-later reunion of Excess Baggage co-stars Benicio Del Toro and Alicia Silverstone. Enjoyable but disposable. 

168. The Blackening 

Dir. Tim Story, streaming on Starz

A fitfully funny horror comedy about a group of Black friends on vacation who run into a killer. Another one I missed at TIFF in 2022 but finally caught a year later. 

167. Three Chaplains 

Dir. David Washburn, not streaming 

A compelling documentary about a trio of Muslim chaplains in the U.S. military. To say their challenges are unique is an understatement. 

166. Out in the Ring 

Dir. Ry Levey, not streaming, review here 

Documentary about an under-explored but rich subject: Gay people in professional wrestling. I could imagine a major biopic about Pat Patterson. 

165. Jules 

Dir. Marc Turtletaub, streaming on VOD, review here 

Very strange but enjoyable comedy/drama in which Ben Kingsley plays a retired man who is visited by an alien- but no, this is nothing like Cocoon.  A rare movie with a cast of seniors that isn’t about the protagonist being an asshole who slowly gets redeemed.

164. Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros

Dir. Frederick Wiseman, in theaters soon 

Another four-hour Frederick Wiseman verite documentary, this time about a group of restaurants in France. I admire the achievement, even if it’s not one of his best. 

163. Waiting for the Light to Change

Dir. Linh Tran, streaming on VOD 

Under-seen gem of a drama about a group of friends enjoying a week at a lake house. Tran is a filmmaker worth watching. 

162. Love to Love You, Donna Summer 

Dir. Brooklyn Sudano and Roger Ross Williams, streaming on Max 

Illuminating documentary about the 1970s disco queen. A much better telling of Summer’s story than the one in Spinning Gold. 

161. Mister Organ 

Dir. David Farrier, streaming on VOD, review here

Another weirdo documentary, from the director of Tickled. It’s mostly the story of Michael Organ, a New Zealand businessman known for “car clamping”- and eventually, much weirder stuff than that. 

160. The Highest of Stakes 

Dir. Patrick Moreau and Grant Peelle, streaming on VOD

Speaking of weirdos… this one is another about a crypto guy, in this case, Richard Heart, the man behind the HEX cryptocurrency. Heart was hit by SEC charges around the time the movie arrived, which should tell you quite a lot. 

159. Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed 

Dir. Stephen Kijak, streaming on Max 

This documentary tells a story very familiar, about the 1950s movie star who all along was secretly gay, before becoming the first famous actor to die from AIDS in the 1980s. Not quite groundbreaking, but still well done. 

158. Chop & Steele 

Dir. Ben Steinbauer and Berndt Mader, streaming on VOD, review here

Very funny documentary about a duo who engaged in low-stakes morning show pranks. But when that proves not exactly a money-making venture, they’re faced with the familiar choice of whether to “sell out.” 

157. Shin Ultraman 

Dir. Shinji Higuchi, streaming on VOD

A very good re-imagining of the Japanese monster movie mythos. However, it seems certain to be overshadowed, this year, by Godzilla Minus One. 

156. Reggie 

Dir. Alex Stapleton, streaming on Prime Video, review here 

First-rate documentary about Reggie Jackson, that isn’t nearly the vanity project that so many sports documentaries of late have been. Most notably, he visits many of his old friends and teammates. 

155. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 

Dir. James Gunn, streaming on Disney+, review here 

In a year in which nearly every superhero movie was a colossal disappointment, this one was… not so bad. Focusing on Rocket Raccoon, and telling a mostly self-contained story, were both good ideas. 

154. Blue Beetle 

Dir. Ángel Manuel Soto, streaming on Max, review here 

Not-So-Bad Superhero Movie: The DC version. This one, at least, has a unique look, a compelling star, and a complete lack of other superheroes showing up to overshadow the hero of this one. 

153. Joan Baez: I am a Noise 

Dir. Karen O’Connorr Miri Navasky and Maeve O’Boyle, streaming on VOD, review here. 

Career-spanning documentary about the music legend, focusing on music, politics, and her romances. Pretty conventional but still decent. 

152. Thanksgiving 

Dir. Eli Roth, now in theaters 

Another movie based on one of those fake trailers from Grindhouse. This one is often very funny, although, like a lot of slasher movies, it gets repetitive very quickly. 

151. Showing Up 

Dir. Kelly Reichardt, streaming on Showtime 

A slice-of-life drama starring Michelle Williams as an artist preparing for her show. Not much happens but it’s compelling, even if a step down from the director’s First Cow. 

150. Being Mary Tyler Moore 

Dir. James Adolphus, streaming on Max 

A fascinating documentary about the late actress, part of one of the most important TV shows of all time. I also loved being reminded of her late-career performance as Ben Stiller’s mother in Flirting With Disaster. 

149. No One Will Save You 

Dir. Brian Duffield, streaming on Hulu 

Duffield, during the pandemic, directed an awesome but little-seen movie called Spontaneous. Now, he’s back with a higher-profile horror film, which has its moments. 

148. Judy Blume Forever 

Dir. Davina Pardo, and Leah Wolchok, streaming on Prime Video

Very enjoyable documentary about the children’s author, with the good fortune to arrive around the same time as a great film adaptation of one of her novels. I had fun sitting with the film’s entire production team at this year’s Critics Choice Documentary Awards. 

147. The Stroll 

Dir. Zackary Drucker, Kristen Parker Lovell, streaming on Max, review here 

Documentary about the history of trans sex workers in the Meatpacking District in New York, while doubling as a history of slow-motion gentrification in the city. Yes, it includes a discussion of that Sex and the City scene with Samantha, which I happened to watch as it was filmed. 

