Best Films of 2023: Part Two
An 'End of the Year' List Containing the Best Films of 2023, Part Two of Two
There are only a few days left in 2023; this is the time when we look back on the year and think about the ups and downs — the good, the bad, and the straight-out ugly — that made it special. It is a period that is taken to reflect and think about the exact things that will stay in our minds forever and revisit those memories from time to time. Film-wise, it was spectacular, containing an interesting array of features scattered across very awe-inspiring scopes and canvas. We got to see haunting and melancholic nightmares — ranging from encapsulated frightening mommy issues and political/military secrecy — with the likes of Ari Aster’s Beau is Afraid and Albert Serra’s Pacifiction, as well as pictures that explore the intricate complexity of softening human connection via various grounded (Past Lives) and experimentalist (Asteroid City) means.
These are two very separate thematic visualizations. But there’s something that connects these films, one way or another. This year was comprised of films about the eeriness and emotional fracture of our daily living within the landscape of a distanced post-pandemic world, where loneliness and coldness still haunt a significant majority — encapsulating the loss and rebirth of a new emotional state. Every film has a unique shade that covers those dark, isolated times, whether the filmmakers meant to do so or not. It is a weird observation, but it is inevitable to look at it in any other way. They are not all depressing or melancholic pictures; some even contain an optimistic or hopefulness-driven side. This division has made us cinephiles and theatergoers wander into the unknown of the human condition and wander through the emotional spots that we don’t want to confront.
Whether the worlds that these films take place in are far and distant or grounded in our reality, the emotions ring true. Of course, there are a few exceptions that are hard to be attached to on that level. Yet, they are equally rich and fascinating tales that can be attached to our current reality in other aspects that don’t relate to the most personal sensibilities we endure and face. So, I wanted to gather the films released this year that impacted and left an impression on me the most, one way or another. From the picaresque Freudian venture into the abyss of a man’s most encapsulated horrors to the restrained and humanistic tendencies of the “what could have been” thought lingering in your head, I have gathered a list of twenty films that I consider the best of what the 2023 year had to offer.
This is the second piece (of two) where I cover my favorite films of the year. So, if you want to check out the first ones, which contain films like Ari Aster’s Beau is Afraid and Christian Petzold’s Afire, click the link attached here.
Now, without further ado, here are (what I consider) the best films of 2023 (part two of two)
May December (Dir. by Todd Haynes)
For his next venture into the Sirk-like world, Todd Haynes presents to us May December, a film that recalls his previous works, with different outskirts reliant on comedy and telenovela panderings. The director’s premises are always hard tasks, blending many elements and emotions with the complex story and background. He may have his hardest one with May December: trying to blend irony and heartfelt sincerity out of a fragile idyll, as well as exploring a figure that isn’t easy to understand. All of these different schematics being fitted onto one another with such comedic precision, strange stylistic choices, and complex analysis of its multi-layered themes and context. It is a rather odd experiment by the filmmaker who doesn’t stick to one single method or story. But one that shows some new techniques and playfulness with a subgenre he has meddled with in the past, now seen in a modern light via its depicted issues and conceptualizations.
Where to watch? The film is now streaming on Netflix.
Pacifiction (Dir. by Albert Serra)
In Pacifiction, Albert Serra ditches the 17th century in which he based his most recent work (The Death of Louis XIV, Liberté, Story of My Death) to tackle our modern times. And by choosing the present as its setting, he wants to look at how the world has changed compared to what happened in France back then. Serra embarks on a dramatic venture of corruption, malign influence, and the current geopolitical landscape, where there are talks of nuclear and financial misbehavior that bring a chill down the main character’s spine. Albert Serra hides a pot-boiling thriller amidst a nightmarish haze, contrasting with its ethereal fantasy location — a Twin Peaks-like venture but scratch the surrealist “whodunnit” factor and add in political plottings and military secrecy. On the one hand, it is his most accessible film, but, on the other hand, it has his self-stylized demeanor. Although he’s not covering actual death, unlike in his 2013 and 2016 features, Serra demonstrates the demise of a man’s spirituality. The film is about a person who seems to be of power yet is ultimately worthless when he notices the bigger picture. Pacifiction may be a strange experience because of the way it orchestrates its mood and tone (as well as the film itself — constructed in a manner that’s both astonishing and quite uncanny), beautifully drenched by its melancholic pacing.
