The best and worst films of 2023, so far

The long-awaited sequel to Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse did not disappoint! Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse is a masterpiece in every way: it's visually appealing, has a stellar soundtrack, amazing performances by the cast, a great story, and well-crafted characters. 10/10.

Considered to be writer and director Christopher Nolan's best film to date, Oppenheimer is, in short, an experience. As someone who went into it with zero expectations, I was (quite literally) blown away by the artistry. The film doesn't glorify the man who made these weapons possible but instead focuses on the consequences of failing to stop and ask ourselves if this is something that should even exist.

Like any Marvel movie, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 was a good time. Seeing Rocket in peril got me a little worked up at times. While I'm still not one hundred percent on board with the new Gamora, I enjoyed it and, as always, the soundtrack.

I'm usually skeptical of an action franchise and certainly took my time before watching the first one, but four films in, John Wick is still unbeatable. It's the neo-noir stylization for me — and Keanu Reeves is a bađass.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem was so much fun! It is honestly the only animated TMNT  film I care to watch due to its animation style and humor (Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were involved, after all). On top of that, it had a great cast, which I'm sure will make the sequels just as successful.

This film was everything I ever wanted and more, and dare I say "sublime"? First of all, its marketing was on point, and not only did it have a great message, but it was also super funny! Snaps for Greta Gerwig, as Barbie is the highest-ever-grossing film directed by a woman.

I am a sucker for biographical films, and BlackBerry, starring Glenn Howerton and Jay Baruchel, is no exception. Although it's a fictional take on the real story of the rise and fall of "CrackBerry," it's a fun ride that ultimately makes me miss BlackBerry. Tetris, starring Taron Egerton, is another biographical film that deserves an honorable mention.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is one of the funniest I've seen this year! I do not play D&D, so I had no real interest in seeing the film, but when Chris Pine is involved, I have to give it a shot. The decoy scene is, by far, the best. I cannot recommend it enough.

As a casual Indiana Jones fan, I enjoyed this film. It was a big improvement since Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which gave audiences a great story and a great cast, including Phoebe Waller-Bridge, John Rhys-Davies, and Karen Allen, reprising their roles. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was no bomb, and I stand by this!

No Hard Feelings was absolutely hilarious and deserves more praise. Given her range, Jennifer Lawrence could have chosen any project and would have been amazing, but I was happy to see her show off her comedy chops again. The film received generally positive reviews, but I have questions for those who weren't on board.

Ghosted was a film everyone was excited about, most likely due to Chris Evans being Chris Evans, but it didn't receive the best reviews from critics. Although the action-packed rom-com fell a little flat, it is certainly one of Apple TV+'s more popular films to date, as it is the platform's most-watched film premiere. Its only redeeming qualities are, quite possibly, the Marvel cameos.

Somehow, there are 10 Fast & Furious movies, so it's no surprise that Fast X wasn't necessarily considered a masterpiece. The only factor that seemed to keep critics from giving primarily negative reviews was Jason Momoa's performance, and we cannot fault them for that.

Your Place Or Mine was not the worst film to come out of Netflix, but it was obviously not the best (and I'm sure it won't be the last). In a perfect world, it should have worked; we had Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher. It would have made for a cute movie, but ultimately, audiences just weren't buying their connection.

You People should have been a great film, given its cast, but it kind of just made people a little uncomfortable, and not in a good way. It had its funny moments but could have been so much more, even with the message it was trying to convey.

Hypnotic, starring Ben Affleck, is not Gigli bad, but oh man, it was not good. The film was poorly marketed and, unfortunately, boring to those who did see it, with critics agreeing that it was like a Christopher Nolan knock-off. There, there, Ben.

65 isn't the worst movie to come out of 2023, having received generally positive reviews from audiences compared to critics who found it lacking in originality. If you're in the mood for a sci-fi thriller or Adam Driver, give it a watch, but don't expect too much.

The general consensus between audiences and critics seemed to be that the dancers were great, but the film was once again lacking in plot. While Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek are great, I'm still unsure how Magic Mike got another sequel.

This is one of those movies you either love or hate, but the remake of the 1990 film seemed to have more haters than admirers. While it has its moments, I think most agree that House Party should have been left alone.

Knights of the Zodiac seemed to disappoint critics and fans of the manga series. Although the visuals were occasionally appealing, they were not enough to make up for the film's weak storytelling.

I'm sure I could have just posted this image with zero explanation, and everyone would completely understand. Why was this film made? Despite its poor execution, Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey was a box office hit, and a sequel is currently in the works.