Our Favorite Movies Of 2023
Dec 18, 2023
Without a doubt, 2023 has been one of the best movie years in quite some time. From the cultural phenomenon that was Barbenheimer weekend to one of the most visually stunning superhero movies in SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE to critically acclaimed dramas like PAST LIVES and KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, it’s been a golden year for the silver screen.
As we look toward the year to come and all the exciting movies that will soon call AMC Theatres home, we must also look back at the year that was 2023, one in which drama, comedy, action, and thrills were in no short order. Here are our favorite movies that made us laugh, cry, and care along the way.
In March 2023, Chad Stahelski gave the world JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4, the latest — but hopefully not the final — chapter in the beloved franchise starring Keanu Reeves as the titular assassin. Throughout this epic action flick, which clocked in at nearly three hours in length, Wick tries to survive long enough to challenge the Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) to a duel that will clear his name and his debt to the High Table. One thrilling set piece after another kept our attention during the movie, and the gripping drama left us on the edge of our seats.
Watch Now See JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 on AMC on Demand
Celine Strong made her feature directorial debut in June 2023 with the release of PAST LIVES, a wonderful romantic drama about two childhood friends who meet up 24 years after last seeing one another and contemplate what could have been if their lives had played out differently. The chemistry between Nora Moon (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) is undeniable as children in Korea, teenagers exploring their respective lives on opposite sides of the planet, and finally as adults in New York City. More than just a romance story, PAST LIVES is also a coming-of-age drama that tackles identity, friendship, and finding one’s place in this maddening and confusing world.
Watch Now See PAST LIVES on AMC on Demand
Though we have explored Marvel’s multiverse over the years, the spellbinding and outstandingly animated SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, with its twists, turns and new characters, takes things to the next level with its story that follows Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) as he deals with the internal struggle between being a teenager and superhero while also figuring out where he stands in the grand scheme of things. Electric, exciting, and at times, heartbreaking, this was an animated film for the ages.
Watch Now See SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE on AMC on Demand
The biggest movie of the year on so many levels, Greta Gerwig’s BARBIE took over the world in July 2023, similar to how the iconic toy on which it was based did decades ago, more than 60 years earlier. Starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, the movie was about so much more than toys, dreamhouses, and all things pink. Instead, it was an exploration of identity, society, and humanity as a whole. With strong messages, magical performances by a who’s who of Hollywood, and a knack for detail, it’s easy to see why the movie brought moviegoers out week after week after week for months on end.
Watch Now See BARBIE on AMC on Demand
Though it didn’t quite reach the heights of its release date buddy, Christopher Nolan’s OPPENHEIMER was a cinematic achievement we’ll surely be talking about for years to come. With an epic scope and scale, Nolan’s chronicling of the building of the atomic bomb and the man who created it, J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), completely revolutionized the biopic model, creating a new world in the process. From Oppenheimer’s early struggles in life, to the Trinity Test, to his treatment by the United States government in the years after helping end World War II, this explosive drama was something to behold, especially in IMAX.
Watch Now See OPPENHEIMER on AMC on Demand
Martin Scorsese’s long-awaited KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON debuted in October 2023, and it was well worth the wait. This three-and-a-half-hour exploration of the banality of evil and how power and greed corrupted characters played by Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as the resilience and innocence of those played by the likes of Lily Gladstone, was nothing short of a masterpiece and is up there with the filmmaker’s best work of the 21st century.
See KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON in theatres
After nearly 20 years working together on SIDEWAYS, Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti teamed up a second time for THE HOLDOVERS, one of the most talked about films of the year. Filled with decorated performances by Dominic Sessa, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Giamatti as a grumpy boarding school teacher tasked with babysitting students with nowhere to go over the holidays, Payne’s signature wit and charm, and rich story, makes iit easy to see why the movie is so lauded.
See THE HOLDOVERS in theatres
In December, we were treated to one of the best, and most impactful, monster movies in recent memory with the arrival of GODZILLA: MINUS ONE. Set in the fallout of World War II, Takashi Yamazaki’s kaiju film shows Tokyo still healing from the death and destruction of the global conflict when it is visited by the destructive force known as Godzilla. Not unlike other films released in the franchise over the past 70 years, GODZILLA: MINUS ONE gave audiences incredible scenes of carnage while also giving them a lot to think about long after the credits rolled.
See GODZILLA: MINUS ONE in theatres
You never really know what to expect when a new Yorgos Lanthimos film is released, but you know it’s going to be good and unlike anything you’ve seen before. That happens to be true with POOR THINGS, his latest movie, which stars Emma Stone as a woman named Bella who is brought back to life and attempts to find out who she is and where she stands in the world. Fantastical design, a multi-faceted story and dynamic performances by the likes of Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe work together to create a transfixing experience.
See POOR THINGS in theatres
Cord Jefferson’s feature directorial debut, AMERICAN FICTION, which begins its theatrical rollout on December 15, is one of those movies we’ll probably be talking about a year, a decade and even a century from now, especially when discussing the ludicrous nature of life in the early 21st century. Jeffrey Wright stars as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a struggling writer and academic who, in playing a practical joke, writes a satirical novel, which ends up becoming a massive hit. In its fallout, Monk must make sense of this new world he created for himself.
AMERICAN FICTION opens December 15th
After what seems like years of hearing about the movie and seeing images of its star in a top hat, WONKA stars Timothée Chalamet as a young chocolatier trying to get his modest operation off the ground. Directed by Paul King, best known for his work with the PADDINGTON movies, this musical has already received heaps of praise in the leadup to its December 15 release, including high notes for Chalamet’s performance and the various song-and-dance numbers.
WONKA opens December 15th
These movies, like the hundreds of other theatrical releases throughout 2023, helped remind us why we continue to flock to crowded theatres whenever the opportunity arises. Several of these films, as well as others not mentioned above, can still be enjoyed at your local AMC Theatres location.
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