Vanity Fair's Notable Movies of 2023, Up to Now
Written by Richard Lawson
Finding the best movies of 2023 is an ordeal, with options flooding from theaters and streaming platforms. To alleviate this struggle, we are compiling a list of impressive movies from throughout the year for your perusal. Enjoy themes covering existential tension, sophisticated suspense, and emotional turmoil. The majority of the movies listed below are either screening in theaters or available online for streaming or rental, with future availability assured. Enjoy your viewing!
The initial impression of the witty comedy directed by writer-director Nicole Holofcener is nothing more than a breezy romp through wealthy Manhattan. Yet, as consistently shown by Holofcener, there are profound themes underpinning the story. You Hurt My Feelings delivers a sharp and touching exploration of the dynamics of love, demonstrating how even the most supportive intentions can have unexpected impacts. This intelligent and considerate movie explores the nuances of white lies and misplaced pampering, drawing upon keen observations of human nature. Featuring the ever shining Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the lead role, she exceptionally delivers the film’s spicy humor and poignant drama. It's a captivating performance worthy of accolades.
Celine Song debuted with one of the most impressive features of the year, a romantic drama spanning decades and continents. Past Lives, which captured approvals at Sundance in January, explores immigration and aging through the emotional journey of two old friends, possibly lovers, Nora and Hae Sung. Separated in their children when Nora's family moves to Canada from Seoul, the film follows their tentative and later enthusiastic reunion as they grapple with the stark contrast between their present realities and their cherished past. The film's profound questions are beautifully presented in warm, summer light, presenting an irresistibly poetic narrative. Past Lives, scheduled for limited theaters on June 2, is highly recommended.
The Eight Mountains by Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch, based on Paolo Cognetti's book, offers an enriching insight into male friendship. Across decades, the film tracks the growth of two Italians from boys to men. Despite some exaggerated narrative towards the end, the film's earlier segments are thoughtful and engaging. The Eight Mountains, releasing on April 28, beautifully explore various themes, including class divide and the lasting impact of adolescent experiences, against the backdrop of breathtaking Alpine vistas.
Hlynur Pálmason's overarching and formidable film, Godland, offers a difficult watch. The 19th-century saga of a Danish priest traveling to Iceland is stark and rigid, depicting a relentless journey across harsh landscapes promising nothing favorable. Yet, the film captivates through its somber, despairing contemplation of faith, vanity, and colonialism. Despite an austere presentation, Pálmason skillfully employs a few flamboyant techniques to intensify the uncanny atmosphere of existential anxiety.
An unnerving eco-thriller, How to Blow Up a Pipeline by Daniel Goldhaber, vibrates with exigency. The film brings together a diverse group of young adults from across America to address climate change. The central idea is that peaceful climate change activism has failed, thus necessitating radical action. The film presents an intriguing philosophical, political, and ethical standpoint, while also being a fascinating take on the heist genre. How to Blow Up a Pipeline could potentially reflect a shift in the cultural discourse on the climate crisis, as the younger generation takes up the cause for their future.
The second feature film from Australian-Macedonian director Goran Stolevski, Of an Age, offers a narrative imbued with elements of a coming-out tale. The plot follows Kol (Elias Anton), initially introduced as a teenager hiding his sexual orientation, who develops feelings for a friend's older brother, Adam (Thom Green). Even though both characters go their separate ways, the story leaps forward in time to depict them as adults, possibly still harbouring feelings for one another. Despite the abrupt conclusion, the film provides a poignant examination of the struggle with coming out, especially within oneself. It also offers a perspective on the Balkan diaspora in Australia laced with gentle humour.
In Davy Chou’s unique and soul-stirring film, Freddie (Park Ji-min) acts as the central character. Born in South Korea and later adopted by French parents, she returns to her birth country against her adoptive parents’ wishes to find her biological family. As she grapples to find her place in the world, Return to Seoul offers a touching exploration of her tumultuous journey over nearly a decade.
