ReportWire

Tag: Best of the Year

  • Biggest Kardashian-Jenner Family Moments of 2023

    Biggest Kardashian-Jenner Family Moments of 2023

    [ad_1]

    [ad_2]

    Yana Grebenyuk

    Source link

  • The 10 best Netflix originals of 2023

    The 10 best Netflix originals of 2023

    [ad_1]

    It’s been a great year in movies. So great, in fact, that it was hard to limit our year-end list to just the 50 best new movies. Similarly, TV had a stellar year, and the 50 best new shows only scratches the surface of the year in episodic storytelling.

    But not all of those movies are available to watch at home, and many of those shows are spread across a litany of streaming services. Netflix remains the king of streaming services for now. Statistically, you, dear reader, probably have a subscription. But the platform released well over 100 new movies in 2023, and even more shows. Not all of them can be winners. How do you make the most of your subscription? By sticking to these great picks.

    A note: This list doesn’t include movies or TV shows produced by other companies but licensed for distribution by Netflix, like May December and Jawan.

    Here are the best new Netflix original movies and TV series that came out this year.


    Netflix’s best new movies of 2023

    The Killer

    Image: Netflix

    David Fincher’s technical precision is a perfect fit for a story about a methodical hitman. The Killer is an immense technical feat — watch the behind-the-scenes about the sound design and VFX after.

    They Cloned Tyrone

    (L-R) Teyonah Parris in an orange fur coat, orange body suit with leopard print paints, Jamie Foxx in an all-purple suit with matching coat, and John Boyega in a puffy teal coat standing in a metallic elevator in They Cloned Tyrone.

    Photo: Parrish Lewis/Netflix

    One of the year’s most impressive directorial debuts, Juel Taylor’s sci-fi farce They Cloned Tyrone also features one of the year’s funniest performances by way of Jamie Foxx.

    Kill Boksoon

    Esom as Cha Min-hee fires a gun in the air while wearing a bright red dress as a police officer crouches down next to her in a firing range in Kill Boksoon.

    Photo: No Ju-han/Netflix

    One of many stellar 2023 offerings from Netflix’s investment in Korean entertainment, Kill Boksoon follows an assassin who is also a single mom. It’s a great mix of action thrills and domestic drama, aided by a layered lead performance from Jeon Do-yeon.

    Extraction 2

    Mercenary Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) and his sister-in-law Ketevan (Tinatin Dalakishvili) shelter against a corrugated metal wall as a door in that wall explosively blows open in Extraction 2

    Photo: Jasin Boland/Netflix

    Arguably Netflix’s best pure action movie of the year, Extraction 2 improved on the first thanks to a change in setting and one of the year’s most ambitious one-take sequences.

    The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

    Benedict Cumberbatch (in a tuxedo as Henry Sugar) and Sir Ben Kingsley (as a croupier) look into the camera as they stand at a table in a casino, surrounded by a curious crowd of well-dressed people, in Wes Anderson’s Netflix film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

    Image: Netflix

    One of four experimental shorts by Wes Anderson adapting Roald Dahl stories, Henry Sugar is the first and best of the bunch. Benedict Cumberbatch is trying to learn how to cheat at cards, but the real joy is Anderson continuing to toy with the inherent artifice of storytelling, having actors read directly to the camera and using stage-like props and sets.

    Netflix’s best new TV shows of 2023

    Pluto

    The head of the robot Mont Blanc is placed on a hilltop between two tree branches in a forest ablaze, in a scene from the Netflix anime Pluto.

    Image: Netflix

    The long-awaited adaptation of Naoki Urasawa’s legendary manga lived up to expectations, and then some. It’s a gorgeously told story about the hunt for a serial killer targeting the world’s most powerful robots. Unflinching in its depictions of personhood for humans and robots alike, Pluto is a masterpiece.

    Blue Eye Samurai

    Mizu holds up a bloody sword, Ringo right behind her

    Image: Netflix

    Husband and wife duo Michael Green and Amber Noizumi delivered one of the year’s biggest surprises in this bloody, sexy, and satisfying revenge thriller about a mixed-race warrior who hides her gender and ethnicity while seeking to kill the four white men in Japan, seeking vengeance against her father.

    Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

    Sex Bob-omb performs in Scott Pilgrim Takes off.

