Welcome to the year in review for 2023 – a brief rundown of some things I have enjoyed out of this list here.
Films
2023 has been a strange one in that this is probably the least amount of times I have been to the cinema in as long as I can remember - other than at the height of the pandemic of course. Looking through my list, I think I only went around four times? Anyway, good thing there are plenty of streaming options available these days to make up for it. Seeing things on the big screen feels more impactful without a doubt, but at least you don’t have to deal with the general public and the extortionate prices of concessions whilst in the comfort of your own home.
One particular trend that is evident is how huge superhero movies have seemed to drop off in quality in recent times. Granted, there was always the occasional dud, but this year it appears there was almost nothing that I particularly felt worthy of mention. The one exception to this of course being Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the sequel to the 2018 hit Into the Spider-Verse. The gorgeous animation and scope of the storytelling surpasses the brilliance of the first film and even if you are not a fan of anything in the superhero genre, I would still recommend this one just for the sheer artistry on show.
Speaking of animation, The Super Mario Bros. Movie was also notable in that, rather shockingly, it didn’t suck and was actually pretty decent. Your mileage may vary depending on how familiar you are with the various Nintendo easter eggs peppered throughout, but there was a warm nostalgic fuzziness that hit me for the duration. Whilst some of the choices for the voice actors were most likely due to attaching (no pun intended) ‘star’ power, the performances were generally inoffensive, the visuals bright and colourful and there were several fun set pieces. We get to witness several of the decades long franchises’ classic concepts and locales finally being brought to life on the big screen. The real question being: why the hell did it take so long?
The opposite of bright and colourful would be Evil Dead Rise, which finds a good balance between the nasty grunginess of the 2013 Evil Dead remake and the more campy fun of the original Evil Dead 2. There is a nice switch up of the formula, with much of the runtime being confined to a dank tower block, but the performances are good (especially the deadites) and there is certainly enough possession, dismemberment and buckets of blood to please franchise fans. Original horror properties also caught attention this year, namely in the form of Talk to Me, a fantastically creepy directorial debut from the Philippou brothers (of youtube channel RakaRacka fame) that will certainly get under your skin. This film is full of surprises with some inventive camerawork, wince-inducing outbursts of sudden and extreme violence as well as a lingering sense of dread permeating throughout. As a fan of horror this was certainly one of the best I had seen this year.
On more of a thriller tangent, No One Will Save You was a pleasant surprise in that neither alien abduction or home invasion type stories are usually of particular interest to me, however this one managed to combine both in a very impressive ‘show, don’t tell’ delivery. There are literally only about 5 words spoken throughout the entire film but the whole thing remains both tense and engaging right up until the credits roll. Much praise is given to the great performance of the lead Kaitlyn Dever, who also previously impressed in 2019’s Booksmart.
The opposite of being wordless is Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which whilst impressive is probably not something I will likely revisit due to it’s length. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it but it’s not really a hard recommend for everyone to see as it requires some patience. On the flipside was Barbie which, whilst still not a perfect movie by any means, was a bright and hilariously silly alternative of the ‘Barbieheimer’ double bill. The biggest surprise was also how genuinely heartfelt it was at times. The production design was a standout and we can all agree that Margot Robbie was perfectly cast, but its Ryan Gosling’s portrayal of Ken that steals the show in almost ever scene that he is in. An unexpected surrealist comedy with a lot to say.
Speaking of great performances, Brendan Fraser took home the Oscar this year for best actor in The Whale and whether or not you agree with that particular award, this Darren Aronofsky adaptation of the Samuel D Hunter stage play was undeniably the ‘Brenaissance’ that everyone has been talking about. Fraser’s performance shines through the prosthetic body suit and makeup both physically and emotionally, with a tale that is both cruel and uplifting in equal measure. The final moments may be somewhat divisive, but personally I thought it was great.
Another pleasant surprise was the return of David Fincher, with his drama The Killer. It’s great watching Michael Fassbender’s methodical approach to his work as he gradually progresses in his globe spanning pursuit of revenge. Is he actually super skilled or is his continued survival only down to a combination of careful planning and just dumb luck? A bit of both it seems - which certainly keeps it grounded and interesting. And speaking of grounded, Past Lives was a highlight in that it was a love story that felt more realistic to actual real life relationships. It is an astute subversion of classic romance clichés and such notions as destiny and serendipity, which makes it all the more effective at getting you right in the feels come the ending.
Finally, a late December release of Godzilla Minus One is perhaps my favourite film of the year. A uniquely moving experience in that it not only supremely delivers in terms of spectacle (the titular beast himself being a particularly terrifying bastard in this one) but it also stands on its own as a great character drama and period piece. At times harrowing, heartfelt and triumphant in equal measure, this one was the biggest surprise at how much it unexpectedly rocked me emtionally. Delivered at a fraction of a typical Hollywood blockbuster budget, this will undoubtedly make the big studios sit up and take notice.
Honourable mentions
Extraction 2 – Chris Hemsworth action sequel that needs mentioning if only for its spectacular prison escape sequence that seamlessly progresses into a car chase, followed by a sequence on a train.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem – A fresh take on the property that adds a funky hand drawn aesthetic to the animation and a great oldschool hip-hop soundtrack.
No Hard Feelings – Surprisingly heartfelt despite its raunchy ‘sex comedy’ façade. The ‘Maneater’ scene in the restaurant is a particular highlight.
The Menu – Not included in this year’s list as it actually came out last year. Otherwise it most certainly would have been. Just watch it. Ralph Fiennes is excellent.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – surreal comedy biopic that not only celebrates the life and (somewhat exaggerated) achievements of Weird Al but also serves as a send up of biopic films in general. Having Daniel Radcliffe play the title character somehow makes it all even funnier.
