Adam Graham
It was a year of change in Hollywood.
The superhero machine didn't topple, but it took a hit as audiences showed they wanted something different from their blockbusters.
The year's biggest movies were new takes on already familiar cultural properties, and for the first time since 2001, neither of the year's two biggest hits were sequels or continuations of already existing film franchises.
Which is not to say franchises are over or even bad, and several of them stepped up in a big way this year. And some of those familiar properties — a "Dungeons & Dragons" movie, anyone? — made for a surprisingly good time at the movies.
There were needle-movers from first-time filmmakers and minted masters across genres. All had something to say, whether they were distributed in theaters or on streaming services.
So here are the year's 50 best movies. Why 50? Why not? Anything that's worth doing is worth overdoing, and there were enough good movies this year to highlight in a wide-ranging end-of-year round-up. You probably saw some of these but you probably didn't see all of these, so take it as a list of recommendations on stuff to get caught up on over the holidays (or well into 2024).
Reviews are hotlinked in text where available, and while I didn't do a worst-of list this year, let's just say there's a really good reason why "Expend4bles" is nowhere to be found on the list below.
And with that, let's go party.
50. 'How to Blow Up a Pipeline'
Director Daniel Goldhaber fashions this Molotov cocktail of an action thriller as a heist film with an agenda, as a crew of environmentalists-slash-terrorists put a plan in place to, well, blow up a pipeline. Watch it go boom. (Available on Hulu and for rental)
49. 'Guy Ritchie's The Covenant'
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this sober war film from director Guy Ritchie, who abandons his typical bloke swagger and pays tribute to the language interpreters who put their lives on the line to help soldiers during America's War in Afghanistan. (Available on Amazon Prime Video and for rental)
48. 'When Evil Lurks'
This deeply unsettling horror outing about demonic possession gurgled up from Argentina and contains some of the year's biggest jolts across any movie in any genre. Movies still have the ability to shock, you just have to know where to look to find 'em. (Available on Shudder and for rental)
47. 'Bottoms'
Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri are a pair of queer high school outcasts in this cracked teen sex comedy, which is like "Heathers" crossed with "Fight Club," serving up attitude and sending up teen movie clichés with reckless abandon. (Available on Amazon Prime Video and for rental)
46. 'The Royal Hotel'
A pair of American tourists spend a summer bartending at a middle-of-nowhere bar in the Australian Outback where they encounter open hostility and unwanted sexual advances from the locals in Kitty Green's tense psychological thriller that slowly simmers to a boil. (Available for rental)
45. 'The Boy and the Heron'
Director Hayao Miyazaki, 82, packs so much imagination into this tale of a young boy reeling after the death of his mother that it can be downright difficult to make heads or tails of it all, but what a treat it is to be challenged by one of cinema's true living masters. (In theaters)
44. 'Infinity Pool'
Brandon Cronenberg, son of David, offers up a disturbing nightmare about the rich, clones, and the perverse pleasures of watching Mia Goth go crazy. Not for the squeamish, but would you expect anything less from a Cronenberg? (Available on Hulu and for rental)
43. 'They Cloned Tyrone'
John Boyega, Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris star in this slick genre mash-up, a sci-fi blaxploitation comedy that's a little bit "Get Out," a little bit "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," a little bit "The Cabin in the Woods" and a whole lot of fun. (Available on Netflix)
42. 'No Hard Feelings'
Jennifer Lawrence goes full slapstick in this horny comedy where she plays a dead-end Long Island Uber driver paid to take a kid's virginity before college, and Andrew Barth Feldman is excellent as the object of her seduction. Together, they find the characters' truths. (Available on Netflix and for rental)
41. 'Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves'
Chris Pine leads the way in this spirited comic adventure that wisely doesn't require any prior knowledge of the hugely popular tabletop game in order to enjoy. It's a good time all on its own. (Available on Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+ and for rental)
