BOT Top 25 movies of 2023 | Reveal complete. The forum has bombed

[cannastop]

On 4/18/2024 at 6:27 AM, grim22 said:

#21

 

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Elemental

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pixar’s return to form with an original movie success(?). Elemental was a low-key old-school legs based success at the box office by telling a star-crossed lovers story with the Pixar style added. I liked it without loving it but there is no denying it spoke to a lot of people.

 

BOT User review:

At the beginning I was cynical because it felt like a Zootopia ripoff, but then I got sucked into the characters. I really like this movie @cannastop

 

Really surprised this made the top 25 but I'm not complaining.

[grim22]

#10

 

Spoiler

Poor Things

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only watched it in parts, found it weirdly fascinating to watch.

 

BOT User review:

Equally bizarre, revolting, raunchy, and hilarious in the way that perhaps only a Yorgos Lanthimos movie could be, this is a movie that dares to be different from what we've come to expect from a Hollywood picture in the 2020s (in the best possible way) while also having plenty on its mind. Breathtaking production values and cinematography, and it flies by at an engrossing 141 minutes (and for those who have been assuming that sex scenes in movies have become a thing of the past, let's just say that Lanthimos has created quite the rebuttal to that notion). Also easily among the funniest movies I've seen all year, putting the average studio comedy to shame in landing genuine laughs.

 

This is, quite frankly, the performance of Emma Stone's career, not something to be said lightly given I've always been a big fan of hers. Bella is unlike any other character she's had to play so far and she's fully up to the challenge, perfectly capturing her journey of a woman-turned-experiment-turned-woman-again who has to relearn everything in life. She's equally matched by excellent turns from Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe: Ruffalo is a hoot as a hopelessly pathetic scoundrel, while Dafoe brings additional layers to the role of the mad scientist who also serves as a fatherly figure to Bella. A slew of notable folks including Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, Jerrod Carmichael, Margaret Qualley, and Kathryn Hunter also provide capable support among the rest of the ensemble, but this belongs to Stone from beginning to end.

 

It's a demented year-end treat that arrives like a breath of fresh air from the aura of "been there, done that" which has permeated multiplex fare throughout all of 2023, and would actually make for a brilliant and unlikely in equal measure double feature with Barbie. file:///C:/Users/us20919/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.png

 

A

@filmlover

 

Beautiful, yet Grotesque and Weird at the same time. As someone who went in blind, it was certainly not my cup of tea, but it was fun and outlandish experience.  @Becker

 

[grim22]

#9

 

Spoiler

John Wick: Chapter 4

 

 

 

 

The ending (?) of the John Wick saga delivered on everything fans wanted from the franchise. A lot of great stylized action and Keanu continuing his revenge saga. A perfect send-off to one of the best action characters.

 

BOT User review:

JW4 is a step up from bore feast JW3 in almost every way. The stunt is bigger, flashier, and most importantly, each fight and duel has a goal which allow you to care about the fight in the first place. 

 

Not only the stunt is remarkable, the cinematography is also at top notch. There are too many well choreographed, directed sequences that make this 3 hours a worthy journey.  

@titanic2187

 

This reminded me a lot of like a really dense and delicious chocolate cake. First bite, amazing. Second bite, delicious. Third bite, it’s too much and I am gonna be sick. 
 

Too slow to start, and got too excessive at the end. The whole CGI nonsense with the cars in front of The Arc De Triomph could’ve been cut. Considering how GORGEOUS the previous hours worth of cinematography and fight choreography had been, this just felt like some out of place CGI/green screen whackfest. 
 

I also need this cinematographer to direct a musical ASAP. The long fluid takes of full body wide shots has me ASCENDING. 🥰🥰🥰

 

MVP was Donnie Yen. So magnetic and his movements are so fluid. 
 

Every movie should have Clancy Brown. 

@Cap

 

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

 

But it doesn't matter.
_________________________________________

 

Stunts - 90/100 | I like how the filmmakers just don't give a fuck at this point about having any kind of logic. John Wick will survive anything, do anything, it will be overlong, there will be too many of every single thing there can be too many of, and yet it's still gonna be great.