Where to watch? The film is now streaming on MUBI; it is also available to buy/rent on VOD.
Passages (Dir. by Ira Sachs)
What do you get when you get together three of Europe’s most intriguing screen presences (in Ben Whishaw, Franz Rogowski, and Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Ira Sachs at his best? Passages — an enticing and thorny love triangle drama that explores narcissism and self-obsession within fractured relationships. In essence, it is about a filmmaker who can’t grasp that the world doesn’t revolve around him — the people in his life not following the script written in his head. It begs the question: Can heartbreak be productive to a man who can’t see beyond himself? This is one of the many beautiful characteristics of Passages. It is equally heartbreaking and messy, but that makes it ground to our nature. Ira Sachs presents us with these concepts about the coming and going of love through the lenses of a person not being able to decide until one side loses patience and leaves. Wiser than one might initially expect. Sachs doesn’t conform to monotonous or formulaic narrative decisions, which culminates in an all-intriguing and unique feature.
Where to watch? The film is now streaming on MUBI.
Past Lives (Dir. by Celine Song)
In her feature-length debut Past Lives, Director Celine Song presents an intimate and delicate three-decade-spanning portrait of the importance people play in our lives that resembles Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy. However, unlike the aforementioned series of films, it subverts people’s romantic fantasies. Instead, it chooses to decipher the reasons why living in a constant state of “what if” injures one’s soul. The film meditates on the paths people don’t take, the opportunities they don’t seize, in a way that feels quite liberating and expressive in various means. You often wonder if Song actually went through a similar scenario. Each story beat feels poignant and authentic. The initial moments that introduce Past Lives cross through your mind throughout the entire runtime, especially during the film’s bittersweet goodbye. It’s one last glance that will close their chapter.
Where to watch? The film is available to buy/rent on VOD.
Priscilla (Dir. by Sofia Coppola)
Occasionally tragic, sometimes straight to the point, and reminiscent of her newly-revisited Marie Antoinette and The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola’s cinematic adaptation of Priscilla Presley’s autobiography, Priscilla, is a twisted fairytale that explores the innocence, love, and melancholy that the titular character rockily experiences both in and out the spotlight of the King of Rock n’ Roll’s stature. Like all of her filmography, this film has a dreamy and enchanting style that’s quite alluring. But darkness is more prevalent in the fairytale box set. Through an eye-popping production design and a closely-knit and personal (without being too theatrical in its expression) look presented by cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd, Sofia Coppola captures that essence of pensive innocence within the confines of brewing torment—the trials and tribulations of a draining relationship. That’s when Sofia Coppola is at her best as a director. She intertwines innocence with melancholy to create a dreamy effect that washes over you at different lapses and raises other emotions.
Where to watch? The film is still playing in select theaters across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. It will arrive on VOD on December 15th, 2023.
R.M.N. (Dir. by Cristian Mungiu)
Six years after delivering his last feature, Cristian Mungiu is back with R.M.N. (titled after the local acronym for an MRI, rezonanta magnetica nucleara), a film that explores European xenophobia – the dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries and ethnocentrism – via an ominous and gloomy atmosphere. The MRI brain scan is a metaphor that contrasts with the health of the main character’s father. As it deteriorates, the villager’s way of thinking gets fueled with anger and discrimination – their racial, colonial, and political conflicts. Through a combination of a silent yet gloomy atmosphere and brutal moments that are pretty startling because of their genuinely humanistic nature, Mungiu examines the hypocrisy of the villagers experiencing such prejudice elsewhere – they encounter similar situations abroad. It is very effective and piercing throughout the film’s entirety, even if Mungiu repeats his main point on several occasions. R.M.N. may not be better than 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days, but it is yet another feature in which Mungiu captures the evil and paranoia in humanity at a time when we are seeing such acts taking place over and over again, with little to no change.
Where to watch? The film is available to buy/rent on VOD.
