2023 Film Awards
Just like that another year has gone, and what a year for a film. Whether it was Barbenheimer, Saw Patrol, or Exorswift I think just about everybody took part in some kind of weird double bill this year and cinemas got a really healthy boost in attendance because of it.
I had a bit of a slow start to the year, but the second half of 2023 gave me an opportunity to catch up on a lot of what I missed. I also had some really great and unique cinema trips this year, whether it was a crowd laughing and jeering Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, a Mad Max Quadrilogy all-nighter at the BFI IMAX, The Two Towers in concert at the Royal Albert Hall, or screaming my lungs out to Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.
I’ve also added a few new categories this year in an attempt to broaden my perspectives and look deeper at aspects of filmmaking I may sometimes take for granted.
So, without further ado I present my 2023 film awards!
I had a bit of a slow start to the year, but the second half of 2023 gave me an opportunity to catch up on a lot of what I missed. I also had some really great and unique cinema trips this year, whether it was a crowd laughing and jeering Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, a Mad Max Quadrilogy all-nighter at the BFI IMAX, The Two Towers in concert at the Royal Albert Hall, or screaming my lungs out to Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.
I’ve also added a few new categories this year in an attempt to broaden my perspectives and look deeper at aspects of filmmaking I may sometimes take for granted.
So, without further ado I present my 2023 film awards!
Films watched this year:
261 (62 New Releases) Longest film watched:
Oppenheimer - 180 mins (3 hours) |
Hours watched:
503 (21 days nonstop) Most watched film:
Skinamarink x3 |
Top 5 of 2023:
Honourable Mentions: Pearl & Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
Before we kick off the top five, I’d like to put in a couple of honourable mentions for films I would have loved to put here, but just about missed out. First up is Pearl, Ti West’s follow up to last year’s slasher, X. Pearl actually came out last year in the U.S. as it was filmed alongside X, but for international fans we had to wait until this year to see what West and lead actress Mia Goth had in store for their prequel. I loved X, but for me Pearl exceeded it in almost every way. It was an innovative, unique, and nuanced horror about the pursuit of dreams.
My second honourable mention is for Taylor Swift: the Eras Tour. Like Pearl this will make an appearance later on for a separate award, but I think this might have been the most fun I’ve had at the cinema in years. As a Swiftie I was super excited to see the film on the big screen, and it certainly didn’t disappoint with its intimate and stylish presentation of The Eras Tour.
#5: Barbie (Directed by Greta Gerwig)
Honourable Mentions: Pearl & Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
Before we kick off the top five, I’d like to put in a couple of honourable mentions for films I would have loved to put here, but just about missed out. First up is Pearl, Ti West’s follow up to last year’s slasher, X. Pearl actually came out last year in the U.S. as it was filmed alongside X, but for international fans we had to wait until this year to see what West and lead actress Mia Goth had in store for their prequel. I loved X, but for me Pearl exceeded it in almost every way. It was an innovative, unique, and nuanced horror about the pursuit of dreams.
My second honourable mention is for Taylor Swift: the Eras Tour. Like Pearl this will make an appearance later on for a separate award, but I think this might have been the most fun I’ve had at the cinema in years. As a Swiftie I was super excited to see the film on the big screen, and it certainly didn’t disappoint with its intimate and stylish presentation of The Eras Tour.
#5: Barbie (Directed by Greta Gerwig)
The moment I saw the 2001: A Space Odyssey inspired teaser trailer I knew Barbie was going to be something special. But even I couldn’t have predicted the worldwide phenomenon it became and just how bonkers it would really be.
Featuring some of the year’s best performances, as well as a truly inspired take on the source material, Barbie is far more than just a pretty face as it explores the dark and often upsetting reality of womanhood whilst also celebrating it for everything it represents.
#4: No One Will Save You (Directed by Brian Duffield)
Featuring some of the year’s best performances, as well as a truly inspired take on the source material, Barbie is far more than just a pretty face as it explores the dark and often upsetting reality of womanhood whilst also celebrating it for everything it represents.
