My Top 5 Movies of 2023

We've reached the end of another year, which means that it's time once more to count down my favorite movies that I saw from the past year. But first...

Honorable Mention from 2022

RRR
(S. S. Rajamouli)

Like with Belle last year, I once again find myself in a position where I didn't see my actual favorite movie from the previous year until we had already entered the new year. And this time around, that movie was RRR, which I was finally able to catch after it had gotten rereleased to theaters for a week earlier this year. Had I seen it in time, it would've easily topped out my list from 2022, so it certainly deserves mentioning now. I had heard people raving all last year about this film, and I was thrilled to finally see for myself that this one more than meets the hype. In fact, it shares a commonality with my #1 pick for this year in that it's just such a breathe of fresh air, and a reminder of just how good movies still can be.

Now then, onto this year's list...

#5

Big George Foreman
(George Tillman Jr.)

#4

The Creator
(Gareth Edwards)

#3

Sound of Freedom
(Alejandro Monteverde)

#2

Oppenheimer
(Christopher Nolan)

#1

Godzilla Minus One
(Takashi Yamazaki)

Some pretty decent films round out my Top 5 of 2023, but none of them come anywhere close to the quality of Godzilla Minus One, which stands leaps and bounds above the competition. Honestly, this film feels like an all time classic right on arrival, and as I mentioned above, it serves as a reminder of just how good movies can still be in the modern landscape of the medium. It's not just a great Godzilla film (and the best Godzilla film to date at that), but even beyond the kaiju genre, it's a genuinely outstanding film all around. With a gripping story, relatable characters, jaw dropping effects work, breathtaking action, and a brilliant utilization of the classic Godzilla themes, this is one to definitely check out on the big screen.

So there it is. For now, at least. Because who knows, if the last two years are anything to go by, I very well might still yet stumble upon another movie from this year that happens to best even Godzilla as my favorite from the year. We'll see!