After barely surviving a mandatory shutdown in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, the executive class running some of the largest film studios in the world decided that they weren’t quite ridiculously rich enough yet and furthermore they hadn’t taken enough liberties – financial, creative and moral – with those employed by them.

And so the actors and writers collectively said no and downed tools for five months in a dispute over pay (including residual payments in the age of streaming), working conditions, and especially the increasing threat of artificial intelligence being used to not only write screenplays based on algorithms but to steal the likenesses of actors (living and dead) and store them in perpetuity without just compensation.

With Hollywood productions quiet for half the year and none of the “talent” allowed to promote those movies that were completed prior to the strikes, we ended up with a more limited and less enthusiastically received slate of major releases. Not even superhero movies or franchise sequels fronted by Harrison Ford and Tom Cruise were guaranteed hits anymore.

Despite all this, 2023 ended up being a pretty good year for cinema, with plenty of examples of not only memorable blockbusters but of distinct filmmakers leaving their mark and under-represented communities providing vibrancy and freshness to a myriad of new stories. Based upon UK release dates, these are my 10 Best Films of 2023.

Follow me @SSPThinksFilm on X (Twitter).

10. You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah Review

2023 has been a great year for films about how Gen-Z processes their major life experiences, and this delightful, hilarious little film starring most of the Sandler clan (including Adam as an adorably schlubby dad) is up there with the very best.

As she approaches her her 13th birthday and the Jewish coming-of-age ritual, Stacy Friedman (Sunny Sandler) is determined to make her Bat Mitzvah the most perfect and memorable of her peer group, including that of BFF Lydia (Samantha Lorraine). But things get a lot more complicated as hormones, teenage crushes and petty but damaging psychological manipulation via social media enter the mix.

Five years ago, Bo Burnham made his memorable feature debut with Eighth Grade and told one of the most connective, visceral stories about becoming a teenager in years. Sammi Cohen’s film has the same aim but demonstrates how seismically culture has changed in just half a decade, all through a Jewish cultural lens. There may have never been a more challenging time to be growing up in an always-online age, and Alison Peck’s insightful script in addition to the across-the-board wonderfully naturalistic performances help to make this an unexpectedly profound crowd-pleaser.

9. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 Review

#JusticeforJamesGunn incarnate, the final chapter of the unlikeliest a-hole superhero team’s story shatters expectations and satisfyingly delivers on almost every level.

After years of defending the countless worlds together, the Guardians team has reached a precarious place. Their leader Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) has slumped into a depressed, alcoholic stupor after losing the love of his life Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), and Rocket’s (Bradley Cooper) past as a bio-engineered test subject comes back to haunt him in a very real way. Can the team come together one last time and save the galaxy, and themselves?

Marvel is seen as a pretty risk-averse studio and certainly much of their recent output has been received with a shrug from many viewers, but Guardians Vol 3 shows what happens when one of the best directors they partnered with is left to finish the story he wanted to tell. The action has never been more polished and visually dazzling, the performances from people and animated raccoons alike so honest and full of pain, Gunn’s love of animals so prominent as the team go up against a truly detestable figure who causes pain for the hell of it.

Recommended for you: MCU Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies Ranked

Scrapper (2023)
Director: Charlotte Regan
Screenwriter: Charlotte Regan
Starring: Lola Campbell, Harris Dickson, Alin Uzun, Laura Alkman, Ambreen Razia

In the middle of a Venn diagram that has circles for “debut feature”, “written and directed by a woman named Charlotte” and “explores parental trauma through the perspective of a young daughter”, there are two films that have both been released fairly recently: Aftersun and Scrapper. It’s difficult to avoid comparing the two when they have so much in common, especially when they’re both (very) British. But actually, the two films really don’t have much in common beyond those surface-level connections. Where Charlotte Wells gave us an ambiguous masterpiece that saw its parental trauma through both pre and post-facto lenses in Aftersun, Charlotte Regan’s Scrapper presents something far more accessible, linear and, in its own way, hopeful.

Georgie (Lola Campbell) is the daughter at the centre of Scrapper’s story. She has had a rough time of it recently with her mother dying, leaving her to live alone under the rouse that a fictional uncle has moved in to take care of her. As a 12-year-old she has now inherited the burdens of being a renter in a single-person household, a pre-teen outcast at school, and, as if she didn’t have enough going wrong in her life, a West Ham fan. When Jason (Harris Dickson) turns up by climbing over her garden fence, things change dramatically. He’s the father who abandoned her, and now he’s here to challenge the new identities that she has had to make for herself. She is no longer solely responsible for paying rent, she has someone in her corner when she needs it, and she now knows who bought her the West Ham shirt that she wears every day.

