It comes around faster and faster each year I swear – a sign of getting old methinks – but once again we have the difficult task of choosing our favourite films of the year. And oh boy it’s been a tough one.

Pandemic remnants now over (although the writers’ strike may impact next year’s, but we’ll worry about that then), the quality of films from blockbusters to indies seemed higher than ever before. This means this year has been one of the hardest to whittle down to just 20.

As always, a shout out to those who just missed the cut. Perhaps on another day they would have made it depending on mood but you can only choose so many on the day. Firstly, some great low-budget flicks, underappreciated it seems, were more than pleasant surprises. Check out the excellent sordid affair Sanctuary (Zachary Wigon), haunted seance flick Brooklyn 45 (Ted Geoghegan) and drama school comedy Theater Camp (Molly Gordon & Nick Lieberman).

Other good flicks just missing out include Asteroid City (Wes Anderson), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, Kemp Powers), MI: Dead Reckoning Part 1 (Christopher McQuarrie), the (somewhat overrated) Past Lives (Celine Song) and Infinity Pool (Brandon Cronenberg). In addition, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (Kelly Fremon Craig) was a long-overdue but fantastic adaptation.

And who doesn’t love a good documentary too? So go seek out Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (Ursula Macfarlane) and The Spider-Man of Paris (Jamie Roberts), both on Netflix. Coming in under the radar, a few underseen gems that also need a shout out include the over-the-top thriller Sharper (Benjamin Caron), the excellent horror prequel Sister Death (Paco Plaza) and the satire They Cloned Tyrone (Juel Taylor).

More shockingly I suppose, critically acclaimed darlings Tar (Todd Field) and Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese) were top drawer. But in the end they just didn’t hit my buttons for long-term re-watches so I cut them at the last minute. Sorry, folks.

And as much as I've tried to catch everything I've wanted to, a number of films I've been yet to watch include Barbie, Godzilla Minus One, Passages, Maestro, Napoleon & Dream Scenario amongst (many) others.

And with all that, here's our top picks for 2023.

EDIT (26/12/20213): There's always that awkward time between publishing this article and the end of the year, meaning a few films get viewed in this 'no-man's land' period. Given that, right now I'd also add Saltburn (Emerald Fennel) to the list.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (Dir. Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley)

Like many, my expectations were incredibly low for this table-top board-game adaptation (see Battleship) and in the busy fantasy genre, it sure needed something to stand out. Yet with a magical cast and its avoidance of the increasingly annoying (and snarky) use of meta-jokes, its focus on character, story and a lot of heart and goodwill overcame the familiar genre beats. It rolled the dice and gave us a fantastic and funny family adventure for all.

Polite Society (Dir. Nida Manzoor)

Priya Kansara is excellent as the lead teenager aspiring to be a stuntwoman, but who comes up against her traditional upbringing and the family of her sister’s new boyfriend. An amazing and very pleasant surprise mixing Asian culture & family conflict with grindhouse and martial arts elements that is equal parts exciting, funny and brilliantly well-paced. Perfectly-timed humour combined with great performances see cult-movie tropes (& a great villain) end up as a Bollywood Get Out but with its own unique voice too.

May December (Dir. Todd Haynes)

Two brilliant performances from actors at the top of their game – Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore – both deliver starkly blunt turns in a dark film that explores the soon-to-be-adapted life of an older woman who had an affair with a schoolboy. Turning her twisted life into a movie, Natalie Portman struggles to find a “truth” as she speaks to those involved whilst Moore is shrewd as the unapologetic predator. Twisted and open to interpretation, the uneasy set-up makes for engaging drama and fascinating viewing. 

The Creator (Dir. Gareth Edwards)

Disappearing after Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the return of (Midlands-born!) director Gareth Edwards sees him deliver his own ambitious sci-fi where robots and AI are considered a global threat. An agent sent to destroy a “Creator”, who has powers to stop the conflict, is played brilliantly by John David Washington who delivers a star-making lead role adding to the film’s deeper ideas of sentience and technology. Admittedly, the themes have been explored in movies before but the lush cinematography, exciting set-pieces and jaw-dropping production design provide an amazing sensory experience.

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (Dir. Dean Fleischer Camp)

Unbeknownst to me this excellent animated movie has its roots as a YouTube short but more than makes a successful jump into a cinematic format as it deals with larger poignant themes of life and love. Marcel is a 1-inch-tall shell who lives with his grandmother, and as they meet an Airbnb guest in their “home”, together they attempt to find his lost family. What could easily be a one-note joke stretched thin is quite the opposite - as it successfully manages to explore the world from a fresh perspective combining heartfelt and heartbreak in a gloriously tiny package.

John Wick: Chapter 4 (Dir. Chad Stahelski)

I was very much prepared for an overlong retread of familiarity as the fourth entry of the Wick franchise continued to march along a well-worn (and seen many times before) path. However, I couldn’t have been more surprised by its violent pleasures and increasingly absurd action in a neon fight-fest that sees almost non-stop punch-ups from the outset. The film sure is lengthy (hasn't everything been this year) but the satisfying gun-play choreography continues to keep Wick's fighting franchise quality firmly on the trigger.

The Whale (Dir. Darren Aronofsky)

A tour-de-force Oscar-winning performance from Brendan Fraser anchors this heartfelt drama that sees a morbidly obese man who despite his reclusiveness tries to bond with his estranged daughter. More accessible than Aronofsky’s previous work, the drama plays out intensely in tight rooms – made smaller by Brendan’s large frame in Oscar-winning make-up. Hong Chau (Oscar-nominated for her role) and Sadie Sink deliver equally impressive, and impeccable, performances in a movie that showcases the tremendous acting chops of those involved.

Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 (Dir. James Gunn)

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe in creative freefall, you’ve got to hand it to director James Gunn who returns to his much-praised cosmic team to inject a whole load of innovative fun, comedy, action and emotional gut-punches to end his trilogy. Gunn’s renaissance after his (successful) dalliance with DC’s Suicide Squad shows he hasn’t missed a beat and from slow-mo one-shot fight scenes to sensitive insights into animal experiments, Gunn adds weighty themes to his irreverent style to come up with the best superhero film since Avengers: Endgame. 

Anatomy of a Fall (Dir. Justine Triet)

A phenomenal Sandra Hüller stars in this captivating courtroom drama as a troubled writer attempting to prove her innocence after discovering her husband dead. Whether an accident or something more sinister, the film builds slowly with its direct matter-of-fact tone brilliantly drawing focus to the stories and counterarguments played out in the legal system. The viewer acts as their own jury, weighing up evidence throughout, and as it twists and turns, the well-constructed story explores the complexity of multiple perspectives in its attempt to search for “truth”.

The Killer (Dir. David Fincher)

The dark stylings of filmmaker David Fincher are used with marksmanship precision in a film which follows the aftermath of an assassin's botched job and his subsequent hunt for revenge. The standout is Fassbender, who has the weight of the film on him, but who is tremendous from the start, with just the right amount of unemotional detachment mixed with a hint of humanity beneath the surface. The movie offers some hope amongst all the carnage, and with these hints of redemption Fincher's mesmerising movie attempts to bring order to plenty of criminal chaos. Click here for full review

Blackberry (Dir. Matt Johnson)

With Air & Tetris, 2023 was a year of movies about iconic business brands but the winner by far was this great comedy-drama about the rise and fall of the Blackberry mobile phone. A fascinating story with a career best performance from Jay Baruchel, the standout however was an impeccably delivered supporting role from Glenn Howerton as a sleazy money-man. With this and The Thief Collector, the actor stars is in two of our top films of 2023 and, in a perfect world, would be a shoe in for an Oscar nod.

The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan (Dir. Martin Bourboulon)

A simple (for all the best reasons) but spirited adaptation of the French novel sees the riveting drama from Dumas' work delivered excellently by a charismatic, experienced and vibrant cast. Take a ride alongside the infamous trio (quatro?) in a film that sees innovative action which mixes John Wick athleticism & muddy Revenant-style long takes. The electric swash-buckling and stirring set-pieces create both danger & excitement as it provides a satisfying and sincere slice of classic adventuring.

Sick of Myself (Dir. Kristoffer Borgli)

With its focus on self-harm, this dark Norwegian drama is less of a social satire on narcissism than a Cronenbergian body modification horror. As a woman uses increasingly disturbing means (from tall tales to disfigurement) to garner attention from her boyfriend and then others, this absolute shocker of a story will make you think and flinch in equal measure with its disgustingly impressive look into ego-driven obsessions.

The Thief Collector (Dir. Allison Otto)

This astonishing documentary tells of the joyous discovery of a $100million stolen painting after years of being lost after an art heist in the 1980s. What subsequently unravels sees the potential suspects involved in far FAR darker matters from fraud to possibly much worse. The usual talking heads are interspersed with amusing dramatic recreations and this unbelievable twisty tale is brilliantly entertaining & surprisingly shocking with its mysterious tale of art world deception.

Babylon (Dir. Damien Chazelle)

Babylon is overstuffed, overplayed and overlong but I was totally here for all of it. I was swept up in its degeneracy and surface pleasures and it felt glorious not to be given a(nother) lesson on society’s ills as we explore the horrors of Hollywood. And Chazelle’s music-film background (La La Land, Whiplash) allows the up-tempo tunes, like the fast-paced visuals, to push us forward to the next debauched sequence. Babylon is a cluttered, lewd and bawdy experience and one that takes us on a titillating voyage of vulgarity down the Hollywood walk of shame. Click here for full review

Rye Lane (Dir. Raine Allen Miller)

The movie breathes new life into the rom-com as we join a joyous trek through London with two troubled souls who connect over walks, drinks and past break-ups. Star-making turns from David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah anchor the whole tale as they perfectly deliver a dazzling comedy script across vibrant locations in a fantastically hilarious yet heart-warming tale.

Sisu (Dir. Jalmari Helander)

From its unrestrained ferocity and rapid bouts of bloodshed, Sisu sees a one-man army as he goes up against invading forces. The movie delivers a host of entertaining cult-film-inspired action in a fury of aggressive slaughter and entertaining bloodshed. And it has to be said, it’s always immensely satisfying to see Nazis getting punched (and shot, and burnt, and blown up, and stabbed…and much more). Brutal deluxe. Click here for full review

Pearl (Dir. Ti West)

Horror prequel Pearl lifts the look, sound and visuals from a Hollywood era separate from X - Ti West's first film in this new franchise. Whilst that explores sleazy b-movie tropes, Pearl brilliantly uses cinema's golden age to expand upon its dissection of generational aspiration and disillusionment. With an exceptional performance from Mia Goth playing a lost (and very disturbed) young woman seeking fame, West has once again expertly weaved how Americans see childhood dreams clashing with old-age realities in a terrific, and horrific, love/hate letter to the movies. Click for full review

Oppenheimer (Dir. Christopher Nolan)

The culmination of a series of commercial and critical successes, Nolan delivers his most amazing movie yet by channeling Oliver Stone JFK-style editing with scientific precision for a 3-hour “talky” epic you simply can’t avert your eyes from. Cillian Murphy’s stunning central performance as a man grappling with the repercussions of creating the atomic bomb is complimented by a star supporting cast with everyone at the very top of their game. An explosive and essential piece of cinema.