The Blu-ray Community Top 25 Films of 2023 (Please Read 1st Post)

[thewerepuppygrr]

Deadline for your votes is set for:
Monday March 11th at noon eastern time (9 am pacific).

Happy New Year, Blu-Ray.com! In the year of Barbenheimer, Hollywood on hold through strikes, and that bathtub scene, we're here to celebrate the best movies that 2023 had to offer. So, letsa go!

Guidelines

Like previous years, simply list your top 20 - 25 films in order descending from your favorite, the higher up the film is the more points it'll get, like this:

1. 25 Points
2. 19 Points
3. 18 Points
4. 17 Points
5. 16 Points
................
16. 5 Points
17. 4 Points
18. 3 Points
19. 2 Points
20. 1 Point
................
21. 1 Point
22. 1 Point
23. 1 Point
24. 1 Point
25. 1 Point

Your top film gets 25 points, because it's your favorite so it deserves a little bit extra. This year continues the addition of 21 - 25 as we believe everyone should have a chance to add some runners up, they all get 1 point each, which will hopefully avoid us getting many tie breakers and might allow us to add some little known films that wouldn't of initially gotten many peoples attention last year. If you can't think of extra 5 films worth mentioning, then don't worry, the minimum amount of submission is 20 films, the extra 5 are for people who might want them.

And please, list your films in the order given - no randomly ordered submission will be counted.

The Rules

1. Like mentioned above, Minimum amount of films listed is 20 and Maximum is 25. If you can't list 20 movies you've seen this year, all the films on your list will only receive 1 point each towards the total so be sure to reach that 20 milestone.

2. What counts as a 2023 release? - A film must have been released either limited, wide, on demand, or straight-to-dvd (which ever comes first) in the United States in 2023. This does not include film festivals or released internationally. It may be hard to determine if some films were released in 2023 or not, so that's what the strict rules on this are for. We stick to the US as our guide for no other reason than it is easier that way. You can cry into your pizza but it won't be changed.

Use the release dates on IMDb if you are unsure if it's eligible. As an example from a previous countdown, Snowpiercer was released in some countries and festivals in 2013, but did not get a limited release in the U.S. until June 27th, 2014. So that film will count as eligible for 2014. Likewise, a movie that doesn't get a wide release until January, but it had a limited release sometime in 2023, would also count.

Classic films that were re-released ARE NOT ELIGIBLE! Please do not include them on your list, you'll be asked to change it and if you haven't changed before the deadline, the films on your list will get 1 point each.

And if you're unsure if a film is eligible, just ask and we will help figure it out for you!

3. Please only make one list - Make only one list on this thread. However, you are free to update and change your original post as often as you'd like until the deadline. It will make tallying very hard if there are multiple lists from one person. Just find your original post and click 'Edit' to make your changes. If you do re-post your list twice or more, I'll message you to remove them.

4. Add a short review of your film choices - In an attempt to personalize the list as a whole, I want members to post a short bit of prose about their choice. This can range from a short sentence consisting of a couple of words to a couple of lines long paragraph, or you can link to a previous review you wrote when the film was released.

This is not compulsory, and you can write these short pieces on however many of your choices you want, even if it's only for your first pick, however the more input the better, the short words of wisdom will be included on the final tallied up list in a well-presented manner.

5. Any votes from brand-spanking-new accounts or accounts that are in any way suspicious or suspect will be void. Play nice, or don’t play.

6. Feature-length only, please; no short films or collections of shorts. As a general rule, that means 60 minutes and over, but there may be exceptions we'll look at case by case.

7. Finally, just to remind you, the Deadline is set for: Monday March 11th at noon eastern time (9 am pacific). Please make sure you get your list in and make any final edits before this deadline, as any changes after that will not count.

[levcore]

Still have a number of 2023 releases to catch up on though, so subject to change:

1. The Flash
2. Cobweb
3. Dungeons and Dragons: Honour Among Thieves
4. Talk to Me
5. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning part 1
6. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
7. The Equalizer 3
8. Strays
9. The Nun 2
10. Blue Beetle
11. Sisu
12. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
13. Totally Killer
14. Renfield
15. The Creator
16. Gran Turismo
17. Meg 2: The Trench
18. A Haunting in Venice
19. John Wick: Chapter 4
20. Insidious: The Red Door
21. The Jester
22. The Expendables 4
23. Extraction 2
24. Resident Evil: Death Island
25. V/H/S/85

[Foggy]

Was getting nervous when this didn’t pop up yesterday.

