Best Movies of 2023

2023 has come to an end, which means the beginning of the end of the year lists. Our CommRadio Arts & Entertainment department wrote about what they thought were the best movies of the year.

“Saltburn”

“Saltburn” just squeaked into the 2023 slate of films with a Thanksgiving week release, and ended up being undoubtedly one of the best of the year.

Understandably, the film garnered mixed critical reviews due to its provocative and uncomfortable imagery throughout.

But anyone who condemns director Emerald Fennell for refusing to back away from the unease simply doesn’t understand what “Saltburn” set out to accomplish.

The film follows university student Oliver (Barry Keoghan) as he forms a friendship with his wealthy, popular classmate, Felix (Jacob Elordi).

Their relationship is filled with twists and turns that the audience might think they see coming, but at the last second, it swerves in a completely different direction.

Keoghan, Elordi, and Rosamund Pike, who plays Felix’s mother, are all fully deserving of Academy Award nominations for their stellar performances.

Cinematographer Linus Sandgren created the most visually stunning piece of media this year, and potentially in cinematic history.

There’s no part of this film that falls short, and hopefully, the Academy recognizes that come March. -Kaitlyn Murphy

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”

With the year coming to a close, the best movie released in 2023 is hard to decipher. Thinking back to the movies released in the first couple of months of 2023 is extremely difficult, but it’s easy to remember those released in the latter half.

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” was released on Nov. 17, 2023, and is a top contender for the best movie of the year. This film is historical as the prequel for the four previous famous “The Hunger Games” movies.

This film adapted from the book written by Suzanne Collins is two hours and 37 minutes long, the longest “The Hunger Games” movie to be filmed.

This movie stands out as the most impactful dystopian film in 2023, leaving audiences in shock and astonished by the cinematography.

Out of all the movies released in 2023, this film will be most memorable for years to come, stapling its place as the best movie of the year. -Grace Bowman

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” felt like the perfect conclusion to arguably the Marvel Cinematic Universe's greatest success story.

The film is filled with intense emotion and drama while maintaining that iconic Guardians of the Galaxy humor.

The film's true high point was the in-depth exploration of Rocket Raccoon's backstory. Voice actor Bradley Cooper and motion capture performer Sean Gunn were fantastic in conveying the suffering Rocket endured and had many fans tearing up in the cinemas.

The cinematography did an excellent job capturing the unique Guardians of the Galaxy Universe, and the soundtrack was once again filled with certified hits.

Overall, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” had everything a Marvel fan could have asked for and will have fans clamoring for a fourth film even if James Gunn won’t be seated in the director's chair. - Ben Palillo

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”

A sequel to “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” stars Shameik Moore as the voice of Miles Morales, Hailee Steinfeld as the voice of Gwen Stacy and Jake Johnson as the voice of Peter B. Parker.

Now available on Netflix, this beautifully animated action film continues the storyline of Miles Morales as Earth-1610’s Spiderman. Miles joins forces with a team of Spider-People (after being reunited with Earth-65’s Gwen Stacy and Peter B. Parker, who now has a child named Mayday) to defeat a new threat: Miles’s want-to-be nemesis. But, after a disagreement turns the team dynamic sour, Miles must figure out how to save the day and the people he cares most about.

In this sequel, Miles travels through the Spider-Man Multiverse, with each world animated in a different style. There are at least six different kinds of animation styles in the film including a Lego Spider-Man world - which was animated by then-14-year-old Preston Mutanga - and a Spider-Man world called Mumbattan, that’s based on an Indian comic-book look. With exciting new characters, an unexpected cliffhanger and a beautiful animation style, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is the best film of 2023.

The trilogy’s finale, “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse”, was set to release on March 29, 2024, but was delayed indefinitely as a result of the actors’ strike. However, the writers and producers have assured fans that they are hard at work finishing Miles’s story. - Sarah Taylor

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”

A sleeper, but nonetheless a classic for movie of the year.

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” stars Harrison Ford reprising his iconic and beloved professor-by-day and archaeologist-by-night, Indiana Jones, in the fifth installment of the franchise.

Jones is racing against the clock to beat Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) for an ancient artifact, which, if ends up in the hands of the former Nazi, could alter post-WWII history forever.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge makes her franchise debut as Helena Shaw, Jones’s goddaughter and brings a quirk back to the saga.

The film used CGI to de-age Ford, and he’s looked the best he’s been since the films came out (not saying he hasn’t aged well, but you get it).

Overall, the final hoorah for Jones brought out the child in everybody in theaters this year. - Adrianna Gallucci

“Oppenheimer”

Christopher Nolan has done it again!

Over the summer people flocked to the theater to watch the spectacle that is “Barbenheimmer”. While people loved both movies, Oppenheimer was such an impressive feat that it has become one of Nolan’s best films yet.

This movie has it all. Incredible performances, especially from its leads Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. who both deliver their best performances to date. The cast is completely star-studded with the likes of Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Kenneth Branagh, Gary Oldman, Matt Damon, and Rami Malek to just name a few. The most impressive part about this cast is that every role makes sense and no one jumps out and distracts the audience from the masterful script, stunning cinematography, and sensational score.

Nolan’s screenplay is impeccable. The three-hour runtime is deserved as the story unfolds to such a satisfying close. Even though this is based on a true story, Nolan still finds ways to surprise the audience and keep everyone on their feet.

The score from Ludwig Göransson is a spectacle. It is a masterful score that fills the audience with every emotion. The score on its own tells an enthralling story which is helped by the gorgeous cinematography.

This movie was a complete and utter triumph that proves Nolan is in the running for best director conversations. It is a near-perfect movie that was a clear highlight from 2023 and will be a big winner this awards season. - Jack Freiser

Kaitlyn Murphy is a second-year majoring in digital and print journalism. To contact her, email kvm6255@psu.edu.

Grace Bowman is a third-year majoring in biology and minoring in psychological sciences. To contact her, email gab5585@psu.edu

Ben Palillo is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email bgp5079@psu.edu.

Sarah Taylor is a first-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, email smt6314@psu.edu.

Adrianna Gallucci is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email amg7989@psu.edu.

Jack Freiser is a fourth-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email jef5614@psu.edu