146. The Artifice Girl 

Dir. Franklin Ritch, streaming on Hoopla and Tubi 

Thriller that combines two of the modern world’s worst fears, A.I. and pedophiles. A much better cinematic exploration of those fears than either The Creator or Sound of Freedom. 

145. Joyland 

Dir. Saim Sadiq, streaming on VOD, 

This thought-provoking Pakistani film is about a man who falls in love with a transgender starlet. A Cannes film that probably deserved a better shot stateside. 

144. Break the Game 

Dir. Jane M. Wagner, not streaming, review here

A documentary, from the Philadelphia Film Festival, about a young trans woman who advances far in the video game speed-running world.  Much more compelling than I would expect a movie about gamers could be. 

143. Radical 

Dir. Christopher Zalla, not streaming

A semi-remake of Stand and Deliver and Lean on Me, set in Mexico and starring Eugenio Derbez. Cliched, yes, but the ending is somewhat inspiring. 

142. Golda

Dir. Guy Nattiv, streaming on VOD, review here

A very fascinating, blow-by-blow account of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir during 1973’s Yom Kippur War. I liked most elements, but Helen Mirren, as Golda, is just buried under too many prosthetics. 

141. The Deepest Breath 

Dir. Laura McGann, streaming on Netflix 

Documentary about deep-sea diving who try to dive deep into water without any equipment. A world I knew nothing about it, although Free Solo was a better version of a similar idea. 

140. Rustin 

Dir. George C. Wolfe, streaming on Netflix, review here

This biopic about unheralded civil rights leader Bayard Rustin features a dynamite performance from Colman Domingo, but the film itself is notably cheap-looking and concludes on a disappointing note. 

139. The Caine Mutiny Court Martial 

Dir. William Friedkin, streaming on Showtime 

William Friedkin’s final film was this courtroom thriller that went straight to streaming. Not one of his all-time best, but still a watchable drama with good actors. 

138. Napoleon 

Dir. Ridley Scott, in theaters now, review here 

Biopic of the emperor, starring Joaquin Phoenix. While it boasts some nifty battle scenes, doesn’t ultimately have all that much to say about its subject. 

137. Dream Scenario 

Dir. Kristoffer Borgli, in theaters now, review here 

High-concept satire about Nicolas Cage’s middle-aged sad sack showing up in people’s dreams. Built around a great idea, but I can’t remember a film that fell apart more in its third act. 

136. Copa 71 

Dir. James Erskine, and Rachel Ramsay, not streaming, review here

An inspiring documentary about the World Cup-style international women’s soccer tournament held in 1971, not sanctioned by FIFA because of entrenched sexism in that body. A sort of soccer version of Summer of Soul. 

135. Brooklyn 45 

Dir. Ted Geoghegan, streaming on AMC+ 

A Brooklyn-based ghost story, set in 1945. Fine performances from not-so-recognizable actors, and a great look. 

134. Liquor Store Dreams 

Dir. So Yun Um, streaming on VOD 

A thought-provoking documentary about family-owned Korean liquor stores, including that of the filmmaker’s father. Goes in some somewhat surprising directions. 

133. Silent Night 

Dir. John Woo, now in theaters, review here

The return to Hollywood filmmaking after 20 years for the Hong Kong auteur, in a dialogue-free action film. Not quite up there with his classics, but there are flashes. 

132. Full Time 

Dir. Eric Gravel, streaming on Prime Video and Hoopla

French drama about the day-to-day life of a struggling single mom. Cringey, in the tradition of Uncut Gems, and featuring great work by Laure Calamy. 

131. Smoking Causes Coughing 

Dir. Quentin Dupieux, streaming on Hulu 

Some weirdo stuff from French director Dupieux, mostly inspired by the Power Rangers. There’s more creativity on display here than in most of the year’s big superhero movies. 

130. A Thousand and One 

Dir. A.V. Rockwell, streaming on Prime Video 

A harrowing but ultimately inspiring urban story, about a mother and her son in 1990s New York.  Boosted especially by a very strong performance by Teyana Taylor. 

129. Chasing Chasing Amy 

Dir. Sav Rodgers, not streaming, review here 

Rodgers, a lesbian-turned-trans man, made a worthwhile documentary to discuss his complex feelings about Kevin Smith’s 1997 film Chasing Amy. Managed to secure the participation of every major principal in the movie besides Ben Affleck. 

128. Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game 

Dir. Austin Bragg and Meredith Bragg, streaming on Hulu and Hoopla 

Entertaining docudrama about a man, Roger Sharpe, who fought to get pinball legalized in New York. Not about the guy who invented the thing, or even marketed the thing, but rather the guy who helped legalize the thing. 

127. What Happens Later 

Dir. Meg Ryan, streaming on VOD, review here

A homage and deconstruction of the romcom genre, directed by the actress most closely associated with that genre. Fine chemistry between Ryan and David Duchovny, as a pair of old flames who get stuck together in an airport. 

126. How to Blow Up a Pipeline 

Dir. Daniel Goldhaber, streaming on Hulu, review here

If you can get past that it’s essentially an endorsement of domestic terrorism, this film functions like a high-wire-act heist movie in which activists attack the titular pipeline. The filmmaking is truly outstanding, especially in its photography of West Texas. 

125. Master Gardener 

Dir. Paul Schrader, streaming on Hulu

Stars Joel Edgerton as a gardener at a large estate with a horrifying past. Continues Schrader’s recent strong run, in his late 70s. 

124. The Flash 

Dir. Andy Muschietti, streaming on Max, review here 

Probably the year’s most troubled production, which led to a superhero movie that’s not all that bad, including a successful return of Michael Keaton to the Batman suit. That is, if you can get past Ezra Miller, and nonconsensual cameos from actors who are dead (or in one case, still alive). 

