All the New Movies I’ve Seen: Fourth-Quarter 2023 Edition, Part 2

We’re already at the end of January 2024, and awards season is in full swing. (If you missed them, the Oscar nominations were announced earlier this week.) Unfortunately, I had to wait to see some of the potential contenders till they were released widely, so I decided to wait to share my final reviews of 2023. 

And so, better late than never, and just like I did in the first, second, and third quarters of this year, here’s a (slightly delayed) roundup of what I thought of all the movies I saw in the — let’s call it, second half of the fourth quarter of 2023, in reverse chronological order, with a note about how/where I saw them.

FYI: You won’t see recent wide-release films like All of Us Strangers or Poor Things here; I saw those in the first half of the quarter. For the record, they both earned a spot on my list of the year’s best films.

83. Origin (theater). Ava DuVernay’s latest is one of those Very Important Movies with Something Very Important to Say. The film dramatizes how Pulitzer Prize–winning author Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) researched her book Caste while dealing with her own personal tragedies. The book, a bestseller upon its release in 2020, has a compelling thesis: That the way Black people in America, Jews in Nazi Germany, and the Dalits in India were treated are all related, and it’s not about race. Unfortunately, while the film adaptation is thought provoking, it’s undone by some heavy handedness and, at times, a lack of respect for the audience. Most insulting, perhaps, is a scene set in 2017 in which Wilkerson asks some fellow party guests if they’ve heard about what happened in Charlottesville, and then proceeds to explain it to them as if it was a lesser-known incident. I admire DuVernay’s ambition here, Ellis-Taylor gives a moving and intelligent performance, and the way it all comes together at the end has some powerful moments. But by then, the film had already lost me. Grade: B–

82. The Zone of Interest (theater). Jonathan Glazer’s film about a family that lives next door to Auschwitz is a very good movie about the banality of evil. It portrays how a seemingly ordinary family, one in which the father just so happens to be a commandant at the concentration camp, goes about their day-to-day lives in the shadow of constantly burning chimneys and with the sound of gunfire and dogs barking ever-present. As the callous wife, played by Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall), notes multiple times without a shred of irony, theirs is a luxurious property that’s a dream come true. We’re not meant to like these people, per se, but they’re certainly not the typical Nazis we’re used to seeing on screen. In fact, especially in light of the events of October 7 and everything that’s happened since, the film really makes you think about how the term “innocent civilian” — or rather, innocent bystander — is defined. Thankfully, Glazer doesn’t ever show what’s going on in the camp, but everyone knows what’s happening — and most don’t care. As you might assume, this movie is a tough watch for anyone with a sensitivity to such topics. So, while I appreciated the film for what it was, I can’t exactly say I liked it. Grade: B+

81. Memory (theater). A forgettable drama about two broken souls who find each other. Meh. Grade: C+

80. Anyone but You (theater). Even going in with low expectations, this movie was a disappointment. A rom-com where it’s clear early on that the couple should not be together, the film drags on with one far-fetched and contrived situation after another. And because it’s Hollywood, it all takes place in a beautiful resort in Sydney — though neither of the leads is Australian. Sure, Sydney Sweeney looks real good in multiple scenes, but this modern-day twist on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing should have stayed “unwritten.” Grade: D

79. Ferrari (theater). A great, well shot race in the final third redeemed this otherwise just fine movie about Enzo Ferrari and his need for speed — and an heir. I just couldn’t connect with this movie, and I was confused by the inconsistent accents. These folks are Italian, right? Grade: B

78. Golda (streaming). A decent but uninspiring movie about the Yom Kippur War. Helen Mirren, under so much makeup and prosthetics, elevates the movie slightly as the Israeli Prime Minister. Mostly, though, it’s startling to see scenarios and hear sentiments that are so similar to what we’ve been seeing and hearing in recent months — like how Israel ignored its own intelligence, and how, once Israel starts winning, people start saying there needs to be a ceasefire — used in the context of a war that was fought 50 years earlier. History repeats itself. Sigh. Grade: B–

77. The Iron Claw (theater) A good movie about the Von Erich family and their tragic curse. Sean Durkin nails the time period, and the wrestling scenes are well done. Zac Efron gives a surprisingly good performance. That said, I liked the movie but didn’t love it. Grade: B

76. American Symphony (streaming) A documentary about a challenging year in the life of Jon Batiste and his wife, Suleika Jaouad, during which he hit a career peak with 5 Grammy Award wins and she battled leukemia after years of being in remission. The film beautifully captures the couple’s love story and the way Jon grappled with the ups and downs of his year. But while Symphony is a moving film, I did not find it earth-shattering or a must-see. Grade: B

75. Leave the World Behind (streaming) The thing about Netflix movies is that, if you don’t like something, you can just turn it off. And yet, for some God knows reason, I stuck with this one after the lame first scene, hoping it would get better. It never did. The characters all speak as if they’re clearly reading a script, and that script is full of so many dumb lines that it’s hard to believe this film was made by the same guy who made the very smart TV show Mr. Robot. The film is full of so many contrived scenes. The tilting camera gimmick gets old quickly. And then the ending is so stupid I couldn’t even believe it. I definitely should have gone with my first instinct and turned this one off. It’s one of my least favorite films of 2023. Grade: D+

74. Wonka (theater) Production design in search of a movie. That said, visually, this “confection” is quite inventive, and Timothee Chalamet does give a spirited performance. And the “A World of Your Own” scene is spectacular; the song should have received an Oscar nomination. But overall, this is a family-friendly trifle that’s not much more than a high-concept gimmick — not a classic like the Gene Wilder movie is, that’s for sure. Grade: B

73. Napoleon (theater). A big, epic movie that really didn’t do much for me, unfortunately. Oh well. Grade: B–

72. American Fiction (theater). There’s a good satire here about race in America, and the white perception of the Black experience, but unfortunately, it’s watered down in this overstuffed movie by Cord Jefferson that I was ultimately disappointed by. I laughed, and I appreciated the intention, but I just didn’t think the point was made effectively enough. Grade: B

71. The Boys in the Boat (theater). An attractive film, but oh boy, is it dull. There’s almost no drama (no setbacks or adversity, the team wins every race) and there’s no real reason for the film to exist. I have no clue what drew George Clooney to direct this one, but he’s made a real loser that I called one of the worst films of the year. Grade: D+

70. The Color Purple (theater). Fanatsia Barrino leads a fantastic ensemble in this very entertaining adaptation of the Broadway musical. I have issues with the musical itself (not every song needs to be a show-stopping production number, and how “I’m Here” doesn’t end the show and the movie is a mystery), but in spite of them, I found myself moved by this film and the story it tells. Grade: B+

69. Maestro (theater). Bradley Cooper shows real maturity and growth in his filmmaking with this beautiful movie about composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, which I named one of my favorites of 2023. There are some wonderful visual sequences (Carey Mulligan’s introduction, Lenny and Felicia’s early interaction on stage with the ghost light in just one take) and a brilliant recreation of Bernstein’s conducting of Mahler’s “Resurrection” symphony in Ely Cathedral. The much talked-about prosthetic nose is anything but a distraction, since it allows Cooper — who is excellent in front of the camera, too — to more easily disappear into the role. And the score, which is almost exclusively Bernstein’s own music (or music he conducted), is effective. That said, for a movie called Maestro, I was surprised there wasn’t more of Lenny actually, you know, conducting. But this is more of a movie about how Lenny conducted his life, and I say “Bravo!” Grade: B+

And now, we can consider 2023 closed. On to a new year of films!