Top 10 Films of 2023

 

Rank	Title	Year	Country	Grade
1	The Promised Land (Bastarden)	2023	Denmark	B+
2	Mayhem! (Farang)	2023	France	B
3	Flora And Son	2023	Ireland	B
4	The Creator	2023	US	B
5	The Holdovers	2023	US	B-
6	American Fiction	2023	US	B-
7	Mountain Queen: The Summits Of Lhakpa Sherpa	2023	US	B-
8	In The Land Of Saints And Sinners	2023	Ireland	C+
9	Kill	2023	India	C+
10	Plane	2023	US	C+

The Night Comes For Us (2018)

 

Indonesian action flicks rarely skimp on fight scenes and creative kills. This is no exception. Squeamish viewers need not apply. But all the mayhem was overcompensating for the lack of a cohesive story arc. Motivations made no sense. Fight scenes dragged on too long. Main characters endured superhuman damage that never seemed to impact their ability to brawl. 

Rating: D+

The Gray Man (2022)

 

Terrible title. Sounds like a sad senior sitting alone at your local Denny’s. The Russo Brothers gave Michael Bay a run for his money with a hefty portion of explosive action sequences, with only a light dollop of story development. 

Was it entertaining? Sure. Did it make a whole lot of sense? No. Characters magically teleport from place to place. They get sliced and diced, but carry on like it was a small scratch. Various factions in the C.I.A. kill one another (and other law enforcement) without the slightest hesitancy. 

This thriller is not a deep thinker, but it packs a punch. 

Rating: C

Sinners (2025)

 

I enjoyed the first half, discovering the character layers of the twin brothers. Music was used to great effect in the film as well. The vampire part felt disconnected from the first half. This would have been a much better film if it were simply the Klan versus the twin brothers and their crew. No vampires. 

Rating: C

The Menu (2022)

 

Let’s hope my obsession with Top Chef never lands me at the likes of a closing night like the one featured in this film. Implausibly disturbing. Will make you crave a cheeseburger. 

Rating: C

Novocaine (2025)

 

Gimmicky and way over-the-top. It went from implausible to outright silly. The bodily harm became exhausting. He may not feel pain, but finishing this movie was a real one. 

Rating: D+

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On (2022)

 

Not really a mockumentary, animation, or a comedy. It’s something I watched that made me go “hmm” that I found mildly interesting. Apparently in the Marcel universe, tiny household items are sentient and living all around us, and nobody gets freaked out by it. 

Rating: D+

Mickey 17 (2025)

 

I had high hopes going into this one. The concept, cast, director, and production all pointed toward a hit. But the execution was murky. The story never felt authentic, wavering somewhere between a comedy, sci-fi, and action movie, but not really delivering on any of those. It was watchable, but not exciting or very interesting. Missed potential. 

Rating: C-

Nothing Compares (2022)

 

A bit sad watching this documentary knowing that Sinead O’Connor passed away a year after its release. The filmmaking style didn’t really appeal to me, but as a big fan of her music, the content did. I loved seeing her perform live back in 1997. 

Rating: C+

The Fabelmans (2022)

 

A semi-autobiographical story of Steven Spielberg’s life, directed by the man himself. My thoughts kept drifting to my two nephews who are aspiring filmmakers themselves. I enjoyed seeing the process of early movie making, with editing that was so labor intensive. The mini-films within the film were fun. The long runtime allows for depth of characters that is lacking in most movies today. 

Rating: B-

Emily The Criminal (2022)

 

Aubrey Plaza does a fine job, but the script is dreary. Desperate people doing desperate, illegal things. There are very few light moments to hold off the despair. 

Rating: C-

Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)

 

An epic telling of the Pinocchio fairytale that isn’t watered down for kids. The animation is excellent. An A list of voice actors. Nice bits of humor. 

Rating: B-

Shoplifters (Manbiki Kazoku) (2018)

A patchwork family of hustlers and lost souls do what it takes to get by in this bittersweet Japanese film. The acting was really good, especially by the kids. 

Rating: C+

The Woman King (2022)

 

Female African warriors battle to protect their kingdom from another tribe and slavers. The storytelling felt simple and shallow. It would have worked better as a series. 

Rating: C

Rare Exports (2010)

I was beguiled by the premise and misleading reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. This film might appeal to a small Finnish audience, but it will bore nearly anyone else. Not much happens. It’s not scary, funny, or violent enough. The story never comes together. 

Rating: D

Night Call (La Nuit Se Traîne) (2024)

 

A young Belgian locksmith gets caught up with a gang trying to retrieve their stolen money. He spends an intense night running and fighting for his life. It’s got some heart pounding sequences. A lot of action. I only wish they’d come up with a more satisfying ending. 

Rating: C+

A Real Pain (2024)

I pulled the plug on this one mid way through. Culkin’s character was so grating and obnoxious, I simply couldn’t take it anymore. Perhaps there’s a point to it all at the end of the film that I wasn’t willing to wait around for. Not enough interesting stuff was happening to make me care. 

Rating: D-

Companion (2025)

 

A winner for those of us that appreciate dark humor with our horror/thriller films. It’s a future love-bot gone wrong story with a lot of thoughtful, smart touches. Great one-liners and reactions from the cast. I laughed, shrieked, and jumped. A good time at the theater. 

Rating: B+

The Thicket (2024)

 

A wintry western with some unique casting. Much better than I expected from a Tubi production. 

Rating: C+

Top 10 Films of 2022

 

Rank	Title	Year	Country	Grade
1	Kimi	2022	US	B+
2	RRR (Rise Roar Revolt)	2022	India	B
3	Avatar: The Way Of Water	2022	US	B
4	The Fabelmans	2022	US	B-
5	Downton Abbey: A New Era	2022	England	B-
6	Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio	2022	US	B-
7	Sisu	2022	Finland	C+
8	Brian And Charles	2022	Wales	C+
9	Hustle	2022	US	C+
10	Prey	2022	US	C+

Get Away (2024)

 

From the build up, I thought the film might actually be pretty good. Jokes were landing. I didn’t mind the heavy foreshadowing. But once the mayhem started, it devolved into an unsatisfying mess. 

Rating: D

Flow (2024)

 

Storytelling through animals. Although made in Latvia, there’s no dialogue. It was quite peaceful, yet tense in moments. I enjoyed it. 

Rating: C+

Trap (2024)

 

The latest from M. Night Shyamalan. The premise and execution in the first half of the film wasn’t bad. But then plot holes popped up in nearly every scene, with the ending being one giant one. One can only suspend belief so far. 

Rating: C-

Gladiator II (2024)

 

Son of Maximus hits the gladiator circuit, making a name for himself while undermining the elites. It’s more of the same, and as good a reason as any to go to the theater over the holidays. 

Rating: C+

The Remarkable Life Of Ibelin (2024)

 

A life thought unlived is recreated in a moving Norwegian documentary through old family recordings, animated renderings, video game play, and interviews. I had tears streaming down my face at the end. 

Rating: C+

The Big 4 (2022)

This Indonesian action film started out promising, but soon veered into Bananaville. The slapstick antics weren’t funny and felt out of place with the violent fight sequences. They drove in too many different lanes to maintain a coherent story. 

Rating: D