Friday, January 5, 2024

MY TOP 50 FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2023 (and 10 worst)

 My Top 50 Favorite Films of 2023.  And the 10 Worst. 


Another year and another list of flicks. This year I ended up seeing 90 new releases.  As usual I go by the fact that they were available to me, here in the US in 2023. So if it came out in 2022 in another Country, I dont count it as I had no way of seeing it until 2023. 


There were some surprises this year for sure. Including a number of disappointments.  Im sad that a new Indiana Jones film can come out and not make it in my top 50. Plus a number of smaller horror films that I had hyped up but failed to deliver for me. Stuff like The Outwaters and Kids VS Aliens. 

There are also a number of important releases that I still have not seen. Oppenheimer. Barbie. Poor Things. Dream Scenario. Ill see them at some point but the list must be made. 


Before I get to my top 50.... I gotta go through my 10 Worst of the Year. 

Honestly only the bottom 8 I can say I did not like. Spots 9 and 10 just happen to fall below everything else even though I didnt hate them. 


MY BOTTOM 10 FILMS OF THE YEAR ARE: 


10. 

Hypnotic 

Sucks to have a Robert Rodriguez movie this low. Unfortunately this was just a mess. Didnt hate it. It aint good though. 





9. 

The Old Way 

Not horrible. Just incredibly generic.





8. 

The Outwaters

This started as one of my most anticipated. Ended up in my bottom 10. Super disappointing. 





7. 

Children of the Corn

Yet another bad telling of Children of the Corn. Not quite as bad as the last remake but.. still bad. 






6. 

Black Demon

Almost caught this one in theaters but luckily I waited to rent it at home. Love my killer shark stuff...hated this. Josh Lucas has fallen so far. 






5. 

Kids VS Aliens 

Another big bummer. I love director Jason Eisener. Hobo With a Shotgun and Treevenge are amazing. Plus I love the VHS segment this is based on. This though was just obnoxious and a big mess. 







4. 

Legions

Just boring and not memorable. In fact I remember nothing but the fact that I hated it. 





3. 

Sharksploitation

What an insult. As a huge Sharksploitation fan, This should have been a dream for me. Instead you spend 90 minutes being scolded for liking these films because it aids to the hunting of sharks. I wanted a doc about a silly and fun film genre. Not to be made to feel bad. 







2. 

Believer 2 

Another insult. This is well made and well acted. Unfortunately what they do is completely destroy the original film by negating the twist that made the first film. A sequel that I was excited for but now wish was never made. I will have to forget this sequel exists so that I can still enjoy the great first film. When a sequel RUINS the previous film... youve fucked up. 





and that leaves the WORST FILM OF 2023... 


1. 

The Expend4bles

I love this series. This 4th one is a complete embarrassment. Ive never facepalmed so many times in a theater watching something. They destroyed the franchise. Even as a completist, I will never purchase this one to add to the rest of the series I own.  Horrendous in every way.








NOW WITH THE WORST OUT OF THE WAY.... 

ONTO MY TOP 50 FAVORITE FILMS OF 2023... 





50. 

VHS 85







49. 

LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND






48. 

THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER







47. 

THE MACHINE 







46. 

BIRTH / REBIRTH 







45. 

BALLERINA 






44. 

SAW X







43. 

SHAZAM: FURY OF THE GODS 







42. 

UNWELCOME 







41. 

GOD IS A BULLET 








40. 

STRAYS 







39. 

The Pale Blue Eye






38. 

NO HARD FEELINGS







37. 

THE WRATH OF BECKY 







36. 

RENFIELD







35. 

COBWEB 







34. 

MISSING







33. 

THE FLASH







32. 

AIR







31. 

ANATOMY OF A FALL







30. 

HORROR IN THE HIGH DESERT 2: MINERVA






29. 

THE BOOGEYMAN







28. 

M3GAN






27. 

JOY RIDE 







26. 

SISU








25. 

THANKSGIVING







24. 

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON







23. 

REPTILE 







22. 

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3






21. 

THE ABANDONED






20. 

FINAL CUT 






19. 

OPERATION FORTUNE






18. 

THE IRON CLAW







17. 

HELL HOUSE ORIGINS: THE CARMICHAEL MANOR







16. 

BLACKBERRY






15. 

THE KILLER







14. 

SPIDER-MAN ACROSS THE SPIDERVERSE





13. 

PROJECT WOLF HUNTING






12. 

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING






11. 

SICK






AND NOW FOR MY 10 FAVORITE FILMS OF 2023.....





10. 

SCREAM 6 

Im a big Scream fan and I thought this was the best one since the original trilogy. 







9. 

GODZILLA MINUS ONE

Easily the best Godzilla film ive seen. 







8. 

THE CREATOR

This is a movie I wasnt expecting much of and I ended up blown away by it. One of my favorite theatrical experiences this year. 







7. 

DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS

Another huge surprise. Funnest movie of the year. And the funniest. Seen it twice and it holds up so well. 







6. 

TALK TO ME

Love this debut horror flick from Australia. Instant classic. Cant wait for the sequel. 







5. 

EVIL DEAD RISE

And we still do not have a BAD Evil Dead film. This was a great time and held up on my recent 2nd viewing. Alyssa Sutherland is a deadite star. 







4. 

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 

An epic ending (?) to the John Wick saga. Incredible and insane action sequences. Loved every second and every bounce off every step. 








3. 

WHEN EVIL LURKS

The best horror film of the year. Dark and depressing and violent and messed up. Has more than one sequence that will stay with me forever. 








2. 

SALTBURN

Just recently watched this and have not been able to get it out of my head. So twisted. Loved the hell out of it. My kind of movie. 








AND MY FAVORITE MOVIE OF 2023 IS: 


1. 

BEAU IS AFRAID


Ari Aster does it again. I totally get why this movie is divisive. When I saw the trailers for this I was afraid this was going to be Aster's "Southland Tales".   I was so wrong. I was into this from minute one of this insane and anxiety filled journey.  Aster is now 3 for 3 for me. Im starting to think the man can do no wrong for me. 











And that does it for 2023.  Lots to look forward to in 24.  A new ALIEN film.  MAXXXINE.  Beetlejuice 2. New Ghostbusters. Nosferatu.  Just to name a few.


SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!