    Image: Netflix

    Speaking of surprises, was there a bigger one this year than Scott Pilgrim Takes Off? Netflix got original graphic novel writer Bryan Lee O’Malley and the entire cast of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World back together for this anime adaptation, and instead of doing a boring retread of a cult classic, they took it in an entirely new and exciting direction.

    Beef

    Ali Wong lies on the floor while holding a gun between her legs in Beef

    Image: Netflix

    Steven Yeun and Ali Wong excel in this intense thriller about two regular people who get in a feud that spirals out of control after a road rage incident. It’s a smart show about how the pressures of capitalism pit people against each other, anchored by two terrific lead performances.

    The Diplomat

    Keri Russell walks down an extravagant staircase while wearing a fancy beige-ish dress in The Diplomat.

    Photo: Alex Bailey/Netflix

    A throwback to the kind of plot-heavy political thriller that used to run television, The Diplomat is a delightful star vehicle for Keri Russell. It’s an absolute treat to see her lead a TV show again, and the supporting cast, led by Rufus Sewell and Rory Kinnear, are more than up for the task of letting Russell shine.

    Others worth watching:

    Movies

    Jung_E, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi from the director of Train to Busan and Hellbound

    You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, an Adam Sandler family joint that is a fun and funny teen comedy

    Reptile, a dark crime thriller starring (and co-written by) Benicio del Toro

    Wingwomen, a French heist/found sisterhood movie directed by and starring Mélanie Laurent

    Ballerina, a dark Korean revenge thriller

    TV

    I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, the third season of Tim Robinson’s zany sketch comedy show

    The Night Agent, one of Netflix’s biggest hits of the year and a fun popcorn thriller

    Ganglands, the second season of the excellent French crime thriller series

    Bloodhounds, a Korean drama about two boys in a bromance who just love to box

    Physical: 100, a Korean competition show about finding the fittest person in the country

    [ad_2]

    Pete Volk

    Source link

  • 10 great indie games you might have missed in 2023

    10 great indie games you might have missed in 2023

    [ad_1]

    It’s been one of those strange, busy years where any of Polygon’s top 10 games of the year could have made the No. 1 slot. Heck, you could expand that outward to include the top 20. There was a wealth of great games throughout the year, making it impossible to keep up with everything — even here at Polygon, where many of our jobs are to keep up with video games. That’s why we’ve created this list of 10 games you might have missed, all from indie studios. They cover a bunch of different genres, from a goofy multiplayer game to an inventory management roguelike.

    Like with Polygon’s list of the top 50 games of the year, there are plenty of fantastic games that slipped through the cracks. Think we’ve missed any extra-special indies from the past year? Drop your favorites in the comments.


    Bread & Fred

    Image: SandCastles Studio/Apogee Entertainment

    Developer: SandCastles Studio
    Where to play: Windows PC

    Bread & Fred is a game you’re going to want to play with a friend. (Only one of you needs a copy of the game, thanks to Steam’s Remote Play Together.) You’ll play as two penguins tied together on a short rope, tasked with climbing a snowy mountain. It’s hard! The rope is very short, meaning there’s little wiggle room. Communication is key to timing each jump precisely — or you might fall down the mountain once again with a splat. So yes, Bread & Fred is hard, but it’s not impossible. Better yet, its challenge is pretty hilarious when playing with a friend you’re comfortable shouting at — or with. The animations have a slapstick element, making the already silly premise even funnier. —Nicole Carpenter

    American Arcadia

    Inside an office, there are several computer screens lit up. In the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, there’s a hand holding a cellphone.

    Image: Out of the Blue Games/Raw Fury

    Developer: Out of the Blue Games
    Where to play: Windows PC

    Trevor, an office drone, wakes up one morning and learns his bosses are conspiring to kill him — and also that his entire life is built on a lie. American Arcadia is set in a ’70s-inspired metropolis called Arcadia, but something’s up with Arcadia: It’s a Truman Show-type widespread deception designed to trick thousands of people into living guilelessly for the entertainment of others. But that’s not American Arcadia’s only trick. One minute you’re bouncing across platforms like any other side-scrolling platformer. The next, you’re solving puzzles from a first-person perspective. Video games don’t often deploy multiple perspectives. Here, the shift is jarring but effective; it puts you on edge — kind of, one imagines, like learning the truth about Arcadia. —Ari Notis

