Just to note, I only include films that had a theatrical release in Australia during the period (whether or not I saw them in theatrical release). So, for instance, because "Are you there god, it's Me Margaret" did not get a theatrical release (though I saw it on a plane this year and really liked it) it could not be considered in this top 10. Also, films like "The Holdovers", "Anatomy of a Fall", "All of us Strangers" and "May December" don't come out in Australia until 2024 so they can't be considered until then.
And now, in alphabetical order come my 10 favourite films from 2023 and the reasons why (plus where you can see them):
"Godzilla Minus One"(still in cinemas) - a giant monster movie that does the human being stuff as well as it does the giant monster stuff - and it does the giant monster stuff damn well indeed.
"Linoleum" (binge) - This one I saw on a plane and it had me weeping uncontrollably near the end. It starts as a simple and slightly absurd premise, and ends with a lot more depth than you're expecting. Damn powerful stuff.
"Living" (Prime Video and Binge) - British stiff-upper-lip drama par excellence, with Bill Nighy showing that he's a master of conveying vast depths behind the eyes.
"Marcel the Shell with Shoes On"(streaming on Netflix and Binge) - Charming and sweet and achieves a vast emotional effect through a simple pull-back-and-reveal. It's cute, silly, and made me grin and weep in about equal amounts.
"The Old Oak" (Still in cinemas) - A Ken Loach that is realistic and powerful without being overwhelmingly depressing or unnecessarily brutalising its characters, thank goodness. About how communities are built and maintained and about how tough it can be to do that.
"Past Lives" (currently only rentable and buyable) - A film about messy complex emotional situations dealt with in an adult, humane way.
"Poor Things" (still in cinemas) - Absurd, horny, adventurous, beautiful cinema. Among the various cast members who are all delightful (including Defoe actnig through a huge chunk of putty on his face in a way that still conveys everything, Stone delightfully odd, Ruffalo relishing a chance to play a 19th century cad and Youssef being exceptionally loveable), glorious cinematography and production design, and a script that's witty and insightful about no less a topic than the nature of human development, this is something to behold.
"Saltburn" (Prime Video, also still in cinemas) - Yes, I'm aware that the ending has twists for the sake of twists, and that it's provocative in ways that make some people uncomfortable. But I loved the riff on "Bridehead Revisited" with the homoeroticism and the class-envy turned WAAY up, the stinger at the end and the chilling moment of karaoke in the middle.
"Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse"(Prime Video and Binge) - Thrilling, beautiful, dense-but-character-focussed-and-knows-how-to-maintain-that-focus-all-the-way-through. It's the kinda film you want to rewatch bits of constantly the second you come out of the cinema.
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" (currently only rentable and buyable) - Fast-paced and funny, with a smart plot that knows exactly who the real monsters are.
And the one that had to go to position 11 when I remembered to add "Saltburn" to the list (having seen it at a festival and then not added it to my yearly list on letterboxd when it got a cinema release):
"Broker" (Sbs on demand) - A sweet and heartbreaking story of two guys involved in the black market baby trade and how they end up entwined with the mother of one of the babies and the two cops chasing them. Pure charm.
If you want to know what I thought of anything else you saw, you can check out my letterboxd here, or ask me in the comments and I'll give you a response.