A 100% in, reserving my spot now!

1. Past Lives (Dir. Celine Song)
2. Asteroid City (Dir. Wes Anderson)
3. Oppenheimer (Dir. Christopher Nolan)
4. Passages (Dir. Ira Sachs)
5. May December (Dir. Todd Haynes)
6. All of Us Strangers (Dir. Andrew Haigh)
7. Poor Things (Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)
8. Killers of the Flower Moon (Dir. Martin Scorsese)
9. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Dir. Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers & Justin K. Thompson)
10. The Zone of Interest (Dir. Jonathan Glazer)
11. The Holdovers (Dir. Alexander Payne)
12. Fallen Leaves (Dir. Aki Kaurismäki)
13. John Wick: Chapter 4 (Dir. Chad Stahelski)
14. Rye Lane (Dir. Raine Allen-Miller)
15. Anatomy of a Fall (Dir. Justine Triet)
16. American Fiction (Dir. Cord Jefferson)
17. Blue Jean (Dir. Georgia Oakley)
18. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (Dir. Kelly Fremon Craig)
19. Beau is Afraid (Dir. Ari Aster)
20. The Iron Claw (Dir. Sean Durkin)
21. Barbie (Dir. Greta Gerwig)
22. Infinity Pool (Dir. Brandon Cronenberg)
23. Dream Scenario (Dir. Kristoffer Borgli)
24. Godzilla Minus One (Dir. Takashi Yamazaki)
25. The Boy and the Heron (Dir. Hayao Miyazaki)

Runners up

[Show spoiler]26. Saltburn (Dir. Emerald Fennell)
27. Bottoms (Dir. Emma Seligman)

[Show spoiler]Marking a massive heel turn from Seligman’s debut feature, Bottoms is brash and silly in a way many sophomoric efforts aren’t allowed to be. Rallying against all preconceived images of queer cinema and feminist comedy, Bottoms is a trailblazing satire that has proven irresistible to mainstream audiences providing a frank, unparalleled perspective that many have been craving.

28. Enys Men (Dir. Mark Jenkin)

[Show spoiler]An aggressive retro-fitted experimental horror that appears to have been lost and only now rediscovered from the 70’s. Set in a Cornish remote island, Mark Jenkin’s appears to almost organic summon up the ethereal through his analogue techniques. Elevating a ghostly story about grief and isolation into something that truly feels like it transmorphs time itself. An unparalleled experience on the big screen.

29. Pricsilla (Dir. Sofia Coppola)

[Show spoiler]The tonic to Laz Burhmann’s big, brash, boozy biopic gin from the year prior. Sofia Coppola takes the story of Pricsilla Presley’s strange fairytale childhood romance into a pastel gothic nightmare. With Elvis himself more a looming, elusive presence of the ultimate American Dream of which Pricsilla Presley comes gradual to terms with her own identity, trauma and desire.

30. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Dir. James Gunn)

[Show spoiler]It’s been nearly a decade since James Gunn defied the odds and the naysayers by delivering his first Guardians film. An audacious breath of fresh air in the blockbuster space that proved Marvel’s money making machine wasn’t simply a fluke but a real zeitgeist moment for the coming decade. Now in its flagging days, Gunn delivers his swan song from the franchise that captures everything that works with his offbeat offerings. Not multiversal cameos and gimmicks, but genuine care for the characters and a deft touch of tone prove key to capturing audiences.

31. Saint Omer (Dir. Alice Diop)

[Show spoiler]The other great courtroom drama of the year, Saint Omer is practically impossible not to compare to Anatomy of a Fall due to how the two so closely play with perspective. However whereas the latter unfurls like a tense thriller, Saint Omer really plays closely with your patience and full faith in your own introspection. Dealing with prenatal anxieties and postnatal depression, the film really question guilt and grief along with your own internalised emotions and in one stark moment, absolutely transforms into a nerve-shattering experience that’ll stick with you for days after.

My catch-up list: Poor Things, The Zone of Interest, The Holdovers, American Fiction, The Iron Claw, All of Us Strangers, Monster, Godland, Pacification, Scrapper, Tori & Lokita, Joyland, After Love, The Eight Mountains, R.M.N, Master Gardener, War Pony, Junk Head, Sanctuary, El Conte, The Five Devils, Rotting in the Sun, Afire, Alcarras, Totem, Femme, A Thousand and One, One Fine Morning, Swallowed, Nimona, Suitable Flesh and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman.