    El Paso, Elsewhere

    El Paso, Elsewhere - A protagonist shoots his way through a brightly lit hotel room

    Image: Strange Scaffold

    Developer: Strange Scaffold
    Where to play: Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

    If you can’t get enough of Max Payne, you won’t want to miss El Paso, Elsewhere. When vampires and werewolves arrive in a mysterious, supernatural motel, vampire hunter James Savage takes them head-on. What you get is a third-person shooter that revels in PlayStation-era graphics and explosive gameplay, with a narrative that sets the stakes especially high. You see, Savage’s ex is a vampire that’s about to perform a ritual — in that El Paso motel — to end the world. Within the mayhem of El Paso, Elsewhere, there’s a beautiful story about addiction and heartbreak that grounds the game’s physical demons within its metaphorical ones.

    Yes, I made a Max Payne comparison — and you’ll see that a lot when reading about El Paso, Elsewhere — but the game is something wholly itself. It’s not to be missed. —NC

    A Highland Song

    A girl runs up a mountain in the Scottish Highlands in A Highland Song. A deer rushes up in front of her.

    Image: inkle

    Developer: inkle
    Where to play: Nintendo Switch, Windows PC

    A Highland Song is one of those 2023 latecomers, sneaking into this year’s release calendar on Dec. 5. From the creators of 80 Days and Heaven’s Vault, it’s not a game to be missed. The stylized art style perfectly renders the Scottish Highlands, where Moira is exploring in order to get to the sea. It’s one of those games, like A Short Hike, where the journey is much more important than the destination. Set to music from Scottish folk artists TALISK and Fourth Moon, A Highland Song has so many lovely, warming moments, even when you’re sheltered up in a cave to escape the cold. —NC

    MyHouse

    A game made on top of Doom, called MyHouse. A person points a gun at a house.

    Image: Veddge

    Developer: Veddge
    Where to play: Windows PC

    MyHouse.wad is a pretty boring Doom mod. I’m no game designer, and I’m hesitant to repeat a tired line about modern art, but come on: I could have made this! The map is just a typical suburban split-level home. There’s nothing to do but scurry around polygonal furniture, look at tacky domestic art, and shoot some generic Doom enemies. I suspect — if I’m being honest — its elevated reputation stems from its tragic backstory.

    A Doomworld user named Veddge released MyHouse.wad on the site’s forum back in March. Veddge was clear from the beginning that MyHouse wasn’t his mod; he’d just polished it up. The original version belonged to Veddge’s childhood friend Tom, who had recently passed away. To honor his pal, he decided to touch up the map into operable shape and share the file with some hardcore Doom nerds — the sort of folks who might appreciate this amateur but lovingly made map.

    I appreciate the good intentions. I just can’t understand why anybody would find this normal house all that interesting. I mean sure, the rooms keep moving. And sometimes there’s no way out. And other times I wake up in an empty hospital. But this is just a normal, boring Doom mod. There’s nothing to see here.

    Unless none of this is true. —Chris Plante

    Videoverse

    Videoverse screenshot showing a fictional video game console that looks like a bulky Nintendo 3DS, as well as some magazines, soda, and a calendar on a desk.

    Image: Kinmoku

    Developer: Kinmoku
    Where to play: Mac, Linux, Windows PC

    Videoverse is a game for those of us nostalgic for the early internet and its intimate communities. When I was a kid, I spent my free time digging into niches on Neopets and talking to strangers about shared interests in AOL chat rooms. I made friends in forums, creating an online world sometimes more enticing than my own real life. Videoverse is all of those things on a fictional forum dedicated to a dying MMO, and it perfectly captures the drama and sadness of letting go. All at once, Videoverse has recreated the frivolous, beautiful, dramatic, and profound ways technology has influenced my life, and maybe yours, too. —NC

    A Space for the Unbound

    A row of houses in which the centered one is yellow, rendered in pixel art. Several people stand in front of the homes. (Screenshot from A Space for the Unbound)

    Image: Mojiken/Toge Productions

    Developer: Mojiken
    Where to play: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

    Set in rural Indonesia, A Space for the Unbound is a slice-of-life story of high school sweethearts Atma and Raya, who have a bucket list to fulfill. While A Space for the Unbound is an intimate look into a teenage relationship in ’90s Indonesia, it’s also the backdrop for a larger supernatural power that’s threatening reality — the end of the world. That framing makes for an interesting dichotomy between the scope of the stories: everyday moments paired with otherworldly drama. It’s one of those games that’s so earnest that’s it’s easy to overlook any flaws or bugs while captured by the stakes of the world and its characters. A bonus for pixel art fans: The game is gorgeous! —NC

    Tape to Tape

    Screenshot from Tape to Tape showing a bunch of hockey players on the ice. One team is wearing orange, the other black.