Showing Up (Dir. by Kelly Reichardt)
Showing Up is a film about the work-life balance of an artist. Although many films have talked about this equilibrium between art and life, such as Andrei Rublev, At Eternity’s Gate, Cameraperson, and The Salt of the Earth, Reichardt pays more attention to the creative process than the finished product – the hand that creates these beautiful works clears one’s mind from harrowing realities. She wants to concentrate on the artists that make art for art’s sake: they don’t have an established audience and they seems to create art for themselves, be it paintings, sculptures, or even music. In a way, many of us film critics could relate to that as we broaden our horizons through the different mediums to find an audience that would read, listen, or watch the things we do. Yet, at the same time, we keep writing because of our love for cinema (at least in my case). There’s beauty in seeing people rush to create and explore the depths of their imagination, later pouring them into their projects.
Where to watch? The film is now streaming on Showtime. It is also available to buy/rent on VOD.
Tótem (Dir. by Lila Avilés)
Lila Avilés’ sophomore feature, Tótem, has the actress-turned-filmmaker delivering a personal and warm family drama about the intricacy of human relationships and their experiences with mortality. The Mexican filmmaker’s latest intertwines deep-seated sadness with tenderness and levity to keep the film from indulging in overly sentimental and histrionic mechanisms. I love films about death and how different people perceive it because it helps us come to terms with it ourselves in some form or fashion. Films like this allow people to open up about their fears about mortality and expiration on a more personal level. It may not be the highest degree imaginable due to it being the most significant mystery (and fear) that life is forged around. But these types of films help us reflect on our different perspectives on death as we age. However, at the same time, there’s a constant sign of life, even when the narrative mostly dwells on loss. Tótem is a celebration of life and the tragic beauty that comes with the longest goodbye.
Where to watch? The film is now playing in select U.S. theaters.
Trenque Lauquen (Dir. by Laura Citarella)
Trenque Lauquen’s twelve chapters in two films might unfold in a way that some audiences might lose patience with, as it takes a visualized novel approach and raises an array of questions, like the unveiling of a matryoshka doll. Still, Laura Citarella’s direction and Laura Paredes’ performance hold the project in complete fascinating control, as it talks about losing one’s sense of self and personal freedom. Citarella fills her film with melancholy, but also includes sympathy and sanguinity, which she scatters throughout. Her direction flourishes with great movement toward the various backgrounds where the search is heading, creating beautiful images that add to the film’s theme of losing one’s sense of self and restoring it through a journey of self-discovery and personal freedom. She prompts questions about the impossible truths of life’s harsh chapters and recaptures one’s identity by following the tracks of a rabbit hole with a deep course. There are many ways to answer those questions, and four hours isn’t going to cut it. However, that’s sort of the point. While you lose yourself in finding the missing pieces of fractured stability, you begin to notice that there aren’t any easy answers. How does one stamp their immortality in a world constantly self-annihilating itself?
Where to watch? The film isn’t currently available to buy/rent or stream.
The Zone of Interest (Dir. by Jonathan Glazer)
The Zone of Interest is a bone-chilling and distressing masterpiece concocted with Jonathan Glazer’s usual distinctive and experimental directorial hand. The master’s vision is in full nightmarish mode, exploring the banality of evil through an array of haunting cinematic pieces—Mica Levis’ ambient score, Łukasz Żal’s astonishing cinematography, and the horrifying sound work. He just lets all of his nightmares loose in a piercing and effective manner. Glazer has found new ways of telling stories about what happened during World War II. Take everything you know about those films and start with a new blank sheet of paper, which Glazer will fill up with striking imagery and tormenting visualizations. It doesn’t go inside the concentration camps or into the battlefield. Instead, he chooses to do something even more haunting – a perspective that gets us face-to-face with the banality of evil. Near the end of the film, Glazer concocts a scene that will make the viewer think about our society. It reflects the past, present, and future—how the world evolves yet, in some aspects, has stayed the same. We think about how, when you look closely enough, this scenario isn’t that far from what we have today. This concluding scene will cause some provocation. And it will have many viewers discussing and reassessing the film over lengthy periods of time.
Where to watch? The film hits select U.S. theaters on December 15th, 2023. An expansion arrives on December 22nd, 2023.