#4: No One Will Save You (Directed by Brian Duffield)
I hadn’t heard a thing about this film until the day it dropped on Disney+ and the moment I saw the title and the trailer I knew I had to see the whole thing. A story with next to no dialogue and featuring almost exclusively one character for a feature length runtime is a bold creative choice that pays off so well here. Plus, the leading performance from Kaitlyn Dever is simply superb. This is one of the most intense and gripping films of the whole year, and a horror film I’m going to be coming back to again and again.
#3: Evil Dead Rise (Directed by Lee Cronin)
#3: Evil Dead Rise (Directed by Lee Cronin)
2013’s Evil Dead is one of my favourite horror films and so I was incredibly excited for Evil Dead Rise. Thankfully it delivered more of what I loved so much about Fede Alvarez’s film whilst also incorporating some of the franchises campier elements to appeal to fans of the original Sam Raimi trilogy. Featuring some of the goriest scenes in modern cinema, Evil Dead Rise is a true thrill ride from start to finish, and from the moment those opening titles appear you know you’re in for a killer time.
#2: Skinamarink (Directed by Kyle Edward Ball)
#2: Skinamarink (Directed by Kyle Edward Ball)
I have not been this terrified by a film since The Blair Witch Project. I’ve seen this film three times this year and every time I’ve been left unable to sleep for days. Watching it in the cinema I screamed, multiple times, and I rarely had the bravery to look at the screen directly.
This is a horror film that was made specifically for me and preys on my deepest fears, and as terrifying as it is to watch, I love every moment of it.
#1: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson & Kemp Powers)
This is a horror film that was made specifically for me and preys on my deepest fears, and as terrifying as it is to watch, I love every moment of it.
#1: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson & Kemp Powers)
I don’t think this comes as much of a surprise. 2019’s Into the Spider-Verse swung straight into my favourite films of 2019 as well as my favourite animated films of all time and I’ve been watching it ever since on repeat. Across the Spider-Verse turns almost everything up to eleven and delivers a near perfect sequel that doubles down on this awesome concept whilst never losing sight of the personal and emotional drive of a Spider-Man story. Visually remarkable, with some incredible voice performances, and just so much creativity. An easy win for my film of 2023.
Bottom 5 of 2023:
#5: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Directed by James Mangold)
Bottom 5 of 2023:
#5: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Directed by James Mangold)
This one was like a car crash that you just couldn’t seem to look away from. Despite bringing in the talented James Mangold to direct, Dial of Destiny couldn’t be saved from the geriatric Harrison Ford playing second fiddle to the painfully unfunny Phoebe Waller-Bridge in a story that just funnelled them from one bad CGI set piece to another. Indy films were always beloved their exciting action and sharp witty dialogue, this had neither and was just generally painful to watch. What’s worse is we all saw it coming a mile away.
#4: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Directed by Peyton Reed)
#4: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Directed by Peyton Reed)
Marvel wanted to kick off Phase Five of the MCU by introducing their new big villain, Kang the Conquerer (Jonathan Majors). But instead Quantumania was a muddled and wonky script held together with ropey CGI that made it look like Spy Kids 3: Game Over. Low budget 00’s kids film comparisons aside, Quantumania presented all of the worst traits of the modern MCU and I’d sooner forget it exists than watch it again. Plus, with the recent firing of Majors from Marvel projects, the existence of this film seems even less relevant than ever.
#3: Gran Turismo (Directed by Neill Blomkamp)
#3: Gran Turismo (Directed by Neill Blomkamp)
For a film about fast cars, it’s surprising that Gran Turismo stalled before it could even get off the starting grid. What should have been a winning combination of a great real-life underdog story, and director Neill Blomkamp, it seemed like a recipe for success. Instead, GT contained all the worst traits of video game films, awful performances all round, and bored me to tears. As a huge fan of the games, this was a massive blow to me. I expected better than this.
#2: Elemental (Directed by Peter Sohn)
#2: Elemental (Directed by Peter Sohn)
Never did I expect to put a Pixar film in my bottom five. There’s a lot of things I really disliked about Elemental, and whilst on the surface it may seem puzzling as to why it’s this far down as it was for the most part competently made. But I was just sat there, blood boiling at how anti-immigrant this film is, despite supposedly having a multiculturalist message. This gets a bottom five place simply because the film is so xenophobic and doesn’t even try to hide it. Honestly, crap like this needs to be kept away from children because it’s dangerous.
