Best and Worst Films of 2023

2023 YEAR IN REVIEW

Movies I didn’t dislike in 2023:
 
Bad Things
Beaten to Death
Bury the Bride
The Conference
Dark Harvest
The Deep Web: Murdershow
Door Mouse
Eileen
Evil Dead Rise
The Holdovers
Infinity Pool
Kids vs. Aliens
Leave the World Behind
M3GAN (Unrated)
Missing
The Passenger
Saw X
Scream VI
Sisu
Strays
Susie Searches
Thanksgiving
The Third Saturday in October Part V
Us or Them
V/H/S/85
Zombie Town
 
Movies I disliked in 2023:
 
Alone at Night
American Cherry
Asteroid City*
Bliss of Evil
Clock
Cocaine Shark*
Disquiet
Family Switch
Fear
Final Summer
Fingernails
Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism
Good Burger 2
House Party
Insidious: The Red Door
The Killer
Killer Kites
Lockdown Tower
Marlowe
Monsters of California
Mummies
The New Hands
The Ritual Killer
River Wild
Saltburn
Sanctuary
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Transfusion
Woman of the Photographs
 
TV Shows I didn’t dislike in 2023:
 
The Bear (Season Two) (Hulu)
Black Mirror (Season Six) (Netflix)
Chucky (Season Three, Part One)
Crazy Fun Park (Season One)
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Season 16)
Jury Duty (Season One) (Freevee)
Reservation Dogs (Season Three) (Hulu)
School Spirits (Season One) (Paramount+)
Twisted Metal (Season One) (Peacock)
 
TV Shows I disliked in 2023:
 
American Horror Stories (Season Three) (Hulu)
The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix)
Fatal Attraction (Season One) (Paramount+)
Florida Man (Netflix)
The Last Thing He Told Me (Apple+)
A Murder at the End of the World (Hulu)
You (Season Four) (Netflix)
 
Other superlatives:
Coolest Title(s):  Doll Shark; Killer Kites; Night of the Killer Bears
Good-but-not-as-much-as-the-hype:  No One Will Save You
Not-as-bad-as-they-said:  Five Nights at Freddy’s; Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey
Biggest Disappointment(s):  The Boogeyman; Elemental; Slotherhouse; Talk to Me; There’s Something Wrong with the Children
Most Disappointing TV Show(s):  Fright Krewe (Season One); From (Season Two); Goosebumps (Season One)
Most Overrated:  Barbie; The Fall of the House of Usher; The Killer; Renfield; Talk to Me; When Evil Lurks
Most Unnecessary Sequels/Prequels:  Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget; The Exorcist: Believer; Good Burger 2; Insidious: The Red Door; Meg 2: The Trench; Pet Sematary: Bloodlines; 10/31 Part III
Worthy Sequels/Prequels:  Evil Dead Rise; Saw X; Scream VI; V/H/S/85
Most Unnecessary Remakes/Re-imaginings/Spinoffs:  Fatal Attraction (Season One); Haunted Mansion; House Party; Peter Pan & Wendy; River Wild; The Super Mario Bros. Movie; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem; White Men Can’t Jump
Worthy Remakes/Re-imaginings/Spinoffs:  Children of the Corn
Best Anthology Film:  V/H/S/85
Best Anthology TV:  Black Mirror (Season Six)
Best Documentary:  I Wanna Rock: The 80s Metal Dream
Most Disappointing Documentary:  Satan Wants You
Best TV Special:  South Park (Not Suitable for Children)
Best Comeback:  Eli Roth (Thanksgiving)
Most Anticipated in 2024:  Maxxxine
 
Commentary:  I’m not even going to begin with saying another year, another not-so-great year for movies (oh wait), because as long as movies are made, I’m going to watch them.  I could, of course, just stop watching modern movies and simply stick to ones I know I like, but (as I know I’ve said before) there’s always that undeniable thrill of watching something for the first time, especially if anticipated.  I haven’t made a top ten list since 2018, rather just listing movies I didn’t dislike or did dislike; it’s much easier that way considering not much grand has been released for years.  Of the movies I didn’t dislike this year, I can’t say any one of them truly stood out as being the best (they should just be lucky they even made it on to that list).  I included Dark Harvest on my list of movies I didn’t dislike, even though I wasn’t entirely impressed with it (it being my most anticipated feature of last year), but I have a feeling it will age better over time.  I put down Children of the Corn as a worthy remake/re-imagining/spinoff only because it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be; it wasn’t a great movie by any means.  I didn’t include Knock at the Cabin or Cocaine Bear anywhere, both being good-not-great, the former good until the anticlimactic ending, and the latter may or may not age better (I thought it was just decent for now).  And I made sure to indicate the unrated version of M3GAN is on the list since the few scenes of violence did make it a bit better than the rated one.  Bad movies will, unfortunately, always be aplenty, Asteroid City and Cocaine Shark topping that list for me this year (the latter was expected to be awful though, while the former is one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen despite so much talent involved).  I put Good Burger 2 down as an unnecessary sequel, but I thought the first one was unnecessary, thinking it was the worst movie I ever saw back when it came out in the Nineties.  I put down Maxxxine as the most anticipated feature of 2024 only because I did grow quite fond of Ti West’s trilogy that began with X and Pearl; I am curious to see how the Eighties-set tertiary flick will pair up.  Of course I do want to see other movies coming out as well, some of them sequels, such as Beetlejuice 2, Terrifier 3, Twisters, and Inside Out 2, in addition to Imaginary and the Salem’s Lot remake that was supposed to come out last year but currently has no release date.  As for TV, I am looking forward to season three of The Bear as I did grow quite fond of the series (like many others), and the newest season of True Detective when I get around to it, plus the second season of Wednesday if it’s actually going to be released (sounds like it might be next year though), and I’ll check out the second part of the third season of Chucky (the first half was good, even though I’d watch it anyway); I’ll likely check out that Crystal Lake series slated for Peacock too, but that currently doesn’t have a release date either.  I did stop watching two shows last year and sort of feel proud of myself for it (Bodies is one show I forced myself to finish, as was season four of You---but I made it that far in the series), those shows being Cruel Summer (season two) and Slasher: Ripper, both of which I watched the previous seasons for!  Now, if only my OCD would allow me to stop watching movies I lose interest in (even though they’re easier to finish in one sitting).  So, agree or disagree with me, here’s to another year.  Regardless, thanks for reading, this or any of my blogs!  1/28/2024

---Sean O.