The problem for Georgie is that none of the things that Jason has turned up promising to be is her mum. To make it worse, this is the person who walked out on the two of them before Georgie even had a chance to remember who he was, so of course she’s sceptical of letting him in. Both literally and figuratively, as she only accepts that he’s here to stay once he foils her plan to lock him out of the house by breaking back in; something that she likely respects deep down, seeing as she has been getting by for the last however long by stealing and selling bikes in the local area. But it does give her cause for concern – who is Jason, what does he do, and why is he here now?

What ensues is a game of cat and mouse that subverts our expectations again and again. Regan is such a skilful writer that she has crafted entirely real personalities for both Georgie and Jason in a swift 84-minute runtime, and as such it’s so easy to slip into Georgie’s cynicism towards him. Perhaps the nicest example is when Georgie is driven to search through Jason’s belongings to find out more about him, and we’re given multiple Chekhov’s Guns to look out for. Whether they all go off or not is really up to us to decide, but it creates a feeling that we’re coming to Georgie’s conclusions about Jason at the same time as she is.

Outside of the two central characters, there are some stranger approaches to storytelling. A theme that runs all the way through Scrapper is the idea that it takes a village to raise a child. Of course, Georgie initially rejects that in favour of raising herself, but we’re given multiple snippets of ‘The Office’-style pseudo-documentary inserts where characters speak directly to a camera about what they think of Georgie. The woman she sells her stolen bikes to, a popular girl from school, and the social services officers who’ve bought her story about a fake uncle, are all featured. They’re largely played for quick laughs though, in a film that is otherwise thought-provoking and heartbreaking. Instead of providing much-needed humour amongst a narrative that would be otherwise difficult to take emotionally (which seems to be at least part of the idea behind them), these inserts simply become distracting.

There’s enough substance in Scrapper that its flaws aren’t enough to supersede its qualities. Charlotte Regan’s debut feature knows the rules of its genres well enough that Scrapper is able to break them in consistently thoughtful ways, even if some might work better than others. That’s what elevates this to being such a worthwhile take on a story that isn’t often told.

Score: 17/24

Recommended for you: 100 Unmissable BBC Films

Written by Rob Jones

You can support Rob Jones on his website: rbrtjones.com
Twitter: @rbrtjones

Triangle of Sadness (2022) 
Director: Ruben Östlund
Screenwriter: Ruben Östlund
Starring: Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Woody Harrelson, Dolly de Leon, Zlatko Buric, Iris Berben, Vicki Berlin, Henrik Dorsin

Without a doubt, 2022 was the year of the capitalist satire. In a period defined by sardonic, tongue-in-cheek critiques of society (such as The Menu), Triangle of Sadness fit right in. It’s natural that in a world still wrestling with the repercussions of the pandemic and universal demands for improved labor conditions we would see this struggle pan out on screen. Still, though, it seems that these star-studded anti-capitalist flicks are down to a formula: we are introduced to a charming yet out-of-touch rich couple, the world is fleshed out with cartoonishly evil old money types, the power shifts, and the millionaires are forced to reckon with their bad behavior. Despite the predictable plot arc, Triangle of Sadness does manage to break away from the pack with its absurdist comedy and the impressive performances from its main cast. 

The film stars Charlbi Dean as Yaya, a model and influencer, and Harris Dickinson as Carl, a model, who are coaxed into a faux relationship for increased engagement and career opportunities. The two relative newbies are largely responsible for a near-perfect first act. The jokes are punchy and the pair are perfectly out of sync. We watch them maneuver the shallow world of modeling and struggle to be kind to one another despite the circumstances. Both Dean and Dickinson embody the entitled yet strangely endearing personalities of Gen Z celebrities. Not only do the two function as stellar comedic forces, they also serve the fierceness necessary for the high fashion world. 

The legacy of Triangle of Sadness is undoubtedly the bright light of Charlbi Dean. The 30-year-old South African actress tragically passed away shortly following the release of the film. Though Triangle of Sadness has its shortcomings, Charlbi Dean is a force to be reckoned with and seemed destined for stardom before her untimely death. If nothing else, the film is a tribute to her abilities as a comedic actress and certified scene-stealer. 