40. 'M3gan'
Something's not quite right with M3gan, the blank-faced doll of your nightmares. Which is what made this January horror comedy — part "Child's Play," part "The Terminator" — such a welcome early year surprise, memes and all. (Available on Amazon Prime Video and for rental)
39. 'The Equalizer 3'
The Equalizer needed a break. So for the third (and best) installment of Denzel Washington's action franchise, he headed to a small village in Italy where he relaxed and took in the scenery and busted the heads of anyone who dared to interrupt his relaxation. Can you blame him? (Available for rental)
38. 'Nyad'
Annette Bening is dynamite as marathon swimmer Diana Nyad, who wants to swim from Cuba to Florida, but it's Jodie Foster as her best friend, Bonnie Stoll, who gives this true life inspirational sports drama its strength, and might earn Foster her first Oscar nomination since 1994. (Available on Netflix)
37. 'Saltburn'
Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi star in writer-director Emerald Fennell's bawdy romp, awash in lavish style, that aims to provoke and titillate and maybe not much else, but darned if it doesn't wholly succeed in its goals. (In theaters, streaming on Amazon Prime Video Dec. 22)
36. 'Godzilla Minus One'
A blockbuster with a human center and characters you care about, this Japanese import, which comes on the eve of "Godzilla's" 70th anniversary, could show Hollywood a thing or two about how to make a monster movie with soul, and how to pump new life into an existing franchise. (In theaters)
35. 'Return to Seoul'
Ji-Min Park is mesmerizing in writer-director Davy Chou's twisty tale of identity, starring as a Korean adoptee on a search for herself, trying on different guises along the way to see what fits. Like its main character, you're never quite sure where the story is headed. (Available for rental)
34. 'Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour'
The year's biggest tour is preserved in amber in this pristine, no frills concert doc, which had audiences treating movie theaters like they were concert halls, a testament to the massive power of its world dominating star's historic year. (Available for rental Dec. 13)
33. 'A Good Person'
Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman find the emotional center in writer-director Zach Braff's tale of grief, loss and opioid addiction, which occasionally spills over into overbaked melodrama but for the most part finds its way through the fog. (Available on Amazon Prime Video and for rental)
32. 'Dream Scenario'
It sounds so Nic Cage — the eccentric actor playing a college professor who becomes an overnight celebrity when he starts popping up, inexplicably, in everyone's dreams — but Cage provides the grounding needed in this loopy tale of modern fame and its inevitable backlash cycle. (In theaters)
31. 'Blackberry'
Remember your first Blackberry? This Canadian drama tells the rise and fall story of the first handheld email device and features an unhinged performance by "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's" Glenn Howerton, as the company's stark raving mad co-CEO. (Available on AMC+ and for rental)
30. 'Wonka'
Timothée Chalamet is Willy Wonka in this utterly charming musical fantasy, brought to life by "Paddington" writer-director Paul King, who knows a thing or two about bringing whimsical children's stories to life. (In theaters Dec. 15)
29. 'Reptile'
Benicio del Toro is transfixing as a detective tracking down a murderer and also remodeling his kitchen in co-writer and director Grant Singer's noir crime thriller, where mood and character takes precedence over whodunnit. (Available on Netflix)
28. 'American Fiction'
Jeffrey Wright, a force since "Basquiat," gets a role he can really bite into as Thelonious "Monk" Ellison, an author picking up the pieces of his life, in writer-director Cord Jefferson's media critique and comic drama, featuring a magnificent supporting turn from Sterling K. Brown. (In theaters TBA)
27. 'Oppenheimer'
Cristopher Nolan's story of the atomic bomb's creator, one half of the moviegoing event of the year, is a grand, masterful film, rich and studied, with a chilling central performance by Cillian Murphy and ace supporting turns from 50% of Hollywood. (Available for rental)
26. 'All Of Us Strangers'
Andrew Scott, "Fleabag's" Hot Priest, stars in Andrew Haigh's devastating drama, about a man seemingly caught between two worlds, where his parents (Jamie Bell and Claire Foy), who died in a car crash 30 years earlier, are still alive and well in his childhood home. (In theaters Dec. 22)
