Top Ten Movies of 2023: Joseph

Welcome to Double Down Reviews! Today, we are ranking our top ten movies of the year! I have seen my fair share of movies and have narrowed down the ten best movies! Whatever score I gave does not matter, I believe in picking what I personally enjoyed most here despite how the reviews painted the movies. Sit back and relax as we discuss the top ten movies of 2023 from both Dan and I!

10. Dream Scenario

A surreal movie to start out our list! This weird Nicholas Cage movie talks about Nicholas Cage appearing in people's dreams. What starts as a relatively weird occurance becomes downright nightmarish as the encounters turn violent and people shun a man whose actions are far beyond his control and... yeah the metaphor is a bit clear here, huh? Despite a bit of a forced message, this movie is entertaining and showcases Nicholas Cage at his strongest acting. It also features a bonkers twist that I won't spoil and will instead highly recommend you check it out to see. It's a dang good time.

9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Teenagers can't be done right by Hollywood, except for... Seth Rogen? Yeah, this film about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles finally had a convincing set of teenage turtles thanks to the writers Rogen and Goldberg, who manage to nail the angst and lingo of modern teenagers. It's so bizarre to see them written this well that I was half-convinced they had teenagers on staff and... yeah they did. The turtles' actors were all teenagers this time. Besides that, great animation, a good plot, and fun action all manage to outweigh the unfortunately silly ending that feels a bit phony in comparison to the rest. It's just a really fun movie.

8. Sisu

A near-comedic action film in how serious yet unserious its action can be, this film is by far one of my favorite bombastic action flicks in recent years. This spot was between John Wick and this, but Sisu won out purely on premise alone. A John Wick style film about killing Nazis caught me and gripped me all the way through the film! Its third act is a bit silly and over the top, but it managed to be entertaining despite this! Find this wherever you can and watch it.

7. Evil Dead Rise

Ooh, spooky movie that acts as a non-sequitor sequel to Evil Dead? Color me intrigued! This horror flick lands on the 7th place largely due to its sometimes janky script that falls flat in certain places, but earns its brass through being legitimately scary and gorey good fun as a new classic to add to my Halloween watch list. Set in an apartment afflicted by the third of the Necromonicons, this story is gripping, suspenseful, and above all else, delightfully scary and silly. Add on a plethora of great practical and visual effects and you have a classic in the making! Watch it on Halloween for full effect!

6. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

The end of an era, eh? The Guardians of the Galaxy continue their underdog status by surprising everyone with its quality in an era where Marvel movies are being derided. James Gunn brings levity and emotion back into the superhero genre with this movie, injecting the MCU with his traditional humor and emotional dialogue, delivering a punch to the gut with one of the most heartwrenching scenes in any of his movies. It does suffer from pacing issues, but feels like a satisfying sendoff to the freakin' Guardians of the Galaxy!

5. Asteroid City

Our first entry in the Top 5! The reason it managed to get this high despite being my most recent review is due to the beyond fascinating premise and its phenomenal cast. With a fantastic script and director, this film was bound for success. What puts its below the rest is the B-plot being quite boring and uninteresting compared to the rest. Thankfully, it more than makes up for it with the terrific twist in the main plot. Watch it whenever you can!

4. Wonka

The recent release of Wonka saw me floored with how good it was compared to recent movies that have come out. Such a fun little musical comedy with lots of great jokes, songs, and a premise that's simplistic yet fulfilling in nature. Characters are all endearing and directed to perfection by world-class director Paul King. However, this film falls flat in the third act, up until a point where it manages to save itself thanks to a beyond perfect ending. Hence, it remains at number 4!

3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

A sequel to the beloved Into the Spider-Verse, this film keeps up the stakes, humor, and characters by adding onto the pile of already beloved Spider-Men. This movie knew it had to be bigger and it delivers with dozens of new Spider-Men, references, and homages to the world famous superhero. But, it also continues as a narrative to Miles Morales' story about wanting to be back with his friends and feel accepted in his little web. The only reason it's not number 1 is because of some character choices and its ending feeling a bit too forced on the "to be continued" bit. Otherwise, this movie is beyond worth seeing!

2. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Cue the people asking "Huh?" cuz like five people saw this at release, but Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is so dang good. Funny and filled to the brim with loveable characters, this action blockbuster was one not to be missed. Chris Pine being a bard alone makes this movie worth a watch to see him sing and play the lute. Plus, a ton of practical effects and real sets that make the visuals pop. A fully-practical Aarakocra and Dragonborn? Sign me up! The only reason it isn't higher is because the next movie edges it out just a little bit...

and 1. Barbie!

Surprise surprise on this one, but man this movie was really an experience. Supremely funny, charming, and rewatchable, this film has a clear message but never once feels the need to linger. It's well-paced, well-acted, and well-directed. Nothing about this film was ever really phony to me and it's in a film about plastic dolls that has to convey the message of "love yourself and be yourself" to different groups of people. It's not a masterpiece, but it's my favorite movie of the year!