Harrison Dickinson (Matthias & Maxime; The Souvenir: Part II) is also ready to take Hollywood by storm. He seamlessly evolves from nice-guy model to a scrappy, manipulative survivor and back again in the span of just over two hours. Dickinson proves his comedic prowess and his sheer stardom in this performance. 

As the first act comes to a close, the film takes us on a seaward voyage. Though it maintains its witty humor, the second part is distinctly choppier than the first. Introducing the cast of spoiled, bizarre passengers, we luxuriate on a super yacht while roughing the tides of mounting class tension. What it lacks in tight writing, the film makes up with stunning cinematography. More than anything, the spectacular visuals establish an interesting tone that keeps us engaged in the story. 

On our traverse across international waters, we are also introduced to the Marxist, luxury cruise captain Thomas, played by Woody Harrelson. While Harrelson delivers a predictably strong performance, his presence in the film can be distracting. Thomas’ communist rantings are meant to highlight the hypocrisy of the ultra-rich, but it produces an unwanted meta-paradox. As an enormous star with several decades of high-profile celebrity under his belt, Harrelson is equally as contradictory as his on-screen counterpart. It’s ironic to have an A-lister millionaire satirize a wealthy captain with morals he fails to meet. 

This problem is at the heart of the film. While every big-budget satire struggles with this issue, good filmmaking and a strong script can make an audience forgive almost anything. If the writing felt tighter across all three acts, perhaps we could overlook the irony. After all, both Knives Out and Glass Onion tackle this problem with a self-aware, light-hearted tone and a willingness to turn the mirror to celebrity culture – they’re willing to make digs at their cast while understanding their limitations as films produced by Hollywood high rollers. Unfortunately, Triangle of Sadness never quite breaches this level of storytelling. Though it is effective in its comedy, the film struggles to make a coherent point beyond “rich people are bad”. 

By the third act, the story begins to drag. We enter the “face the music” portion inherent to every anti-capitalist film, and beyond one major crowd-pleasing shocker it’s all pretty standard stuff. The tides have turned, the models are disheveled and unshaven, the wealthy have lost control. It would perhaps ring more cathartic if the side characters didn’t feel like buzzy internet fodder, but they do. 

If you’re looking for a challenging satire that speaks truth to power, Triangle of Sadness might be a skip. However, if absurdist comedy is your jam, the film is worth the watch. While it certainly won’t make the history books as a hard-hitting piece on the state of the union, it’s a great watch as long as you’re fine with a little seasickness. 

Score: 18/24

Where The Crawdads Sing (2022)
Director: Olivia Newman
Screenwriter: Lucy Alibar
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson, Michael Hyatt, David Strathairn

If you want to get your story made into a movie, the formula seems to be fairly simple these days. Simply write a novel, preferably in the 300–450 page range, make it a thriller or loose mystery at the very least, have a female lead who must be down on her luck or wronged in some capacity, have most of the male characters be slime-balls (bonus points if you include an abusive father and/or lover as part of the back story), throw in a few romance scenes in wildly random and clichéd places and times, and make sure the story ends nicely and happily. Then wait a year or two for the novel to have gained a few million readers, and your six figure (at least) check will arrive in the post for the rights to the novel.

Or be Stephen King. Then you can write a found-poem made from stuff you bought from Target and it’ll sell. But not everyone is Stephen King.

What the introduction to this review illustrates is that, when it comes down to it, even if you haven’t seen Where the Crawdads Sing, and never do in your life, you have undoubtedly seen the film before, and probably read it in five different novels to boot. What we have here is a young woman, Kya (played by Daisy Edgar-Jones of ‘Normal People’), on trial for the murder of a young man. The history of her life leading up to this point hints and ultimately determines her guilt or innocence.

In the film’s favour, Edgar-Jones does give a good performance. Most of the acting is strong, just about everyone managing to rise above their stock characteristics, bland dialogue, and cues straight from 20th century Russian literary criticism roles and functions, but Edgar-Jones takes the award if any are given out for this film.

It’s a good job they know what they’re doing, because the rest of Where the Crawdads Sing doesn’t have the slightest clue about where to start. The direction is sloppy and seems to have been filmed in a rush, the music bearable but irrelevant. The worst of the worst, however, must be Alan Edward Bell’s editing.

