Best movies of 2023: 15 films ranked and where to watch them

Choosing the best movies of the year is always a difficult task. Even in a year with writers and SAG-AFTRA actors on strike, we still saw a lot of really great movies.

From the cultural phenomenon of "Barbieheimer" to chilling horror films, hysterical comedies and thought-provoking dramas, there was a lot of see, including some great Canadian talent.

Here is our list of the 15 best movies of 2023, and some honourable mentions, and where to watch them in Canada:

15. Bottoms

Canadian Emma Seligman gets our vote for the most exciting filmmaker right now and we ran to see Bottoms, after Seligman's previous feature, Shiva Baby. And Bottoms didn't disappoint.

Seligman has such a strong voice and perspective, and the comedy in Bottoms is so witty and doesn't shy away from being silly. We love this filmmaker's work.

High school best friends, PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) start an all-girls fight club for self defence, but they're really just hoping to get the attention of their crushes Brittany (Kaia Gerber) and Isabel (Havana Rose Liu).

Where to watch Bottoms: Stream on Prime Video

14. Swan Song

Just the fact that Chelsea McMullan and Sean O'Neill were able to pull off filming Swan Song is a feat, but it's also an incredibly captivating documentary where the audience gets a behind-the-scenes look at the world of professional ballet, and icon Karen Kain.

The stakes feel incredibly high, with the film achieving a perfect balance of watching Kain's journey directing her version of "Swan Lake," while leaving significant time to highlight the perspective of the dancers.

Executive produced by Scream star Neve Campbell, Swan Song takes us inside the National Ballet of Canada's production of "Swan Lake."

Where to watch Swan Song: The four-part series version is available on CBC Gem and FuboTV

13. Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Scorsese's film Killers of the Flower Moon is absolutely sinister, and it's an example of world building at its finest.

Lily Gladstone's performance, in particular, is breathtaking and painful, with such an impactful and emotive performance.

Based on the novel by David Grann on the Osage murders, Leonardo DiCaprio plays Ernest Burkhart, who is staying in Oklahoma with his uncle William Hale "King Hale" (Robert De Niro). Ernest starts giving Osage women a ride around town, but Mollie (Gladstone) stands out to him. Ernest marries Mollie, which is part of a larger plan, orchestrated by his uncle, to murder several Osage people to get access to their wealth.

Where to watch Killers of the Flower Moon: Buy or rent on Apple TV, coming to Apple TV+ soon

12. Passages

Ira Sachs' Passages is all about passion, desire and power, starring Ben Whishaw and Franz Rogowski.

It's a true exploration of complexities in relationships, a romantic drama that uniquely includes a study of narcissism. Sachs isn't afraid to start the story with a disoriented audience, eventually bringing you right in the middle of the central conflict.

In Passages Tomas (Rogowski) is a filmmaker in Paris who's married to Martin (Whishaw), but has an affair with a young woman, Agathe (Exarchopoulos), unravelling his marriage.

Where to watch Passages: Stream on Mubi

11. American Symphony

The Netflix documentary American Symphony is incredibly moving, artistic and heartbreaking.

It feels like an incredible privilege to get such an intimate look at Jon Batiste and Suleika Jaouad's love story, in a format that beautifully showcases true artistic expression in a documentary format.

On the same day in 2021 that Batiste was nominated for 11 Grammy awards, his then-partner (now wife) Jaouad started chemo after her leukemia returned, following an initial diagnosis a decade earlier. In the film Batiste is crafting his "American Symphony" piece, a modern day symphony orchestra, while Jaouad has her second bone marrow transplant.

Where to watch American Symphony: Stream on Netflix

10. Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan really showed us the definition of the word "epic" with Oppenheimer, reminding us why sometimes it's important to make your way into a movie theatre to watch innovative filmmaking.

The movie tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), who invented the atomic bomb, inspired by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s biography "American Prometheus."

Where to watch Oppenheimer: But or rent on Apple TV or Prime Video

9. Barbie

If we're being honest, Barbie and Oppenheimer are really linked, because we're not going to pretend that the hype of "Barbieheimer" didn't impact the cultural significance of both of these films.

But really, America Ferrera's monologue in Greta Gerwig's film, the way her character Gloria is able to express the very real struggle women have in the world, will solidify Barbie as an important watch.

While Margot Robbie's Barbie is seemingly living her best life, when she starts "glitching" and goes to the real world, she's shocked to discover that outside of Barbie Land, men reign supreme.

Where to watch Barbie: Stream on Crave

8. The Zone of Interest

From its terrorizing premise to the unique multi-camera shooting structure, Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest is one of the most impressive films of the year.

This masterful filmmaking also perfectly pairs its visuals with chilling sounds, making this a movie watching experience unlike any other.

Inspired by Martin Amis' 2014 novel, Glazer's German-language film focuses on the Höss family, Rudolf (Christian Friedel), his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) and their children. But just on the other side of a wall outside this home, is Auschwitz.

Where to watch The Zone of Interest: Now in theatres

7. BlackBerry

Chronicling the rise and fall of Research in Motion's (RIM) BlackBerry, Matt Johnson's movie, appropriately titled BlackBerry, is completely riveting, hysterical and actually quite emotional at times.

Johnson's film, also starring Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton, really emphasizes the Canadiana of the story, proving that being immersed in a movie is really in the details.

In 1996 Mike Lazaridis (Baruchel in the movie) and Douglas Fregin (Johnson) were operating RIM from a small office in Waterloo, Ont., but things change when they meet Jim Balsillie (Howerton).

