(This article is part of our Best of 2023 series).
Okay. So, I’m not sure why I’m participating in the five favorite films this year because the truth is, I didn’t particularly care for what was being offered. This has been by far and away one of the worst years in film and this year felt more like a gigantic “pick and choose” from a group of films that weren’t what I would call “entertaining” in the slightest. As much as I want to continue to enjoy movies, I no longer find them the same escape they once used to be. Please consider these to be my five “favorite” films of the year in the loosest sense of the word because the truth is none of these films were great and none of them deserve to be hailed as anything that could be labeled as inspired.
So, I apologize in advance for the negativity because that is not the type of attitude that I want to bring to ScreenAge Wasteland, the articles that I provide nor who I want to be as a person in general but as the saying goes; you can only be yourself. I don’t mean to be mean but that’s all I can be; is just me.
Barbie
To say that I didn’t care for this movie would be an understatement. In fact, I absolutely hated it. This was the only movie that I was looking forward to for the longest time. I wanted to like this movie, I really did. On the surface, it had everything going for it. There’s ‘dumb fun’ and then there’s … whatever this movie claims to be because “fun” is not what I would call it.
But listen, I’ve already said my peace on the topic so I’m not going to repeat myself… Instead, I’m just going to say this: when it comes to movies, I’m the type of person who appreciates when a movie provides some sort of message. Whether I’m able to identify with that message or not, the fact that some type of perspective went into the character’s journey is what I appreciate. This movie had none of that, or at least it didn’t have a message that I could relate to… and that wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t the same stuff we continue to see getting shoved down our throats daily. Whatever. I’m disappointed, but I’m over it.
Oh, except for Margot Robbie, of course. Despite the material, I did enjoy her performance. She is gorgeous and flawless, and she can do no wrong in my eyes. I just wish that she had been the main character of her movie. Regardless, she deserves all of the success that this movie has, had, and will bring to her in the future … except maybe a Barbie 2.
No Hard Feelings
This movie was also a major disappointment. Why? I don’t know. Maybe because I don’t particularly care for rom-coms and this movie had every single cliché trope in the book. It was billed as a raunchy comedy but, again, I don’t know. I didn’t particularly feel as if it was pushing any type of boundary to be different or stand out in any type of way. If it weren’t for the nude beach/fight scene, this didn’t deserve to be given an R-rating.
However, that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy seeing Jennifer Lawrence return to acting in a major way. She was fantastic in this and it was great to see a different side to her and what she is capable of bringing to the table than what audiences have come to expect from her. The one thing I did enjoy was the physical comedy, which isn’t something that is being offered to us anymore. Other than that; I’ll admit that I got a few laughs out of the trailer but this film is nothing more than a one-and-done watch… which is the biggest shame of all.
Saw X
When the time came for the announcement of a new Saw movie, I couldn’t help but think what everybody thought: haven’t they run this franchise into the ground already? The answer is yes and no. It’s difficult to articulate what exactly it was that I enjoyed about this movie. Still, it ultimately ended up turning out to be “better than I expected” only for the sake of going into this film having absolutely no expectations. The best thing this movie has going for it is the fact that there are no ulterior motives when it comes to telling this prequel origin story. There’s no hidden agenda, it’s purely character-driven for the sake of being character-driven. There have been many missteps when it has come to this franchise but this movie proved that John Kramer (Tobin Bell) is the Saw franchise and bringing the focus back onto him was the wisest decision anybody could’ve made when moving forward with this franchise. This isn’t the best Saw movie ever made but I’ll take it.
The Flash
Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, even I’m surprised this made the cut. Don’t get me wrong, this movie was terrible and the CGI deserves every speck of criticism that it received, but for some reason, this turned out to be one of the better DC Extended Universe installments. That said; I truly believe that they went in the wrong direction with this film. Flashpoint was meant to reset everything but clearly that didn’t work — and that has a lot to do with the fact that Flashpoint isn’t a good story. It’s not even a story about the Flash. It’s about Batman, and bringing back Michael Keaton is where the hindrance for this film comes into play. As far as I’m concerned, the story for this movie should’ve been about the Justice League, starring the Flash. I don’t know what else to say other than the fact that (almost) every single Justice League actor was willing to reprise their roles speaks more volumes than whatever this film ultimately became.
The Three Musketeers – Part I: D’Artagnan
Okay. So, if this list was looking like it was a little on the cliché side then allow me to include an unconventional film that more than likely went under a lot of people’s radar … or maybe it didn’t. This movie was on my radar solely because it wasn’t produced by any of the major studios and was based on a piece of classic literature. There have been many Three Musketeer movies over the years but that doesn’t mean there can’t be another … and this one just happened to star the gorgeous Eva Green, so what’s the problem here? Well, besides the fact that it’s spoken entirely in French, absolutely nothing. It’s a shame that this wasn’t able to garner a larger audience in the West because these types of prestigious films are too few and far between. Oh, and just in case you’re interested in checking it out: this movie is the first part of a duology and it ends on a cliffhanger. You’ve been warned!
Honorable Mention: South Park: Joining the Panderverse & Not Suitable for Children
South Park is nowhere near as good as it used to be but considering I grew up watching it, it will always have a soft spot in my heart. Whether I continue to enjoy it to this day is subjective and considering the formula that Trey Parker and Matt Stone use to propel their stories, it’s very much more miss than hit these days. Where once they were considered to be ahead of the curve with their material, the age of the internet has caught up with them and they are no longer able to maintain that same type of notoriety. That isn’t to say that aren’t still capable of being able to provide us with quality content, it all depends on what they can use as material with whatever current event is happening in the world or social issues that happen to be trending on the internet.
Do they still have their finger on the pulse? Absolutely they do, but the show is nowhere near as clever as it once was. However, I will always go out of my way to watch it. A big reason why South Park was a massive success was because they were able to provide an argument for both sides of a topic. When it comes to these specials — in typical South Park fashion — they don’t take a side. I wish that this show was able to be as inspired as it once was but perhaps I should appreciate the fact they continue to write new episodes at all.
So, like I said, I apologize for the negativity. This isn’t who I want to be nor is it the vibe I want to bring to the Wasteland. But the internet is an easy way to give my thoughts and frustrations a place to live other than inside of my head. I guess I’m using this article mainly as a way to vent my displeasure with the film industry instead of accepting it for what it is.
Movies aren’t perfect and I’m not expecting them to be. I’m just the type of person who can connect with a movie when I watch it at the right moment in my life. That is when I am capable of looking past its imperfection and able to accept a movie for what it is rather than what I want it to be. There is a lesson here for me to learn and maybe one day soon, I’ll choose to embrace it.
What do you think of my favorite films from the past year? Share your own thoughts (or frustrations) with me down in the comments!