Maybe it was all edited under immense pressure, because something has gone wrong. The opening half an hour or so, which is where the issue is the most obvious, has just about every shot cut far too soon. The opening act, therefore – where it should ease us into the film with some atmosphere, some room to brood, to think, to soak everything in, and actually create some mystery for our mystery film – jumps on the hype train like a five year old on a sugar rush. Not bothered to remain still for more than five seconds maximum on any shot, it bumbles around as if it’s a big action movie, disregarding the film’s call for a slower, calmer pace to allow its historical drama roots to properly dig in. Considering how some of Bell’s recent projects include The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Tower, and the three Hunger Games sequels, maybe some of this ran over.

Despite this hyperactive editing and direction, the film is two hours long. Which is unfortunate, because when it does finally settle into some kind of rhythm, and it has finally calmed down a little, every twist and turn can be seen coming from a marsh away, and it’s a weary, expectant drag to the finish line, including a good five minute coda which simply serves to test the patience of the moviegoer.

In Where the Crawdads Sing, the character Tate says something along the lines of ‘some words don’t have anything to say at all.’ Well, in this case, this movie doesn’t have much to say either. Spending the $24million budget on buying land to conserve the ecosystems and wildlife the movie preaches about protecting would have been a much better use of money.

Score: 9/24

Matthias et Maxime (2019/20)
Director: Xavier Dolan
Screenwriter: Xavier Dolan
Starring: Gabriel D’Almeida Freitas, Xavier Dolan, Anne Dorval, Harris Dickinson, Marilyn Castonguay, Antoine Pilon, Pier-Luc Funk, Catherine Brunet, Samuel Gauthier, Adib Alkhalidey, Camille Felton

Over the past decade or so, one name has become synonymous with the melodrama: Xavier Dolan. Emulating the achievements of great filmmakers from both his native language (French) cinema and the greats of Hollywood to time and time again produce modern fables of love, loss and our relationships to one another, the Canadian auteur has earned himself critical acclaim and a host of awards, all the while bringing French-Canadian cinema to prominence for a new audience. His latest effort, Cannes 2019 competition entry Matthias et Maxime (Matthias & Maxime) is another strong release, a film that mixes the intimacy of Tom à la ferme (Tom at the Farm) with the energy of Mommy, and hooks it into a narrative similar to that of It’s Only the End of the World, his titular character Maxime this time coming to terms with leaving his home for life on the other side of the globe in Australia. Dolan is a filmmaker who promises passion and longing, and engagement with the little things that make life what it is, and in Matthias et Maxime he has struck again, creating an intimate portrait of how big each of our small lives can feel in the immediacy of every passing moment.

Matthias et Maxime begins at a rocket-like pace, the screenwriter-director assembling a cabin party scene that features three different conversations taking place at once, each introduced at intervals and functioning individually to introduce conflict, then push the narrative forward, and thirdly outline key aspects of character and each character’s position in the group dynamic. The sequence is cut at an increasing speed as the conversation hots up, pointed changes from wide shots to extreme close-ups punctuating the visual language at important moments and emphasising all we’ll need to know about the central premise from the off. It’s a masterful moment, one that is never quite lived up to as the film goes on but speaks of a filmmaker with an inherent understanding of how to create something both realistic (in this case, a realistic conversation between a group of friends) and simultaneously meaningful. Its function, to primarily introduce tension between the two titular characters – Matthias (Gabriel D’Almeida Freitas) and Maxime (Xavier Dolan himself) – and lead into a fateful kiss that changes their entire relationship, makes for one of the most quietly spectacular opening acts of the year.

Answering the simple question of what could happen if a staged kiss brought out repressed romantic feelings between two lifelong friends of the same gender, Matthias et Maxime offers all the hallmarks of Dolan’s greatest work. The story is ultimately about longing for someone or something that feels out of reach, no matter how close they/it may seem, but this isn’t just a film about romantic pursuit, it’s a story about finding your place in the world, no matter what makes you feel different or unworthy, and Dolan delivers this in every beat. As has become the norm for this filmmaker’s projects, there is passion aplenty, but where Dolan’s greatest work excels the most is in its intimate, layered portrayals of characters who don’t just fit into one generic archetype but challenge our pre-conceived notions of what to expect from protagonists and antagonists in cinema, instead surprising us with people who feel tangible, almost real. Matthias et Maxime delivers this with aplomb.

Dolan himself is, as always, utterly compelling. And, while his performance may feel familiar to those who are fans of his other acting work, the small evolutions he offers in his portrayal gift the character a relatable familiarity and distinct individuality, all the while exclaiming his terrific authorial presence and continued development as a filmmaker. His leading of the cast is one seen through his own lens, which perpetuates the presentation of how seemingly small moments can feel earth-shattering to each of us at any time, whether anyone else is aware of them or not. Dolan places himself at the heart of the story, and films as if presenting himself as what he wishes to be in the eyes of other people, but this comes across as more intimate and necessary than self-indulgent, and makes for a number of truly beautiful moments that he executes superbly on both sides of the camera.