#1: Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey (Directed by Rhys Frake Waterfield)
#1: Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey (Directed by Rhys Frake Waterfield)
This film was making waves in early 2023. An indie horror film that utilised the Winnie the Pooh property, showcasing a murderous version of the bumbling yellow honey lover. It was of course as bad as the premise promised it would be, and whilst this certainly earns the bottom place on my list I actually had quite a bit of fun with it, watching it in a cinema with people who were enjoying the absurdity of the awfulness of it all. Is it bad? Oh yeah. But can bad be fun? Absolutely!
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Brendan Fraser - The Whale
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Brendan Fraser - The Whale
The Whale was all over awards season, and whilst it took me a while to get around to watching it, I certainly understand why. Brendan Fraser made his return to Hollywood a truly memorable one by giving a career best performance as Charlie, a morbidly obese man facing the end of his life and desperate to reconnect with his teenage daughter. Fraser was captivating and extremely moving in his performance, and it’s great to see him back on the big screen.
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Mia Goth - Pearl AND Kaitlyn Dever - No One Will Save You
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Mia Goth - Pearl AND Kaitlyn Dever - No One Will Save You
I think this might have been the toughest award to give this year. I had so many people that I wanted to give this to, and I managed to successfully narrow it down to three. Mia Goth for Pearl, Kaitlyn Dever for No One Will Save You, and Natalie Portman for May December. I knew I couldn’t split it three ways, even sharing the award between two is something I wanted to avoid but I simply couldn’t give it to just one of them. As you can see I dropped Portman, and there’s were two reasons why.
Goth’s titular performance as Pearl has haunted me all year. Watching her transform from a joyous farm girl into a crazed serial killer was incredible, and she delivered every single second with such power.
Dever meanwhile captivated me without saying a word (I suppose it was three words if we want to get pedantic about it). She delivered so much only using facial expressions and breath, and I’d argue had one of the toughest gigs of the year because of it. When I first saw her in Booksmart back in 2017 I knew she was going to be someone to watch, and I certainly wasn’t wrong.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Ryan Gosling - Barbie
Goth’s titular performance as Pearl has haunted me all year. Watching her transform from a joyous farm girl into a crazed serial killer was incredible, and she delivered every single second with such power.
Dever meanwhile captivated me without saying a word (I suppose it was three words if we want to get pedantic about it). She delivered so much only using facial expressions and breath, and I’d argue had one of the toughest gigs of the year because of it. When I first saw her in Booksmart back in 2017 I knew she was going to be someone to watch, and I certainly wasn’t wrong.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Ryan Gosling - Barbie
Everybody in Barbie delivered one hundred and ten percent, but I think anyone who watched the film would agree that Gosling stole the show.
He has so much energy and range here for a role that could easily be construed as comic relief. His comic timing in his line delivery is spot on, and his physical presence cannot be understated. He may be just Ken, but he is more than Kenough.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Alyssa Sutherland - Evil Dead Rise
He has so much energy and range here for a role that could easily be construed as comic relief. His comic timing in his line delivery is spot on, and his physical presence cannot be understated. He may be just Ken, but he is more than Kenough.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Alyssa Sutherland - Evil Dead Rise
There were zero contenders here. Like there were definitely moments where I thought about putting people down on the list for this award but then I saw Alyssa Sutherland’s name back from when I went to watch Evil Dead Rise and not a single one ever measured up to the performance this woman gave. I’d argue she probably gave my favourite performance of the whole year as Ellie, mother of three who becomes possessed by the Necronomicon. Sutherland was terrifying, and the physical fitness required to make that role work must have been exhausting. Whether she was peering over bathtubs whispering to her kids that “mommy’s with the maggots now”, climbing the walls screaming, or just staring through the apartment’s peephole with a giant grin on her face. Sutherland truly deserves this award for arguably carrying the entire film on her shoulders.
Best Director
Greta Gerwig - Barbie
Best Director
Greta Gerwig - Barbie
If you can turn a child’s doll that has unintentionally become the face of anti-feminism into one of the years funniest comedies that is both an intimidate and vulnerable inspection of womanhood, as well as a celebration of it, then you truly deserve this award.
