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.

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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.

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You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023)
Director: Sammi Cohen
Screenwriters: Alison Peck
Starring: Adam Sandler, Idina Menzel, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Samantha Lorraine, Dylan Hoffman, Sarah Sherman

The last time Idina Menzel and Adam Sandler tried to raise a good, Jewish family together, Sandler ended up in the trunk of a loan shark’s car and Idina’s father found himself hundreds of dollars in debt. The film was Uncut Gems (2019). This time around, Stacy Friedman (Sunny Sandler) is planning her Bat Mitzvah and the stakes are just as high. 

Sure, the cerebral A24 cult classic and the family flick boasting an Olivia Rodrigo needle drop might not have a lot in common, but this does speak to the versatility of the Sandler family. We can’t help but to compare the two sides of fatherhood––from gambling addiction to embarrassing your daughter at the movies on a Saturday night, Adam Sandler has done it all. 

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah is a family comedy about the woes of 7th grade Stacy Friedman who is desperate to have the coolest Bat Mitzvah in the school. This is no simple task given her best friend, Lydia (Samantha Lorraine), is already totally rich with a huge mansion and neither girl is exactly in with the popular crowd. To make matters more complicated, a good Bat Mitzvah needs a killer DJ, a crazy venue, and a dance with the cutest boy in school, Andy Goldfarb (Dylan Hoffman). Of course, the latter causes some major tensions between the two best friends. As Stacy and Lydia careen into womanhood, they must overcome their feud to throw the ultimate party. 

The Sandler children, who play sisters Stacy and Ronnie (Sadie Sandler), are undeniably charming and turn up that sibling rivalry the way only true sisters can. Even Jackie Sandler has her moment in a cameo as Lydia’s mother Bree. The story, which is already a sweet tale of growing up, is made that much more genuine with the family connection. It is clear that the cast is a tight knit group of Sandler’s friends and family. In the case of this film, if the cast is having fun, we are too.

The film also works as a heartfelt crash course in coming of age in a Jewish community. The world is carefully crafted with sentimental details that explore a vibrant New York community. One of the highlights is the over the top Hebrew School teacher Rabbi Rebecca (Sarah Sherman) who provides tough love, guidance, and of course a themed song when the students come to class. Throughout the film, we get a sense of the closeness of this community but also the pressure to perform for their peers. Here it is proven that the universal lies in the specifics. 

Additionally, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah is an ode to girlhood. Soundtracked by hits from the likes of Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Remi Wolf, and Selena Gomez, the film feels informed by real teenage girls. Unlike other Netflix Originals that are fraught with disjointed Gen Z slang and cringy references to outdated trends, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah manages to feel current and in the know (which is a soaring feat for a culture that moves as fast as ours does). The flick is angsty, melodramatic, and flamboyant enough to be ripped from the pages of a teenage girl’s diary––where a boy ignoring you in the hallway feels like the biggest tragedy in human history. 

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah is a quick and enjoyable watch that is good for reminiscing on the plights of early teendom. Sandler’s comedy seems to mature with his growing family. While it maintains his usual goofy antics, he steps aside to make room for his daughters––who prove that they are worthy comedy leads and then some. The family comes together to make a heartwarming and silly comedy that is great for a pick me up. 

Score: 18/24

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