[thewerepuppygrr]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Was getting nervous when this didn’t pop up yesterday.

A 100% in, reserving my spot now!

I may or may not have been horrendously hungover

[Member-275053]

1. Trenque Lauquen
2. Saint Omer
3. All of Us Strangers
4. Mami Wata
5. All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
6. Showing Up
7. May December
8. The Eternal Memory
9. Earth Mama
10. The Blue Caftan
11. Full Time
12. Mars One
13. Joyland
14. Rye Lane
15. The Holdovers
16. After Love
17. Little Richard: I Am Everything
18. American Fiction
19. Huesera: The Bone Woman
20. A Thousand and One
21. Other People's Children
22. Return to Dust
23. Kokomo City
24. Blackberry
25. Suzume

[DR Herbert West]

1. Dream Scenario
2. The Killer
3. Napoleon
4. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
5. The Flash
6. Killers of the Flower Moon
7. Suitable Flesh
8. Godzilla Minus One
9. Evil Dead Rise
10. Infinity Pool
11. Thanksgiving
12. John Wick: Chapter 4
13. Silent Night
14. Scream VI
15. Beau Is Afraid
16. Barbie
17. Poor Things
18. Saw X
19. The Exorcist: Believer
20. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

[The Debts]

Reserving a spot, let's goooooooo.

1. Oppenheimer.

PROMETHEUS STOLE FIRE FROM THE GODS AND GAVE IT TO MAN
FOR THIS HE WAS CHAINED TO A ROCK AND TORTURED FOR ETERNITY

Such are the words that open up Christopher Nolan's latest epic about the man gave birth to the atomic bomb. And what a way to open a movie. This is easily the most I've liked a Nolan movie in a long time, a towering and often overwhelming epic that stuns as often as it does fill the viewer with a sense of dread. This is the sort of movie where what would typically be Nolan's weakness - endlessly expository dialogue delivered by dudes in suits - is transformed into his most powerful weapon, as he splices together his penchant for bombastic spectacle with razor sharp dialogue scenes that deliver just as much impact as any punch or gun fight would in a normal blockbuster. He shoots many of these scenes as if they were action scenes in themselves, with dialogue as the ammunition and it blends together beautifully. Armed with exquisite IMAX approved 70MM cinematography by the great Hoyte Van Hoytema, exceptional editing by Jennifer Lame, terrific practical effects work, a Vangelis-esque score by Ludwig Gorasson and a frankly outstanding ensemble cast lead by Cillian Murphy (who pretty much delivers the performance of his career here), the hype is indeed real on this and not just because of the Barbenheimer wave it was riding on. Movies like this don't come around too often but when they do, they are to be treated like the treasures that they are. This is one of those times.



2. Sanctuary.

For a good while, I honestly thought this would be my top of the year and for a good reason: This is probably the most diabolically kinky movie I've seen since Phantom Thread. Equal parts sexy, demented and perhaps even sweet are the words used to describe Zachary Wigon's long awaited sophomore effort. Here, he takes something that sounds like boring chamber piece and cranks the entertainment value up to 11 in a battle of wits between professional dominatrix Rebecca Martin (Margaret Qualley) and her client Hal Porterfield (Christopher Abbott) after the latter tries to fire her. How this top and this bottom duke it out needs to be seen to be believed and chances are, your eyes will pop out of your skull out of the delights this offers. I know mine did.



3. The Creator.

Perhaps I'm overrating this but goddammit, I can't help it. Years after he disappeared after unveiling his epically scaled takes on famous franchises like Godzilla and Star Wars, Gareth Edwards returns with a similarly colossal Sci-Fi war epic that only cost a fraction of what any of those movies did. He's also made what I believe to be his most emotionally resonant work to date, as he tells a familiar but moving story of finding hope in the midst of a battle between humanity and AI set in the backdrop of Southeast Asia. John David Washington has been an actor I've had my eye on since TENET and he continues show that the apple did not fall from his father's tree. But the real star of this downbeat and gorgeous tale is newcomer Madeleine Yuna Voyles as Alphie, the little robot girl who has the power to end the war one way or another. This was a movie that impressed me ever since I came out of the theater and continues to do so the more I've thought about it. With any luck, it'll be better remembered from a few years from now than it was at the box office.