What Gerwig pulled off with Barbie wasn’t just making a good family comedy, she’s made one of the most important feminist films of the century so far, but made it accessible to absolutely everyone, and made it incredibly unique. It’s Gerwig’s world, we’re just living in it.
Best Animation
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Sony Pictures Animation
What Gerwig pulled off with Barbie wasn’t just making a good family comedy, she’s made one of the most important feminist films of the century so far, but made it accessible to absolutely everyone, and made it incredibly unique. It’s Gerwig’s world, we’re just living in it.
Best Animation
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Sony Pictures Animation
Was there really any competition for this award? Across the Spider-Verse was one of my most anticipated films of the year and it delivered in every conceivable way. There’s a reason it’s my film of the year after all.
But speaking strictly from an animation standpoint, this film does things I didn’t think were possible with the medium and once again pushes the boundaries of western animation to new highs. It really is worth all the hype, so if you’ve not checked it out yet then you absolutely should.
Best Documentary
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Directed by Sam Wrench)
But speaking strictly from an animation standpoint, this film does things I didn’t think were possible with the medium and once again pushes the boundaries of western animation to new highs. It really is worth all the hype, so if you’ve not checked it out yet then you absolutely should.
Best Documentary
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Directed by Sam Wrench)
Does this count as a documentary? I mean it’s non-fiction. Well, if it wasn’t this it was going to be the Pornhub documentary, Money Shot, because that was the only proper documentary film I watched this year, and Taylor Swift wins that contest hands down.
The Eras Tour was such a brilliant experience to see in a cinema and it’s made me unbelievably more excited to actually see it live at Wembley next year. This is how you shoot a tour for home viewing, and being able to watch it communally with other fans is the way forward for concert films.
Best Cinematography
Jamie McRae - Skinamarink
The Eras Tour was such a brilliant experience to see in a cinema and it’s made me unbelievably more excited to actually see it live at Wembley next year. This is how you shoot a tour for home viewing, and being able to watch it communally with other fans is the way forward for concert films.
Best Cinematography
Jamie McRae - Skinamarink
I feel like The Creator is going to get a lot of cinematography nominations this year, and I can understand why because it’s a gorgeous film. But for me the best-looking film was Skinamarink.
Kind of weird to say because honestly it looks kind of bad, but that’s the charm. Every shot is either massively under or overexposed, the majority of the shots are taken from strange angles to give the house an even creepier vibe, and the extensive use of film grain makes it even better.
Skinamarink defies all the norms of modern filmmaking in favour of achieving Ball’s vision, and for me it really worked.
Best Score
Ludwig Goransson - Oppenheimer
Kind of weird to say because honestly it looks kind of bad, but that’s the charm. Every shot is either massively under or overexposed, the majority of the shots are taken from strange angles to give the house an even creepier vibe, and the extensive use of film grain makes it even better.
Skinamarink defies all the norms of modern filmmaking in favour of achieving Ball’s vision, and for me it really worked.
Best Score
Ludwig Goransson - Oppenheimer
I had a tough one with this and it’s because there wasn’t a single one that immediately stood out to me. Evil Dead Rise, The Killer, Oppenheimer? They were all great but did any actually wow me?
In the end I went with Oppenheimer, and that’s because I remember walking out of my first viewing of the film and thinking about how much the score lent to the film overall. It was the kind of thing that crept up on you in the background and then blasted you away with the power of an atomic bomb. It absolutely would not have been the same film without that score.
Best Soundtrack
Various Artists - Barbie & Taylor Swift - Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
In the end I went with Oppenheimer, and that’s because I remember walking out of my first viewing of the film and thinking about how much the score lent to the film overall. It was the kind of thing that crept up on you in the background and then blasted you away with the power of an atomic bomb. It absolutely would not have been the same film without that score.
Best Soundtrack
Various Artists - Barbie & Taylor Swift - Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
This was a tough one. Barbie had the soundtrack of the summer with some excellent songs from some of the top female artists in the world right now. Whether I was dancing the night away with Dua Lipa or coming to terms with the patriarchy with Ryan Gosling’s I’m Just Ken, Barbie just had an awesome sound to it that no other films could match.