123. It Ain’t Over 

Dir. Sean Mullin, streaming on Netflix, review here 

Very entertaining documentary about the baseball great, cultural figure, and quip machine Yogi Berra. The film was made with the cooperation of Berra’s family, and it’s very clear they approached this with a large number of scores to settle- including against Yogi Bear. 

122. Minnesota Mean 

Dir. Dawn Mikkelson, not streaming 

Well-assembled documentary about a women’s roller derby team in Minnesota. I saw this on a screener, timed to a festival, so who knows when it might get a release, but this is one worth seeking out. 

121. El Conde 

Dir. Pablo Larraín, streaming on Netflix

What a great idea- a Chilean horror film featuring that country’s longtime dictator, Augusto Pinochet, as a vampire. The twist involving a certain other deceased world leader is one of the year’s best. 

120. Users 

Dir. Natalia Almada, streaming OVID and VOD

More a tone poem than a movie, the film tells stories about motherhood. Probably the year’s most obvious Terrence Malick homage. 

119. Slava Ukraini

Dir. Bernard-Henri Lévy, streaming on VOD

One of this year’s Ukraine documentaries, this one featured the journalist Levy. I can take or leave him, but he’s certainly a less annoying documentary pretense than Sean Penn. 

118. Never Be a Punching Bag For Nobody 

Dir. Naomi Yang, streaming on Tubi 

An unheralded but outstanding cinematic essay about East Boston centered on a boxing club, territorial disputes, and more. Yang, known as a musician, also recorded the movie’s soundtrack. 

117. Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields 

Dir. Lana Wilson, streaming on Hulu

Here’s another documentary about a female celebrity from decades past, who in retrospect was treated in a pretty cruel and sexist way. Shields’ life story is fascinating, and extra credit for being way nicer to her ex-husband, Andre Agassi, than he was to her in his memoir. 

116. Polite Society 

Dir. Nida Manzoor, streaming on Prime Video, review here

A rollicking, genre-bending story of two sisters who engage in martial arts battles, and later a heist at a wedding. Credit to this one for taking swings that mostly connect. 

115. Kokomo City 

Dir. D. Smith, streaming on VOD

The year’s other documentary that is about trans sex workers. Just a gorgeous visual style, as well as a sheen of tragedy, as one of the film’s subjects was murdered after the film was completed. 

114. Nimona

Dir. Troy Quane and Nick Bruno, streaming on Netflix 

Visually stunning animated film, telling the story of a knight and a shapeshifter. This one kicked around for many years, finally finding a home on Netflix. 

113. Bye Bye Barry 

Dir. Micaela Powers Paul Monusky and Angela Torma, streaming on Prime video, review here

Illuminating documentary about Barry Sanders, the NFL superstar running back of the 1990s who abruptly retired on the eve of the 1999 season, and never came back. Sanders wasn’t known for speaking much when he played and doesn’t have a ton to say now either, but his story is still an enjoyable one. 

112. Totally Killer 

Dir. Nahnatchka Khan, streaming on Prime Video, review here 

Creatively successful horror comedy, that incorporates time traveling, in a hybrid homage to Scream, Halloween, and Back to the Future. Kiernan Shipka, the Mad Men veteran playing the lead here, looks like she could be a movie star. 

111. No Hard Feelings 

Dir. Gene Stupnitsky, streaming on Netflix, review here 

A return to the gross-out, raunchy comedies of the past, buoyed by a go-for-broke, up-for-anything performance by Jennifer Lawrence. The pace is a bit off, and the characters behave strangely, but I laughed a lot anyway. 

110. Joy Ride 

Dir. Adele Lim, streaming on Starz, review here

Another raunchy, female-led comedy, starring four Asian-American performers (Ashley Park Sherry Cola Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu.) They travel to China — not filmed there — and get into various hijinks of a drug and sexual nature, some of them involving retired NBA player Baron Davis. 

109. Subject 

Dir. Jennifer Tiexiera and Camilla Hall, streaming on VOD, review here

A thought-provoking documentary about documentaries, which does two things. It updates us on the subjects of some popular documentaries of the past, including classics like Hoop Dreams and Capturing the Friedmans, and also explores the ethics of documentary filmmaking itself. 

108. Play with the Devil – Becoming Zeal & Ardor

Dir. Olivier Joliat and Matthias Willi, streaming on VOD, review here 

A rip-roaring music documentary that showed at DOC NYC and shows us a one-of-a-kind musician Swiss musician named Manuel Gagneux. His music combines metal with slavery-era spiritual, and the film depicts his first U.S. tour. 

107. Carmen 

Dir. Benjamin Millepied, streaming on VOD

Extremely stylish musical starring Melissa Barrera and Paul Mescal as lovers caught up in border politics. Nicholas Britell’s score, in particular, is a highlight. 

106. Lakota Nation vs. United States 

Dir. Laura Tomaselli and Jesse Short Bull, streaming on AMC+

Documentary about, well, just what it sounds like, the centuries of discrimination against the Lakota people. It contextualizes the story, going from the 18th century up to the Trump era. 

105. Cypher 

Dir. Chris Moukarbel, streaming on Hulu, review here

This story of Philadelphia rapper Tierra Whack, and her run-in with an obsessed fan, won an award at Tribeca. But it wasn’t in the documentary category, because this strange hybrid film isn’t quite a documentary, but rather something else much weirder. 

104. The Delinquents 

Dir. Rodrigo Moreno, not streaming 

A very unconventional heist film, this three-hour Argentinian film delighted crowds at the Philadelphia Film Festival. It’s a long sit, but ultimately a rewarding one. 

