23 best films of 2023, from Margot Robbie's Barbie to Netflix thriller Fair Play
As we approach the end of 2023, and wintery season closes in, it's the perfect time to reflect on the amazing movies we've been gifted this year – as well as marking in the diary a few more corkers that are yet to come.
Make sure you don't miss Timothée Chalamet in the upcoming Wonka classic, as well as Julia Roberts in Leave the World Behind – both of which release in December. But equally, let's give due thanks for all the awesome films that have hit cinemas and streaming services throughout 2023.
We've seen Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling play the ultimate Barbie and Ben in Greta Gerwig's film Barbie, as well as superstar Halle Bailey's turn as the iconic Ariel in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. If you haven't already, get spooked by The Exorcist sequel, or indulge in action-packed films such as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny or Brie Larson starring The Marvels.
A fan of Stranger Things? Then be sure to check out Millie Bobby Brown in the Netflix movie Damsel. Speaking of the streaming service, check out Jennifer Lopez's return to her action-packed roots in the movie The Mother and Julia Roberts will be seen in the end-of-the-world disaster movie, Leave the World Behind.
Emma's being praised for her ‘fearless’ sex scenes.
Needless to say, there is something for everyone out there, and we most definitely have you covered on the best movies of 2023.
For 23 of the best movies of 2023, read ahead:
Moviestore Collection Ltd / Alamy Stock PhotoRye Lane
Starring: Vivian Oparah, David Jonsson
Plot: An awesome London-based romcom, Rye Lane sees unlucky-in-love Dom and Yas randomly meet and spend the day together as they navigate what they want out of romance and life.
Jin Young Kim/ Jon Pack/Twenty Years Rights/A24Past Lives
Starring: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro
Plot: Spoiler – this film will completely and utterly break your heart. But it's worth it. It follows the story of two childhood friends Nora and Hae (Lee and Yoo) who grew up in South Korea, when Nora emigrates to the US while they are still young. When Hae comes to visit Nora in New York decades later, they must reckon with their own fates, identities and destiny – and whether they were meant for each other.
© 2023 MRC II Distribution Company, L.P.Fair Play
Starring: Phoebe Dyvenor, Alden Ehrenreich
Plot: This one's a corker. Bridgerton star Phoebe and Oppenheimer actor Alden play a young couple keeping their relationship secret at the hedge fund they work at. Things begin to unravel, though, when Phoebe gets promoted above Alden. It explores misogyny in the workplace, relationship dynamics and much much more.
Beau is Afraid
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
Plot: Beau, an anxiously paranoid but sweet man, encounters some supernatural threats as he embarks on an epic odyssey home upon learning that his mother, who he had a strained relationship with, has passed away.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldaña, Will Poulter, Karen Gillan
Plot: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set to bring an "epic conclusion" to the film franchise. The official synopsis for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 reads: “Our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days. Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill must rally his team around him to defend the universe and protect one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.”
Liam DanielLove Again
Starring: Priyanka Chopra, Sam Heughan, Celine Dion
Plot: While grieving the loss of her husband, Mira Ray finds comfort in sending a series of romantic texts to his old number without realising it has been reassigned to journalist Rob Burns. In return, Rob is impressed by her beautifully constructed texts, and when he's assigned to interview Celine Dion, he enlists the help of the superstar to track down Mira and her heart.
Eric Milner/NETFLIXThe Mother
Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Omari Hardwick, Lucy Paez, Joseph Fiennes
Plot: A female assassin comes out of her hiding to protect her daughter, who she left earlier in life, as she attempts to flee from dangerous assailants.
DisneyThe Little Mermaid
Starring: Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy
Plot: The youngest of King Triton's daughters, mermaid Ariel, makes a deal with a sea witch to trade her beautiful voice for human legs so she can discover the world above water and impress dashing Prince Eric.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
Starring: Ron Perlman, Michelle Yeoh, Anthony Ramos, Peter Cullen, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Velez
Plot: It's the 1990s, and the Maximals, Predacons and Terrorcons join the existing battle on Earth between Autobots and Decepticons
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Starring: Harrison Ford, Mads Mikkelsen, Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Plot: The fifth instalment of the film series, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, has yet to disclose an official synopsis, but we can expect to see further adventures of the most famous daredevil archaeologist in the world.
Sony Pictures AnimationSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, Issa Rae
Plot: In this animated superhero Marvel film, Miles Morales, most famously known as Brooklyn's friendly neighbourhood, takes an epic adventure to join forces with a new team, including Gwen Stacy.
Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus FeaturesAsteroid City
Starring: Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie, Maya Hawke, Scarlett Johansson
Plot: Directed by Wes Anderson, this movie follows the transformative and world-changing events that occurred at an annual Junior Stargazer convention in the American desert in 1955.
Paramount PicturesMission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One
Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Hayley Atwell
Plot: As the seventh instalment in the Mission: Impossible film series, the upcoming action spy is hotly anticipated, but its exact plot is still mostly under wraps!
Photo credit: Universal PicturesOppenheimer
Starring: Florence Pugh, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Cillian Murphy
Plot: This movie follows the journey of physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, who develops the atomic bomb after working with a team of scientists during the Manhattan Project.
Jaap BuitendijkBarbie
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie
Plot: Barbie sets off for the human world to find true happiness after being expelled from Barbieland for being a less than perfect-looking doll.
Corey NickolsThe Marvels
Starring: Brie Larson, Iman Vellani, Teyonah Parris, Lashana Lynch, Mckenna Grace
Plot: The movie follows on from the events of 2022's Ms. Marvel and sees Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau attempting to find out why they swap places with each other every time they use their special powers.
NetflixDamsel
Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Nick Robinson, Angela Bassett, Robin Wright
Plot: After agreeing to marry a handsome prince, a young woman discovers it was all a trap as she's thrown into a cave with a fire-breathing dragon. In order to escape, she must rely on her wits and will to survive.
The Exorcist
Starring: Leslie Odom Jr., Ellen Burstyn, Ann Dowd
Plot: In this same-name sequel to the 1973 film, The Exorcist follows the journey of a father of a possessed child who seeks out the assistance of Chris MacNeil, whose daughter Regan survived a similar position back in the seventies.
Apple TVKillers of the Flower Moon
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brendan Fraser, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons
Plot: Martin Scorsese's latest films centre on the members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation who are murdered under mysterious circumstances in the 1920s.
Murray Close/LionsgateThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Starring: Hunter Schafer, Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage
Plot: Years before becoming the tyrannical president of Panem, teenager Coriolanus Snow attempts to change fortunes when he mentors a female tribute from District 12, Lucy Gray Baird.
Neil MockfordWonka
Starring: Timothee Chalamet, Rowan Atkinson, Tom Holland, Sally Hawkins
Plot: This movie follows the journey of young Willy Wonka and how he met Oompa-Loompas before the start of his famed chocolate factory.
Release date: 15 December in cinemas.
©2023 NETFLIXLeave the World Behind
Starring: Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Myha'la Herrold
Plot: An idyllic family getaway in Long Island is interrupted when two strangers appear at their door with news of a blackout. Both clans get together to decide the best way to survive the potential crisis while coming to terms with their own place in the collapsing society.
Release date: 8 December on Netflix.