Except of course Taylor Swift. I wasn’t even sure whether to count this because The Eras Tour is a concert film, but as a big fan of her music the film did have my definitive favourite soundtrack of the year.
They can share the award, whilst I definitely preferred The Eras Tour’s soundtrack, it feels wrong to not let Barbie have a slice of that cake.
Best Sound Design
Kyle Edward Ball - Skinamarink
Except of course Taylor Swift. I wasn’t even sure whether to count this because The Eras Tour is a concert film, but as a big fan of her music the film did have my definitive favourite soundtrack of the year.
They can share the award, whilst I definitely preferred The Eras Tour’s soundtrack, it feels wrong to not let Barbie have a slice of that cake.
Best Sound Design
Kyle Edward Ball - Skinamarink
Not only did Skinamarink look great, it sounded awful…but like in a good way. For a while I thought the audio had been recorded by sticking the mic in a different room on set, whacking the gain up and hoping for the best. But actually, almost none of the audio was recorded on set, meaning the entire thing was designed to sound the way it does in post, and that’s kind of incredible.
Much like the visuals, part of what makes Skinamarink so special from an audio standpoint is what you can’t hear, or what you think you heard. Voices speaking so quietly or so muffled that you can hardly understand what they say. A knocking or distant banging. Was that some breathing or just the constant hiss? It’s horrible, but in the best possible way.
Best Costume Design
Jacqueline Durran - Barbie
Much like the visuals, part of what makes Skinamarink so special from an audio standpoint is what you can’t hear, or what you think you heard. Voices speaking so quietly or so muffled that you can hardly understand what they say. A knocking or distant banging. Was that some breathing or just the constant hiss? It’s horrible, but in the best possible way.
Best Costume Design
Jacqueline Durran - Barbie
One of my new awards this year and Barbie was largely the film that inspired these extra categories. Whilst watching the film I had so much appreciation of the costume design and how many there were. But to learn that the majority of the costumes were based on actual Barbie outfits, including many rare and long forgotten sets just made the whole thing so much more fabulous. I even dressed up as Mojo Dojo Casa Ken for Halloween, although I may have been mistaken for WWE’s Hulk Hogan a couple of times. Barbie’s fashion was an iconic look that defined 2023.
Best Production Design
Sarah Greenwood - Barbie
Best Production Design
Sarah Greenwood - Barbie
When your film creates a global shortage of pink paint you know you’re on to a winner. Everything about Barbie on a visual level was incredible, and I think a lot of that stemmed from the sets and environments used. Barbieland in particular with the dream houses and Malibu beach was a true delight and showcased both a great respect for the Barbie playsets and fantastic imagination from the filmmakers.
Best Visual Effects
Charlie McClean - Evil Dead Rise
Best Visual Effects
Charlie McClean - Evil Dead Rise
Give me practical effects over digital any day of the week, and that’s why Evil Dead Rise wins out by a country mile. Whilst there are absolutely digital enhancements to the final image, much of the stomach-churning gore and twisted demonic imagery is done with practical magic.
With that knowledge in mind, it makes the carnage you’re witnessing even more disgusting and ultimately even more worthy of praise.
Best Scene
Opening Sequence - Evil Dead Rise
With that knowledge in mind, it makes the carnage you’re witnessing even more disgusting and ultimately even more worthy of praise.
Best Scene
Opening Sequence - Evil Dead Rise
This was probably my most difficult award to give, and not because there were several contenders, but because I struggled to remember any particular scene that I enjoyed to any significant degree. One that has lingered in the back of my mind though was the excellent opening sequence to Evil Dead Rise, which when I saw in cinemas did blow me away.
A condensed unrelated tale of demonic possession that gave Evil Dead Rise its own cabin in the woods moment, this sequence sees a group of young adults enjoying a vacation in a remote cabin by the lake. With an extended drone sequence, some grisly deaths, and a title card that is worth the price of admission alone; Evil Dead Rise’s opening couple of minutes may just be the best single scene of cinema I have watched all year.