103. Monica 

Dir. Andrea Pallaoro, streaming on AMC+

Lyrical drama about a trans woman (Trace Lysette) who returns to her hometown to see her dying mother. One of those movies in which the beauty is in what’s left unsaid. 

102. How Saba Kept Singing 

Dir. Sara Taksler, not streaming 

Tear-jerking Holocaust documentary about a 94-year-old survivor who sang, even while in Auschwitz. I was shocked to realize that this was the same guy from that New York Times story about the survivor meeting his lost love decades later.

101. The Other Fellow

Dir. Matthew Bauer, streaming on Prime and the Roku Channel, director interview here

A very enjoyable single-serving documentary about one thing: Real people, in the world, who happen to be named James Bond. Some changed their name to that, others changed it away from it, and some have made their peace with it. 

100. The Holdovers 

Dir. Alexander Payne, now in theaters, review here 

The first of this year’s awards contenders that I liked but didn’t quite love. Fine performances by everyone, including Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and, newcomer Dominic Sessa, but it all just left me cold for some reason. 

99. Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse

Dir. Joaquim Dos Santos Justin K. Thompson and Kemp Powers, streaming on Netflix, review here

A lot of the same type of outstanding animation that made the original film so great. But the plot left a lot to be desired- I’m just so sick of meta-verses.

98. They Cloned Tyrone

Dir. Juul Taylor, streaming on Netflix

Very creative horror comedy, tying together sci-fi and conspiracies. It’s no Get Out, but then few movies are.

97. When Evil Lurks 

Dir. Demián Rugna, streaming on AMC+ and Shudder 

From Argentina, probably the year’s creepiest horror film, about a demon that remains among the unborn. Here’s one that spares just about nothing. 

96. Wham! 

Dir. Chris Smith, streaming on Netflix 

Pretty straightforward documentary about the early 1980s pop duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgely. Decent examination of a group whose music has endured much more than some might have guessed. 

95. Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer 

Dir. Thomas von Steinaecker, streaming on VOD, director interview here

A career-spanning documentary about Herzog, which never gets far beyond convention but contains lots of stuff anyway. Bonus points for including lots of Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. 

94. Sisu 

Dir. Jalmari Helander, streaming on Starz, review here 

Sometimes all you need is a Finnish gold prospector kicking Nazis’ asses. There’s all of that and more in this film, which presents a Finnish, gentile answer to The Bear Jew. 

93. Anhell69 

Dir. Theo Montoya, not streaming, review here.

A Colombian film unlike any other, as Montoya explores hopelessness and poverty through this semi-documentary, which presents itself as the making of a zombie movie. Several people who appeared in the film, including Montoya’s friends, have since died. 

92. Seagrass 

Dir. Meredith Hama-Brown, not streaming 

A mournful Canadian film that played at TIFF, and concerns a woman, grieving the death of her mother, who attends a therapy retreat with her husband. Who knows if this is ever getting a U.S. release, but it deserves a chance. 

91. Chestnut 

Dir. Jan Cron, not streaming 

Philadelphia movie, which played at the Philadelphia Film Festival, featuring a beguiling young woman juggling love affairs. This movie has style to burn and uses Center City’s alleyways especially well. 

90. Priscilla 

Dir. Sofia Coppola, not streaming, review here 

Another movie about Elvis, this time focused on his wife Priscilla, well-played by Cailee Spaeny. This movie does not make Elvis look particularly good. 

89. Leo 

Dir. Robert Smigel, Robert Marianetti, and David Wachtenheim streaming on Netflix, review here

An earnest and sweet animated film, about a lizard voiced by Adam Sandler. He’s a grumpy older lizard who suffers an existential crisis but learns valuable lessons. 

88. Fallen Leaves 

Dir. Aki Kaurismäki, now in theaters 

A small but sweet Finnish-German film, about a man and woman who get together, go to the movies, and ultimately find companionship. The war in Ukraine, heard about on the radio throughout, is the film’s third major character. 

87. The Lesson 

Dir. Alice Troughton, streaming on Showtime

Enjoyable literary drama, with Daryl McCormack playing a young man visiting the estate of a reclusive author (Richard E. Grant) and his sexy wife (Julie Delpy). The second-best 2023 movie in which an interloper arrives on a lavish British estate owned by Richard E. Grant. 

86. What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat and Tears? 

Dir. John Scheinfeld, not streaming 

Bizarre but good documentary about the 1970s band that participated in a tour of the Soviet Union. As a result, they lost just about all their counterculture cache. 

85. Eileen 

Dir. William Oldroyd, now in theaters 

Sumptuously photographed, 1960s-set Boston film, with protagonist Thomasin McKenzie becoming infatuated with femme fatale Anne Hathaway. Then, there’s one of the weirdest plot twists ever. 

84. The Picture Taker 

Dir.  Phil Bertelsen, not streaming 

A wild documentary about Ernest Withers, who was the semi-official photographer of the civil rights movement for many years- all while acting as an FBI informer. One of a class of documentaries that year that was unfairly ignored, after debuting on PBS. 

83. The Stones and Brian Jones 

Dir. Nick Broomfield, streaming on VOD 

Familiar but well-told documentary about the late Rolling Stones founder. This is all stuff that happened 50 years ago- and the Stones are getting back on the road next summer. 

82. The Pigeon Tunnel 

Dir. Errol Morris, streaming on Apple TV+

The latest Morris interview documentary has the filmmaker speaking to author John le Carré. It’s a compelling series of stories from an author who died not long afterward. 

81. Remembering Gene Wilder 

Dir. Ron Frank, not streaming, review here 

Life-spanning documentary about the beloved comedy legend, featuring plenty of great footage and a ton of interview material from Mel Brooks. Set for release at some point in 2024, after a stint on the Jewish film festival circuit. 

80. Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes

Dir. Sam Pollard and Ben Shapiro, streaming on VOD, review here

Outstanding doc about the late drummer and activist. The directors, who both worked on separate Roach projects and then combined them, are the very prolific Pollard and Shapiro, who is not THAT Ben Shapiro. 

79. The League 

Dir. Sam Pollard, streaming on Hulu 

Another documentary from Sam Pollard, this one about the history of the Negro Leagues in baseball. Makes wonderful use of archival footage, including interviews with the late, great Buck O’Neil. 

78. Radical Wolfe 

Dir. Richard Dewey, streaming on Netflix, review here

Career-spanning documentary about Tom Wolfe, exploring his books, their movie adaptations, and his unique public persona, including lots of talk show footage. Tells the “Radical Chic” story, which the Leonard Bernstein movie opted to skip. 

77. Art Dealers 

Dir. Roy Power, and Adam Weiner, not streaming 

Concert film about the band Low Cut Connie and its frontman Adam Weiner. A Philadelphia Film Festival film that made me want to get more into this band’s music. 

76. Rolling Along 

Dir. Michael Tollin, not streaming

A documentary that’s essentially a filmed one-man show with Bill Bradley, the basketball star-turned-senator-turned-presidential candidate. A Tribeca debut, it shows Bradley as a much more interesting monologist than you probably expected. 

75. The Teachers Lounge 

Dir. İlker Çatak, coming to theaters December 25.

German film about a teacher (Leonie Benesch) trying to solve a series of thefts, and eventually faced with a tough choice. Just extremely tense all the way through. 

74. The Taste of Things 

Dir. Tran Anh Hung, coming to theaters in early 2024

A food movie and also a romance, between a chef and his assistant. Whoever on Letterboxd said, “That’s not food porn, that’s a food snuff film,” bravo. 

73. Cinema Sabaya 

Dir. Orit Fouks Rotem, streaming on VOD

Another film that toes the line between documentary and fiction, this Israeli film explores a group of women, assembled to tell their life stories for a video project. It’s not entirely about the conflict, but it’s not not about that either. 

72. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Dir. Jeff Rowe, streaming on Paramount+ 

The animated treatment of the TMNT mythology is the third- or fourth cinematic go-round for this but possibly the best. Applied the Spider-verse formula to the Turtles and made a better movie than this year’s in that franchise. 

71. You Hurt My Feelings 

Dir. Nicole Holofcener, streaming on VOD 

Cringy but winning comedy of marriage, in which Julia Louis-Dreyfus accidentally discovers that her husband hates her book-in-progress. Ultimately low-stakes but successful. 

70. Ferrari 

Dir. Michael Mann, coming to theaters soon 

Michael Mann’s return, tells the story of Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) juggling personal and professional crises against the backdrop of a big race. I liked it, even if it’s not the best movie of the last two years in which Adam Driver plays the real-life head of an Italian corporation and has sex with a woman on a table. 

69. The Killer

Dir. David Fincher, streaming on Netflix, review here

Fincher’s latest adapts a graphic novel about an assassin, with lots of style, Smiths music, and a dry turn from Michael Fassbender. A big improvement over Mank.

68. Milli Vanilli 

Dir. Luke Korem, streaming on Paramount+, review here 

Documentary about the famed lip-syncing scandal applies the Framing Britney Spears formula, by asking “Gee, we freaked out about that thing more than we should have, huh?” Able to simultaneously argue that the pair was mistreated, but that they wouldn’t have deserved that Grammy Award even if they hadn’t lip-synched. 

67. Bobi Wine: The People’s President 

Dir. Christopher Sharp and Moses Bwayo, streaming on Disney+, review here 

Interesting documentary about the Ugandan musician who ran for president of his country, and ended up imprisoned. Wine shows himself as one of the year’s most compelling documentary subjects. 

66. Lynch/Oz 

Dir. Alexandre de Philippe, streaming on Criterion Channel, review here 

A cinematic essay that tries to make the case that David Lynch’s work was heavily influenced by The Wizard of Oz. One of those movies where even when it’s wrong, it’s still great to see all of those clips. 

65. The Disappearance of Shere Hite 

Dir. Nicole Newnham, not streaming, review here 

Documentary about Hite, a famed sex researcher in the 1970s who talked about the female orgasm, and as a result was often angrily confronted by men on talk shows. Then, she essentially vanished. 

64. B.S High 

Dir. Martin Desmond Roe and Travon Free, streaming on Max 

Documentary about the Bishop Sycamore affair, in which a football team from what was essentially a fake school played a nationally televised game on ESPN. Depicts the mastermind, Roy Johnson, as a real-life Professor Harold Hill, whose long con involves a football team rather than a band. 

63. Albert Brooks: Defending My Life 

Dir. Rob Reiner, streaming on Max, review here 

Tremendously entertaining documentary about the life of the comedy luminary, from his short films for Saturday Night Live to his early films to his later run as a character actor. I would have watched a whole doc of Brooks and Reiner at a table for two hours, but this is even better. 

62. Little Richard: I Am Everything 

Dir. Lisa Cortes, streaming on Max, review here

Documentary about the late music legend, which is concerned mostly with his complex relationships with his sexuality, his fame, and his place in the world. It’s all very tragic. 

61. Elemental 

Dir. Peter Sohn, streaming on Disney+ 

This year’s Pixar release is a well-rendered racial allegory about fire and water falling in love. Also had one of the weirdest box office arcs of the year, starting as a flop but slowly morphing into a hit. 

60. Skinamarink

Dir. Kyle Edward Ball, streaming on Hulu and AMC+ 

Creepy and inventive horror film about things going bump in the night. A better version of Paranormal Activity told from the point of view of children. 