25. 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse'
The animated adventures of Miles Morales get another head-spinning, mind-melting presentation in the sequel to 2018's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," which makes spectacular pop art of the exploits of Spidey's and his pals (shout out Spider-Punk). (Available on Netflix and for rental)
24. 'Rye Lane'
This vibrant, colorful, delightful romantic comedy is the debut film from Raine Allen-Miller, starring David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah as a pair of South Londoners who fall into each other's orbit and spend a lovely day getting to know one another. A real charmer. (Available on Hulu)
23. 'Air'
The story of how the Air Jordan came to be makes for a fun, freewheeling sports drama in director Ben Affleck's behind-the-scenes look at the dealmakers (and sneaker designers) who started a revolution, with a killer '80s soundtrack to boot. (Available on Amazon Prime Video)
22. 'The Killer'
Michael Fassbender is a cold-blooded assassin in director David Fincher's wry, black-hearted look at on-the-go consumer culture, The Smiths and the freedom of a life lived in total isolation. It's a killer good time. (Available on Netflix)
21. 'You Hurt My Feelings'
Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays a New York author who overhears her husband disparage her work in what becomes a world-shattering event in writer-director Nicole Holofcener's sharply observed comedy about how so-called "tiny problems" can leave a seismic impact. (Available for rental)
20. 'The Holdovers'
Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sessa are left behind over the holidays at an East Coast boarding academy in Alexander Payne's comic drama, which has about a thousand chances to turn sappy and never does. (In theaters)
19. 'The Zone of Interest'
Jonathan Glazer's fourth film is set in an idyllic home with a lovely garden that just so happens to sit next to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Darkness looms in this stark drama about the lengths people go to in order to turn their heads and look the other way. (In theaters TBA)
18. 'Anatomy of a Fall'
You may never hear 50 Cent's "P.I.M.P." the same way again after this French courtroom drama where a death is examined from every possible angle to find out how it happened and who, if anyone, is to blame. With knockout performances from Sandra Hüller and Swann Arlaud. (Available on Max)
17. 'The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar'
Wes Anderson's short, from a collection of adaptations of Roald Dahl stories (all four are worth your time), is a marvel, with Benedict Cumberbatch as a gambler who teaches himself X-ray vision. But Anderson is the true star here, his worldview as meticulously crafted as ever. (Available on Netflix)
16. 'Beau is Afraid'
Perhaps the year's biggest swing, Ari Aster's third film is a deliriously bonkers portrait of an emotional zero (Joaquin Phoenix) who lives underneath the shadow of his mom (Patti LuPone). While it doesn't always reach its admirably grand ambitions, at least it's willing to try. (Available for rental)
15. 'Palm Trees and Power Lines'
This brutal drama about a Southern California teenager (Lily McInerny in a stunner of a debut performance) who is groomed into a life of prostitution by her older boyfriend (Jonathan Tucker, electrifying) delivers a sickening gut punch and is not for the faint of heart. (Available for rental)
14. 'Priscilla'
We know which Priscilla she's talking about. Sofia Coppola tells the story of Mrs. Elvis Presley in this delicate drama starring Cailee Spaeny as the title star and Jacob Elordi as the King, and the tangled web that was their relationship. (In theaters, available for rental Dec. 15)
13. 'The Iron Claw'
Zac Efron has never been better than he is in writer-director Sean Durkin's dark drama about pro wrestling's Von Erichs, a seemingly cursed family to whom tragedy befalls again and again and again. As Kevin Von Erich, Efron carries generations of sadness in his ocean blue eyes. (In theaters Dec. 22)
12. 'Past Lives'
Nora and Hae Sung are made for each other. Or at least they were, when they were children in South Korea. Many years have passed, everything has changed, but has anything changed? Writer-director Celine Song's lovely debut explores lives lived and fate's role in matchmaking. (Available for rental)
11. 'Fair Play'
Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor are on fire in writer-director Chloe Domont's supercharged erotic thriller, about a couple who shares an office (they both work at a Manhattan hedge fund) and how office politics spill over into their love life. This one leaves a burn mark. (Available on Netflix)
