Film critics officially name the top ten movies of 2023
The British Film Institute has named its top 10 films of the year according to its contributors and it’s quite a mixed bag.
The annual listing - which actually ranked the 50 best movies - has been shared off the back of a big year for film-fans.
From the record-breaking Barbie to the eagerly anticipated Oppenheimer, it’s fair to say this year has provided something for everyone when it comes to the big screen.
Number 10 - May December
This drama centres on actor Elizabeth (played by Natalie Portman) who travels to Georgia to spend time with a woman called Gracie (played by Julianne Moore), who she’s set to play in a film.
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Gracie is infamous for being in a decades-long relationship with a man named Joe Yoo (played by Charles Melton) which began when she was an adult and he was just 13.
The movie is loosely based on the real-life story of teacher Mary Kay Letourneau who began a relationship with Vili Fualaau when he was 12.
Number 9 - Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World
This Romanian black-comedy centres on an overworked and underpaid production assistant who is tasked with shooting a workplace health and safety video - but ends up kicking off a scandal when one interviewee shares a bit too much on camera.
The BFI branded it 'funny, fierce, unstoppable, Radu Jude’s latest film is quite simply essential viewing for anyone trying to survive the world as we now know it'.
Number 8 - Anatomy of a Fall
This French psychological drama centres on a woman who is put on trial accused of brutally murdering her husband.
As well as the BFI, Anatomy of a Fall has received wide praise from critics and holds a near-perfect 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. It was also awarded the coveted Palme d'Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Number 7 - Passages
Another French flick - Passages tells the story of a gay couple Tomas (played by Franz Rogowski) and Martin (played by British actor Ben Whisaw), whose marriage is thrown into turmoil when Tomas begins a passionate affair with a woman named Agathe (played by Adèle Exarchopoulos).
It holds a very impressive score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and a solid 6.8 on IMDb based on just over 7,000 votes.
Number 5 - Barbie and Oppenheimer aka Barbenheimer
I haven’t lost count, I promise. It was just too close to call between cinematic heavyweights Barbie and Oppenheimer - so they shared a spot.
As you probably already know, the films are vastly different with Barbie being all about… well Barbie (played by Margot Robbie), albeit with a fresh, feminist twist thanks to director Greta Gerwig.
While Christopher Nolan’s flick centres on ‘the father of the atom bomb’ J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy).
Number 4 - Poor Things
Yorgos Lanthimos’ film sees Emma Stone playing a Victorian woman named Bella, who is brought back to life by a scientist after taking her own life - with her life restored, Bella runs off with ‘debauched lawyer to embark on an odyssey of self-discovery and sexual liberation’.
It caused quite a stir even before it was released due to its saucy scenes, which Stone 'didn't shy away from', according to Lanthimos.
Number 3 - Past Lives
A romantic drama which sees close Nora (played by Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (played by Teo Yoo), two close childhood friends, who are torn apart when Nora's family emigrates from South Korea.
Twenty years later, the duo are reunited for a week where they question the nature of their relationship.
BFI says Past Lives ‘brilliantly subverts the conventions of romantic comedy’.
Number 2 - The Zone of Interest
This historical drama is loosely based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Martin Amis and tells the story of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife as they try to build a dream life next to the concentration camp.
It holds an impressive 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, where a critics’ consensus reads: “Dispassionately examining the ordinary existence of people complicit in horrific crimes, The Zone of Interest forces us to take a cold look at the mundanity behind an unforgivable brutality.”
Number 1 - Killers of the Flower Moon
Any film list released in a year when Martin Scorsese has put out a movie is only going to ever end in one way, isn’t it?
Killers of the Flower Moon stars Leonardo DiCaprio and covers the real-life story of the murder of the Osage of Oklahoma in the 1920s.
The movie scooped rave reviews and holds a very respectable 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Topics: TV and Film, Celebrity
Claire Reid