4. Infinity Pool.

I feel like I could summarize this thusly: MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. After getting so bogged down in trying to imitate his father with his last two films, Brandon Cronenberg decides to cast all pretention out the window in favor of making something fun. The end result is one of the sickest + most delightfully depraved films from 2023 and its best horror film, as he focuses in one a vacation from hell as its protagonist James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård) finds himself getting caught up in the wrong crowd of money, sex, violence and cloning. This is some pretty nasty stuff, from brutal slayings to hallucinatory orgies and it just put a big ol' smile on my face from beginning to end. It's okay to to have unhealthy, depraved fantasies to be indulged every once in a while and with Cronenberg Jr's latest, he was able to give those feelings to me. Plus Mia Goth hot but I'm sure you all knew that.



5. Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.3.

You pull back the curtains
And the sun burns into your eyes
You watch a plane flying
Across a clear blue sky
This is the day, your life will surely change
This is the day, when things fall into place

So the ends the saga of the MCU's misfit family. After copious production delays, James Gunn finishes his trilogy with the ending these characters deserve. Refreshingly, Gunn has opted to go with a personal finale for the Guardians, as their beloved loud mouth furball Rocket Racoon (Sean Gunn in motion capture, Bradley Cooper in voice - and doing a better performance here than in Maestro) finds himself heavily injured by a villainous force hellbent on tearing him apart limb by limb and his newfound family having to save his arse from certain death. This is easily the most downbeat and emotional chapter of trilogy, as Gunn bluntly deals with trauma, corporate greed and animal abuse in way that other MCU would not even dare to touch. At times, the film almost feels bipolar in its emotions, bouncing between being gut wrenching in one scene and then goofy as hell the next. But ultimately, it all comes together in a way that delivers all the emotions and excitement you would want - and more - out of these movies. Here's hoping Gunn's take on Superman continues this magical feeling I'm hooked on.



6. Beau Is Afraid.

On making this film, director Ari Aster said this on it with regards to A24 giving him the budget he wanted for it: "I still can’t quite believe I was given the resources and freedom to make it in the way that we did, and credit is very much due to A24 for being stupid enough to give me that." Perhaps he was right in calling the studio stupid for giving him the resources to make a project this deranged and deliberately calibrated to be as alienating as possible: A nearly three hour art house surrealist epic comedy about a neurotic looser going to visit his mother that sports a very Tim & Eric/Eric Andre/Tom Green-esque sense of humor that's incredibly cruel and bleak up until the credits roll. Thankfully for Aster, I have penchant for utterly nutty as comedies such as these and frankly, I haven't laughed harder at a movie all year like I did with this. It's insane that this movie exists at all but the fact that it actually works is another. Oh and one last note: Put Joaquin Phoenix in more comedies! Between this and Inherent Vice, he's got a real knack for comedy that should be absolutely recognized and exploited more often.



7. John Wick Chapter 4.

I just want to say this right now: Chad Stahelski's forth installment of the near-venerable action franchise is the best looking movie of 2023. Really, even with the most sweeping vistas crafted by the likes of Edwards, Nolan or Scott could knock this blunt ballet of brutal violence down in the visuals department. The blistering use of color, the intricate fight choreography, the diverse location work, the sheer variety of action set pieces on display - no one can beat this sucker. While I do think it is missing the sheer frantic kinetsicsim of Parabellum, it does offer more bang for your buck than most action movies this year can muster. To be frank, I'd prefer this to be the final chapter of John's saga, as it brings his conquest of vengeance and consequences on a fitting and powerful note. We will sew more of this universe but I'd prefer it that this is the last we see of Mr. Wick.

And on a final note: RIP Lance Reddick. You were one of the real ones, dude.



8. The Boy and The Heron.

"It's normal to forget."

The above quote might just be the single most impactful quote ive heard in a film from 2023. Hayao Miyazaki once again proves that retirement is just word and not an actual state, for him at least. 13 years after he made his biopic about the man who brought airplanes to Japan, Miyazaki returns with a new and fantastical fantasy drama that blends the real world and the fantastic in a way that's just as seamless as anything else he's ever done. It might also be one of his densest films to date as well, as it deals legacy, Japan's WWII history, childhood, trauma over losing loved ones and oh so much more. It took me a while to see what he was getting at here but once a certain moment happened halfway through, I realized what the film was all about and just let it take my breath away until the final frame. He maybe a cynical grump about humanity and the medium he works with but Miyazaki knows a thing or two about storytelling and image making that none of us could ever do. And we should be forever blessed for that.



