BEST FILMS OF 2023
Cine's Top Picks in Film & TV * 2023
by Paulette Reynolds * January 10, 2024
by Paulette Reynolds * January 10, 2024
There’s an old saying that “The customer is always right”, and nowhere is this more true than watching films and tv shows on streaming channels.
Recently, veteran character actor Willem Dafoe lamented that, “More difficult movies, more challenging movies can not do as well when you don’t have an audience that’s really paying attention. People now go home, they say, ‘Hey, honey, let’s watch something stupid tonight,’ and they flip through and they watch five minutes of 10 movies, and they say, forget it, let’s go to bed. Where’s that discourse found?” *1
Setting aside Dafoe’s scornful put-down of the global masses (who purchase and use streaming services), it’s crystal clear that he is woefully out of touch with today’s audiences - and their viewing process.
We are a simple people. We carefully pick our viewing fare with the same distinction as ordering a meal, shopping for clothes, or choosing a vacation spot. After all, if we’re paying for it, we want to be entertained, inspired, and yes - challenged to think about the stories we’ve just watched.
My 2023 favorites stretch beyond the revolving door of annual picks by generic Hollywood. That doesn’t make my list any better, just more representative my personal tastes. After all - who wants to read yet another review of Killers of the Flower Moon?
Recently, veteran character actor Willem Dafoe lamented that, “More difficult movies, more challenging movies can not do as well when you don’t have an audience that’s really paying attention. People now go home, they say, ‘Hey, honey, let’s watch something stupid tonight,’ and they flip through and they watch five minutes of 10 movies, and they say, forget it, let’s go to bed. Where’s that discourse found?” *1
Setting aside Dafoe’s scornful put-down of the global masses (who purchase and use streaming services), it’s crystal clear that he is woefully out of touch with today’s audiences - and their viewing process.
We are a simple people. We carefully pick our viewing fare with the same distinction as ordering a meal, shopping for clothes, or choosing a vacation spot. After all, if we’re paying for it, we want to be entertained, inspired, and yes - challenged to think about the stories we’ve just watched.
My 2023 favorites stretch beyond the revolving door of annual picks by generic Hollywood. That doesn’t make my list any better, just more representative my personal tastes. After all - who wants to read yet another review of Killers of the Flower Moon?
Barbie: My absolute #1 film pick of 2023. If Barbie doesn’t inspire you, Ken’s killer dance-off number will! A more thorough examination of Greta Gerwig’s masterpiece is on its way.
Dashing Through the Snow: Lil Rel Howery is a sweet, relatable Santa whose farts smell like cinnamon - what’s not to love?
Leo: Adam Sandler’s loving tale of a senior lounge lizard dreaming of adventure, only to discover his real purpose in life is to teach youngsters self-esteem. Who knew?
Missing: Shot entirely in screenlife format, Storm Reid trades in her GenZ angst for her laptop and cellphone, in order to find her missing mother.
Renfeld: Another Dracula flick? Guess again. Renfeld takes the Count on a roller-coaster ride as he struggles to taste freedom from the vampire’s narcissist disorder.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: A non-stop visual treat for the senses, so make extra popcorn.
The Equalizer 3: Come for Denzel’s extreme brand of justice, stay for the chilling score and Trip Advisor cinematography. But really, can we write a better role for Dakota Fanning?
Quiz Lady: A quiet little comedy starring not-so-quiet Awkwafina and Sandra Oh. Enjoy!
Dashing Through the Snow: Lil Rel Howery is a sweet, relatable Santa whose farts smell like cinnamon - what’s not to love?
Leo: Adam Sandler’s loving tale of a senior lounge lizard dreaming of adventure, only to discover his real purpose in life is to teach youngsters self-esteem. Who knew?
Missing: Shot entirely in screenlife format, Storm Reid trades in her GenZ angst for her laptop and cellphone, in order to find her missing mother.
Renfeld: Another Dracula flick? Guess again. Renfeld takes the Count on a roller-coaster ride as he struggles to taste freedom from the vampire’s narcissist disorder.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: A non-stop visual treat for the senses, so make extra popcorn.
The Equalizer 3: Come for Denzel’s extreme brand of justice, stay for the chilling score and Trip Advisor cinematography. But really, can we write a better role for Dakota Fanning?
Quiz Lady: A quiet little comedy starring not-so-quiet Awkwafina and Sandra Oh. Enjoy!
BEST OF TELEVISION & STREAMING FOR 2023
Our approach really hasn’t changed since the visual medium of moving images began back in 1896. We choose something to watch, then we talk about it - with our families, coworkers, and friends. The only difference is now we employ texting and social media to reach a wider pool of people, who are all eager to share their views and comments with us.
What has changed is that many viewers are more aware that not all films are created equal. Yes, Willem, we want more for our money - more diversity, creativity, and representation. We want stories that go beyond the static white male narrative, which means more inclusion of talent behind the camera as well.
Sigh. But onto the rest of my 2023 favorites.
What has changed is that many viewers are more aware that not all films are created equal. Yes, Willem, we want more for our money - more diversity, creativity, and representation. We want stories that go beyond the static white male narrative, which means more inclusion of talent behind the camera as well.
Sigh. But onto the rest of my 2023 favorites.
Beef: Netflix - A random road-rage incident leads to a war of words, revenge and revelations for two people who are emotionally invested in the wrong things. A Golden Globe winner for Ali Wong and Steven Yeun.
Bodies: Netflix - Time-travel with four detectives from different historical eras, seeking to unravel an impossible mystery that threatens millions of lives.
Dark Winds: AMC - Even a quiet New Mexico town holds danger and death for three Navajo police officers.
Deadloch: Amazon Prime - A small Australian town run by women. A rising body count of men. Dark comedy collides with the police procedural genre, where everyone is a suspect.
