Honorable Mentions

• BlackBerry
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
• Nimona
• Past Lives
• One Fine Morning
• Showing Up
• Suzume

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. hits on a universal experience, despite being specifically about a pre-teen’s trials in growing up. It’s about how every little insignificant event can feel like the most monumental, life-changing development when you’re 12 years old and nothing feels certain anymore. Writer and director Kelly Fremon Craig, adapting Judy Blume’s landmark novel, knows how trivial some of these changes ultimately are, but she treats them with care and affection nonetheless. The cast all around is wonderful, including Kathy Bates, Benny Safdie, and Elle Graham, but it’s Abby Ryder Fortson and Rachel McAdams’ performances that really make the film special. Whether your experience with puberty was great or horrible, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is the rare coming-of-age film that has something for everyone, and should hold up as part of the gold standard of the genre going forward.

Asteroid City

Wes Anderson making a film about aliens feels just a little too perfect, doesn’t it? For all of his calculated, shiny aesthetic, there’s a genuine heart beneath his films, and Asteroid City is no exception. The film explores human connection and grief, and creative passion, in brand new ways that Anderson hasn’t touched on previously. Of course, it’s brimming with his signature technical elements, from production design to costumes to cinematography, and a game cast anchored by Jason Schwartzman. Anderson’s razor-sharp writing never fails to shine through as well, creating distinct and humorous pieces of dialogue and plotting. It may take another watch or two for me to declare Asteroid City as one of Anderson’s best films, but it’s certainly not outside the realm of possibility.

John Wick: Chapter 4

The fourth installment in any franchise isn’t supposed to be the best, and the rule especially holds true for action franchises. But Chad Stahelski held nothing back with John Wick: Chapter 4, upping the ante throughout all of its 169 minutes. The action scenes are creatively envisioned, from the mega battle in the Osaka Continental to the endlessly fun series of third act scenes. Keanu Reeves has never been better in the series, despite barely saying a word, and the supporting cast – including Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgard, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rina Sawayama, and the late Lance Reddick – brings something unique to each of their roles. Action cinema was transformed with the introduction of John Wick in 2014, and whether Chapter 4 is the last we see of Wick or not, it won’t be the same without the franchise.

Return to Seoul

I’ve already written extensively about Return to Seoul, but there still remains so much that captivates me about the film. It’s a puzzle box of a movie that reveals more and more as you watch it, and leaves plenty to consider after the credits roll. Yes, Park Ji-min’s performance is one of the best of the decade so far, but Davy Chou’s screenplay provides ample conversations across topics like national and personal identity, familial bonds, growing up, and more. Along with the striking cinematography and use of music, Return to Seoul is the complete package. Rarely has a day gone by since I first saw the film in the early days of 2023 when I haven’t ruminated on a specific scene or moment or aspect of Park’s performance, and I don’t expect that to change in the remaining six months of the year.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a game-changer not only for Spider-Man, but for superhero films, and animation as a genre. Its sequel, Across the Spider-Verse, takes everything that worked so well the first time – gorgeously inventive animation, irreverent humor, stellar voice performances, comic book references galore, a thoughtful and ruminative story – and cranks it up to an entirely new level. This entry could simply be about the film’s use of art styles and how it informs characters, setting, and story, and it would be enough. But Across the Spider-Verse packs a wallop of a message about teenage loneliness, and what’s inherently tragic about being Spider-Man. It’s a miracle of a tight-rope walk that its three directors (Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson) pull off with aplomb, a non-stop ride that doesn’t feel overwhelming, and an emotionally cathartic superhero film that makes you wish all comic book films would rise to its level. Yes, it’s technically the first half of a two-part film, but it packs more into its first half than any other superhero film since its predecessor.