Matthias et Maxime isn’t going to be a film for everyone, its melodramatic narrative and presentations of inward thoughts and desires likely to gain the wrong kind of attention from audiences wishing for more modern, concept-driven cinema. It could also be argued that this latest release is not quite as tight as Dolan’s more celebrated It’s Only the End of the World, sometimes deviating unnecessarily as the author pursues deeper meaning in the project, and it is a purposefully toned down approach for Matthias et Maxime compared to the energetic and instantly recognisable Mommy and Heartbeats. But, so far as classic Sirkian melodrama goes, this is another truly fantastic offering from a filmmaker who at 31 years of age has already released a plethora of year-topping dramas, Matthias et Maxime being the latest. This may not be the one to make you fall in love with this already legendary young filmmaker, but it is a must-watch for fans of his work and a moving portrait of youth and passion nonetheless.

18/24

Have an opinion? Let us know about it in the comments!

1. The Lighthouse

Director: Robert Eggers
Screenwriters: Max Eggers, Robert Eggers
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson

This 2nd feature from The Witch (2015) director Robert Eggers landed reputable independent film distributors A24 their first award at Cannes, earning the Critics Week Award for Best Film. The picture, shot on 35mm black and white film stock and presented in academy ratio to make it feel as much like a film from pre-1940 as possible, stars Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as an ageing lighthouse keeper and his young prodigy, Eric Kohn of IndieWire describing it as a “gripping black-and-white nautical psychodrama”.

2. A Hidden Life

Director: Terrence Malick
Screenwriter: Terrence Malick
Starring: August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Michael Nyqvist, Matthias Schoenaerts, Bruno Ganz

A new religious epic from one of the most enigmatic but thought-provoking filmmakers on the planet, A Hidden Life has, according to Owen Gleiberman of Variety, seen The Thin Red Line and Badlands director Terrence Malick return “to the filmmaking majesty he showed in The Tree of Life“. Which, to anyone in the know, is an incredibly exciting prospect.

3. Matthias et Maxime (Matthias & Maxime)

Director: Xavier Dolan
Screenwriter: Xavier Dolan
Starring: Harris Dickinson, Xavier Dolan, Anne Dorval, Gabriel D’Almeida Freitas, Catherine Brunet

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described the latest melodrama from French-Canadian auteur Xavier Dolan as “a film swept along by rattling dialogue and simmering tensions”, indicating that one of the most prominent icons of French language cinema has perhaps rekindled his unique purpose in the aftermath of his much less popular English-language venture The Death & Life of John F. Donovan (which has still yet to find a release despite debuting at festivals over a year ago and featuring a cast including Natalie Portman and ‘Game of Thrones’ star Kit Harrington). This tale of two people who grow closer than just friends reportedly paints a unique picture of 20-something life, with Dolan’s trustworthy eye for honesty amongst more mystical themes being an ever-present once again.

4. Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Screenwriter: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Dakota Fanning, Al Pacino, Luke Perry, Damian Lewis, Emile Hirsch, Timothy Olyphant, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Lena Dunham

It has been 4 long years since Quentin Tarantino’s last film hit the big screen, the somewhat divisive The Hateful Eight failing to capture the imaginations of as many Tarantino fans as his previous hits, and when it was revealed that his latest release would circle the famed Manson Murders of the late 60s, the filmmaker was once again met with a mixed reaction. After all, Tarantino isn’t one for subtlety. Barbara Scharres of rogerebert.com has, however, taken Tarantino in his stride, describing his latest effort as follows: “Despite a trademark misogynist angle that has to be mentioned, it’s an in-your-face stunner that unleashes spectacularly funny mayhem.”

5. Sorry We Missed You

Director: Ken Loach
Screenwriter: Paul Laverty
Starring: Kris Hitchen, Debbie Honeywood, Rhys Stone, Katie Proctor

The iconic director of some of British cinema’s greatest socially conscious films, Ken Loach, returned to Cannes in 2019 following award wins for The Wind That Shakes the Barley and I, Daniel Blake previously, the now 82 year old director of Kes keeping his attention with the welfare state for Sorry We Missed You, a film that Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent described as “utterly absorbing” and a project that “captures brilliantly the alienation and existential anguish that its main characters feel”.