Dectective No. 24: Acorn TV - A self-serving lawyer struggles to recover her high-profile career, using the skills of an undocumented Somalian detective.
Fargo: FX - Season 5 focuses on Dot, a suburban housewife with a basement full of skeletons, her psychotic ex-husband, and the usual assortment of unforgettable characters.
Good Omens 2: Amazon Prime - David Tennant and Michael Sheen return for another season of saving humanity, avoiding the bureaucratic bullies from Heaven & Hell, and rescuing a naked Gabriel (now suffering from amnesia). Along the way they discover the art of matchmaking and the deeper implications of their 6,000 year old “friendship”. And yes - there is *that* fabulous kiss to swoon over.
Painkiller & Dopesick: Netflix and Hulu offer two versions on the Sackler family - and their mission to create an America addicted to OxyContin.
Queen Charlotte: Netflix - A fascinating version of the biracial British consort to King George III, magically spun by famed Hollywood creator, Shonda Rhimes, into a delicious confection for diehard royalist fans. This is definitely not related to the standard The Madness of King George * 1994 film treatment.
Recipes for Love and Murder: Acorn TV - A mysterious woman weaves love and healing in her kitchen while assisting the local police solve mysteries. What makes this show different from other Who-Done-It trope is the lyrical quality that culinary hero, Hattie Maria, brings to each episode. Reminds me a bit of the French 1987 classic, Babette’s Feast.
Reservation Dogs: FX/Hulu - The finale season of this ground-breaking coming-of-age series serves up more humorous insights, quirky characters, and wondrous spirits. The young rural warriors of the rez learn how to move into adulthood after mourning the loss of a close friend.
The Fall of the House of Usher: Netflix - The tales of Edgar Allan Poe have been revised to death, but this gothic horror limited series is by far the most satisfying on multiple levels. Six of his most famous works - The Masque of the Red Death, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Black Cat, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Gold-But, and The Pit and the Pendulum - feature the terrible fates that await members of a rich pharmaceutical family at the hands of a fearsome femme fatale. The series takes Dopesick AND Painkiller into another realm, which might give audiences a cathartic release from the Sackler family’s collective crimes against America.
Wednesday: Netflix - The Addams family gets the best reboot I’ve seen, thanks to Tim Burton, Jenna Ortega, and the entire production team. Season one finds our goth girl adjusting to her first year at the Nevermore Academy while becoming embroiled in several gruesome murders. Wednesday as detective? Yes please!
Bodies: Netflix - Time-travel with four detectives from different historical eras, seeking to unravel an impossible mystery that threatens millions of lives.
Dark Winds: AMC - Even a quiet New Mexico town holds danger and death for three Navajo police officers.
Deadloch: Amazon Prime - A small Australian town run by women. A rising body count of men. Dark comedy collides with the police procedural genre, where everyone is a suspect.
Dectective No. 24: Acorn TV - A self-serving lawyer struggles to recover her high-profile career, using the skills of an undocumented Somalian detective.
Fargo: FX - Season 5 focuses on Dot, a suburban housewife with a basement full of skeletons, her psychotic ex-husband, and the usual assortment of unforgettable characters.
Good Omens 2: Amazon Prime - David Tennant and Michael Sheen return for another season of saving humanity, avoiding the bureaucratic bullies from Heaven & Hell, and rescuing a naked Gabriel (now suffering from amnesia). Along the way they discover the art of matchmaking and the deeper implications of their 6,000 year old “friendship”. And yes - there is *that* fabulous kiss to swoon over.
Painkiller & Dopesick: Netflix and Hulu offer two versions on the Sackler family - and their mission to create an America addicted to OxyContin.
Queen Charlotte: Netflix - A fascinating version of the biracial British consort to King George III, magically spun by famed Hollywood creator, Shonda Rhimes, into a delicious confection for diehard royalist fans. This is definitely not related to the standard The Madness of King George * 1994 film treatment.
Recipes for Love and Murder: Acorn TV - A mysterious woman weaves love and healing in her kitchen while assisting the local police solve mysteries. What makes this show different from other Who-Done-It trope is the lyrical quality that culinary hero, Hattie Maria, brings to each episode. Reminds me a bit of the French 1987 classic, Babette’s Feast.
Reservation Dogs: FX/Hulu - The finale season of this ground-breaking coming-of-age series serves up more humorous insights, quirky characters, and wondrous spirits. The young rural warriors of the rez learn how to move into adulthood after mourning the loss of a close friend.
The Fall of the House of Usher: Netflix - The tales of Edgar Allan Poe have been revised to death, but this gothic horror limited series is by far the most satisfying on multiple levels. Six of his most famous works - The Masque of the Red Death, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Black Cat, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Gold-But, and The Pit and the Pendulum - feature the terrible fates that await members of a rich pharmaceutical family at the hands of a fearsome femme fatale. The series takes Dopesick AND Painkiller into another realm, which might give audiences a cathartic release from the Sackler family’s collective crimes against America.
Wednesday: Netflix - The Addams family gets the best reboot I’ve seen, thanks to Tim Burton, Jenna Ortega, and the entire production team. Season one finds our goth girl adjusting to her first year at the Nevermore Academy while becoming embroiled in several gruesome murders. Wednesday as detective? Yes please!
*1 Willem Dafoe on Streaming Services: ‘More Challenging Movies Can Not Do as Well’. Brandon Schreur. Yahoo Entertainment. January 9, 2024.
COPYRIGHT 2012/2024. Paulette Reynolds. All CineMata Movie Madness blog articles, reviews, faux interviews, commentary, and the Cine Mata character are under the sole ownership of Paulette Reynolds. All intellectual and creative rights reserved.
