Amidst the holidays and hot chocolate, when December rolls around I often begin to reflect on the past year —especially the incredible pieces of media that each new year brings. From music to books, I try to keep myself well-rounded in the pop culture space. However, with the colder weather creeping in and the recent ending of the SAG-AFTRA strike, I’ve been especially grateful lately for good movies. Despite tons of chaos and a historic 118-day strike, 2023 managed to produce some hilarious, thought-provoking, and fun movies that deserve to have their moment in the spotlight. In no particular order, here are eight movies released in 2023 that I loved.
1. Talk to Me
I really love horror movies that make you think. Talk to Me, an Australian supernatural horror film did just that. Following a group of teens that connect to spirits through an embalmed hand, Talk to Me explores themes of loss and morality. It had a great balance of gore, mystery, and intrigue, without being so scary that I couldn’t sleep at night. While it was not my all-time favorite from this year, horror fanatics should be sure to check it out.
2. Barbie
To get the obvious out of the way, we have to talk about Barbie. As a twenty-year-old girl who started sobbing as Billie Eilish began to sing “What Was I Made For?,” I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn’t include this film on the list. From a cast filled with talented actors to vibrant colors to throw-away lines I still think about, Barbie is a truly special film. I could go on and on and on (and I did in this podcast episode and numerous rants to my mom), but the bottom line is: If you somehow have yet to see this movie, I urge you to change that soon.
3. No Hard Feelings
This movie brings back the trashy, kinda unrealistic, definitely immoral rom-com that we’ve been needing. As a self-proclaimed Andrew Barth Feldman stan (I made my parents take me to see him in Dear Evan Hansen back in 2019), I was ecstatic to finally see him on the silver screen. Throw in the fact that I was a huge Hunger Games kid, and it was clear that I would see this movie regardless of the plot. The plot, however, did not disappoint. Centering around a 32-year-old woman who is hired to give a young boy some romantic experience, this movie is hilarious and includes an incredibly charming musical moment. It also takes place in and was filmed on Long Island, which just so happens to be where I’m from.
4. Red, White, and Royal Blue
I’m normally a hater of cheesy rom-coms that overuse tropes and look like they were made in a factory. Red, White, and Royal Blue, makes some of these mistakes, following the prince of England and the son of the President of the United States who fall into your typical enemies-to-lovers category. However, something about this movie was just so cute that I’ve watched it twice and would probably watch it again. Their chemistry is palpable and the more emotional moments had me glued to my seat, despite knowing how the story would end. Queer people deserve to have cute little love stories where no one dies, and this film is a great example of that.
5. Bottoms
Bottoms is a satirical teen comedy starring Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri — a duo I absolutely love. The story centers around two high schoolers who set up a fight club in hopes of getting to hook up with the cheerleaders. This film has been criticized for its cliches, lack of depth, and “overly gay” characters. However, I could not get enough. It is completely unserious with outlandish dialogue, vibrant colors, and unexpected bloodshed. To me, Bottoms was a super fun watch and a great satirization of tons of tropes that we know and love. For those that love campy, fun, queer high school films, I cannot recommend this one enough.
6. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
While Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is not exactly a traditional movie, watching it was some of the most fun I’ve ever had in a movie theater. Screaming the lyrics, trading friendship bracelets, and getting free posters were just some of the things that made this movie-going experience magical. The film itself sparkles. Swift’s production elements are theatrical, fast-paced, and full of love for her fans. While I’m highly biased as a passionate Swiftie, I truly think anyone with a love for music will enjoy this film.
7. Theater Camp
Watching this film was an experience like no other. Somehow this film filled me with a great nostalgia for a place I had never been, longing to go back to a childhood experience I never even had. As you could probably guess from my section on No Hard Feelings, I am a hardcore theater kid and a little bit of a Ben Platt apologist. Theater camp follows Platt, alongside Molly Gordon, Noah Galvin, Ayo Edebiri, and many others, as they attempt to keep their beloved theater camp afloat while their co-founder and director is in a coma. The chaos that ensues includes a hilarious audition montage, tons of theater easter eggs, and a rivalry reminiscent of Camp Rock 2. I didn’t even like my summer camp experience and this movie still had me whole-heartedly belting “Camp isn’t home, but it is, kinda?” Despite being overshadowed by Barbenheimer hype, this movie is not one to miss.
8. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
I am always ready to re-enter my Hunger Games era and this movie was just the push I needed to do so. The Panem prequel was full of action, great writing, and easter eggs that made my Hunger Games heart very happy. One of the film’s stars, Rachel Zegler, is a talented vocalist that I used to watch sing musical theater covers back in her YouTube days. While Tom Blyth does a great job of capturing the sinister, yet complex nature of a young Coriolanus Snow, Zegler truly shines in both her acting and vocal abilities. As someone who never got around to reading the book, I went into this movie skeptical of how entertaining a Snow origin story could really be. However, I walked out of the theater fully re-emerged in the world of this long-time favorite franchise.
These are just some of the fun films I had the pleasure of watching this year. From beloved franchises to original stories, 2023 was full of some really entertaining and thought-provoking movies. I can’t wait to indulge in the incredible films to grace the silver screen in 2024!