Written by Grady Fiorio
Original Publishing Date: June 28th, 2023
The 10 best films of the first half of 2023
Admittedly, the first half of 2023 has been a bit slow for film. Compared to the shotgun blast that was 2022's Everything Everywhere All at Once, Top Gun, The Batman, and RRR, 2023 has moved a bit slower in comparison. Yet still, a number of fantastic films have graced silver screens across the world, with even more exciting projects yet to come. Films like Killers of the Flower Moon, Dune Part 2, and Oppenheimer, are just a small selection of the year's most anticipated. But while we wait, let me tell you about the best so far. There are still a few films I need to catch up on this summer season, but I was able to catch most of the big ones. If your favorite film wasn't on this list, it probably slipped past my radar or just wasn't that great. However, keep an eye out because you may see them appear on the Best of 2023 list, six months from now. So without further ado, I'll be sharing my top 10 films of the first half of 2023. Just like last year, I'll be counting films with both a limited and wide release, so some of these may be festival films that might not get a wide release until next year, or only just got their wide release this year but had a limited premiere in 2022. Other than that, don't take the ordering too seriously, only my favorite film I'm saving for last.
Honorable Mentions
As a proud Tetris addict and former theater kid, I wasn't expecting those itches to be scratched in cinema this year, but low and behold, filmmakers Jon S. Baird, Molly Gordon, and Nick Lieberman have come to resurrect my inner child. While you might be confused why Tetris, a puzzle game about falling blocks got its own feature film, you'll be surprised to know that it's actually a political thriller, based on the true story of video game businessman, Henk Rogers's attempt to sneak the classic video game out of the USSR and bring it to the rest of the free world. It's Argo for nerds, and I'll be damned if it wasn't a good time. It doesn't reinvent the formula, and it has some pacing issues, but it's a fun little film and the kind of thing I'd really like to see more of. As a long-time Tetris fan, it felt like the weird kind of niche film that was made just for me. Speaking of oddly specific niche films that hit back to my childhood, we have Theater Camp. A festival darling that will surely become a cult classic, if not a smash hit. The film follows the ins and outs of an ill-fated theater summer camp after its founder ends up in a coma. As someone who both went to and worked for a theater summer camp, Theater Camp is a scarily accurate representation of the comedy of errors that are youth theatre programs. It's funny, it's got a lot of heart, and it made me die inside as my brain got flash banged with cringe PTSD from my days as a camper. It's good stuff, and even those who never knew the days of ten-year-olds chanting Steven Sondheim lyrics during lunch can still enjoy. I'd like to also briefly mention the new Dungeons and Dragons film. Like many others, I really wasn't expecting much, but the film turns out to be a slick medieval heist film in the vein of Oceans 11. The script is funny and the direction is superb. It might not sweep award shows, but it's definitely worth your time. I hope studios take notes on this one.
10. Infinity Pool
Starting off my list, we have Brandon Cronenberg at it again with another classic in one of my favorite genres, "Rich People Being Fucking Weird for 2 Hours". Gracing the screen with more sex, drugs, and rock n' roll, Infinity Pool is an exploration of what happens when the sick and twisted have all restrictions taken away. Brandon's take on Eyes Wide Shut proves to be an eye-opening account of the monster that lays dormant in all of us. All it takes is a little push. Probably not the best pick for family movie night, but a great time if you just want to see shit get weird. It may not hit as hard as Brandon's previous effort, Possessor, but with his follow-up, he proves that he's got talent, and he's here to stay.
You can read my full Sundance 2023 breakdown by clicking here.