Best Action Sequence
Hotline Miami - John Wick: Chapter 4
A condensed unrelated tale of demonic possession that gave Evil Dead Rise its own cabin in the woods moment, this sequence sees a group of young adults enjoying a vacation in a remote cabin by the lake. With an extended drone sequence, some grisly deaths, and a title card that is worth the price of admission alone; Evil Dead Rise’s opening couple of minutes may just be the best single scene of cinema I have watched all year.
Best Action Sequence
Hotline Miami - John Wick: Chapter 4
John Wick: Chapter 4 will make a slightly less impressive award later on down this list, but it’s hard to knock the film for one particular action sequence. Anyone familiar with the Hotline Miami games, or more specifically the game Hong Kong Massacre, will be right at home with the style utilised here.
The scene follows John as he battles through an apartment building filled with assailants armed with a shotgun that expels Dragons Breath fire shells. The result is a scene that is not only an excellent action sequence to contend with the best the franchise has to offer, but also visually spectacular and totally unique. When franchise creator Chad Stahelski gets an action scene right, he certainly presents some of the most spellbinding action you can possibly seek.
Best Scare
Bedroom Scene - Skinamarink
The scene follows John as he battles through an apartment building filled with assailants armed with a shotgun that expels Dragons Breath fire shells. The result is a scene that is not only an excellent action sequence to contend with the best the franchise has to offer, but also visually spectacular and totally unique. When franchise creator Chad Stahelski gets an action scene right, he certainly presents some of the most spellbinding action you can possibly seek.
Best Scare
Bedroom Scene - Skinamarink
To be perfectly honest I could have chosen the entirety of Skinamarink to be here as I found the experimental horror film to be absolutely terrifying. Watching the film was probably the most afraid I have been in years. But if I had to single out one moment from Kyle Edward Ball’s debut feature that petrified me more than the rest, I’d have to pick the bedroom scene featuring the mother and father (Jamie Hill & Ross Paul).
Kaylee (Dali Rose Treatault) is lured upstairs by the voice in the shadows to find her parents acting strangely in one of the most nail biting and tensest scenes I’ve ever seen in a film. It had me peering through my fingers scared to look at the screen even on a rewatch, and that’s never happened before. I lost sleep over this film, and it still creeps me out when I think about it.
Saddest Scene
Charlie's Secret Fortune - The Whale
Kaylee (Dali Rose Treatault) is lured upstairs by the voice in the shadows to find her parents acting strangely in one of the most nail biting and tensest scenes I’ve ever seen in a film. It had me peering through my fingers scared to look at the screen even on a rewatch, and that’s never happened before. I lost sleep over this film, and it still creeps me out when I think about it.
Saddest Scene
Charlie's Secret Fortune - The Whale
The entirety of The Whale is a very sad film, and whilst I was never moved to tears there was one moment that hit like a gut punch. Ellie’s (Sadie Sink) mother, Mary (Samantha Morton), learns that Charlie (Brendan Fraser) has bribed Ellie into coming to visit him by offering her his life savings of around $120,000. This is revealed in front of Charlie’s friend and carer Liz (Hong Chau), who believed Charlie to be penniless.
This hurts for a lot of reasons, Liz is the sister of Charlie’s deceased lover Alan, who died several years ago from suicide, the two bonded over their grief of Alan’s death. Then comes the financial blow of Liz having paid for a number of things, and committed so much of her time to caring for Charlie whilst he ate himself to an early grave because of his grief. It’s also sad because as Liz reveals, Charlie has enough money that he could have easily paid for treatment to stop his heath deteriorating so far, revealing that he was intentionally eating himself to death. It’s a big blow that sets the climax of the film into motion, and the longer you think about this revelation of Charlie’s secret wealth the more depressing it becomes.
Biggest Surprise
Talk to me (Directed by Danny & Michael Philippou)
This hurts for a lot of reasons, Liz is the sister of Charlie’s deceased lover Alan, who died several years ago from suicide, the two bonded over their grief of Alan’s death. Then comes the financial blow of Liz having paid for a number of things, and committed so much of her time to caring for Charlie whilst he ate himself to an early grave because of his grief. It’s also sad because as Liz reveals, Charlie has enough money that he could have easily paid for treatment to stop his heath deteriorating so far, revealing that he was intentionally eating himself to death. It’s a big blow that sets the climax of the film into motion, and the longer you think about this revelation of Charlie’s secret wealth the more depressing it becomes.
