Last year’s movie slate wasn’t high in quantity (a residual effect of the pandemic, I suspect) but it made up for that in quality. I saw 30 fewer films in 2023 than in the prior year, but had an even harder time cramming those titles into a year-end top ten list.
In order to shout out as many good movies as possible, I’m going to dedicate this week to the films in my 11-20 slots, before getting to my top ten in the weeks leading up to the Oscars. Seven of this year’s Best Picture nominees are in my top 20, which is a pretty decent showing by their standards (“you know the Academy, Charlie…“).
Best Films of 2023
#20. Oppenheimer
It’s hard not to hold Oppenheimer‘s award season juggernaut status, not to mention the obnoxious online behavior of Christopher Nolan-heads, against it. But there is so much to like in this epic biopic that I have to give it its due.
Start with the gripping performance of Cillian Murphy, then throw in the stellar work by the huge supporting cast (although I’m lukewarm on two nominated performers — Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr. — and would like to see more love given to Matt Damon and David Krumholtz).
And then there’s the Trinity test, a staggeringly well-conceived and executed set piece that captures the awe and the terror inherent in Oppenheimer’s controversial work. Unfortunately, the film still has an hour left after that stunning climax, but the first two thirds made enough of an impression to sneak the film onto this list.
#19. Origin
Writer/director Ava Duvernay’s adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s non-fiction book Caste is unlike any movie I’ve ever seen. How often can you say that?
Origin is one part documentary and one part character study, with an exploration of grief — societal and personal — serving as the connective tissue. The movie dramatizes Wilkerson’s journey to conceive of and eventually write her best-selling book in the aftermath of two personal tragedies.
The conceit didn’t always work for me — I would still like to see the material handled in a more traditional documentary format. But the performance of Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor as Wilkerson is so powerful that I’m glad this unique film made it possible.
Meet Me In Montauk 
As someone who went into Oppenheimer as not a big fan of Nolan nor of 3 hour runtimes, I had relatively low expectations for the film, which were greatly exceeded. Oppenheimer would be in my personal top 10, and I found the last 3rd of the movie fascinating and Robert Downey Jr. well-deserving of the nomination,
As for Origin, I went in with no idea what the movie was about, but I was really blown away. Origin would absolutely make my personal top 10, and likely my top 5.
Both of these films are in my top 10 for many of the reasons you and Dana cite.
While the Trinity test was undoubtedly the cinematic highlight of Oppenheimer, it was the trial that elevated the film beyond that breathtaking sequence. Downey and Blunt bring everything necessary to understand their complicated, often unlikeable characters (though I agree there are a few other performances also at that level).
Origin had Duvernay navigating a tightrope as tricky as Barbie but with far higher stakes. Why the Academy ignores her year after year is a mystery given their penchant in recent years for history making nominations (if not always wins). Maybe if she’d made a more conventional doc, they would have given her the prize she didn’t get for 13th. Nobody navigates the territory surrounding the whys that lead to people viewing each other as “less than” with more grace or power. at least Niecy Nash got some Academy (TV) recognition for When They See Us.
I’ve not seen Origin yet. Hope too soon. Oppenheimer is definitely on my top 10 list. Also not a fan of Nolan or 3 hour plus movies I was mesmerized by the entire movie. All the main actors were superb and while they may not be my picks for Oscar’s I wouldn’t be upset if they won.