9. John Wick Chapter 4
While admittedly I've never been a huge John Wick fan, I gotta admit, John Wick: Chapter 4 blew me away. Initially, I was certainly daunted by the three-hour run time. I mean how many ways can you creatively shoot bad guys for 180 minutes? Are there even enough bullets to do so? Well, this is America, so that's an unequivocal yes. Thankfully, my fears of the runtime were eased with each click of the trigger, because simply put, John Wick: Chapter 4 is badass. Uping the stakes in every way imaginable, director Chad Stahelski improves the flow of action, while continuing to build the world of John Wick in ways that genually kept me invested. I'm not 100% sure why this clicked for me when the others didn't, but I'm not going to question it to hard, because this was great. Not we just have to wait for Stahelski's upcoming adaptation of Ghost of Tsushima (Which you can read a review of, by clicking here).
8. Knock at the Cabin
I'll admit. Knock at the Cabin isn't perfect. In fact, it pretty clearly wears its flaws on its sleeves. That being said, I found the film so engaging that even though I was in an old dusty theater with a broken projector, I damn near fell off my seat with how close I got to the edge. Its twisted tale of an apocalypse only stopped by a sacrifice of the innocent, that forces us to re-examine our dedication to the ones we love. I'm not 100% sure how I feel about the movie vs book ending. There's something to be said about closure vs ambiguity, but that's a choice for audiences to decide. With strong performances, and a mystery that keeps you constantly second-guessing, Knock at the Cabin proves that films don't need to be perfect to be engaging, you just need stories that audiences can be invested in.
7. Rye Lane
Another excellent Sundance flick from this year, Rye Lane is one of the few genuinely great rom-coms to be released in recent memory. It's slick, stylish, and much more fast-paced than you're expecting. While you've probably seen the formula before, the characters are incredibly likable, and the direction from Raine Allen Miller is instantly attention-grabbing. Plus the first-time performances from leads David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah are superb. My only real complaint was that I wanted more! This one's already out on Hulu and is absolutely worth the 82 minutes of your time.
You can read my full Sundance 2023 breakdown by clicking here.
6. BlackBerry
Weirdly enough, at the same time this year there were two-period piece films about the rise of commercial products that would revolutionize the way we live our lives and recognize that industry. Both of these of course are Air, the story of Nike's Air Jordan sneaker lineup, and BlackBerry, one of technology's greatest rises and falls in the creation of the first brand of smartphones. While Air might win at the box office, BlackBerry will no doubt be the film with the staying power (ironically). The absolute cut-throat story of Mike Lazaridis and Douglas Fregin's calculator turned communication revolution, is nothing short of amazing. Performances all around are incredibly strong, but Glenn Howerton as the company's business mind, Jim Basile, is an absolute knockout. While every other screenwriter is trying to do Sorkin, BlackBerry embraces its roots while also finding its own identity. It's a nonstop thrill ride that's engaging from beginning to end. My favorite kind of films have me audible gasping while spinning on the edge of my seat like I'm a soccer mom watching soap operas, and BlackBerry delivers.
5. Fair Play
Holy shit, talk about tense. Fair Play is one of those movies that knot you up like an old pipe cleaner, then rips you open at the last second. Just barely edging out BlackBerry for the most nerve-wracking film on this year's list, Chloe Domont's debut is an ode to erotic thrillers of the past, but with a more modern perspective that keeps tired tropes interesting. In one minute it'll have you loving the leads, to hating them the next. It's an emotional rollercoaster that leads straight off a cliff, and to be honest, I wouldn't have it any other way. Watch it on Netflix when it releases later this year. I have a lot more to say than I can fit here about the complexities of this one, so go check out my 2023 Sundance recap for my full thoughts on this one.
You can read my full Sundance 2023 breakdown by clicking here.
