Poor Things; Wild production design + eccentric performances establish a framework for the bizarre story of Bella Baxter on a feminist awakening from woman child to expressing agency in her own affairs. The film has to be seen to be believed, and not for audiences who are adverse to the perverse; A-
Keepin' it Reel
Telling you about movies, and expecting you to do the same too.
3.10.2024
Poor Things
3.09.2024
Damsel
Damsel; Not exactly what it seems, yet every bit as predictable as a fairytale. Heightened by big budget effects and the powerful acting of agony by MBB, the realistic take on fantasy content is a bit jarring, unsettling but hard to turn away from. The story is simple yet strongly executed; B-
2.10.2024
Lisa Frankenstein
Lisa Frankenstein; Wears its influences proudly while venturing into some dark territory that doesn’t quite measure up to the films it references. Tonal shifts are insane, but deftly played by the talented leads, notably Newton and Soberano. Twisted, comically demented nostalgia for today’s teens; B
2.09.2024
The Marvels
The Marvels; Super appealing trio are given little to work with, up against an uninteresting villain whose plans are neither memorable nor engaging. I’d rather watch the three go to lunch w/Nick Fury and talk about comics. Some cool use of light powers in fight scenes but feels too lightweight; B-
1.20.2024
The Boy and the Heron
1.14.2024
Mean Girls
Mean Girls: Eschews comedic beats for more emotional ones. None of new cast disappoints while also reaffirming how great original cast was. Cravalho excels along w/Spivey. Changes don’t seem to add much while omissions from stage are sadly missed. Odd choices head scratching but still enjoyable; B
12.31.2023
The Best and Worst Films of 2023
For the first time in many years, it felt like theatre going in 2023 was back to routine business. With Covid restrictions loosened (as people continue to increasingly ignore an airborne disease) and release dates in place, 2023 was set to be business as usual, but turned out to be anything but, as two massive strikes by the writers and actors (not to mention this writer's own day job going to the picket lines) impacted the promotion and in some cases, releases of films. That didn't stop social media users from manufacturing the greatest PR campaign ever for Barbieheimer, resulting in the biggest box office success of two vastly different films on the very same weekend, proving that the standard studio PR may actually be money not very well spent. It helps that both those juggernaut films happened to be very good movies, and the whole experience of attempting to see both during opening weekend or at the very least, before the end of July, is a wonderful testament to the different tastes and palettes of moviegoers, many of whom will see any kind of movie, as long as it's good.
It is with this spirit in mind that I present to you, loyal reader, (or casual reader who stumbled upon this by accident), this list of the The Top Ten Films I saw in 2023. I know we refer to them as "best" and "worst" lists, but in reality, it's just ten of my favourites from the 64 films I did see in the 2023 calendar year, 22 of which I saw in theatres, the rest as rentals or streaming premieres. For those not keeping track of my past lists, that's almost twice as many trips to the theatre than last year (though close to the same amount of films watched overall) and exactly double the number of films I managed to screen in total in 2021. In fact, I would have to go back to 2004 and 2007 to find another year where I watched this many movies. Not sure if this speaks to the ever aligning interests between my daughter and I, or an increase of leisure time (sure doesn't feel like it), or the proliferation of streaming companies offering new content (building on what used to be consolidated libraries of older media). Maybe it's a decline from peak TV (though I did manage to watch some fabulous series this year--looking at you Beef, Yellowjackets, The Rehearsal, Jury Duty, Severance) but whatever it is, here's to the ten I enjoyed the most, in alphabetical order (not ranked):
10. Confess, Fletch; I've been ready for a Fletch sequel for almost three decades now. I've always loved the character and I was one of those who lamented the fact that Kevin Smith never got Jason Lee to star in his version of the character, which I thought would have been perfect casting and the right amount of comedy in dialogue and delivery. If passing on that meant we got the Jon Hamm version, I'm happy to have waited, because he's everything I wanted and more. This film got unjustly dumped and distributed with little to no fanfare and it's my hope that home viewing numbers and the actor's passion to play such a devilishly fun scoundrel will result in many more follow ups. This film fills that genre space I so dearly love, the action comedy, with a hint of romance, murder and mystery, that doesn't seem to get the right treatment these days. It doesn't require a big budget, just enough to punch up the script, make the stakes feel real, and keep Hamm happy.12.23.2023
Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire
Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire; World building & character introductions take center stage in an initial instalment that intrigues enough to maintain attention yet seems simultaneously hurried & dragged out, if that’s possible? Presents ideas but shortcuts to tropes; B-
12.16.2023
Past Lives
Past Lives; A beautifully acted, personal tale w/universal themes & appeal. The raw, honest depiction of childhood crushes, feelings of guilt, comfort & shame when living between two different cultures, and how circumstances change the paths of our lives, rendered exquisitely; A-
12.04.2023
Dream Scenario
Dream Scenario; A little traileritis happening, with most of the film revealed in the previews, it still manages to pose thought provoking situations acted out in bold fashion by Cage. Societal commentary explored stylistically but better suited for a series length deep dive; B+
