? ON THE TUBE TONIGHT-
(all times CLT)

Despite a five-month strike that ran through to September, Hollywood studios were still able to create some screenworthy pictures. While we were able to watch some of these silver screen hits, some may have slipped through our fingers.

If your favorite film didn’t make the cut below you can still get a full and broader list of all the best films of 2023on IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Variety, and the New York Times.

#1- Oppenheimer (well, duh). Even though many biopics graced our screens this year, this biopic (watch trailer, runtime:3:07) about the “father of the atomic bomb,” J. Robert Oppenheimer, maintained top dog in the box office and looks like it’s going to be a cult classic. While it did have a moment with the Barbie campaign (remember Barbenheimer?) the film still sparkled when it came out as critics agreed that it is “ visually poetic ” and a “ towering achievement.” We also previously made the case for why you should watch it.

#2- Another contender is Fair Play, a Netflix film described as a “knockout thriller”(watchtrailer, runtime: 2:48). It’s no surprise that the investment banking environment is cut throat. But throw in complications such as having a co-worker romance and you’ll find a film that discusses gender roles and other complications. Not convinced? Sitting in the director’s chair is writer-director Chloe Domont, who directed episodes of Bns and Ballers. Need more convincing? See what we have to add about the film — or go right ahead and watch it on Netflix.

#3- Killers of the Flower Moon (well, duh — again). The Scorcese + De Niro + DiCaprio blend (watch trailer, runtime: 2:23) has delivered a take on a heinous true crime against the Osage Nation tribe in 1920s Oklahoma. The aesthetics, coda, and length of the film tries to do justice to this disturbing historical event. The New York Times and Roger Ebert give quite the review of the film.

#4- If you loved watchingDead Poets Society and reading The Catcher in The Rye, you’ll love The Holdovers. The film (watch trailer, runtime: 2:45) set in 1970s America follows a student who couldn’t go home for Christmas. He ends up living his worst nightmare: Being left in school with the teacher he hates the most and the school cook during the two-week winter break. This isn’t a Dennis the Menace picture — at times the film is raw, vulnerable, emotional, and funny. “Nostalgic feels” surged, revelations were made, and “father-son” bonding sessions ensued with a heartfelt outcome, The Guardian said. The film isn’t showing in theaters in Om El Donia, but we might sit this one out and see it from the comfort of our sofas.

#5- Poor Things is a salute to the “monster original” Frankenstein(watch trailer, runtime:1:23). Rather than collecting body parts to create a monster, Dr Baxter (played by Willem Defoe) collects dead women’s bodies and switches their brains with a newborn’s (yes, our stomachs turned, too). This movie is way past PG where it takes existentialism to another level and sparks a rather interesting discussion about how one sees and experiences the world — with a dash of domestic violence, of course.

From Om El Donia, an honorable mention goes to VoyVoyVoy,a retelling of the 2015 incident where the Egyptian national blind goalball team pretended to be blind to get a chance to immigrate to Europe (watch trailer, runtime: 1:44.) “It was such a perfect vessel to tell this story about illegal immigration, which is a huge problem, the whole social issue of poverty and the lack of opportunity,” director Omar Hilal told Deadline. It’s a shame to see it being axed from nominations at the 2024 Oscars from the list of Best International Feature Film nominees. You can read what we had to say about the film here, and if you’re ready to watch it, it is still playing in theaters until Friday, 29 December.

Tags: