Best Movies Of 2023 So Far
2023 promises to be a good year for cinephiles. It's jam-packed with sequels, spin-offs, and reboots galore: "Dune: Part Two", "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," "John Wick: Chapter 4," "Scream VI," "Mission: Impossible 7," and "Fast X" are all slated to hit theaters this year. And this doesn't even account for half the year's franchise installments.
As always, there are also plenty of original stories being told on screen for all cinematic tastes. Horror auteurs Ari Aster, Brandon Cronenberg, and M. Night Shyamalan offer a promising slate of thrillers and slashers. Comic actors-turned-directors Elizabeth Banks, Zach Braff, Dave Franco, and Eva Longoria each have their own projects out this year. Between "Creed III," "Challengers," and "Next Goal Wins," the sports movie genre might mount a comeback story of its own. To top it all off, Christopher Nolan's biopic of physicist Robert Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig's bizarre musical comedy based on Barbie are both being released on the same day.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by this deluge of options? Not to worry. All you have to do is keep an eye on this list for an up-to-date accounting of 2023's most worthwhile movie experiences.
Updated on February 22, 2023: 2023 promises to be packed with excellent movies. Every time a new classic debuts, we'll be sure to add it to this list. Be sure to check back often to keep up on the greatest films of the year.
M3GAN
2023 kicked off with the emergence of an instant horror icon in "M3GAN." M3GAN took the internet by storm before her film even hit theaters, thanks to a highly memetic marketing campaign. Her movie is even better. A highly advanced android with a charming smile, M3GAN is paired with Cady, a young girl reeling from the loss of her parents. At first, M3GAN provides her with comfort and care — but things get ugly when M3GAN gets possessive. Thrilling, clever, and wickedly funny, "M3GAN" is one of the best new horror comedies in years.
- Starring: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng
- Director: Gerard Johnstone
- Runtime: 102 minutes
- Rating: PG-13
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Skinamarink
An avant-garde horror film made for only $15k, "Skinamarink" chronicles the experience of two children who encounter a malevolent spirit in their home. It's shot in a grainy black and white that constantly tricks the eye into looking for faces in the shadows. Moreover, apart from barely audible whispers and the occasional shockingly loud noise, it's basically silent. Though not entirely plotless, "Skinamarink" is an eerie, nightmarish mood piece that might make you feel like a child, terrified of the shadowy corners of your own home. Or, it might put you to sleep — but if it does, you can count on having some very weird dreams.
- Starring: Lucas Paul, Dali Rose Tetreault, Ross Paul
- Director: Kyle Edward Ball
- Runtime: 99 minutes
- Rating: Not Rated
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%
Knock at the Cabin
True to form, writer-director M. Night Shyamalan's latest movie has divided critics and audiences nearly down the middle. Like most of his films, "Knock at the Cabin" has a sinisterly simple premise: A family's rural getaway is interrupted by a quartet of strangers who claim that the world will end unless the family sacrifices one of their own. Shot mostly in a single location with a cast of seven characters, it's another reliable example of Shyamalan's prowess as a director, as well as his eccentricity as a screenwriter. Fans of his work will be satisfied, but if you couldn't get into the melodrama and moralizing of "Old," "Knock at the Cabin" probably isn't for you either.
- Starring: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge
- Director: M. Night Shyamalan
- Runtime: 100 minutes
- Rating: R
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 68%
Sick
"Elevated" horror is all well and good, but sometimes, all you need is an hour and a half of young people making questionable choices in the face of certain doom. Set during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, "Sick" finds a small clique of college students quarantined in a lake house, where they soon become targeted by a faceless killer. Armed with the cutting wit you expect from Kevin Williamson, writer of "Scream," "Sick" digs into both cavalier attitudes towards the deadly pandemic and the desperate search to find meaning in and place blame for the suffering caused by its spread.
- Starring: Gideon Adlon, Dylan Sprayberry, Beth Million
- Director: John Hyams
- Runtime: 83 minutes
- Rating: R
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Shotgun Wedding
Occasionally, critics confuse a movie being silly with a movie being stupid. "Shotgun Wedding" is a deeply — and wonderfully — silly movie. Tom and Darcy are a couple whose destination wedding is raided by pirates. Noisy, bloody violence ensues. For our money, this action-romcom is on par with "The Lost City," a similarly goofy date movie released in 2022 to much more favorable reviews. Neither film is high art, but both are lively popcorn adventures for grown-ups with a kid's sense of humor. "Shotgun Wedding" treats its narrative conceits with delightful absurdity, and is filled with actors who are clearly having the time of their lives. That fun is contagious, making "Shotgun Wedding" an excellent time.
- Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel, Jennifer Coolidge
- Director: Jason Moore
- Runtime: 100 minutes
- Rating: R
- Rotten Tomatoes Score: 45%