59. Rotting in the Sun 

Dir. Sebastián Silva, streaming on Muni 

A wild movie, starring Silva as a depressive version of himself. There are lots of twists and turns and by far the most full-frontal male nudity of any 2023 film. 

58. Afire 

Dir. Christian Petzold, streaming on The Criterion Channel 

German film about two men and a woman who end up sharing a house, as nearby forest fires slowly encroach. The scene in which a character’s book is read aloud, and we discover he’s the worst writer in the world, is the year’s best slow-building laugh. 

57. The Promised Land 

Dir. Nikolaj Arcel, now in theaters

Well-done historical drama about an 18th century Dane (Mads Mikkelsen) tasked with farming a piece of land- and confronting the pompous local governor (Simon Bennebjerg) throughout. You’ve never been so fascinated by potato farming. 

56. The Five Devils 

Dir. Léa Mysius, streaming on Mubi

One of several starring vehicles this year for Adèle Exarchopoulos, this time in a French drama with some supernatural elements. Has some surreal elements but they mostly work. 

55. Four Daughters 

Dir. Kaouther Ben Hania, not streaming 

A stunning Tunisian film, yet another that mixes documentary and acting. The story of a mother and her daughters, two of whom left for reasons you won’t believe. 

54. Dreamin’ Wild 

Dir. Bill Pohlad, streaming on Hoopla, review here 

The director of Love and Mercy makes another music movie, this time about the Emerson brothers. They were a rock act that never made it, only for hipsters to discover their music 30 years later, occasioning a reunion and the resurfacing of old dynamics. 

53. Origin 

Dir. Ava DuVernay, now in theaters, review here 

The Selma director returns with an adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent. At the same time, it’s the compelling story of Wilkerson’s time working on the book. 

52. The Boy and the Heron 

Dir. Hayao Miyazaki, now in theaters 

The latest rich and lush animated pictures from Miyazaki, the master who seemingly can’t stand to retire. A boy, after World War II, follows a gray heron on some unbelievable adventures. 

51. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Dir. Aitch Alberto, streaming on Hoopla 

Sweet and heartbreaking story of a pair of Mexican-American boys in 1980s Texas, who develop a complex relationship. A slight but wonderful story. 

50. Infinity Pool 

Dir. Brandon Cronenberg, streaming on Hulu 

Creepy but sometimes funny thriller about a struggling author (Alexander Skarsgard) at a vacation resort who runs into trouble, both with authorities and a cult. Mia Goth, who knows the way to an author’s heart is praising his book, is a highlight. 

49. Shortcomings 

Dir. Randall Park, streaming on VOD, review here 

Randall Park’s directorial debut is about an Asian-American film bro (Justin H. Min) who alienates most of the women in his life. Made me want to see what Park directs next. 

48. The Persian Version 

Dir. Maryam Keshavarz, streaming on VOD, review here 

From Sundance, this is a fine film about a Persian-American family, featuring a dynamite lead performance from Layla Mohammadi. Makes pop music a key part, including a flashback that’s like a more honest version of the ending of Argo. 

47. Rye Lane

Dir. Raine Allen-Miller, streaming on Hulu, director and actors interview here 

London-set comedy-drama featuring Yas (Vivian Oparah) and Dom (David Jonsson) who decide to spend a day together while plotting against their exes. Uses nontraditional film locations in a London neighborhood, almost as a character. 

46. Perfect Days 

Dir. Wim Wenders, now in theaters 

The best film directed by Wenders in years, as the German director heads to Japan. It’s about a man who works as a toilet cleaner, his day-to-day life, and his surprising backstory. 

45. Hello Dankness 

Dir. Soda Jerk, not streaming, review here 

Weirdo experimental mashup of movies, commercials, and other products, aiming to mash it into a coherent narrative. The film’s best idea, by far, is to run that Kendall Jenner commercial where she hands a cop a Pepsi, completely uncut. 

44. Holy Frit 

Dir. Justin S. Monroe, not streaming 

Highly entertaining documentary about a guy who bullshits himself into a commission designing stained-glass windows. So he hires eccentric old hand Narcissus Quagliata, who opens the door to a crazy world I knew nothing about. 

43. Bad Press 

Dir. Joe Peeler and Rebecca Landsberry-Baker, not streaming 

An often infuriating documentary about a tribal government in Oklahoma that tries to censor the free press. The film sides with the journalists pushing back against that. 

42. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour 

Dir. Sam Wrench, coming to VOD December 13, review here 

The super-popular film version of Swift’s record-breaking tour features nearly all of her hits and a first-rate presentation. Made me understand, for the first time, the Swiftie thing. 

41. Barbie 

Dir. Greta Gerwig, streaming on VOD, review here 

Gerwig’s film was a phenomenon, featuring possibly the year’s best production design and a go-for-broke lead performance by Margot Robbie. The message is a bit muddled, but I still had a great time. 

40. Passages 

Dir. Ira Sachs, streaming on Mubi

A love triangle between a man, a man, and a woman, featuring the most groundbreaking sex scenes of any movie this year. Outstanding work from all three leads, Franz Rogowski Ben Whishaw, and Adèle Exarchopoulos. 

39. Creed III 

Dir. Michael B. Jordan, streaming on Prime Video, review here 

The second Creed movie was little more than fan service, but the third, Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut, is much better- even if there’s no Rocky. Jonathan Majors’ involvement may not age well, but at least he loses at the end. 

38. Silver Dollar Road 

Dir. Raoul Peck, streaming on Prime Video, review here 

The director of I Am Not Your Negro returns with another documentary, this time telling the stories of a family in North Carolina and their generations-long struggle to hang on to their land. Like so much of American history, it’s all about race- and real estate. 

37. Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie 

Dir. Davis Guggenheim, streaming on Apple TV+, review here 

A documentary about Fox’s life, career, and his fight against Parkinson’s Disease. Makes the ingenious decision to have clips from Fox’s movies and shows commentate on the action. 

36. Kelce 

Dir. Don Argott, streaming on Prime Video, review here, director interview here 

Documentary about the Eagles’ veteran center Jason Kelce, his indecision over whether to retire, and ultimately his team’s run to the Super Bowl last season. The filmmakers, Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce, picked a great subject and had once-in-a-lifetime things happen while they were filming. 

35. The Saint of Second Chances 

Dir. Morgan Neville and Jeff Malmberg, streaming on Netflix 

Wonderful documentary about Mike Veeck, the son of legendary owner Bill Veeck, who emerged from the depths of Disco Demolition Night to become a minor league baseball impresario. The film later poignantly follows Veeck through the illness of his daughter. 

34. Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music

Dir. Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, streaming on Max 

In an era when way too many people are freaking out about drag queens, this film suggests the biggest threat is that they might sing for a long time. The film depicts a concert when Taylor Mac, a New York drag artist, performed for 24 hours in a row. 

33. American Symphony 

Dir. Matthew Heineman, streaming on Netflix, review here 

Towering documentary about musician Jon Batiste, who spent a year working on a new symphony while his wife, writer Suleika Jaouad was battling cancer. A first-rate examination of the creative process. 

32. The Mission 

Dir. Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine, streaming on Disney+, review here 

Fine, even-handed documentary about  John Allen Chau, an American missionary who attempted to visit the world’s most isolated indigenous tribe, and appears to have been killed by them. Are we supposed to hate Chau, or sympathize with him? There’s not an easy answer, and the film seems to realize that. 

31. Mr. Jimmy 

Dir. Peter Michael Dowd, not streaming, review here 

My favorite music documentary of the year is the story of Akio Sakurai, a Japanese guitarist who became so obsessed with Jimmy Page that he began performing note-for-note concerts dressed as Page. The film, which somehow got the rights to Led Zeppelin’s music, then shifts to Los Angeles, where Sakurai joined the tribute band scene and then ran roughshod over it. 

30. Theater Camp 

Dir. Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman, streaming on Hulu, review here 

Hilarious mockumentary, featuring the denizens of a struggling summer camp for theater kids. Those from that world will likely love this, while those outside it probably will not.

29. Sanctuary

Dir. Zachary Wigon, streaming on Hulu, review here

Very sexy film, starring indie stalwarts Christopher Abbott and Margaret Qualley as a boss’ son and his dominatrix. But the story, set entirely in one apartment, takes many twists and turns beyond that.

28. Air 

Dir. Ben Affleck, streaming on Prime Video, review here 

The story of how Nike got Michael Jordan to sign with them may be corporate whitewashing and myth-making as cinema, but I still very much enjoyed it. Because my kids are fans, I think this was the 2023 movie that I saw the most times. 

27. They Shot the Piano Player 

Dir. Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal, not streaming 

A beautifully animated pseudo-documentary, featuring a journalist (voiced by Jeff Goldblum) trying to solve the mystery of Francisco Tenório Júnior, a pianist who went missing in the 1970s. The title, I guess, is a spoiler, but this is wonderful. 

26. The Plains 

Dir. David Easteal, streaming on Mubi 

It’s a three-hour movie that consists almost entirely of two men sitting side-by-side in the car. And it’s exhilarating, as this Australian film tells a coherent story despite that self-imposed limitation. 

25. The Zone of Interest 

Dir. Jonathan Glazer, in theaters this week 

A very unique Holocaust movie in that it’s set just on the outskirts of Auschwitz, focusing on the Nazi who commanded the camp and his family. I kept hoping the Allies would march it at the end to free everyone, but it’s not that kind of movie. 

24. May December 

Dir. Todd Haynes, steaming on Netflix, review here 

The rare Netflix prestige film that has gotten people talking, which is a good thing. Haynes makes occasionally funny but often chilling hay out of the Mary Kay Letourneau scandal, and attempts by a crazed method actress (Natalie Portman) to profit from it. 

23. Anatomy of a Fall 

Dir. Justine Triet, now in theaters, review here 

French legal drama about a woman accused of killing her husband shows that the French court system is much better suited for dramatic scenes than the American one. Bonus points for that fantastic steel drums cover of 50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P.” 

22. 20 Days in Mariupol 

Dir. Mstyslav Chernov, streaming on VOD 

The best documentary of the year is this stunner, set during the early stages of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Filmed almost entirely during a siege in an active war zone at tremendous risk to the filmmakers, it also depicts the struggles of the journalists trying to tell the story. 

21. Bottoms 

Dir. Emma Seligman, streaming on Fubo, MGM+, and VOD, review here 

A raunchy, hilarious teen sex comedy in which the two protagonists (Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri) are both queer women, played by actresses way too old for high school and also selfish people who want to manipulate their way into girls’ pants. So they start a fight club, with the aid of a teacher, played by Marshawn Lynch. 

20. Blackberry 

Dir. Matt Johnson, streaming on AMC+, review here, actor interview here 

The best of the year’s movies about corporate history is this one about the rise and fall of the company behind the Canadian smartphone BlackBerry. Starring Glenn Howerton as a soulless business ghoul and Jay Baruchal as his nerdy counterpart, the film isn’t afraid to indict the company for its hubris- or take shots at shoddy products made in China. 