 

Narrative - 70/100 | Ian McShane steals the show as expected, but this time around the narrative is leaner (somehow, and in a movie that's 40 minutes longer than the previous one).

 

Fight Choreography - 93/100 | Yeah it's just great. I think the Paris street sequence was the worst, while the Osaka International was the best. At least in terms of fights. The one-take gunfight was also awesome.

 

Enjoyment - 75/100 | We get a glimpse here of assassins who fight among themselves instead of all of them being hellbent on killing John Wick as a group, and I think it should have been a part of the earlier movies too. Makes the action much more colorful when different parties have different wants instead of just the main character vs hordes of enemies with a single and unified purpose.

 

I loved Donnie Yen in this, I loved Scott Adkins in this, I loved Hiroyuki Sanada in this, I loved Marko Zaror in this. This is like a love letter to martial arts movie fans with lots of old school veterans, except with guns. 

 

And it's way too long. Usually I care, but not this time.

 

Hopefully we get another movie in this franchise one day.

 

B+

@Daxtreme

 

[grim22]

#8

 

Spoiler

Past Lives

 

 

 

 

 

Haven’t seen it.

 

BOT User review:

Loved the hell out of this. Quietly devastating, yet utterly charming at the same time. It captures that "what might have been" feeling we all go through and the acting and direction is top-notch. Really glad this is doing solid business specialty-wise and I hope this isn't lost in the shuffle when awards season comes. @Eric Atreides

 

[grim22]

#7

 

Spoiler

The Holdovers

 

 

Haven’t seen it.

 

BOT User review:

Top 3 of the year, absolutely adored it. @TheDude391

 

Thought this was a very charming throwback film to an era long past.

 

The kind of cozy, fun character dramas we used to get frequently.

 

I don't think the comedy was quite sharp enough or the drama quite poignant enough to want to see it winning oscars, but I did enjoy it a lot 

@Dominic Draper

 

Watched this last night. Yes it is very good. It's one of those movies where you keep waiting for the characters to behave like movie characters and they don't. They behave like real people would in those situations. Very refreshing. My Oscar for best actor would still go to Cillian Murphy  but would not be upset with Paul Giamatti winning.  Da'Vine Joy Randolph is the front runner for Best Supporting Actress and she deserves it. @emoviefan

 

[grim22]

#6

 

Spoiler

Barbie

 

 

 

 

 

One of the box office and movie phenomenons of the year 2023. Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie managed to take a doll with no backstory and managed to make it into a genuine feminist masterpiece. Add to that, the performance of Gosling as Ken, and the monologue by Ferrara, and Barbie had something for everyone and it was rewarded by being WB’s highest grossing movie of all time.

 

BOT User review:

America Farrerra’s monologue brought the house down. 
 

“When I realised the Patriarchy wasn’t really about horses I kind of lost interest” did as well 🤣😂

 

When Barbie was speaking to Ruth at the end, I honestly thought she was going to ask to die. That would’ve been grim, but it would’ve been amazing as well lol. Loved the ending we got though. 
 

A+
5/5

10/10
 

I think it’s a masterpiece. For the young children who see it now and all the subtext goes over their heads, they’ll rediscover it when they’re tweens, teens and then again as adults. I honestly think it’ll be a generational classic. 

@Krissykins

 

Ken's song might be the funniest thing I've seen in a theater this year, I was nearly crying

@SchumacherFTW

 

I don't think I've ever seen a theater so full of preteen and teenage girls. There was also a lot of applause after America Ferrera made her big speech which I don't think i've ever seen before.

 

Overall amazing film, great performances by everyone involved. It's just too bad my TikTok is now filled with terrible takes on the film lol

@Killimano3

 

 

[grim22]

26	Saltburn
27	The Killer
28	Society of the Snow
29	The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
30	BlackBerry
31	Bottoms
32	The Creator
33	All of Us Strangers
34	Beau is Afraid
35	They Cloned Tyrone
36	How to Blow Up a Pipeline
37	May December
38	Creed III
39	Ferrari
40	No Hard Feelings

[WorkingonaName]

On 4/22/2024 at 4:59 PM, JustLurking said:

Who on earth voted FNAF lol. Terrible film.

