This year, cinema had many hills and
valleys. There was the inevitable collapse of the
MCU,
the massive success of a blue-collar
plumber,
the weird obsession with Barbenheimer, and the return
of satirical shock
comedy.
It was also a great year for faith based and independent films as the major
studios become less important and individualized streaming media takes control.
Here are the ten best films of 2023.
1.
Nefarious - A fantastic, fresh take on the exorcist narrative that teaches
both the psychology of demons and the difficult state of our current world.
Despite a slightly disappointing end, it’s the most illuminating fictional
portrayal on demonology since The Screwtape Letters.
2.
Wonka – From beginning to end, this film was an absolute delight. It was
a fantastic prequel to a classic filled with wonder, heart, British humor, and
lots and lots of chocolate. Don’t watch without snacks.
3.
Leo – It’s always neat to see an animated masterpiece from neither
Disney or Dreamworks. Written and directed by Robert Smigel, the comic genius
behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Leo is a class pet who becomes an
unexpected therapist to a host of fourth graders…and teaches adults a thing or
two.
4.
Mother Teresa and Me – This little seen film was a biography by proxy
about the saint from the prospective of a Gen Z musician considering an
abortion. It’s the best movie made about the little woman from Calcutta.
5.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret – A beautiful adoption of the Judy Blume
classic about the pain of growing with grace. It also has an insightful take on
an interfaith family that is both honest but not disrespectful.
6.
A
Man Called Otto - Everybody
loves a curmudgeon, though this one has some good reasons for his demeanor.
Fortunately, a raggedy cat and lovable immigrant family help him come out of
his shell and ultimately save his soul.
7.
Guardians
of the Galaxy, Vol. 3
– The saddest, darkest, craziest entry of the MCU is also profoundly pro-life
and anti-eugenics.
8.
Route
60: The Biblical Highway
– This travelogue is a beautiful journey through the holy land but also a
primer on the intersection of faith and leadership. As good instruction as it
was, October 7th made even more so.
9.
Lady Ballers – The first great shock comedy since Tropic Thunder,
Lady Ballers – made almost exclusively by Daily Wire employees –
features an all-male basketball team that identifies as female to win a woman’s
basketball championship. It is gross, bizarre, poignant, timely, and insanely
funny.
10.
Freud’s
Last Session – This
little gem is simply a two-hour conversation between Sigmund Freud and C.S.
Lewis, two titans of the 20th century. It could have been four
without losing any interest. By the end neither has convinced the other, but
it’s not hard to see who is right.
Honorable Mention: Dungeons and Dragons:
Honor Among Thieves, Jesus Revolution, The Journey: A Musical Special from
Andrea Bocelli, Journey to Bethlehem, The Pez Outlaw, Shotgun Wedding, The
Sound of Freedom, and The Super Mario Bros
Movie
This artlice first appeared in Catholic World Report on December 31st, 2023.
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