It took some people a while to come around to something I've felt since the middle of the year: 2023 was a fantastic year for film, certainly the best since 2019. Maybe I've just become more lenient of a watcher, but it seemed like I was giving five-star ratings out to films left and right this year. (The actual numbers: six versus last year's four.) Speaking of numbers being up, I also watched more new releases than I did last year, having seen 76 this year compared to my 65 in 2022. Can I one day get to 100? Stay tuned for 2024.
Let's take a look at some of my favorites from this bountiful year.
The rules: Any film that got their first non-festival release in 2023 -- whether that's theatrically, on VOD, or exclusively on a streaming service -- qualifies for this list.