12.01.2023
Trolls Band Together
Trolls Band Together; The film no one asked for returns w/blender of pop tunes only mildly pleasing in the first place, hoping for a hit of nostalgic dopamine before realizing the songs are only tolerable in bite size form. Animation cuts corners to keep cash grab profitable; D
11.24.2023
11.16.2023
11.06.2023
Clerks III
Clerks III; A personal film meant to appeal solely to the filmmaker and those who have nostalgia for the original film and its characters. Hard to imagine this offering anything of interest for those unfamiliar with the View Askewniverse. Even still, not all that entertaining; D+
Blade of the 47 Ronin
Blade of the 47 Ronin; CW show production values make for a feature film that feels like B roll stunt work stitched together loosely around a nonsensical narrative that fails to engage or entertain. Sad to see dedicated performers relegated to make this bland fare; D
11.05.2023
10.26.2023
Five Nights at Freddy's
Five Nights at Freddy’s; Equally creepy/comedic animatronic puppets from Henson Co. add right element of sinister/silly to this film based on PC & YouTube jump scares. Attempt to build lore/story around it all falls apart but still delivers joyful thrills for teens of the era; B-
10.22.2023
Totally Killer
10.20.2023
The Lost Boys
The Lost Boys; Ridiculously mashes up an indie horror film with a goofy teenage adventure story, all framed with gay, not so subtle, undertones. Actors seem to be starring in separate movies, some playing it straight, others adding hijinks, mirrored by the whiplash direction; C
10.14.2023
Joy Ride
Joy Ride; A cast killing it comedically w/a chemistry that’s so hilarious. The four fill typical roles for a buddy road trip kind of comedy but the territory explored is refreshingly fun and at times, surprisingly sweet. It helps that these ladies are equally adept at drama; A-
10.04.2023
The Creator
The Creator; Impressive cast given an interesting premise is undercut by choppy editing that dices the storytelling into snippets that ultimately disconnects the audience. Futuristic imagery is visually creative, yet still feels grounded in current tech. A vision unfulfilled; B-
9.16.2023
9.15.2023
9.14.2023
Oldboy
Oldboy; A Count of Monte Cristo tale with an unexpected twist beneath its sadistic scenes of cruel torture and solitary confinement. Brutal fight scenes buffered by dramatic back story building towards its revelation of a show down make for a memorable film; A-
8.27.2023
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem; Fresh animation and youthful voice cast breathes new life into these fun heroes from the 80s. The story stays fairly simple and keeps the quips and kicks coming fast, with a sprinkle of lessons learned alongside real life allegories; B
8.23.2023
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle; What happens when what seems like an old 80s super hero script gets dusted off with zero changes but is shot with a 2023 special F/X budget. Cheesy, with an attitude predating our time when comic book movies are taken more seriously and crafted with more thought; C
8.20.2023
To Catch a Killer
To Catch a Killer; Stellar acting by Woodley & Mendelsohn, along w/stylish direction elevate this entry into the FBI manhunt genre. Screenplay offers tension w/touches of moralizing societal treatment of trauma & cattle. Concludes too quickly as we are accustom to 10 eps of TV; B+
8.15.2023
The Grizzlie Truth
The Grizzlie Truth; Michael Moore style tactics don’t hit as well as when it transforms the stereotypical view of a sports super fan, ultimately succeeding in displaying the passionate connection fans have w/ local sports club. The intimate encounters & stories are fantastic; A-
8.13.2023
Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback
Reinventing Elvis: The ‘68 Comeback; Dives deep into best part of Elvis biopic, & Elvis’ career. Interviews w/primary sources & focus on his joy of music make this a love fest for a complicated idol. Lack of criticism, save for villain Colonel, create a sense of celebration; A-
8.01.2023
Imagine Dragons Live in Vegas
Imagine Dragons Live in Vegas; Expertly captures the band’s Mercury tour in all its glory. The high energy, the bombastic crowd pleasers, the joy they exude performing music together. Add some background about their Vegas hometown origins and it makes for a superb music doc; A-
7.31.2023
Polite Society
Polite Society; Chugs along at a breakneck pace & gets to the fight scenes in a Scott Pilgrim style w/a Hot Fuzz funny to it. The tone is fun w/enough sinister underlining to keep you intrigued beyond the silly antics. Fights pack a punch and don’t hold back for female fists; A-
7.30.2023
Stephen Curry: Underrated
Stephen Curry: Underrated; Underwhelming in dramatic terms, but a good glimpse at the perpetually overlooked and overachieving athlete. Choice to highlight his academic path and parallel his collegiate career w/his 4th NBA championship, work well, yet doesn’t dig deep enough; B-
7.28.2023
Oppenheimer
7.27.2023
Haunted Mansion
Haunted Mansion; Captures essence of ride’s tone, w/equal parts ghostly and comedy. Cast is well chosen & nods to theme park aspects are highlights. Suffers from a jumbled third act and what seems to be edits to character moments and scenes. Wish it were better but still fun; B
7.24.2023
They Cloned Tyrone
They Cloned Tyrone; Far out performances by the three leads elevate a blaxploitation style concept straight out of Undercover Brother that’s played for chills as much as laughs. The tone shifting works for the most part, w/wickedly delivered dialogue shot in a compelling way; B
Barbie
Barbie; Perfect casting propels the film from silly concept to full blown cultural moment. More sad and intense at times than it is hilarious, Canadian Kens (and Alan) really bring the laughs. A small indie film wrapped in a big budget toy seller succeeds on several levels; B+