    Image: Excellent Rectangle/Null Games

    Developer: Excellent Rectangle
    Where to play: Windows PC

    A hockey game, but make it roguelite! Tape to Tape is in early access, so it hasn’t had its full release just yet. But what it is now is very fun: a game about building a hockey team by hiring players and managing the team. Play in games, of course, with different — not actual hockey-legal — abilities, upgrades, and bribes. Tape to Tape screams ’90s Wayne Gretzky’s 3D Hockey, but a lot more wacky. As in other roguelites, losing is fine: It’s an opportunity to upgrade your tools of the trade and get further next time.

    Grab some hockey fans in your life for online multiplayer (with Remote Play Together) or on split screen. —NC

    Moonring

    Screenshot from Moonring, showing retro pixel boat. On the side, there’s a text input screen.

    Image: Fluttermind

    Developer: Fluttermind
    Where to play: Windows PC

    Don’t let the old-school visuals fool you: Moonring is one of 2023’s richest video game experiences. Created by Dene Carter, a co-creator of the iconic RPG Fable, the colorful adventure gives players the expansive freedom popularized by games of the 1980s — when graphics played second fiddle to creativity and scope. Trade with unsavory types. Partner with questionable cults. Converse with practically everyone.

    Perhaps most importantly for our readers, this Ultima-inspired roguelike is free. Like, free free. At that price, Carter may get his wish of introducing the old ways of game design to new audiences. “I hope Moonring recaptures some of the spirit of those days for you,” Carter writes on the Moonring Steam page. “For those who did not, I hope that the more modern conveniences you find in this game allow you to catch a glimpse of what we did 40 years ago.” —CP

    Backpack Hero

    A screenshot from Backpack Hero, with a mouse on the bottom of the screen. The backpack is open up top, showing three items, including a sword.

    Image: Jaspel/Different Tales, IndieArk

    Developer: Jaspel
    Where to play: Nintendo Switch, Mac, Windows PC

    When I can’t sleep, I consider the mysteries of the universe. Like, who came up with the whiskey sour? “Whiskey is amazing, but what if we added raw egg whites?” Backpack Hero’s creators took a similarly audacious approach with the classic dungeon crawler, splicing the genre with the Tetris-like inventory management popularized by Resident Evil 4. Much like the foamy cocktail, the results are delicious.

    Generally, I’m hesitant to list back-of-the-box bullet points, but I’m tickled by how big the creators have made a game about backpack organization: There are over 800 items and 100 enemies, you can play as five different heroes, and the dungeons are procedurally generated within a overworld map the player constructs. Like its hero mouse, Backpack Hero punches way above its weight class. And it will keep you up at night, because there’s always time for one more run. —CP

    [ad_2]

    Nicole Carpenter

    Source link

  • The Best Movies of 2023: From 'Barbie' to 'M3gan'

    The Best Movies of 2023: From 'Barbie' to 'M3gan'

    [ad_1]

    Warner Bros./Universal (2)

    This is a Top 20 Movies of 2023 post, so obviously we must start with … Taylor Swift.

    Seriously.

    Go back to October, when the devastating SAG-AFTRA strike was still in full throttle. High-profile projects like Dune 2 had been jettisoned to 2024; the films that were being released couldn’t benefit from proper promotion. An industry that had barely emerged from the pandemic seemed on life support. Only true cinephiles cared about going to the movies.

    Then Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour arrived.

    The concert movie was nearly three hours in length and offered exactly zero minutes of backstage footage from her mega-selling tour. Whatever. Fans who did catch the live show clamored at the chance to relive their summer memories — and those who missed it were afforded a front-row seat at a fraction of the cost. The audiences didn’t just passively sit and watch as if it were an eat-your-vegetables period piece, either. They sang and danced and turned it into a joyous $150-million-grossing interactive experience.