Scream VI, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, shows a significant improvement in its franchise after the underwhelming fifth instalment. This sequel, with its backdrop of New York City and more compelling characters, proves an unexpected joy. The film successfully provides frights, showcases exceptional filmmaking skills, and delivers an entertaining revelation of the villain. Despite falling short of Wes Craven’s original, it has reinvented its appeal.
Benjamin Caron’s film, Sharper, is an unconventional and compelling drama. It is a rare cinematic treat that presents its cast, including Justice Smith,Briana Middleton, Sebastian Stan, and Julianne Moore, effortlessly combining allure and danger. Caron demonstrates his adept filmmaking skills as he balances storytelling with aesthetics. The film, while retaining its sophistication, is reminiscent of traditional B-movies. May this well-crafted narrative pave the way for more such films in the future.
In Showing Up, Kelly Reichardt offers a heartwarming narrative. The film focuses on a sculptor in Portland, Oregon, enacted by Michelle Williams, as she navigates her journey in the art community and attempts to define the purpose of her craft. Balancing humour and profundity, Showing Up becomes an essential watch for anyone pursuing their passion.
A.V. Rockwell's debut as a filmmaker exhibits an elegant film that beautifully puts its star, Teyana Taylor, on display. Taylor's character, Inez, recently released from jail, absconds with her son from foster care and starts a new life in uptown Manhattan. Unbeknownst to her son Terry, his mother is quietly maintaining a life on the run which later jeopardizes his academic future. Except for a late-appearing, gratuitous twist, Rockwell handles this grave subject matter with minimal melodrama and frames New York City in a stunning manner. This is a superb start for a new filmmaker and a powerful return for its lead actress.
Domestic filmmakers of Belgium, Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, present another narrative about the societal periphery in their homeland with a searing exploration of two children caught in the administrative red tape of immigration. West African refugees Tori (played by PabloSchils) and teenage Lokita (played by Joely Mbundu) are forced further into societal fringes by Belgian immigration authorities who will only document one of them. Tori and Lokita conveys an intense, stripped-down thriller with a serious moral undertone. Even well into their careers, the Dardennes continue to produce relevant and probing work.
Wes Anderson returns with a film that both revisits his well-loved signature style and thoughtfully expands his humanist narrative. Asteroid City narrates the stories of varied characters (portrayed by a star-studded cast) confined in a small desert town during the Atomic Age, discussing themes such as sorrow, solitude, romance, and existential curiosity. Asteroid City's notable narrative structure does not distance viewers as previous films but instead resonates deeply, offering a source of comfort in chaotic times.
From a certain viewpoint, Oppenheimer might be Director Christopher Nolan's most ambitious work. It narrates the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer's journey to victory in the nuclear arms race, but this time, the focus is on its themes and dramatic goals rather than on elaborate set-ups or complicated narratives. Cillian Murphy gives a captivating performance as Oppenheimer, from an inquisitive inventor to a regretful harbinger of a new and terrifying era. This insightful film works as a refreshing summer film alternative discreetly presented as a blockbuster.
Ira Sachs has created a romantic drama, lacking in romance but abundant in character study. Renowned actor Franz Rogowski portrays a film director, Tomas, who unsettles his seemingly serene marriage (to Martin, played by Ben Whishaw) by engaging in an affair with a Parisian school teacher, Agathe (performed by Adèle Exarchopoulos). Relationships in this film fluctuate from fracturing to healing, filled with passion and conversations (which many pairings are based on). Passages move in a cultured fashion towards a mysteriously touching conclusion.
Drawing from the lineage of movies like The Big Short that take an incisive look at the financial setup of unregulated America, Dumb Money, the latest offering from Craig Gillespie now playing in theaters, provides a tense yet amusing examination of the GameStop meme-stock incident. The film chronicles the journey of an unconventional day trader and his numerous enthusiastic followers – some cynical internet pranksters, while others are common folks hoping to get a piece of the wealth predominantly controlled by the elite 1 percent. Through their efforts to counteract hedge funds' short selling of the video game retail giant by increasing its stock value, they irk Wall Street plunderers who are habituated to manipulating the economy sans disturbances from the average man. Although the film's enthusiastic populist theme might seem somewhat disordered – it celebrates an alternative form of market trading rather than criticizing market trading itself as a harmful invention – Gillespie's direction ensures that the film remains compelling and engrossing. This is further complemented by commendable performances from actors Paul Dano, Seth Rogen (in antagonist role), and America Ferrera.