9. Mission impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1.

Can someone explain to me how we live in a universe where a Scientologist superstar and his death defying espionage fantasies make a better point about society's fears of AI better than anything that comes out of the latest Big Tech CEO's mouth? I really want to know how we got here. Regardless, Christopher McQuarrie has crafted a really rollicking ride in one of Hollywood's most endearing franchises. This time around, superspy and seemingly immortal chew toy Ethan Hunt faces off against his most dangerous adversaries yet, a dangerous AI program capable of immatating anyone + accessing anything and it's equally malicious herald who holds several dark keys towards Ethan's past. This is is easily the most frighteningly relevant entry in the franchise to date, as it almost feels like Tom Cruise's personal screed against the dangers of generated content than the celebration of classic analog filmmaking than Top Gun Maverick was. Thankfully McQuarrie, Cruise and co also keep things afloat with a dynamic tone and some of the best action set pieces in the biz. With any luck, this saga has a chance at being the series best installment yet. Here's hoping the wait for Part Two won't feel too long.



10. Nimona.

Tossed into the garbage bin over fears of its Queer representation during the Disney/20th Century Fox buyout, this adaptation of ND Stevenson's graphic novel arose from the grave courtesy of Annapurna Pictures and Netflix with original Blue Sky directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane leading the charge. The end result is a spunky and sincere ride that tells a futuristic fantasty tale about a knight framed for murder and his only help is in the form of a shape shifting little girl with attitude. Lots of good to choose from here from sheer spectacle of Nimona's powers to the inventive mix of cyberpunk and medieval aesthetics to the terrific vocal work on display from the cast. Riz Ahmed in particular might be doing my favorite performance of his career yet as the knight. All of this culminates in a third act that's as sweeping and as emotional as you'd want a story like this to be. In a weird sort of way, this delivered for me in ways that the new Spider-Verse film couldn't and I'm grateful that this charming adventure was able to see the light of day.



11. Rye Lane.

A smashing debut from across the pond, Raine Allen-Miller's film is a bouncy and often hilarious riff on the romantic comedy. In addition to that, it's got a visual style unlike anything else this year and the two leading performers - David Johnson and Vivian Oprah - are so infectiously likeable it's almost impossible to dislike even when the film traffics in cliches. Damn Disney for dumping this to the HULU mines!



12. Poor Things.

Easily the most I've liked a Yorgos Lanthimos picture to date, this adaptation of Alasdair Gray's novel is as crude and perverse as it is intelligent and kind hearted. Emma Stone does her best work here as Bella Baxter, a character I feel should become a iconic woman protagonist for the ages while the rest of the cast goes all in on the strange and off kilter vibe here (Mark Ruffalo in particular). And unlike other Lanthimos films, this is the one where I wish it was 20 minutes longer, which is definitely a plus in my book.



13. Bottoms.

I don't like Fight Club nor do I like Booksmart, so it's a goddamn miracle I wind up liking Emma Seligman's sophomore feature which plays out like what would happen if you combined the two of them together and cranked up the absurdity to cartoonish results. And lord have mercy is this thing s total knee slapper, between the brutal fisticuffs and quick witted script. People like to say comedies are dead these days but a film like this proves that they very much aren't.



14. Blackberry.

There was a lot of 2023 movies about corporate products like shoes or video games or bags of chips but none of them were as scathing and entertaining as Matt Johnson's rise and fall tale of one of the world's very first smartphones. Biggest takeaway from this? Glenn Howerton's performance as the egotistical and downright psychotic co-CEO of the company. The Golden God's time to shine is here and he shines very brightly.



15. When Evil Lurks.

One of the most purely sadistic horror films I've seen in a while, Demián Rugna's long awaited follow up to Terrified was most certainly worth the wait. Sadism is the name of the game here, as an infectious demon plague spreads across a small town and lays waste to all who encounter it, especially children. Those with the faintest of hearts, do not apply.



16. The Killer.

Thank you so much David Fincher for making the best adaptation of the Hitman games to date and for also reminding us all what a charismatic beefcake Michael Fassbender is. I'd say this could have used at least one more action scene but with thrills this slick and well engineered, it's hard to complain. Also this movie gave me a crippling addiction to music from The Smiths, so that's a good thing I guess?



17. Napoleon.

Even in its chopped up form, Ridley Scott knows how to deliver one hell of an historical epic. Here, he goes for a much more satirical approach of the great and terrible emperor of France by presenting him as a manchild with fearsome military competence. Phoenix delivers as one would expect but the real standout winds up being Vanessa Kirby as Napoleon's equally vitriolic and manipulative wife Josephine.



