Posters via IMDb
At the start of the New Year, I sought to make a resolution I could actually uphold. I thought about my interests and set out to create a reasonable goal for me to accomplish. My goal was to watch 50 new films in 2023. New, in this case, meant films that I had never fully seen. That goal may seem low to some and high to others, but I chose this number to give myself a reasonable expectation while also making sure I was consistent. So far July has been my biggest film month while I’ve slowed down in the fall. Despite this, I have two months left and I am going to hit 50.
I have seen 32 new movies so far this year. Here are my rankings of Nos. 32-21 from worst to best:
Spoilers ahead
No. 32 – “Ant Man and The Wasp: Quantumania” – 5/10
I won’t unnecessarily bash on this film like most people have enjoyed doing to recent Marvel films, but “Quantumania” was just okay. It had some cool and creative moments, specifically the scene of Scott and Cassie silhouetted in the fog. Despite this, the serious tone of Kang the Conqueror clashed with the quippy nature of Scott Lang. I don’t think Kang was the right villain for an Ant Man film, which is supposed to be quippy and humorous. Kang the Conqueror is supposed to be frightening, imposing and actually do some conquering. It felt as though all Jonathan Majors could say as Kang was “I’m coming” or “It’s me” or something about time. He also lost pretty easily. I needed a more serious tone and more of Jonathan Majors.
No. 31 – “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” – 6/10
I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I was not a fan of this film. The animation looked great and was overall fun, but there were some major features of the plot I took issue with, the biggest of which was Bowser’s motivation. He existed only to marry Peach. He goes so far as to threaten to kill Peach if she doesn’t marry him. I know he’s the “bad guy”, but even so, I don’t think the threatening-creepy-guy-vying-for-unrequited-love archetype needs to be written anymore. I understand he eventually loses and Jack Black is funny, but for a while his threats work and creepy behavior like this shouldn’t be glorified.
No. 30 – “American Hustle” – 6/10
This film was definitely a David O. Russell film. There were strong performances by the whole cast, especially Bradley Cooper and Amy Adams. The premise of the story was entertaining and the film both looked and sounded great. While the premise was interesting, the plot was confusing and hard to follow. I didn’t know what plan or “real” we were watching. This film was decent because of its setting and cast, but I left feeling like it was just “Amsterdam” in a different era, which is not a good thing.
No. 29 – “This Place Rules” – 6/10
This political documentary was wildly interesting. It was fascinating to see how far Andrew Callaghan went to investigate pervasive beliefs across the United States that culminated in an event everyone is familiar with. There was some silliness I didn’t mind, but in the end, it was a serious take on the current political landscape of the U.S.
No. 28 – “M3GAN” – 6/10
I greatly enjoyed this film despite the 6/10 score. It delivered a fresh take on the horror genre while also being hilarious. You can’t help but feel both scared and amused when a little girl starts brutally murdering people, galloping through the woods and emoting over the corpses. One of the biggest pieces lacking from this film was the gore. I felt there could have been more violence and this would have added to the fear of M3GAN. However, I understand why they did this. The PG-13 rating aided in a $180 million global box office gross.
No. 27 – “Mission: Impossible II” – 6/10
“Mission: Impossible II” was helmed by new director to the franchise, John Woo. The difference in directorial style can be seen. The pace was picked up versus the original, but at times felt out of control. Jarring edits, lots of slow motion and zoom pans and noticeable CGI made the film visually disruptive on occasion. Despite this, Woo brings some high-intensity action that is welcome in the franchise. This film is a whole different vibe than the first but brings a new jolt of energy. Some directorial choices and overused story themes hold the film back from being as good as the first.
No. 26 – “Knock at the Cabin” – 6.5/10
“Knock at the Cabin” was a solid entry in the horror genre this year. M. Night Shyamalan showed off his strong filmmaking skills with unique camera work. The production value was also high considering this was almost a one-set film. The concept of the film was interesting but created a situation where there could be no satisfactory conclusion. The plot took so long to build that no matter what happened the payoff was not going to be big enough. The acting was good, especially the chemistry between Dave Bautista and the main daughter, played by Kristen Cui. There was just too much disagreement between the two leads to progress the plot anywhere significant before it needed to end.
No. 25 – “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” – 7/10
This was one of the few films I’ve seen in theaters with my Dad and the only “Indiana Jones” film I’ve seen in theaters. This lent itself to becoming a unique theater experience for me, one I will remember forever. The first 20 minutes felt like a classic “Indiana Jones” film with a de-aged Harrison Ford. The rest was enjoyable but balanced an interesting relationship with aging. At some points, the film seemed to embrace old age. Other points felt as though Indy was a helpless old man. I understand Harrison Ford is 81 years old, but the film almost poked fun at how out of his prime he is.
No. 24 – “No Hard Feelings” – 7/10
“No Hard Feelings” was a great comedy released this year. It follows familiar rom-com tropes but features a lot more heart. Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Barth Feldman show lots of chemistry as the two leads which elevates their characters beyond the typical archetypes most often played in rom-coms. They become friends and have an almost brother-sister-type relationship that ends up being more impactful. Jennifer Lawrence should do more comedy.
No. 23 – “Mission: Impossible I” – 7/10
“Mission: Impossible 1” was directed by “Scarface” and “Carrie” director Brian De Palma. De Palma incorporates some interesting techniques into the filming, including a couple of long takes, Dutch angles and practical stunt work. However, the production design, special effects and visual effects have aged terribly and do not hold up today. Despite this, De Palma kicked off an iconic franchise with “Mission: Impossible 1.”
No. 22 – “Ready Player One” – 7.5/10
I never imagined so many iconic pop culture references could be featured in one film and still be cohesive. Spielberg does a great job of creating an expansive online world while grounding it in reality. The increased artificiality of the Oasis served well in creating the look and feel of the world. Spielberg’s constant camera motion makes it feel like a constant whirlwind of gameplay. This film deserves a rewatch to catch all of its details.
No. 21 – “The Whale” – 7.5/10
“The Whale” is a hard look at mortality and humanity. It questions the concepts of belief and faith while showing the opposing sides of unwavering belief and the complete loss of belief. Brendan Fraser is amazing in his role as Charlie. He packs heart and humanity into every line. Charlie believes everyone is inherently good while being the constant bearer of his family’s, and his own, hatred. Some moments were too blunt, but “The Whale” packs a message everyone should see.
Return soon to see Nos. 20-11 ranked.
SZNS MAG 