Continuing our annual tradition, members of the ScreenHub Entertainment team will share their individual ranking of the year’s best movies, including personal favourites and absolute “musts” before the awards season. Happy reading to all, and happy new year!

Frédéric Bourgeois-LeBlanc

Fair to say that 2023 will be a cinematic year that will be remembered, both for the very best…but also the very worst. What was really enjoyable about it was that some of the contemporary grand masters of the seventh art unveiled fine work, including filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, Sofia Coppola, and Greta Gerwig. Their respective motion pictures were phenomenal, to say the least. Now, 2023 also marked the official downfall of the MCU and our typical summer blockbusters. The most recent numbers for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will prove it, following the trend of The Flash and The Marvels before it, superhero movies are no longer able to bring back audiences in theatres.

Interestingly, my favourite movies of the year do include a few movies from said grandmasters, but also a few gems with little or no marketing campaign. See for yourself, I highly recommend them.

His favourite movies:
1) Past Lives (directed by Celine Song)
2) The Killer (directed by David Fincher)
3) The Holdovers (directed by Alexander Payne)
4) Killers of the Flower Moon (directed by Martin Scorsese)
5) Rù (directed by Charles-Olivier Michaud)

Honourable mentions:
Maestro – John Wick: Chapter 4 – Mission : Impossible: Dead Reckoning, Part One – Oppenheimer – Barbie – The Equalizer 3 – The Flash – No Hard Feelings – Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant – STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie – Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Fair Play – The Creator – A Haunting in Venice – Asteroid City

His favourite TV series:
– Succession (season 4) / Crave, HBO Max
– Shrinking (season 1) / Apple TV+
– Foundation (season 2) / Apple TV+
– The Morning Show (season 3) / Apple TV+
– The Crown (season 6) / Netflix
– The Diplomat (season 1) / Netflix
– Ahsoka (season 1) / Disney +

Sean Gallagher

Movies

This year was a stacked year with a ton of films to watch. Naturally, I haven’t seen them all, even the ones I really wanted to see, such as Godzilla: Minus One and The Holdovers, as they were only playing at one cinema and it wasn’t exactly nearby. But here’s my top ten based on what I have seen, covering everything from indie drama, big-budget auteur epics, and summer blockbusters.

1- Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

What’s this, a superhero film that’s a moving piece of art, with complex and layered characters, a multiverse that actually serves the narrative and a cliffhanger ending for the ages? Across the Spider-Verse is all this and more. It left such an impression on me, both as a piece of entertainment and as a work of art. It’s a shame other comicbook films can’t hit this level of competence, even in terms of character and narrative. Colour me excited for part three!

2- Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy are shoe-ins for their respective awards at this year’s Oscars and much deserved, Oppenheimer is a tour de force, a three-hour biopic that’s somehow one of the most engaging and enthralling films of the year.

3- John Wick 4

John Wick 4 is perhaps my favourite in the franchise and its action scenes will rank as some of the best in action history, such as the “top-down” sequence and the staircase fight scene. Beautiful cinematography and amazing choreography and worldbuilding.

4- Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Scorsese just delivered a three-and-a-half-hour crime epic and, apart from the discomfort of sitting in the chair that long, the movie never dragged. Bolstered from top-notch performances from Lily Gladstone and Robert DeNiro, this was a tough-to-watch drama about the terrible crimes committed against the Osage Nation.

5- Air

A biopic and historical retelling of how Nike acquired Michael Jordan and created the iconic Air Jordans shoes. Is it a big product ad? Yes, but it’s also starring and written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and is a genuinely compelling and competent film that should be watched.

6- The Iron Claw

A last-minute addition to the list, The Iron Claw is based on the Von Erich wrestling family, circa Texas in the late 70s and early 80s. Zac Efron gives the performance of his career and the movie should rank as one of the best sports films. Accessible to those who aren’t wrestling fans but full of context for those who are. Great performances all around help capture the pain of this tragic story.

7- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

It’s no secret Marvel has been having a tough time of late, but thankfully they did have a hit this year with Guardians Vol. 3. This was a much darker story for this franchise and, like Eric mentions below, I felt all the emotions for a CGI raccoon.

8- Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Honor Among Thieves is easily the surprise of the year. Full of likable characters, a fun story, great humour, and plenty of imagination, I wasn’t ready for how much I’d enjoy this fantasy caper. If you’ve not checked it out for fears of another generic blockbuster, do yourself a favour and press play.

9- Creed III

Leading man Michael B. Jordan sought to not only flex his acting and boxing chops in Creed III, but also took a swing at directing the movie. Jordan showcases that he’s quite capable behind the camera, giving us a much more character-driven and personal story in this third entry in the Rocky spinoff series. Strong acting from both Jordan and Jonathan Majors (note: he filmed his role pre-trial and this film came out before the abuse story broke) make this a standout in the entire Rocky franchise.

10- Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

While not as strong as the last three entries, Tom Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie continue to deliver some of the best action in the spy genre ever made. Notable scenes include the airport cat and mouse and the car chase through Rome. Despite being Part One of a series of two films, this entry feels complete and doesn’t leave us hanging too much, which is a relief.

Biggest Disappointment:

Napoleon

TV

OK, I need to catch up on Succession, which is why it’s not on my list (I’m sure it would be, I do like the show, just been busy you know!) But here’s the most memorable shows I have seen this year.

– The Last of Us
– The Bear
– Blue Eye Samurai
– The Fall of the House of Usher
– Ahsoka

ERIC HANSON

Favorite Movies of 2023

1-Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Dial was very low on the list of my most anticipated films, and somehow managed to become my favorite of the year. While dialed back on the action, the film makes up for it with a surprisingly intense and emotional performance by Ford, giving his signature role a gravitas rarely seen in the series. A surprisingly emotional farewell for the hero who manages to balance some genuinely creative set pieces and a lot of heart.

2-Barbie

Witty satire with bright colors. This film is one of the most unique-looking you’ll ever see, and is filled with memorable performances, characters, some lively music, and some shockingly mature humor. The movie manages to be funny but also topical, devoting a lot of time to topics like real-world sexism while also never losing its comedic edge.

3-Oppenheimer

Historical epics are hard, but this film chronicles the life, times, and downfall of one of the 20th century’s most consequential figures. Paints a vivid portrait of a very flawed man while also reminding the audience of the weight of his discovery and the threat of annihilation that still hangs over us every day.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

As someone who always wanted a proper Dungeons and Dragons movie, this was a dream finally realized. For those who played the game, all the references and finally seeing the Forgotten Realms come to life will make for great viewing. For everyone else, the movie still has wonderful characters, wild imagination, and a story that manages to be both contained and epic.

4-Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3

I cried over a cartoon raccoon. Enough said.

5-Godzilla: Minus One

There are currently thirty-eight Godzilla movies, making this one of the most prolific franchises of all time. That this is one of the best of the lot speaks volumes of the film’s quality. The movie makes good use of its 1940s setting, taking its time to develop its characters while also crafting one of the most terrifying iterations of Godzilla to ever grace the silver screen.

And that sums it up everyone! What were your favorite films and shows of the year? Let us know in the comments or on our socials, we’d love to hear from you!