18. Master Gardener.

Another year, another one of Paul Schrader's tales of lonely men in their rooms and journals. Here, he applies the same formula to a horticulturist trying to confront his dark past and redeem himself. Won't deny its rough around the edges but the quiet heart of this movie shines all the way through. Plus it has a dog in it named Porch Dog and that's not nothing.



19. Birth\Rebirth.

Laura Moss' directorial debut is one of the finest horror films of the year, a feminist Frankenstein riff as two female doctors engage in mad science to save a little girl. This visceral chiller is often cold but powerful in its ideas and direction, with two terrific leading performers in the former of Marin Ireland and Judy Reyes. This could have stood to have gone in the route of The Brood instead of its abrupt conclusion, but majority of what I saw worked so well anyway.



20. A Haunting In Venice.

The best Poirot adventure yet in the Kenneth Branagh directed adaptations of the famous mustached detective. Here, the mad genius finds himself in retirement and despair while in Venice and finds himself to a Halloween themed costume party that quickly turns deadly. Great on location shooting, spooky chills, a dynamite cast, clever as hell camera work - honestly, it's the perfect Sunday afternoon movie to watch with your parents when you're visiting them for the weekend!



21. Talk To Me.

Danny and Michael Philippou, better known as the YouTube channel RackaRacka, make a smashing debut in this Australian import about a bunch of dipshit teenagers getting ahold of a possessed hand that lets them talk to the dead. Predictably, all hell breaks loose and soon, the kids find themselves in a whole heaping load of trouble. Great makeup effects and startling chills propel this horror flick well but the real highlight of this is lead performer Sophie Wilde, who's able to channel a lot of range here from a grief stricken teen to a terrifying possessed vessel for malevolent spirits.



22. Guy Ritche's The Covenant.

Guess I can finally hang up my "I hate Guy Ritchie" card. This particularly earnest war thriller deals with the relationship between a soldier and his interpreter, both of are wonderfully played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim, in a way that's sturdy and unpretentious. And sometimes, that's all you really need out of a movie like this.



23. The Holdovers.

Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti in MY Christmas movie about a crotchety professor taking care of a delinquent during the holidays? Say no more and take my money full stop. Just a nice little movie all around, with enough warmth to to even brighten up the coldest and grumpiest of hearts.



24. Ferrari.

It takes a while for it to get into gear but once it does, Michael Mann proves he hasn't lost his edge. Meanwhile, his two leads Adam Driver as Enzo and Peneolpe Cruz as his wife Laura also prove to be tremendous in their respective roles. Here's hoping the wait for HEAT 2 won't be too long.



25. Saw X.

Never in a million years would I expect to like another Saw movie, let alone watch one after the third one. But Kevin Greutert surprised the hell out of me with this inventive and clever prequel that smartly brings back Tobin Bell as the legendary Jigsaw and as the protagonist this time around to boot. I can't believe I'm saying this but I am 100% down for another one of these, if only to see what diabolical plots and traps are to be set next.

[filmbuffTX]

Originally Posted by JWFORD

[Show spoiler]

1. Trenque Lauquen
2. Saint Omer
3. All of Us Strangers
4. Mami Wata
5. All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
6. Showing Up
7. May December
8. The Eternal Memory
9. Earth Mama
10. The Blue Caftan
11. Full Time
12. Mars One
13. Joyland
14. Rye Lane
15. The Holdovers
16. After Love
17. Close
18. Little Richard: I Am Everything
19. American Fiction
20. Huesera: The Bone Woman
21. A Thousand and One
22. Other People's Children
23. Return to Dust
24. Kokomo City
25. Blackberry

Nice list and graphic, but I don't believe Close is eligible. It made last year's list at #45. It got a limited one week release in December 2022 (NY & LA). Then went wide in January. Won the Grand Prix and was nominated for an Oscar last year.

[filmbuffTX]

01) Saltburn
02) Poor Things
03) All of Us Strangers
04) Infinity Pool
05) Past Lives

06) American Fiction
07) Elemental
08) The Holdovers
09) Talk To Me
10) Thanksgiving

11) Dream Scenario
12) The Iron Claw
13) The Color Purple
14) No Hard Feelings
15) Scream VI

16) The Creator
17) Oppenheimer
18) Killers of the Flower Moon
19) M3GAN
20) Saw X

21) Beau is Afraid
22) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
23) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
24) Barbie
25) May December

I saw 74 eligible movies. Notable movies I didn't see: John Wick, Mission: Impossible, Godzilla, The Boy and the Heron, Anatomy of a Fall.