TV Shows
I managed to get through a bunch of TV Shows this year, but these especially were worthy of a mention as standouts.
One Piece was a live action adaptation of a popular manga that remained relatively faithful to the source material but still appealed to those that have never encountered this property before. You can tell an obscene amount of money was thrown at this thing to bring it to life and I’m excited for more - I just don’t know how they will pull it off considering how outright crazy the ongoing story gets if they do indeed decide to continue to stick to the manga.
Another anime I enjoyed was Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, despite me never having played the game of which this a spin-off of. The neo-noir futuristic edge reminded me of the excellent Cyber City Oedo 808, with the stories and characters remaining interesting and engaging throughout. Rounding out the animation side of things is Scott Pilgrim Takes Off which, not only shockingly managed to reprise all the actors from the live action film of 13 years ago to voice their respective characters, but also inventively remixes the existing story into an alterative scenario that will delight fans already familiar with the source material.
There were also some engaging reality shows as well, with Physical: 100 taking the brutal knockout contest template popularized by Squid Game and centering it around a competition based on several physical feats of strength and endurance. One thing we have learned from this is that muscles don’t necessarily equal strength! And although Mr. Beast did his own real life version a good year prior, Squid Game: The Challenge proved to be the real real-life version of the fictional survival game show. Whilst the Mr. Beast version was a lot more gimmicky and felt rushed to cash in on the trend, The Challenge was surprisingly good in that it took its time in both faithfully recreating (almost) all of the challenges whilst also focusing more on the various players and their personalities as the numbers were slowly whittled down. Full of surprises up until the very end and I would recommend it even if you have never watched the original fictional drama series on which it is based.
Finally, a shout out has to go to Mike Flanagan’s latest series The Fall of the House of Usher which is equally as good as his past efforts, though perhaps not quite hitting the heights of 2021’s Midnight Mass. Still, if you like seeing familiar Flanagan-favourite actors pop up in new and different roles (with most of the characters amusingly being smug bastards that get their eventual comeuppance) this one is not to be missed, doubly so if you are familiar with the works of Edgar Alan Poe as there are numerous references to his stories littered throughout.
Honourable mentions
Andor – Actually came out last year but one of the best of the recent glut of Star Wars series. Surprisingly mature and grounded.
The Last of Us – Fairly faithful retelling of the hit videogame of the same name. Comes recommended, especially if you don’t know the story of the game, but I personally feel the story is told somewhat better in the game.
Chainsaw Man – Another anime that was fun to watch with its slick animation, brutal violence and great soundtrack. Cant wait for the later seasons as that’s when the story of the manga truly starts to go off the rails.
Videogames
I played through a fair few games this year, but these few below deserve a special mention as my favourites.
First up is Triangle Strategy (Switch) which is a politic heavy Game of Thrones-esque warring houses story presented as a tactical RPG. Whilst dialogue heavy games are usually a turn-off for me, this one kept me invested due to the solid turn based gameplay and gorgeously quaint visuals. I even took the time to play through it again to get the true ‘Golden Path’ ending.
Another game that warranted more than one consecutive playthrough was the Resident Evil 4 Remake (PS5) which manages to live up to the legendary status of the original RE4. The original was by far my favorite Resident Evil game out of the original releases and so playing through this slick remade version was a delight, both in seeing the classic moments being updated for modern sensibilites but also appreciating some of the new changes they implemented – most of which were honestly for the better.
Yet another game that warranted several playthroughs (but this time by its very design) is the excellent Returnal (PS5). Whilst it took a while to get into, once it gets its hooks into you it becomes thoroughly addictive in how it allows you to gradually progress, both by giving you incrementally more powerful weapons each time as well as the knowledge and player experience to overcome the obstacles. A gorgeous looking game, fantastic sound design as well as one of the best uses of the PS5 controller’s haptic feedback in recent memory.
Another game I thoroughly enjoyed, but most likely wont play through again, was Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS5) if anything due to its significant length (to get the platinum trophy at least anyway). A bit slow to get into, but once you get to know all the colourful characters, explore the streets of Tokyo and take part in all sorts of crazy minigames, you will find yourself thoroughly invested. According to my Playstation 2023 Wrap Up this game was the one I spent the most time on this year. Whilst I have never really got into the Yakuza series prior, I will definitely check out the sequel Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth when it releases next year.
Last but not least, we were particularly enamoured in this household by the simplistic yet supremely addictive Suika Game (Switch). Who knew that mashing fruits together to get the highest score could be so fun, something that belies its almost barebones approach in presentation. We are still currently competing to see who can get the highest score to be crowned the ‘Suika Master’ of the house – just remember to turn off the music as the one track that loops over and over will guarantee to drive you insane after a few minutes.
Honourable mentions
Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch) – Whilst fun to play through and often wonderfully inventive, it didn’t quite grab me as much as the 3D Mario games previously have. Still, I completed all the levels (except for the tough as nails final final level) so that must have meant I enjoyed my time with it.
Super Mario RPG (Switch) – Excellent remake of one of my favourite SNES games, which would have been intensely nostalgic had I not recently (and rather coincidentally) played through the original back in January this year just before the remake was even announced!
Street Fighter 6 (PS5) – Included here as I have lately been addicted to maxing out all the characters’ bonds and levels in the insane World Tour mode. A slightly weird and janky addition but an incredibly fresh approach for the franchise.
So that’s a wrap for my favourites of 2023. Hope you’ve had a great year and continue to do so into 2024. Catch you on the flip!
23rd Dec 2023
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