From Shane Conto

What a year in film 2023 turned out to be, hasn’t it? The pandemic completely upended the lives of everyone and the film industry was no different. 2019 was an incredible year for film and 2020 had plenty of potential. But now it finally seems like we are back on track and the film world delivers some truly impressive films this year. There are quite a few films that made a specific and defining impact on how we will remember 2023 as a year in film. There might be a box office issue in the world of film overall and plenty of uncertainty going into the future. But  the following films will leave lasting impressions for us all. 

Let’s start with a genre defining film, shall we? The action film genre was not a  great place in the 2000’s as over-editing and clunky visuals threatened this genre beloved by so many filmgoers (especially in mainstream audiences). But we are blessed to be in a true resurgence thanks to George Miller, Tom Cruise, and John Wick. 2023 just may have given us the greatest action film of all time with John Wick Chapter 4. This hulking achievement in filmmaking, stunts, and world-building might be the crowning achievement of the new era of action filmmaking. There is a deeply resonant heart to this film that is the perfect culmination of Wick’s journey. But it is the work of Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves that allows this film to be an incredibly fun and exciting ride made of three giant action set pieces that each individually could be considered in the all time greats of the genre. 2023 has proven that action has plenty to still offer audiences. 

Who might be the biggest winner of 2023? Christopher Nolan. He jumped ship from Warner Bros after the debacle of Tenent’s release. He decided he was going to create a film that is the most Oscar friendly of his career, a biopic. But he certainly made this biopic, Oppenheimer, his way. This film had a $100 million budget and clocked in at three hours. But it somehow still makes over $900 million worldwide. That is insane for an R-rated biopic clocking in at the three-hour mark. The phenomenon that is “Barbeheimer” certainly made quite the impact but this film proved something…Nolan is a phenomenon in the world of cinema. Not only is he a king of the box office but he might be an Oscar darling this year as well. Tenet was a fluke with the pandemic and Nolan might be the only director in Hollywood who is a true box office draw at this point. 

Speaking of “Barbeheimer”... was Barbie leading the global box office on your 2023 bingo card? What Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Margot Robbie, and Ryan Gosling created here is the film that most defines this year in cinema. This crazy and poignant film is filled with laughs, great songs, and one of the most erratically judged set of themes. This film was so impactful and culturally significant that it invoked the national political divide we have going on here in America. This film proved that if you gear films towards a female audience, put the right amount of budget into, and trust your filmmaker, you can create a cultural phenomenon that lives in the cultural zeitgeist. Barbie may have made a lot of insecure men around this country upset but it had the impact needed to capture 2023 by storm. 

Where can you go to find one of the most unexpected box office wins? Let’s go down under to get our pants scared off by a little film called Talk to Me. Horror has always been a small budget, big reward genre but Talk to Me made something abundantly clear to the world of film… you do not need a giant budget to get butts in seats. Talk to Me is thematically deep, well acted, funny, and most importantly terrifying. It is also an arthouse horror that spoke to the general masses. This tiny film made $92 million worldwide and A24 may have solidified itself with a wake-up call to all other studios. What is another film that shook the establishment of Hollywood? Godzilla Minus One. This film has the special effects of a true blockbuster giant but cost less than most studio rom-coms at this point. With $15 million… or less by the director’s estimation, this monster mash blew up at the box office and looked better than multiple $250 million+ blockbusters who lost money for their studios. This unlikely duo of films has put the status quo on notice for the better.

What box office juggernaut had a rude awakening in film this year? Comic book movies. Most of them lost money and a sizable amount at that. But it was Sony with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse (and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) who broke this trend. Guardians had the legacy and anticipation of seeing their team go on one last ride with the right filmmaker at the helm. But the giant success of Across the Spider-verse is the lesson that Hollywood needs. An artful and ambitious sequel that hits on a deep emotional level while offering bold and thrilling action is the way to go. People are getting tired of by-the-numbers comic book movies. Sony offered up something different and they won the day for it. Disney and Warner Bros (and Sony itself) need to learn that lesson with their live action output. 

Was 2023 a great year in film? It absolutely was and it might go down as a truly iconic year. Instant classics like Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon can turn this into 2007 all over again. Bold films like Poor Things can keep that “weird movie” Oscar trend going. Super Mario Bros proved that video game adaptations can be a true box office juggernaut (a lesson Illumination was more than happy to learn). This might be the year that Hollywood learned that escalating budgets might be the biggest threat to its theatrical future (not streaming). 2023 will certainly be a defining year for cinema and hopefully it reminds the industry of how important the actual creators and artists are to this whole process as well.

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