[grim22]

#5

 

Spoiler

Killers of the Flower Moon

 

 

 

 

Started it, but didn’t finish. The movie was great, its just that watching long movies at home is pretty much impossible when you have kids.

 

 

BOT User review:

I can't get over how fucking good this movie is, I'm still buzzing over it. Only Scorsese can do it like this. It's utterly bleak and the subject matter is horrible, but the movie never becomes a miserable slog thanks to the incredible performances and masterful direction. Lily Gladstone is the heart of the movie, just an incredibly naturalistic and moving performance, but De Niro is incredible playing evil incarnate essentially. I think it's easily one of his best. And what a fantastic and fitting score from Robbie Robertson, RIP.

 

Go watch this movie.

@MOVIEGUY

 

No one does epics like Scorsese. From the opening montage to its final scene, he makes two things very clear:

1. How much he respects the story he is telling, going deep into minutia that any other director would overlook, and

2. How much he wants this to not be just any other biopic. The initial montage was so creatively done, and the ending scene so much better than any letters on black screen could have done. 

 

In between, Marty employs a number of just incredible technical bits: from long shots of numerous outdoor sets with hundreds of extras, to still and creatively framed shots of many, so many horrific murders. My favorite device might just have been how he represents the passage of time, and how these murders are changing Osage country, from the central family to the town itself changing, with bits of modernity added and the racial dynamics changing. This is, needless to say, always shown, never told.

 

The acting is all great (with the excerpt in of Brendan Fraser, a small blot in an otherwise perfect sea of performances). De Niro plays the perhaps the best devil since Christopher Waltz’ Hans Landa. But the standout is Lily Gladstone; I had loved her in the few episodes of Reservation Dogs she was in, and he truly makes the most out of every minute she’s in the frame.

 

The elephant in the room is the runtime. And it’s true, while I was never bored, you can feel the runtime. The tricky thing is that because every part of it is intentional, I don’t know what I could cut without undermining the film severely. The first act goes by briskly, the second act dwells in the mystery and injustice of these murders, and when the third act, we are desperately craving any bit of Justice we could get, just like the Osage. And man, if it feels so easy and obvious who did it, it’s because they didn’t bother much to hide what they were doing; it’s just that not many cared.

 

Thank you, Martin Scorsese, for bringing this story to our screens and to our conscience. The day he stops being able to do that, our world will be much grimmer indeed

@abracadabra1998

 

 

[grim22]

#4

 

Spoiler

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

A deserving send-off to some of the most unexpected box office heroes of CBMs. James Gunn gave us a movie which was heartfelt, action-packed, and had a couple of hard to watch scenes. Guardians was a singular property, so it will be interesting to see if the franchise continues from here or not.

 

BOT User review:

Well this does solidify the Guardians movies as being the only trilogy within the MCU with 3 consistent good films. Is it as good as the first film, no, but it is not disappointing. These characters are so much more engaging than the rest of the MCU.

I was happy that it felt like an actual ending, and it clearly isn't under pressure to keep plot threads going for future movies.

@Avatree

One of the rare movies that has gotten better with each rewatch. Perfect cap to the trilogy.

 

A

@DAJK

 

8/10, A-

enjoyable movie, maybe a bit long, but overall very nice and entertaining, even if some plot elements and gags seemed already routine.

I didn't like the music as much as in the earler GotG movies, but it was still one of the strengths.

And I thought the Evolutionary got shortchanged (same as the Skrulls a few years earlier) - waste of a great villain.

@IndustriousAngel

 

[grim22]

#3

 

Spoiler

Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse

 

 

 

 

Another movie I missed due to moving countries. Will likely catch it before the third one comes out since I hear its got a cliffhanger ending.