    Now, Swift happens to be a celebrity of unparalleled popularity at the moment. Go ahead and name a comparable actor who can draw in crowds of that magnitude — and don’t say Tom Cruise or Leonardo DiCaprio. (Ahem: Disappointing ticket sales for Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part I and Killers of the Flower Moon.) Not even the great Beyoncé could pull off a similar box-office feat with her own well-reviewed Renaissance Tour concert flick.

    Still, even after The Eras Tour hits streaming, belting out “Cruel Summer” alone on the couch is bound to yield diminishing returns. Queuing up your favorite movie with a few clicks may be convenient, but there’s still something enormously satisfying about taking in a film on a big screen. And when that film actually delivers on its promise . . .?! The communal endorphin rush can’t be denied.

    Enter this year’s Top 20. Admittedly, none of these picks prompted live sing-a-longs. Yet they all succeeded in striking a chord from deep within. (And, because this is still 2023, several picks are available to watch at home right now.) Go check them out. Or, put it this way: Baby just say yes.

    From Barbie to Oppenheimer to M3gan and Everything In Between See the Best Movies of 2023
    Courtesy of Warner Bros.

    1. ‘Barbie’

    Want to know how to think out of the (pink) box? Take the seemingly-perfect doll (Margot Robbie) and wake her up to the harsh gender-imbalanced realities beyond the utopian Barbieland. But director Greta Gerwig’s smart modern comedy truly resonated with kids of all ages because its impactful messaging came wrapped in delightful candy-colored entertainment. Plus, Ryan Gosling proved he Ken do it all. (Max on December 15; available for purchase on digital and on-demand)

    2. ‘Maestro’

    In his sophomore directing effort, Bradley Cooper takes on iconic West Side Story composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein. Yet this is no ordinary womb-to-tomb biopic. Using artful construction and a towering score from the musical genius himself, Cooper focuses on Bernstein’s troubled decades-long romance with the beguiling Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan). Not pitch perfect, but pretty darn close. (In select theaters; Netflix on December 20)

    3. ‘American Fiction’

    For this blistering satire — which won the top prize at the Toronto International Film Festival — a frustrated academic and author (a never-better Jeffrey Wright) decides to single-handedly rail against an industry that tends to celebrate Black storytelling with traumatic and poverty narratives. Amid the outrageously funny moments, it shines as a relatable and poignant family melodrama. Bravo. (In theaters December 22)

    4. ‘AIR’

    A historical foot note in which a Nike marketing whiz (Matt Damon) attempts to sign Michael Jordan to a shoe contract in 1984 has inspired a totally terrific movie. In fact, considering that Air Jordans now epitomize corporate American culture, it’s a minor miracle director Ben Affleck (who also plays Nike CEO Phil Knight) delivered such a shaggy underdog story about gumption, optimism and faith. (Prime Video)

    From Barbie to Oppenheimer to M3gan and Everything In Between See the Best Movies of 2023
    Universal Studios

    5. ‘Oppenheimer’

    There’s a reason audiences were blown away (sorry!) by Christopher Nolan’s epic. Despite a heady subject matter — the creation of the atomic bomb — and challenging non-linear three-hour-long narrative, it’s a fascinating and technically excellent look at one of the most important chapters in 20th century history. A first-rate ensemble that included Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon and Emily Blunt helped too. (Available for purchase on DVD, digital and on-demand)

    6. ‘Anatomy of a Fall’

    Confirmed: The Palme d’Or winner from the Cannes Film Festival is no esoteric sleep aid. On the contrary, this thriller in which a German novelist (Sandra Huller) stands trial for the murder of her possibly depressed husband crackles with twisty intensity. Featuring a blind boy that maybe can’t be trusted, a hero of a dog and an ending that begs for deep analytical discussion. (In theaters)

    7. ‘The Holdovers’

    Cheers to a sensitive 1970-set tale about damaged souls who push each other through disappointment. Paul Giamatti is an ultra-curmudgeonly teacher at an all-boys boarding school tasked with watching a student (Dominic Sessa) over Christmas break. Along with the school’s grieving cafeteria manager (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), the trio forge a bond during the most wonderful — albeit loneliest — time of the year. And they do it without resorting to easy sentimentality. (In theaters and available for purchase on digital and on-demand)

