As we come to the end of a tumultuous year at the cinema, the struggle to define the year’s best films was more complicated than expected. Between the actors/writers strike, the challenges at Marvel and Disney and the COVID hangover remaining, this was a challenging list to put together.
Yet, some of the highlights occurred in the arthouse atmosphere. So here we go: our favourite films of 2023.
Top films of 2023
In no particular order:
– Foe
– One Life
– Wonka
“Wonka offers families the very thing they have been looking for in holiday entertainment, with terrific characters, fantastic writing and beautiful musical numbers.Wonka is the best film this holiday season and may be one of the year’s best films too.”
– Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part 1
– Air
– Still: A Michael J Fox Movie
– Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3
– Marcel the Shell Wearing Shoes
Guilty pleasures
These films may not have been on the top, but they were too much fun to ignore:
– Opération Fortune: Ruse de Guerre
Best Family Films of 2023
In no particular order:
– Wonka
– Leo
– Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
– Spider-man: Across the Spiderverse
Eternity’s Honourable Mentions
Christmas film of the year: Spirited
Pleasant surprise: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Charming story: Journey to Bethlehem
Making waves for God: Jesus Revolution
Jonathan Roumie as Lonnie Frisbee in Jesus Revolution Lions Gate Entertainment
Wild ride: Barbie
Inspiring cause: Sound of Freedom
Retelling a beloved life: The Hiding Place
The bulk of this article (not including Eternity’s honourable mentions) first appeared on Third Space with Reel Dialogue, and is republished here with permission.
Russ Matthews works for City Bible Forum as Product Manager for The Edge and Reel Dialogue. He has a passion for film and getting conversations started on themes from these visual creations.