[DanTheMan]

#01 - Poor Things


#02 - Suzume


#03 - Oppenheimer


#04 - John Wick: Chapter 4


#05 - The Holdovers


#06 - Barbie


#07 - American Fiction


#08 - Rye Lane


#09 - Past Lives


#10 - Killers of the Flower Moon


#11 - Godzilla Minus One


#12 - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3


#13 - Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.


#14 - Anatomy of a Fall


#15 - Napoleon


#16 - Talk to Me


#17 - Air


#18 - Scream VI


#19 - Evil Dead Rise


#20 - Disappointment Blvd. (Beau is Afraid)


#21 - How Do You Live? (The Boy and the Heron)


#22 - Flora and Son


#23 - Saltburn


#24 - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse


#25 - The Zone of Interest

[thewerepuppygrr]

VOTING NOW CLOSED!

Thanks to everyone who contributed. Results coming soon...

[Magicman38]

Originally Posted by thewerepuppygrr

VOTING NOW CLOSED!

Thanks to everyone who contributed. Results coming soon...

Thank you! This is always a highlight of the start of the year! Looking forward to the results!

[Cremildo]

1. Oppenheimer

One cannot realize it right away, as it takes about two hours to reveal the full breadth of its scope, but Oppenheimer is a meticulously constructed film, remarkably so. Granted, Nolan has proven to be capable of devilish structural ingenuity before, Memento and Dunkirk being prime examples. What sets this new work apart is that its storytelling is relatively uncomplicated, and yet it denotes a cerebral, almost scientific understanding of the mechanics of the slow-burning cinematic thrill.

For a long while, Oppenheimer moves along as a sprawling albeit unremarkable biopic about an eccentric genius treading the path toward the annals of History. That's part of Nolan's grand plan, as even schematic characterization and familiar interpersonal dynamics turn out to be necessary groundwork whose significance will attain proper resonance once the proverbial shit hits the fan, personal foibles bleeding into the political - and both into the cosmic.

As the end credits started to roll, a feeling of dread dawned upon me, heart still thumping fast in the chest. The implications of what was shown remain as present - as threatening - as ever. J. Robert was, for all intents and purposes, the modern Prometheus. Perhaps he felt remorse due to the hand he lent the American government in decimating over 100.000 Japanese in two fell swoops. He is dead, however. No eternal torture for stealing fire from the gods. It's we, the living, who will always be haunted by his creation.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is shameless in its pulling of the audience's heartstrings and resolutely adherent to the tried-and-true MCU formula consisting of sitcom-y zingers coupled with computerized maximalism. It is also a gleeful space adventure and a moving ode to friendship, willing to go some previously unexplored dark places for the sake of character development.

Packed to the brim with delectable group dynamics, chortle-worthy banter, eye-melting visuals, exciting action setpieces, actual high stakes, and pitch-perfect needle drops, it's a de facto corporate product that manages to convey the palpable passion and care James Gunn and co. put into it - the kind of all-too-rare paradox that makes blockbuster filmmaking worth watching.

3. Monster

It's easy to forget that everybody has their reasons to act the way they do, from children to the elderly, as we don't get to see things from their perspective. Hence the value of humanistic storytellers such as Hirokazu Kore-eda, who regard his characters with empathy instead of forcing them into neatly predetermined roles such as "villain" or "victim".

Kore-eda conducts the narrative with such a deft, unforced touch that the viewer might not immediately realize they're witnessing the same basic timespan being retold three times, each one revealing an unsuspected truth, cause and effect wreaking not only havoc for the people onscreen but also, ultimately, bringing about understanding.

In his 2004 essay for Spielberg's The Color Purple, Ebert wrote:

When a movie character is really working, we become that character. That's what the movies offer: Escapism into lives other than our own. I am not female, I am not black, I am not Celie, but for a time during "The Color Purple," my mind deceives me that I am all of those things, and as I empathize with her struggle and victory I learn something about what it must have been like to be her.

Watching Monster, I was a baffled single mother, a hapless teacher, a guilt-stricken school principal, and two misunderstood boys.

4. El conde

A dictator as a literal vampire, his progeny as figurative bloodsuckers; a scorching antifascist satire in pellucid black-and-white, wry and brutal in equal measure. The refusal to humanize and, therefore, empathize with real-life monsters should become a trend in based-on-true-story filmmaking.