Biggest Surprise
Talk to me (Directed by Danny & Michael Philippou)
I heard a lot of buzz about Talk To Me over a very short time span and then suddenly it was out. I gave it a look and was pleased to find out that the hype was real and Talk To Me was one of the best indie horror films I’ve seen in years. Really creepy with some great scares, strong performances, and a really moving story about grief that left me thinking back to it ever since I walked out of that screening.
Biggest Disappointment
John Wick: Chapter 4 (Directed by Chad Stahelski)
Biggest Disappointment
John Wick: Chapter 4 (Directed by Chad Stahelski)
There were a few films I found to be disappointing this year but none of them as much as John Wick Chapter 4. It stole the hearts of critics and audiences alike but for me the bloated three-hour runtime and underwhelming action sequences in comparison to its predecessor left me feeling somewhat cheated. Did I get too swept up in the hype? Probably. Regardless, I left John Wick Chapter 4 questioning whether I ever liked the franchise in the first place and that’s the mark of an exceptionally bad film in my eyes.
From The Backlog
Promising Young Woman (Directed by Emerald Fennell)
From The Backlog
Promising Young Woman (Directed by Emerald Fennell)
Formerly the 'New But Old' award, I felt like the change in title made it a little clearer what it actually referred to.
I was a little late to the party with Promising Young Woman, despite it being a film I knew would be right up my street when I first heard about it.
This was such a powerful film, and the third act knocked me for six and left me entirely speechless. I just loved it, and whilst there were a few contenders for this award I don’t think any of them stunned me in the way Promising Young Woman did.
Best Rewatch
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers in Concert at The Royal Albert Hall (Directed by Peter Jackson)
I was a little late to the party with Promising Young Woman, despite it being a film I knew would be right up my street when I first heard about it.
This was such a powerful film, and the third act knocked me for six and left me entirely speechless. I just loved it, and whilst there were a few contenders for this award I don’t think any of them stunned me in the way Promising Young Woman did.
Best Rewatch
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers in Concert at The Royal Albert Hall (Directed by Peter Jackson)
It’s tough to get through a year without The Lord of the Rings being my favourite rewatch even from the comfort of my own home, but this was really something special.
I went to watch The Two Towers at the Royal Albert Hall, live in concert, and it was simply incredible. I hardly even watched the film because I was so busy watching the orchestra, but it was such a phenomenal experience and it sounded amazing.
I’ve got tickets booked for Return of the King next year so any guesses as to what my favourite rewatch will be for 2024?
Most Anticipated
Furisoa (Directed by George Miller)
I went to watch The Two Towers at the Royal Albert Hall, live in concert, and it was simply incredible. I hardly even watched the film because I was so busy watching the orchestra, but it was such a phenomenal experience and it sounded amazing.
I’ve got tickets booked for Return of the King next year so any guesses as to what my favourite rewatch will be for 2024?
Most Anticipated
Furisoa (Directed by George Miller)
There’s a lot of contenders for this award, especially seeing as some things got bumped from this year (looking at you Dune: Part Two).
Initially my gut felt Joker: Folie a Deux, but then there was also Inside Out 2 and the Fede Alvarez directed Alien: Romulus. Ultimately though I think I’ll give the award to Furiosa. I’ve been waiting ten years for this film and if it’s even half as incredible as Fury Road was then it’s still going to be in my top five. Get me in an IMAX screening and blast my ears off with some Junkie XL whilst giving me some of that epic vehicular mayhem right now please!
Initially my gut felt Joker: Folie a Deux, but then there was also Inside Out 2 and the Fede Alvarez directed Alien: Romulus. Ultimately though I think I’ll give the award to Furiosa. I’ve been waiting ten years for this film and if it’s even half as incredible as Fury Road was then it’s still going to be in my top five. Get me in an IMAX screening and blast my ears off with some Junkie XL whilst giving me some of that epic vehicular mayhem right now please!