Justine Triet's gripping film lends an element of suspense but leans more towards drama as it delves into the realm of the unknown. It addresses the fundamental queries – How well do we actually know those who are closest to us? How well do we understand our own hearts, our own potential for affection and wrath? Sandra Hüller delivers a powerful performance in Triet's film, portraying a woman accused of killing her husband, which may in fact have been a horrific mistake, without expressing any moral judgement of her character. Hüller's performance, as multifaceted as the film itself, is among the top performances of the year. Anatomy of a Fall vacillates between being a murder mystery or a tragic tale of a mishap, providing an insight into a marriage reaching the worst point of rupture or abruptly disrupted. Whatever angle you view it from, Anatomy of a Fall guarantees tantalizing, stimulating entertainment, deserving of the accolades it has received, including the Cannes Palme d’Or, as well as the ones it is bound to acquire in the future.
After a considerable gap, director Alexander Payne serves us yet another poignant slice of life with The Holdovers. Similar in style to Nebraska and Sideways, this film is a welcome comeback, simultaneously sour and cloudy. Appealingly, Paul Giamatti plays the character of a dejected, inebriated boarding school teacher assigned to take care of a remaining student during the winter vacation in the early 1970s. Dominic Sessa, a novice on screen, comes across as lanky yet charming as the problematic student, with Da’Vine Joy Randolph adding significant value as a canteen worker serving these complicated men as she wrestles with her personal distress. Age mellows Payne’s perspective; where he might have leaned towards harshness two decades earlier, he now leans towards empathy. He portrays the elegance in disorder, capturing an exhausted, defeated older man as he surrenders to the elastic annoyance of youth to pull him out of inertia. The Holdovers serves as a great film to watch during Christmas and New Year: offers a glimpse into resolutions that might truly persist this time.
Focusing on the softer aspects, Sofia Coppola takes a year after the flashy extravaganza of Elvis to center on Priscilla Presley. Priscilla, who met Elvis, the world-renowned rock artist, when she was merely 14 years old during her time with her family at a military base in Germany, is the subject of Coppola's film. Despite recognizing the issues with this relationship – Priscilla’s tender age; and Elvis’s inflexible control over her life at Graceland – the film does not act as a sober, instructive reinterpretation of history. It is reflective yet serene, minor yet not insubstantial. The film follows the journey of a young woman as she faces up to harsh truths hidden behind the fog of an illusion, finds her agency while living under the enormous shadow of her husband’s increasing fame. It is a tale of growing-up, with subtly impactful performances by Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi. The film portrays a progressing journey into the daunting real world. Despite gaining her independence, Priscilla accepts the fact that she will irrevocably be connected to something grander than her, something timeless.
Martin Scorsese’s film is long and grinding. So too is America’s history of greedy, racist violence, a truth laid painstakingly bare in this careful, curatorial adaptation of David Grann’s nonfiction book. Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio play terrible men doing terrible things in 1920s Oklahoma. Specifically, they are robbing and murdering Osage people to steal their money, their land, and their oil, a microcosm of the larger genocide that stains and defines the nation. As Mollie Burkhart, one of the Osage people preyed upon, Lily Gladstone gives the film a beating heart, even if that thump is faint amid such degradation and ruin. Killers of the Flower Moon may be yet another Scorsesian examination of violent men and the organizations they build around their impulses. But it does something different, more expansive, than do, say, Goodfellas or Gangs of New York. Like The Irishman before it, Killers of the Flower Moon finds its golden-years filmmaker at a point of weary reconsideration. The thrill is gone, and what’s left is only the horror—the bloody aftermath of an avarice perhaps uniquely ours.
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