5. Anatomy of a Fall


6. All of Us Strangers


7. Saltburn


8. Tori and Lokita

As blunt in their pared-down storytelling as they are compassionate about their struggling characters, the Dardennes have mastered a subgenre that has become synonymous with their name - the social-realist drama, which openly embraces dread-inducing suspense in this newest outing. Chroniclers of Belgium's socioeconomic pariahs, Jean-Pierre and Luc don't always deliver masterpieces, but their work tends to leave the viewer with the feeling of having witnessed something substantial. After the respectable, albeit atypically unenlightening, The Unknown Girl and Young Ahmed, Tori and Lokita is a veritable gut-punch and a marked return to form.

9. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning


10. Pictures of Ghosts

11. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

12. Master Gardener

13. Scream VI

14. Past Lives

15. Napoleon

16. Knock at the Cabin

17. The Killer

18. Priscilla

19. The Old Oak

20. May December

[Gacivory]

1. May December
2. All of Us Strangers
3. Killers of the Flower Moon
4. Poor Things
5. Barbie
6. Saltburn
7. Bottoms
8. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
9. Passages

There will be more added later

[StarWarsIsAwesome123]

1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
2. Oppenheimer
3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
4. John Wick: Chapter 4
5. The Holdovers
6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
7. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
8. The Creator
9. Scream VI
10. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
11. Society of the Snow
12. Killers of the Flower Moon
13. Air
14. Talk to Me
15. Extraction 2
16. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
17. The Marvels
18. Thanksgiving
19. The Covenant
20. Creed III
21. Poor Things
22. Plane
23. Gran Turismo
24. Sound of Freedom
25. Blue Beetle

Updated Top 25 (hopefully I'll be better prepared next time):

[Show spoiler]1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
2. Oppenheimer
3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
4. John Wick: Chapter 4
5. The Holdovers
6. Nimona
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
8. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
9. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
10. The Creator
11. Scream VI
12. Society of the Snow
13. The Iron Claw
14. Killers of the Flower Moon
15. Air
16. Talk to Me
17. Extraction 2
18. Godzilla Minus One
19. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
20. Thanksgiving
21. The Covenant
22. Creed III
23. Poor Things
24. Plane
25. The Marvels (this has regressed a little with time)

[CreasyBear]

1. Oppenheimer
2. Killers of the Flower Moon
3. The Killer
4. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
5. The Iron Claw
6. Master Gardener
7. Talk to Me
8. Maestro
9. Silent Night
10. Ferrari
11. Napoleon
12. Thanksgiving
13. Priscilla
14. Eileen
15. The Flash
16. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
17. Anatomy of a Fall
18. The Creator
19. Barbie
20. Rebel Moon: Part 1 - A Child of Fire
21. Creed III
22. Air
23. A Haunting in Venice
24. Infinity Pool
25.

[ImBlu_DaBaDee]

1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
2. Godzilla Minus One
3. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
4. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3
5. Past Lives
6. Barbie
7. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
8. Wonka
9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
10. Fast X
11. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
12. Creed III
13. MΞGAN
14. Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie
15. Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour
16. The Color Purple (2023)
17. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
18. Meg 2: The Trench
19. Trolls Band Together
20. Asteroid City
21. The Creator
22. Elemental
23. Chevalier
24. Sitting in Bars With Cake
25. Migration

[Boccaccio]

I'm in but like last year my list will be ready close to the deadline.
Some catching up to do.

[rsp_clark]

My faves so far:

01. Barbie
02. All of Us Strangers
03. Fair Play
04. Taylor Swift: the Eras Tour
05. The Little Mermaid
06. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
07. No Hard Feelings
08. Hit Man
09. Still: a Michael J. Fox Movie
10. Theater Camp
11. The Holdovers
12. Blackberry
13. Poor Things
14. Knock at the Cabin
15. May December
16. Sharper
17. Missing
18. Scream VI
19. To Catch a Killer
20. Infinity Pool
21. A Haunting in Venice
22. Oppenheimer
23. Pictures of Ghosts
24. Bottoms
25. The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Unfortunately, "Past Lives" and "Anatomy of a Fall" left me cold.
And "M:I Dead Reckoning" was not as good as the past Missions, it was a bit tiresome.

I still have to see "American Fiction", "The Zone of Interest", "Wish", "Migration" and a couple of others.

[thewerepuppygrr]

Originally Posted by rsp_clark

Does "Taylor Swift: the Eras Tour" count?

Imma say no. I feel like live events don’t count - we made an exception for Hamilton but even that was tenuous and that at least had a plot and script.