 

 

BOT User review:

Faced with having to follow one of the most surprising and dynamic mainstream animated films in recent memory, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse more than rises to the occasion. This sequel takes even bigger, bolder swings than its predecessor – no easy feat considering how many chances that film took with its style and setting – and delivers a viewing experience so engaging and exhilarating that its 140-minute running time flies by. After a show-stopping prologue that stretches across 20 minutes or thereabouts, the main storyline successfully builds upon the character relationships, emotional arcs, and universe rules established in the first film by taking each component to fresh places that feel like an organic continuation of the ideas established before. The continued character growth of Miles Morales remains compelling and dives into new ideas surrounding identity and destiny that feel impressively weighty while coexisting with plenty of well-pitched humor. There’s also quite a bit of expansion of Gwen Stacy’s narrative, complete with numerous moments whose emotional impact hits on the same level as peak Pixar. Beyond the impressive character work, the animation is a stunning mix of styles that never fails to amaze. (For me, the highlight was the dreamy mix of watercolor blues, pinks, and whites in Gwen’s universe.) There will certainly be viewers who walk away dissatisfied with the fact that this film is very clearly a “Part 1” of an even larger story, but the filmmakers handle the story beats so well that it still feels like a complete and satisfying experience, while also teasing elements of the next film with such panache that it’s hard not to exit the theater amped for what lies ahead. Across the Spider-Verse is so ambitious and so packed with compelling ideas, astonishing feats of action-driven animation, and clever visual touches that it practically demands repeat viewings, and I’m excited to continue to unpack this film further on subsequent viewings. For my money, it’s even better than the original, and feels certain to be at the head of this year’s animation and popcorn blockbuster classes alike. 

 

A

@Webslinger

 

 

[grim22]

#2

Spoiler

Godzilla Minus One

 

 

 

 

 

 

Probably the biggest miss on my watch-list. India never got a theatrical release for this, and it isn’t on any OTT platform either. Judging by the fact that Shin Godzilla isn’t even available anywhere to watch legally in India, I doubt I will be catching this before 2025.

 

BOT User review:

Best Godzilla movie. @Valencia

 

Pretty much as perfect as a Godzilla movie can be.

 

First of, this movie has the best human characters of any Godzilla movie, including the original. Especially the main protagonist Shikishima is seriously outstanding and gives a highly emotional, believable and gut-wrenching perfomance. This movie's main themes include survivors guilt, PTSD, the meaning of family and despite all that war trauma, the will to move forward and ultimately to survive. Its such a strong emotional core amidst the setting of late 1940's Japan.

 

And then ofc - in this delicate war drama you have Godzilla. Not the antihero, not the flat-out hero, no, here he is a force of nature that deliberately attacks Japan just like in the original or for example GMK (which this movie heavily references at many points). Godzilla is a scary motherfucker in this, a true monster where you might cheer when he destroys the buildings but then you realize that his next stomp could kill our protagonists.

 

And the thing is, you dont want to happen. Because weve spent time with our found family, we care about them, we dont want them to die. Thats why Norikos "death" hits so hard and thats why this is one Godzilla film with real tension and the highest of stakes. And it makes the actions scenes so damn exhilarating, especially every time Godzilla uses his atomic breath - which might be one of the coolest iterations yet.

 

Godzilla Minus One is a triumph for Toho, for the franchise, for the Kaiju genre and for films overall. It proves that even such a long-running series like Godzilla can always be fresh and exciting as well as staying true to the franchises roots and origin. Its the second masterpiece in the Reiwa era after Shin Godzilla and imo, is even better than that film, especially for international audiences.

 

A+

 

Thank you, Yamazaki and everyone involved.

@Brainbug

 

Far and away my favorite of any of these films. Not only is it a damn good kaiju flick, but it accomplishes what few have done and crafted actual care and investment with its human characters rather than making them an afterthought. Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Himabe deliver two extremely heartfelt, empathetic lead performances that consistently floored me with how much emotional resonance they brought to this entry. It perfectly compliments the destructive spectacle in such a somber yet satisfying manner. And I won’t lie, hearing that classic theme kick in during the climactic battle got me unexpectedly giddy and internally fist-pumping in a way no other blockbuster has this year. Probably could’ve trimmed down a few minutes, but other than that, I have no complaints. Really damn good cinema.

 

A

@Rorschach

 

[grim22]

And the winner is

 

#1

 

Spoiler

Oppenheimer

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOLANNNNN!!!!!! Christopher Nolan continues his streak of #1 movies on the BOT Top 25. TDKR, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, and now Oppenheimer. The movie which finally got Nolan his Oscar powered by great performances by Cilian Murphy and RDJ who both also won their Oscars, takes its deserved spot on top.

