The best movies of 2023 have a lot in common. It's festive, nostalgic, and vibrant. It's exactly what entertainment needs right now. We've rounded up Brit + Co's favorites from this year's summer and fall movies to help you decide exactly what to watch before midnight hits New Year's Eve. Grab your popcorn!! This year's movies are some of the best ever.
what happens later
Image via Bleecker Street
Meg Ryan's return to romantic comedies is *exactly* what I needed this fall. The film tells the story of ex-girlfriends Willa (Meg Ryan) and Bill (David Duchovny) who are reunited after their flight is delayed. As they learn more about what happened in the past, they begin to wonder if their reunion is just a coincidence or something more magical, according to the official synopsis. What Happens Later is sassy and romantic, with plenty of Meg's signature comedy.
little mermaid
Image courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Anyone who was obsessed with mermaids as a child will love this updated version of the classic Disney film. Halle Bailey's Ariel builds on the agency, complexity, and heart of the original character in a way that's perfect for modern audiences, while also giving us plenty of nostalgia. Read our movie review of The Little Mermaid and find out why we love it so much.
barbie
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment.
The Barbie movies (and their cultural association with Oppenheimer) absolutely defined this summer. The aesthetic is bold, bright, and very pink, and the crazy script is filled with irony about femininity that almost made me fall to the floor laughing. But in addition to being funny, the ending, especially with Barbie, was touching. Check out our Barbie doll review to learn more about why Barbie is a must-have.
Priscilla
Image via A24
Sofia Coppola revisits the Presley family in “Priscilla.'' Like all of her best films, this one balances a sly edge with feminine flourishes, and the film (which premiered at the Venice Film Festival) explores the lives and lives of iconic women. It is a new depiction of love. Colors and textures aside, the best thing about this movie is that it's not just about her relationships, but everything about her life and identity.
sit at the bar with a cake
Image via Saeed Adyani/Prime Video
Yara Shahidi changed my GNO game forever with Sitting In Bars With Cake. Because, as you can imagine from the title, she *literally* brings a full cake to the bar. This is the kind of energy I have going into 2024. Sitting In Bars With Cake follows Jane (Shahidi), a baker whose best friend Corinne (Odessa Azion) offers Jane a cake at a bar to meet her new friend. Convince them to spend the next year bringing it in. . When Corinne is diagnosed with a disease that will change her life, they must understand what joy feels like in the most difficult of times.
nail
Image via Apple TV+
Fingernails has a great cast, starring Jeremy Allen White, Jesse Buckley, and Riz Ahmed. Anna (Buckley) and Ryan (White) learn that their relationship is true love, thanks to new technology that allows them to prove they've found their perfect match. But Anna is not convinced, especially when she meets Amir (Riz Ahmed). In addition to the cast, the main theme of this movie really stuck out to me. The question is, how do you know if you're really in love?
flamin' hot
Image via YouTube/Hulu/Disney
I love a good biopic. This hot He Cheetos origin story stars Jesse Garcia as Richard He Montañez, the janitor who introduced the iconic snack to Frito-Lay. Keep a big bag of spicy, cheesy snacks for your viewing party. Because, in my opinion, it's the only movie snack that goes with this movie.
love at first sight
Image via Netflix
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith was featured in movies this fall and is one of my favorite movies of the year. Hadley (Haley Lu Richardson) and Oliver (Ben Hardy) end up on the same flight from New York to London, but they have very different reasons for coming to London. This movie is a refreshing approach to romantic comedies and has such a sincere heart that it brought my roommate and I to tears.
another zoe
Image via Kent Smith/Prime/Brainstorm Media
The Other Zoey is another romantic comedy that came out this fall (I couldn't resist). The film stars three teen drama icons: Josephine Langford from After, Drew Starkey from Outer Banks, and Archer Noble from Shadow and Bone. It may seem like a typical love triangle, but this movie is about family, choice, desire, breaking stereotypes, and honesty. Please count me in.
Murderers of the Flower Moon
Image via Apple TV+
Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone, is not only a story of love and family, but also a story about how inhuman greed is and how it destroys communities. It also depicts how to tear apart. The film is a huge achievement for director Martin Scorsese (it's a staggering 3 hours and 24 minutes long), and every aspect of it, from the cast to the aesthetic to the soundtrack, is fantastic.
guardians of the galaxy 3
Image via Disney
The final installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy was far more emotional than the first two. I'm talking about all kinds of emotions. We laughed, gasped, and shed happy and sad tears. It's a great send-off to our favorite chaotic superheroes and a must-see for MCU fans.
asteroid city
Image courtesy: Universal Pictures India
Wes Anderson's Asteroid City was exactly the kind of quirky fun we needed this summer. There were plenty of A-listers like Scarlett Johansson and Margot Robbie, and the teal and orange color palette was truly mesmerizing. The cinematography, direction, and costumes feel like a classic Western with Anderson's eclectic twist.
totally killer
Image via Prime
If you love Stranger Things and The Breakfast Club, this 80s movie is for you. The film tells the story of Jamie (Kiernan Shipka), who comes face to face with the “Sweet Sixteen Killer'', a murderer who murdered three teenagers in the 1980s. Jamie accidentally travels back in time (meeting her teenage mother in the process) and she must find a way to return to the future ;).
Zoe 102
Image courtesy of Dana Hawley/Paramount+
I was obsessed with Zoey 101 at the time, so I was excited when Paramount+ announced they were making a movie with the original cast. In this movie, our favorite girlfriend's PCA students reunite for a fancy California wedding. It was interesting, nostalgic, heartwarming, and really fun.
red, white, royal blue
Image via Amazon Prime
BookTok fans were excited to see the novel turned into a movie, and we were just as excited to meet the cast. The Kissing Booth's Taylor Zakhar Perez plays the president's son Alex, whose disdain for Prince Harry, played by Nicholas Galitzine, quickly turns romantic. In addition to the leading men, Uma Thurman also stars as Alex's mother, President Ellen Claremont.
God, are you there? I'm Margaret.
Image courtesy of Dana Hawley/Lionsgate
Like Barbie, God, are you there? It's Me, Margaret, starring Rachel McAdams and Abby Ryder Fortson, is a commentary on the experiences that unite women of all ages and eras. Like the novel of the same name, the film is a powerful multi-generational piece, but it also captures the pains of growing up and evokes the childhood wonder we all felt as children. I can't recommend it enough!
good person
Image courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc.
This spring, Florence Pugh (affectionately known as “Miss Flo” on the internet)'s “The Good Man” brought me to tears. The film, which also stars Morgan Freeman, tells the story of Alison, played by Pugh, who is recovering from an accident that claimed the life of Danielle's (Freeman) daughter. This movie (and its soundtrack) is truly heartbreaking, but it also showcases the acting skills of the entire cast in truly amazing ways.
Other Best Movies of 2023
Image provided by: AMC Entertainment/Taylor Swift
What are the best movies of 2023? Let us know in the comments!
Lead image via Warner Bros. Pictures