19. Godzilla Minus One 

Dir. Takashi Yamazaki, now in theaters 

This new Japan-made Godzilla movie arrived in theaters earlier this month and knocked everyone on their ass, for good reason. From both action and storytelling standpoints, it manages to cut through the bloat that’s been such a problem for Hollywood action movies of late. 

18. Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part One 

Dir. Christopher McQuarrie, streaming on VOD, review here 

The seventh entry in the series is one of the best yet, featuring amazing stunts, well-directed action, and a deep cast. There’s even an A.I.-based villain, which has reportedly inspired the real-life president of the United States to action. 

17. John Wick: Chapter 4

Dir. Chad Stahelski, streaming on Starz, review here 

But the year’s best action movie is another one in a long-in-the-tooth franchise. The latest assassin movie with Keanu Reeves features the year’s best action setpieces, including a genuinely shocking ending. 

16. Asteroid City 

Dir. Wes Anderson, streaming on Peacock, review here 

The latest from Wes Anderson takes him somewhere that’s a natural fit, the 1950s and the American West. The usual deep cast, this time led by Tom Hanks, Jason Schwartzman, and Scarlett Johansson, brings the usual mix of melancholy, sweetness, and tweeness. 

15. American Fiction 

Dir. Cord Jefferson, in theaters this week, review here 

A very smart literary satire, based on a novel published in 2001 but adapted for the moment of the present day. Very strong work from Jeffrey Wright in a rare lead role. 

14. The People’s Joker 

Dir. Vera Drew, not yet in theaters or streaming, review here 

This movie is forever in limbo, as an unauthorized parody of the Warner-owned Batman and The Joker. But it’s a brilliant, often funny polemic from trans director Vera Drew, showing a deep love and understanding of the DC mythos- and much less respect for Saturday Night Live. 

13. Hit Man 

Dir. Richard Linklater, coming to Netflix in 2024, review here 

One of the best festival films of the year, starring Glen Powell as a freelance hitman who surprisingly falls in love. This was at the New York Film Festival and will land on Netflix sometime next year. 

12. Robot Dreams 

Dir. Pablo Berger, coming to theaters in 2024 

An impossibly charming animated film about the friendship between a robot and a dog in 1980s New York. Filled with gorgeous animation, great characterizations, and plenty of Earth, Wind, and Fire, the film is getting a qualifying run before arriving in theaters in 2024. 

11. The Color Purple 

Dir. Blitz Bazawule, coming to theaters soon 

A sumptuous, beautifully photographed musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel, featuring a first-rate cast that includes Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, and Taraji P. Henson. It more than justifies its existence alongside Steven Spielberg’s version from 1985. 

10. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret 

Dir. Kelly Fremon Craig, streaming on Starz, review here 

It took 50 years for Judy Blume’s novel to get a movie adaptation, but it finally happened this year, to spectacular effect. The film features outstanding performances by Rachel McAdams Abby Ryder Fortson Kathy Bates and also manages to build an emotional climax out of a girl getting her first period. 

9. Maestro 

Dir. Bradley Cooper, in theaters now, coming to Netflix on December 20, review here, writer interview here, op-ed here. 

Bradley Cooper’s film is a beautiful, rollicking rampage through Leonard Bernstein’s life, making the risky but ultimately correct decision to focus on his relationship with his wife Felicia (Carey Mulligan.) The cathedral scene, in which Cooper conducted himself, is among the year’s best. 

8. The Iron Claw 

Dir. Sean Durkin, coming to theaters next week 

A detailed, emotional story of pro wrestling’s Von Erich family, which dominated Texas wrestling in the 1980s and later suffered a long series of tragedies. But it concludes, beautifully, on a note of hope. 

7. All of Us Strangers 

Dir. Andrew Haigh, coming to theaters later this month 

Another emotionally powerful film, in which Adam (Andrew Scott) befriends another man in his apartment complex (Paul Mescal), leading to a relationship- at the same time he suddenly gains the Field of Dreams-like ability to speak to his long-dead parents. I’m already looking forward to the arguments this movie’s ending is going to start. 

6. Past Lives 

Dir. Celine Song, streaming on VOD, review here 

A slight but powerful story of a Korean-American woman whose childhood friend resurfaces- leading her to a possible choice between him and her husband. Always feels like it’s going to topple into melodrama, but it never does. 

5. Killers of the Flower Moon 

Dir. Martin Scorsese, in some theaters and VOD now, review here 

Scorsese’s epic adaptation of David Grann’s nonfiction book isn’t fast-paced like some other movies from the director about crime, but it’s still thought-provoking, as well as chilling. Lily Gladstone steals the movie right from under the noses of longtime Scorsese muses Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. 

4. Saltburn 

Dir. Emerald Fennell, in theaters now, review here, full-throated defense of the director here

Over-the-top satire of the upper classes, and their infiltration by a young man on the make (Barry Keoghan). Misunderstood, but so purely entertaining. 

3. Oppenheimer 

Dir. Christopher Nolan, now on VOD, review here 

Just a huge movie in every way- big format, big subject, big cast. Cillian Murphy leads a cast of about 40 great actors in telling the multi-decade story of the man who led the development of the atomic bomb and lived to regret it. 

2. Beau is Afraid 

Dir. Ari Aster, streaming on VOD, review here 

Equal parts hilarious and horrifying, Aster adapts what sounds like a Jewish mother joke into a three-hour near-masterpiece. Goes in lots of wonderful directions, including an urban hellscape. a hectoring mother at her own funeral, and the year’s most ill-fated sex scene. 

1. Poor Things 

Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos, in theaters now, review here 

The best movie of the year is a version of the Frankenstein story, starring Emma Stone in her best-ever performance as a woman who evolves considerably throughout the film. Funny, sexy, and dramatic- it’s a pure triumph all around.