We conclude our series of year end reviews of 2023 in cinema with our 10 favourite films of the year – let us know if you agree in the comments!

To see what we ranked between 20 and 11, and for all of our other year end reviews, you can find them HERE – click on the title links for the individual film reviews.

Thanks for reading and we’ll be back with more reviews in 2024!

20. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
19. Ferrari
18. Rye Lane
17. Holy Spider
16. BlackBerry
15. Cairo Conspiracy
14. John Wick: Chapter 4
13. Killers of the Flower Moon
12. How to Have Sex
11. Air

10. Close

One of this year’s ‘Best International Feature Film’ nominees at the Oscars, ‘Close‘ is a remarkably moving and touching drama about the difficulties of childhood, particularly for anyone questioning their own sexuality.

Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/close-2022

9. How to Blow Up a Pipeline

This gripping action-thriller about a group of environmental activists who devise and implement a plan to blow up an oil pipeline is an exciting and heart-pounding movie that will have you thoroughly entertained, whether you agree with the actions of its characters or not.

Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/how-to-blow-up-a-pipeline

8. Saltburn

Wearing the clothing of a period drama, Emeral Fennell’s follow up to ‘Promising Young Woman‘ is a deliciously dark and comedic tale of lust, betrayal and the incredibly wealthy, with the brilliant Barry Keoghan playing the outsider drawn into this different world.

Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/saltburn

7. Mission: Impossble – Dead Reckoning Part One

It’s quite incredible how he keeps doing it, but with the 7th entry in the ‘Mission: Impossible’ franchise, Tom Cruise and now regular director Christopher McQuarrie have once again pushed the boundaries of  what action cinema can be. One of, if not the most, purely entertaining movies of 2023.

Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/mission-impossible-7

6. Return to Seoul

The brilliant ‘Return to Seoul‘ is in effect a reverse immigrant story, about a Korean women who was brought up from an early age in France by her adopted parents, with limited connections to her past beyond her appearance. In this excellent movie from Davy Chou, it explores what happens when Freddie chooses to visit Seoul and seek out her parents with richly emotional and thought provoking results.

Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/return-to-seoul

5. Till

Unfairly overlooked by the Oscars earlier this year, ‘Till‘ is a powerful drama about the tragic murder of Emmett Till by white supremacists, and the aftermath when his mother fought for justice while dealing with unimaginable grief. Danielle Deadwyler gives one of the performances of the year and this is a movie of raw and unflinching power.

Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/till

4. Blue Jean

For my money the best British movie of the year, ‘Blue Jean‘ follows a closeted school teacher as she attempts to balance her personal and professional lives in 1980s Newcastle, when her double life is threatened by a new pupil who takes a shine to her. It’s brilliantly written and directed by Georgia Oakley who manages to blend the personal and the political well in a movie that reminds us of the challenges people faced trying to live ordinary lives not that long ago.

Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/blue-jean

3. Past Lives

Not too dissimilar to ‘Return to Seoul‘ (and not just the South Korean connection) in that this is a movie that contemplates lives not led and paths not taken, and how thinking about that is a journey of endless possibility, and potentially endless regret. ‘Past Lives‘ is a truly brilliant movie about two childhood friends who drift apart when one of them emigrates to Canada, only to reconnect in later life, finding that sometimes in life, there are no options that lead to a happy ending for everyone. Touching and poignant, this is a remarkable debut feature from Celine Song.

Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/past-lives

2. Oppenheimer

A new Christopher Nolan film is always an event, and even moreso when the movie is as outstanding as ‘Oppenheimer‘ is. A biopic of the architect of the nuclear bomb, J. Robert Oppenheimer (an excellent Cillian Murphy), this is an impressive movie that had me in the palm of its hand for its 3 hour long runtime. Could this perhaps be the movie that wins him the ‘Best Picture’ Oscar?

Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/oppenheimer

1. Paris Memories

How does someone come to terms with surviving a terrorist attack, knowing that many others around you perished? That is the premise of ‘Paris Memories’, a thoughtful, poignant and emotionally stirring drama about one woman trying to process what happened on a night based on the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks. ‘Paris Memories‘ is a truly excellent piece of work that handles a sensitive subject with subtlety, nuance and grace, letting its powerful moments build slowly and its humanity shine through, and it is the best film I saw in 2023.

Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/uk/movie/paris-memories

We’ll be back in 2024 with more reviews of the latest releases and more podcasts. Thanks for reading as always!