(This article is part of our Best of 2023 series.)
Truth be told, I initially thought 2023 was a disappointing year for film. That is until Karlston kindly asked me to put my list together and I decided to get my ass in gear and watch some movies. The year featured some great animated productions, with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish deserving honorable mentions. I also enjoyed several horror releases, with Scream VI and Evil Dead Rise being surprisingly enjoyable. When it comes to the big directors, I loved Oppenheimer (see below), liked Killers of the Flower Moon, and was very disappointed with The Killer. Overall though, it was a great year. So please read on for my top five films released in the UK in 2023.
Oppenheimer
Probably my most anticipated film of the year, Oppenheimer wasn’t quite what I expected. It was a more reserved and restrained affair, but still had all the hallmarks of a Nolan film. Cillian Murphy was superb, and he deserves all the awards hopefully coming his way. Even though I thought the pacing was a little off in the final hour, what came before that is the reason why I go to the cinema. The Trinity test scene was one of those experiences I’ll never forget. Even though I knew beforehand what the outcome was, I was completely gripped and enthralled by what I was watching. Heart racing, nails gripping, that scene was pure brilliance. And after the disappointment of Tenet, it reminded me that when Nolan is at the top of his game, there is nothing else quite like it.
Society of the Snow
My biggest surprise of the year, Society of the Snow would also be my number 1 pick if I was ranking my selections. I knew very little about it until a friend recommended it to me. It’s centered around the Uruguayan 1972 Andes flight disaster, and is essentially a remake of the 1993 film Alive. I enjoyed that film many years ago when I watched it, but from what I remember a lot of focus went on the fact that the survivors had to resort to cannibalism. Whilst Society of the Snow also covers this, the companionship of the survivors and their downright stubborn refusal to die come through a lot more here. The performances, soundtrack, and cinematography are all top-tier, and when a film lingers in your head for days and weeks after watching it, you know it’s something special.
The Covenant
I’m a big fan of Guy Ritchie’s Gangster shtick. Snatch and The Man from U.N.C.L.E are yearly watches for me, and I’m a staunch defender of the underrated RockNRolla. The Covenant is a complete departure from any of these movies and helps Ritchie demonstrate that he’s not just a one-trick pony. The plot follows US Army Sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Afghan interpreter Ahmed (Dar Salim). After they are ambushed, Ahmed goes to Herculean lengths to save Kinley’s life. This plotline alone would have made for a very enjoyable movie, but the second act is just as gripping. Back on US soil, Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family were not given safe passage to America as promised after his rescue, and feels he is duty-bound to repay his debt by returning to the war zone to retrieve them, before they are hunted down by the Taliban. It’s edge-of-your-seat stuff the whole way through, with Salim coming close to outshining Gyllenhaal with a superb performance. Simple, but very effective.
Pearl
After enjoying Ti West’s previous outing X, I wasn’t expecting big things from the follow-up Pearl, due to the quick turnaround between the films. I was still eager to see it, and with a continuously delayed UK release date, my anticipation grew. When it finally became available here in March 2023 and I got a chance to watch it, it surpassed all my expectations. It improves on nearly every aspect of X, with the most important decision being to put the focus solely on Mia Goth’s titular character. Goth has impressed me in every role I’ve seen her in, and she is phenomenal here. She plays the ambitious, socially restricted, and completely unhinged main character to perfection, switching up and down the gears with ease. It culminates in a breathtaking final monologue that lasts nearly 8 minutes, with a single shot of this done in one take, lasting over 5 minutes. It’s completely captivating. Ti West has a way of creating a uniquely eccentric and vintage atmosphere, and I can’t see any reason why Pearl won’t become a future cult classic.
Tár
Cate Blanchett is one of my favorite working actors, and here she gives possibly her career-best performance. That alone is enough to place Tár on this list, but even though a 2-hour 38-minute movie about a conductor doesn’t sound that appealing, the film stands up by itself. It takes a look at the slow dive into alienation of Lydia Tár, a world-famous orchestra conductor losing her grip on the power she has become so accustomed to. Along the way, it deals with many issues. From the political games involved in running a philharmonic orchestra, issues of bullying and cancel culture, to a complicated sex life. And everything in between. It’s gripping, anxiety-inducing, and above all, completely mesmerizing.
What are your thoughts on the movies that made my top five? Share them down below!