As the timeline moves into the 2000s, BlackBerry takes us through the stages of the mobile device's uprising, but also its journey of becoming obsolete.

Where to watch BlackBerry: Stream on Crave

6. Talk to Me

When we first watched Danny and Michael Philippou's horror film Talk to Me, it completely impressed us for not just the scares, but it's unique and exciting storytelling structure.

This film proves that horror films can be as nuanced and intricately crafted as any film in any other genre.

In Talk to Me, Australian teens at parties have been posting videos of them holding a white ceramic hand and saying the words "talk to me," which allows a spirit to possess their body. Mia (Sophie Wilde) decides to try it out for herself when she attends a party with her friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen), which is where the horrific journey begins.

Where to watch Talk to Me: Stream on Netflix

5. Past Lives

Celine Song's Past Lives is one of those movies that just sticks with you, and one of the most emotionally satisfying films of the year.

Greta Lee and Teo Yoo both give us incredibly touching performances, achieving what feels like real human connection.

Nora (Lee) and Hae Sung (Yoo) are childhood friends who reunite, by chance, in New York City.

Where to watch Past Lives: Buy or rent on Apple TV or Prime Video

4. The Holdovers

We could watch Paul Giamatti playing a frustrated teacher all day after seeing Alexander Payne's The Holdovers.

This film really epitomizes the power of great character-driven storytelling. The Holdovers will make you laugh just as hard as it tugs at your heartstrings. The '70s aesthetic sucks you in, Da'Vine Joy Randolph completely shines and newcomer Dominic Sessa is a bonafide star.

Set at the Barton Academy, a New England boys boarding school, Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) is stuck at the academy for the winter break, with adjunct professor of ancient history Paul Hunham (Giamatti) and Mary Lamb (Randolph), the school cook.

Where to watch The Holdovers: Buy or rent on Apple TV or Prime Video

3. I Like Movies

 I Like Movies, Chandler Levack's feature debut, is easily our most-watched movie of the year, so it has to be at the top of our list.

It's just an absolute joy to experience all 2000s nostalgia in this movie. Levack also exemplifies how to effectively craft a character with a traumatic backstory.

Isaiah Lehtinen as Lawrence Kweller is the perfect teenage "film bro," pairing the sarcasm and comedy of the character with the more emotional elements brilliantly.

Set in Burlington, Ont., in 2003, when 17-year-old Lawrence isn't watching films, he's watching Saturday Night Live and making his own movies with his best friend Matt Macarchuck (Percy Hynes White). Lawrence's only goal is to go to film school at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, so he gets a job at the local Sequels video store, working for manager Alana (Romina D’Ugo), to hopefully be able to financially make his dream come true.

Where to watch I Like Movies: Stream on Netflix

2. American Fiction

The winner of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) People's Choice Award, American Fiction, Cord Jefferson's adaptation of Percival Everett's 2001 novel "Erasure," resonated with critics and audiences alike, and is easily one of the most compelling films we've seen all year.

We're ecstatic that Jeffrey Wright is in the leading role as Thelonious "Monk" Ellison, with a performance that perfectly leans into the satire. Wright is incredibly funny and charming at the same time.

Monk is an author and university professor who's having trouble selling his new novel, getting feedback that his book needs to be "Blacker." So Monk writes a story full of tropes and stereotypes, which ends up being a massive success.

Where to watch American Fiction: Now in theatres

1. Poor Things

Yorgos Lanthimos Poor Things completely impressed us this year, with an addictive, bizarre story that perfectly blends wacky humour with thought-provoking cultural examination. It's everything we could ask for.

Emma Stone is completely mesmerizing as Bella Baxter, our favourite performance from her throughout the actor's career.

Based on the novel by Alasdair Gray, Poor Things follows the evolution of Bella, who has the body of an adult woman, but the brain of a very young child, after being brought back to life by Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). After she makes the decision to leave Godwin's home with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), Bella starts to experience life on her own, faced with the harsh reality of what the world is really like.

Where to watch Poor Things: Now in theatres

Honourable mention: Saltburn

This may very well be the most polarizing film of the year, but there's no denying the impact of Saltburn after causing a complete frenzy on the internet.

For us, Saltburn was a winner. Yes it's weird and will make many uncomfortable (like that now infamous grave scene), but Emerald Fennell's analysis of class tensions is very detailed and specific, and those are the movies we love. The people that grew up watching Skins will understand.

It's also absolutely visually stunning, we can't recall a movie in recent history that's played with lighting and colour so effectively.

Additionally, Sophie Ellis-Bextor's song "Murder On The Dancefloor" has been stuck in our heads since we first saw the film, and we still love it.

Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) arrives at Oxford University in 2006 an odd man, the "scholarship boy" at the school. But he develops a friendship with charismatic aristocratic Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi). Felix invites Oliver to his family's estate, Saltburn, and Oliver bounces between winning over this wealthy family, and being hit by the sense that he doesn't "belong" in this world, with these people.

Where to watch Saltburn: Stream on Prime Video

Honourable mention: Fair Play

We thought about Fair Play for hours after the final credits rolled, with Chloe Domont's film really calling out the infuriating challenges of society's prescribed gender roles.

This is a movie that oftentimes just makes you want to scream, and that means the film makes a significant impact. Some moments feel like a gut punch, and others left us with our mouth agape.

Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) are co-workers at a New York City hedge fund company, and secretly a couple. When Emily gets a promotion, Luke's jealously comes through stronger each day.

Where to watch Fair Play: Stream on Netflix