 

 

 

 

BOT User review:

One of the greatest movies every made 

 

one of the greatest ending to a movie ever made

 

best Nolan movie 

 

best biopic ever 

 

that ending was like a ton of bricks falling on me .

 

and ending everyone will remember for a long time 

 

A++++++

@hasanahmad

 

Incredible movie, very Nolan. The sound is almost overwhelming, the music builds and holds the tension very well. I'm not the person to judge acting but for me it all worked, Cillian Murphy is great, always has been. 

 

One thing I missed is Rami Malek was in there for like a minute before be was giving apparently very credible, convincing testimony that completely took down Strauss, and I didn't see why his character asserting everything should be the last word on the subject. 

 

It's almost a horror movie-like ending,  it was a success, they did it,  but that win is inextricable from the rest of history up to today and the permanent risk that is with us every day now. 

@MattW

 

This was absolutely tremendous, and worthy of being mentioned alongside other Nolan masterpieces like The Dark Knight, Inception, and Interstellar. I saw this on an IMAX screen (almost saw the 70mm but ended up with the next best thing after the IMAX 70mm had completely sold out), and it was absolutely worth the extra dollars. Nolan has rightfully established himself as a filmmaker who envisions his movies as BIG SCREEN as possible and delivering imagery that will stay with you long after leaving the auditorium. The entire Trinity sequence was the highlight of the movie for me and represents the director's skills at their finest.

 

This is material that seems largely uncinematic upon first glance (it's easy to imagine this also working as a stage play without the extra "wow" factors that you can only get in a movie theater), but Nolan manages to make it feel as grandiose as possible and is a skillful enough filmmaker that he knows to avoid the tropes of typically staid biopics while effectively exploring the moral dilemmas at hand, allowing for the 3 hour long runtime to feel shorter than it is. This almost comes across as Nolan discovering a completely different side of filmmaking, which is a positive after finding himself too close to self-parody territory for my liking with Tenet.

 

He's also assembled one heck of an ensemble cast here in which even the smallest roles are filled by notable actors, but the entire movie is carried by Cillian Murphy in an excellent, nuanced, and haunting performance that is sure to earn him his first Oscar nomination. Just as on his level is Robert Downey Jr., shedding his movie star persona to portray a complicated figure. I'd be all in favor of him having his Oscar moment with this. Matt Damon and Emily Blunt are also strong in pivotal supporting performances, and Florence Pugh adds more dimensions than otherwise might be the case to an underwritten character. Speaking of the ensemble, I really dug how random some of Nolan's casting choices were. I could see giving the spotlight to actors who haven't enjoyed this much prominence in a while (Josh Hartnett, David Krumholtz) but never expected he would cast alumni from Drake & Josh and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies in one of his flicks file:///C:/Users/us20919/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.png. As if there was any doubt that he's just as much a pop culture connoisseur as the rest of us!

 

It's a towering achievement that explores "the father of the atomic bomb" and will stand as one of the best movies of the year, and further confirmation as to why Nolan is among the most celebrated filmmakers working today.

 

A

@filmlover

 

it's one of Nolan's best movies. The movie and its rhythm consumed me from the get go. It all just clicks so well together even the last hour, everyone (and I mean everyone) is so good in it, I barely noticed how long it is.

Despite the rave reviews I never really loved Dunkirk, and thought this one might also not be an ideal project for Nolan, but in retrospect it fits like a glove with his sensibilities. Need to see it again asap. 

@Joel M

 

So many tears @MrPink

 

 

[Eric Loves Rey]

Honestly, we need to outlaw Nolan movies on this list. Makes things too predictable lmao

[Brainbug]

Rare time where a prequel (Oppenheimer) ranks higher than the original (Godzilla Minus One).

[Avatree]

3 hours ago, Eric Duncan said:

Honestly, we need to outlaw Nolan movies on this list. Makes things too predictable lmao

Did Tenet win in 2020? I know Nolan wins every time here but Tenet was really crap.

[Eric Loves Rey]

3 minutes ago, Avatree said:

Did Tenet win in 2020? I know Nolan wins every time here but Tenet was really crap.

Yep lol

[MattW]

I made the review list for oppenheimer? Wow high praise, thanks.