Happy New Year! It’s 2024, and I’m very excited for all the things I’ll be seeing over the next few months. But before we totally move on from 2023, I wanted to share a list of features that I thought made incredible viewing, but I haven’t heard many people talk about them. So whether they’re on streaming platforms, back in cinemas or you treat yourself to physical copies, here are some movies from 2023 that I think you need to see.
Women Talking
At the start of 2023, I was invited to a preview screening of this book adaptation. I was left angry, inspired and in awe of all that I saw. The story and performances are so strong and full of determination, I made sure to tell everyone about it after I left the cinema. I’m surprised it’s not been on more “2023 top lists”, as this refreshing take on the rights and lives of women feels so important and stand out.
This film details how quickly life can change for anyone, at any time. It’s heart-breaking, gritty, and full of awful truth. It’s a reminder that we’re all human, and all need help from time to time. It won Best UK Film at Manchester Film Festival and deserves to be seen by many more audiences.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
Based on a book, which I hadn’t heard of prior to seeing the trailer for the film, this story follows three women at different points in their lives but focuses mainly on the younger generation in their coming of age. It’s fun, it’s full of feeling and is a wonderful watch as a woman. I think this film has done really well in the US, where the book is more widely read, but the emotions can be relatable to anyone who has had to navigate early teen life, friendships and love.
Reality
This is the film that inspired me to write this list. I was being asked what some of my favourite films of 2023 were, and this came to mind straight away. If I hadn’t seen it showing at my local Picturehouse, I might not have heard of it like the people I’d been chatting with, but it’s so unique in the way it told a true story. It stars Sydney Sweeney, and so cleverly uses a real audio recording to bring to life an FBI investigation.
Wham!
I’m a sucker for scrapbooks, so to see the way this documentary was edited really made me smile. I’ve obviously heard Wham songs throughout my life, but I’ve never really known how they started. When it came out on Netflix, I was hearing people of different ages speak about it, but due to the saturation of content in recent years, it suddenly disappeared from the main suggestion page within a matter of days. So,here’s your reminder to see it if you’ve not.
The Stroll
Another documentary. This one tells the history of New York’s Meatpacking District, and how it was the home and workplace to many transgender sex workers. We hear their stories directly from them, and how a movement for transgender rights was formed. It’s harrowing, it’s valuable, and it reminds us how trans people have really paved the way for the rest of the LGBTQ+ community.
If you’re looking for something with class, twists and turns, and a drop of death, The Lesson is one you should see! With an incredibly grand score and gorgeous location, we’re swept away by a privileged family, as we try to fit in like the new tutor. Thinking now, it’s slightly similar in story to Emerald Fennell’s latest release, Saltburn, which has taken over social media and minds in a way that could rival Barbenheimer. If that film is one you enjoyed, this other will hopefully scratch the itch it formed.
Starve Acre
Finally for the list is a film I saw at the 2023 BFI London Film Festival. It’s a glorious folk horror that stars the stellar Morfydd Clark and Matt Smith. After doing some light research, it appears this one has only been screened at the festival, so even though it’s classed as a 2023 release, it may be one we see at cinemas in a few month’s time based on the distribution deal. So, I thought it wise to bring it to your attention, just in case it doesn’t, and we need to go searching for it.
What were some of the 2023 feature releases that you thought more people should’ve seen? It’s so hard to watch everything that comes out, and we often end up missing releases because there are so many. I know that I’m adding quite a few 2023 films to my 2024 watchlist.
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