10. 'Maestro'
Bradley Cooper's massive portrait of American composer legend Leonard Bernstein looks, acts and feels larger than life, both in its heroic conducting sequences and in its portrait of a marriage (Carey Mulligan plays Bernstein's wife, Felicia Montealegre) long fraying at the edges. With his second film (after "A Star is Born"), Cooper confirms he's a major directing talent. (In theaters, on Netflix Dec. 20)
9. 'Poor Things'
The latest from madman director Yorgos Lanthimos ("The Lobster," "The Favourite") stars Oscar-winner Emma Stone as a woman brought back to life (the details are... intricate) who discovers life and all its pleasures — mostly sex, and tons of it — for the very first time. Co-starring Willem Dafoe and Mark Ruffalo, it's a hilarious comic fantasy that exists in a world all its own. (In theaters Dec. 22)
8. 'A Thousand and One'
Teyana Taylor is magnificent in writer-director A.V. Rockwell's heartbreaking family drama, about a mother and her son navigating a rapidly changing Harlem in the '90s and early '00s. Taylor plays Inez, an ex-con, who raises her son Terry (played by three different actors over the course of the film) in a neighborhood that no longer wants them there. (Available on Amazon Prime Video and for rental)
7. 'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One'
Tom Cruise is back for another "Mission: Impossible" adventure, a super mega-budgeted thrill ride that delivers on all fronts. It's got action, it's got laughter, and yes, it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. (That "Part One" is in the title for a reason.) But if all slick franchise fare delivered at this high of a level, the world — or at least Hollywood — would be a better place. (Available for rental)
6. 'Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé'
Beyoncé's not known for letting her guard down, or for letting us see behind the curtain. But she does both in "Renassiance," which works as both a thrilling document of her 2023 concert tour and a portrait of the singer off-stage, while on tour, and in the planning stages of the massive roadshow. It's a concert-plus, and everything we see helps bring her, and the show, fully into focus. (In theaters)
5. 'Killers of the Flower Moon'
Martin Scorsese's scorched earth epic is a sinister portrait of greed, genocide and other American realities. Leonardo DiCaprio is Ernest Burkhart, a dimwit just back from WWI, who's manipulated by his uncle (Robert De Niro), to aid and abed in the killing of the Osage people. Lily Gladstone is Ernest's wife, who becomes the soul of the film, which simmers like a slow burn. (Available for rental)
4. 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.'
Writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig adapts Judy Blume's 1970 novel into this warmhearted coming-of-age dramedy told with empathy toward its subject and to young girls everywhere. Abby Ryder Fortson is 11-year-old Margaret, navigating life and friends and changes in her body; as her mother, Rachel McAdams gives one of 2023's most tender performances. (Available on Starz and for rental)
3. 'May December'
Todd Haynes' stirring melodrama is a story of sexual abuse, a tawdry tabloid tale and a look at Hollywood's self-satisfaction. Natalie Portman stars as an actress prepping to play Julianne Moore's character in a film; Moore plays a woman who went to prison for having sex with a teenage co-worker, who is now grown and played by Charles Melton. Watch it all burn. (Available on Netflix)
2. 'John Wick: Chapter 4'
Did we not get all we needed from the "John Wick" series in the first three movies? Apparently not: "John Wick: Chapter 4" raises the series to operatic heights, with director Chad Stahelski topping himself in every way imaginable, creating a symphony of opulent action and gun blasts, with the immortal Keanu Reeves as stoic as ever in the lead role. (Available on Starz and for rental)
1. 'Barbie'
She did it. Co-writer and director Greta Gerwig took one of the most popular properties on the planet and turned it into a moving, soulful, hilarious, smart and progressive look at our world. She did it with eye-popping color and production design, a stellar supporting performance from Ryan Gosling and an irreplaceable star turn from Margot Robbie. And what started out sounding like an eye-roller — a Barbie movie? Why? — became the best movie of the year, and its biggest hit as well. Congrats all around. (Available for rental, streaming on Max Dec. 15)
agraham@detroitnews.com