MovieMeter's 10 BEST movies of 2023

This past year has been a huge 12 months for cinema.

Despite continuing concerns over the future of blockbusters, there were several movies that soared at the box office - and received critical acclaim, too.

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The highest-grossing movie of 2023 is Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling and directed by Greta Gerwig, which earned an astonishing $1,441,793,161 at the box office. It is the most successful film of all time with a female at the helm.

But, with a rating of 2.94, it doesn't make MovieMeter's top 10 movies of the year.

Within our MovieMeter community, there are various films that have received hugely positive responses. By subscribing to become a member of the MovieMeter community HERE, you can rate all of your favourite movies - and some of your least favourite ones.

According to our community, the best movie of 2023 is Poor Things. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, the official premise reads:

'A young woman, Bella, is brought back to life by her guardian, the scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter. Initially naïve, Bella is eager to learn about the world around her, albeit under Baxter's protection. Wanting to see more, she runs off with Duncan Wedderburn, a slick and debauched lawyer, and travels across continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella demands equality and liberation.'

In second place is Znachor, also known as Forgotten Love. It is a Polish drama by Michal Gazda and tells the story of Professor Rafal Wilczur, a man whose wife leaves him and becomes the victim of a mugging which causes him amnesia.

Znachor is one of five non-English language movies that make our top 10, alongside Past Lives, Godzilla Minus One, The Boy and the Heron and Anatomy of a Fall.

2023's Best Movies

1. Poor Things

3.76 (879)

Poor Things (2023)

Belle Baxter is brought back to life by the eccentric scientist Godwin Baxter. He had made up his mind to have Bella as a lover. However, Bella becomes curious and wants to explore her sexuality further. She travels through Europe and encounters other men. She crosses paths with Duncan Wedderburn and Max McCandless.

Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos
Stars: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe

2. Znachor (Forgotten Love)

3.76 (196)

Znachor (2023)

Professor Wilczur, whose wife and beloved daughter have left, takes refuge in alcohol. He is seriously injured in the head during a fight in a suburban tavern and loses his memory. The once-respected surgeon who lost his family and memory gets a chance at redemption when he reconnects with someone from his forgotten past.

Directed by: Michał Gazda
Stars: Leszek Lichota, Maria Kowalska and Ignacy Liss

3. The Holdovers

3.74 (751)

The Holdovers (2023)

In the year 1970, the teacher Paul Hunham is not liked by his students or his colleagues. His conceit and rigidity get in his way. Since he has no family or friends to celebrate the Christmas season with, he stays behind at school to take care of students who are in a similar situation. The fifteen-year-old fuss-maker, but good student Angus, is in such a position. Chef Mary also lives on campus. She just had to hand over her son during the Vietnam War.

Directed by: Alexander Payne
Stars: Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa

4. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

3.69 (385)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

After the events of the previous part, Miles and Gwen meet again after a long time. However, as they move together, the dimensions suddenly disintegrate, causing new figures to emerge and forcing Miles to embark on another new adventure. It isn't long before Miles is attacked, including by versions of himself coming from the future. He will have to travel through multiple universes, but he will also have to fulfill the great expectations that his current superhero position requires of him.

Directed by: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson
Stars: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld and Jason Schwartzman

5. Oppenheimer

3.65 (1665)

Oppenheimer (2023)

Scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer leads the top-secret Manhattan Project. The Hungarian scientist Edward Teller, who invented the hydrogen bomb, is involved in it, among others. Oppenheimer is married to Katherine, but has an affair with Jean Tatlock, a member of the Communist Party. The government considers her dangerous to the interests of American security. Oppenheimer is ultimately responsible for the invention of the atomic bomb.

Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt and Matt Damon

6. Killers of the Flower Moon

3.64 (891)

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

The 1920s, Oklahoma. Members of the Osage tribe are murdered under mysterious circumstances. After the death toll continues to rise, the newly formed FBI takes on the case. The case will lead to one of the largest crime cases in American history.

Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone

7. Past Lives

3.72 (559)

Past Lives (2023)

The children Nora and Hae Sung are close friends who are driven apart when Nora's family leaves South Korea for Canada. Twelve years later, Nora is in New York studying to be a playwright when she notices that her childhood friend is looking for her online. Online they pick up the thread of their friendship again. But it's another decade to wait for a physical reunion.

Directed by: Celine Song
Stars: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro

8. Godzilla Minus One

3.34 (501)

Gojira -1.0 (2023)

Japan, after World War II. Due to the many battles, little is left of the country. To make matters worse, the residents of Japan have to deal with a new terror: the great monster Godzilla. Will the devastated people be able to survive during the most desperate situation in Japan's history?

Directed by: Takashi Yamazaki
Stars: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe and Yuki Yamada

9. The Boy and the Heron

3.50 (265)

Kimitachi wa dô Ikiru Ka (2023)

15-year-old boy Junichi Honda and his uncle move to a new neighborhood. Junichi is concerned with spiritual growth and how to live as a human being. One particular book, entitled "How Do You Live?", features prominently in Junichi's life.

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
Stars: Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda and Kô Shibasaki

10. Anatomy of a Fall

3.61 (494)

Anatomie d'une Chute (2023)

The German writer Sandra lives with her husband Samuel and visually impaired son Daniel in a remote log cabin. When Samuel dies mysteriously, both malicious intent and suicide are not ruled out. Sandra is eventually charged with murder. At the trial, in front of Daniel, their love lives come under scrutiny.

Directed by: Justine Triet
Stars: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud and Milo Machado-Graner