4. Across the Spider-Verse
Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in! Let me be the annoying contrarian in the room. I think 2018's Into the Spider-Verse was overhyped. It's by no means a bad movie, but outside of the visuals, I wasn't seeing much I hadn't seen in the countless other Spider-Man origin films. So when the sequel, Across the Spider-Verse, was announced, I honestly didn't feel much. I knew I'd probably see it, but I was keeping my expectations tempered. Fast forward four years and the internet hype train is in full gear. Rave reviews come out again, and Across the Spider-Verse jumps to the number one spot in the Letterboxd top films of all time list. As the hype kept increasing and spoilers started drip-feeding throughout the internet, I finally drove my lazy ass over to the theater, and I gotta say, I was absolutely blown away. Across the Spider-Verse pretty much remedies every issue I had with the original. Keep the animation, get a better soundtrack, extended the runtime, and deepen the story. While it may be a story about hopping through the multiverse and stopping cataclysmic events, I found Across the Spider-Verse to be a much more relatable film. I can relate to Miles' feeling of searching for his identity in a mad world seemingly against him. You just want to do the right thing, but it always seems like there's a brick wall right in front of you. It's never enough. Across the Spider-Verse's "antagonist" is also incredibly compelling. *SPOILERS* Spider-Man 2099 makes such a better antagonist than Kingpin. His motivations are sympathetic and make sense. If you were locked away in a tower and left responsible for keeping the fabric of the multiverse together, while having to watch trillions of people die without intervening, you'd probably be pretty jaded too. Not to mention that the guy also had to watch his family die right in front of him. His motivations are driven by the greater good, not a sense of greed or ultimate power. However, for everything that makes Across the Spider-Verse great, its reliance on a second half that has yet to be released still puts the film's lasting impact into question, leaving it just outmatched by my next pick...
3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Leave it to James Gunn to have me saying to myself in a packed theater "Don't cry at the raccoon movie! Don't cry at the raccoon movie!". With a much darker and more serious tone, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is a bold, exciting, and heartfelt look at the now classic MCU underdogs. From the very opening scene, Guardians 3 lets you know that it's going to be different. It's a change in direction that many will find offputting but is just the right breath of fresh air the series needed. Gunn swings for the fences and doesn't go for the easy wins and happy endings. Not everything works, namely Adam Warlock (as good as that first scene maybe), but the emotion is executed near perfect, and it carries the film all the way through. It's one of the few films this year that I truly couldn't get out of my head after watching. It's got a helluva lot of heart, and it's pretty damn well made. James Gunn leaves the Guardians on a high note with his parting gift to the MCU. Plus the "Get in the fucking car" scene is hysterical.
2. Beyond Utopia
Survival. Survival at all costs. In what will probably go down as the most underappreciated film of the year, Beyond Utopia is the documentary story of a group of North Korean defectors, in their quest for freedom in the South. With all the footage in the film compiled from footage from the defectors, hidden cameras, and leaked security video, Beyond Uptopia puts the price of freedom directly in front of your eyes. It's a brutal tale, but it makes you appreciate every bit of sunlight as if it was your last. While the film has gotten picked up by a distributor, it hasn't gotten the buzz it truly deserves. Please keep an eye out for this one, as it really highlights the heroes of the real world and the everyday risks they take to give people a chance at life.
You can read my full Sundance 2023 breakdown by clicking here.
1. Past Lives
What we want, what we hope, and what we need are all completely different things. It's a lesson I find myself constantly learning. Life is so much more complicated than we ever give it credit, and it's so hard to escape from the world we create in our heads so that we can live on the one beneath our feet. Very rarely are there "good guys" and "bad guys", rather just people living the lives they are destined to live. Nothing captures this sentiment better than Past Lives, the directorial debut and semi-autobiography, from playwright Celine Song. I really can't rave enough about Past Lives. It's a raw film that shows the reality of romance, and the meaning behind growing up. It's an absolute sucker punch, but damn it, it just works so well. I caught this one at Sundance this year, and it was the sneak attack nobody was expecting. I saw it in a theater of 2,500 people, and by the end, every single one of them was crying. If I have to see another Nicole Kidman AMC ad, I might just glue my eyes shut and stop watching movies altogether, that being said, yes, "heartbreak never felt so good in a place like this." (Okay! I said the line! You happy now?). Past Lives is such an incredible film that I have a hard time seeing it being topped by the end of the year. I absolutely implore you to see this film, and now that this one is actually out in public, you got no excuses. Go see it!
You can read my full Sundance 2023 breakdown by clicking here.
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