    8. ‘Past Lives’

    This tender romance and Sundance gem spans 24 years and two continents. Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae-Sung (Teo Yoo) are childhood friends in South Korea who reconnect as adults. But because life is messy, Nora is now married and knows that, despite the pair’s palpable chemistry, she just can’t chuck her reality to fulfill her fantasy. (Right?!) This realization only makes the pair’s wide-ranging conversations more poignant and bittersweet. (Available for purchase on digital and on-demand)

    9. ‘Poor Things’

    Barbie channels Frankenstein in this buzzy and beyond-unhinged stunner. Emma Stone delivers a career re-defining performance as Bella Baxter, an unhappy wife brought back to life with a new brain in 19th century Europe. She proceeds to embark on a journey of sexual discovery and liberation. Be forewarned that the latest from director Yargos Lanthimos (The Favourite) is odd to the extreme with a perverse sense of humor. It’s also stuffed with joy. (In theaters)

    From Barbie to Oppenheimer to M3gan and Everything In Between See the Best Movies of 2023
    Courtesy of Netflix

    10. ‘May December’

    A beyond-unconventional love story is the basis for a riveting character study with off-kilter comedic energy to spare. Gracie (Julianne Moore) and her much-younger husband (Riverdale’s Charles Melton) are still trying to shake the stigma of their illicit 90s-era liaison. Then a TV actress (Natalie Portman) swoops into town to shadow Gracie for an indie film. The film plays like both a twisted thriller and a nefarious satire on celebrity. (Netflix)

    11. ‘Fair Play’

    Here’s your basic 90s-era thriller complete with bloody period sex, forbidden workplace romance, male jealousy, uncomfortable misogyny, alcoholism, erectile dysfunction, corporate gameplay, finance mumbo jumbo, a pushy New York mother and totally bonkers last scene. So, how are you not streaming it right now?! (Netflix)

    12. ‘Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret’

    The well-worn Judy Blume novel that got us all through middle school also got through the adaptation process with flying colors. Just like the original bittersweet coming-of-age source material, the recently uprooted sixth-grader (Abby Ryder Fortson) tries to find her place in the world. Though set in 1970, every moment still rings painfully yet hilariously true. You must, you must, you must seek it out. (Streaming on Starz; available for purchase on digital and on-demand)

    13. ‘The Burial’

    The solid fact-based courtroom drama isn’t nearly as grim as the title implies. After a funeral home owner (Tommy Lee Jones) finds himself mired in a bad business deal, he enlists the help of flashy lawyer (Jamie Foxx). Despite their unlikely partnership, the two figure a way to make it work while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice. Those issues aside, the movie surprisingly excels as a rousing crowd-pleaser. (Prime Video)

    14. ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’

    No doubt there’s lots to admire about Martin Scorsese’s sprawling epic, which examines the tragic true story behind a series of murders in Oklahoma’s Osage Nation in the 1920s. Start with sturdy performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro — always so intimidating as The Bad Guy — and standout Lily Gladstone. Even at 206 minutes, the story moves briskly; certainly faster than last year’s interminable Avatar sequel. So where was that gut-punch moment? (Available for purchase on digital and on-demand)

    From Barbie to Oppenheimer to M3gan and Everything In Between See the Best Movies of 2023
    Courtesy of TIFF

    15. ‘Dream Scenario’

    Wake up and listen up: An indie focusing on a mild-mannered biology professor is a wildly imaginative comedy and thought-provoking social satire. Nicolas Cage’s Paul Matthews is the definition of average — until he starts popping up in people’s dreams. Even when the narrative takes a more sinister turn, the knowing laughs never stop. And in a career spanning more than 40 years, Cage gives one of most endearing performances to date. (In theaters)

    16. ‘You Hurt My Feelings’

    Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays a neurotic New York City writer — as if there are any other kind! — and devoted wife and mother. All is sufficiently fine in her little world until she overhears her therapist husband (Tobias Menzies) criticizing the quality of her unsold new novel. This breezy effort from writer-director Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said) astutely examines what and how we choose to fib to protect the people we love. And for all its laughs, not once does the movie resort to wacky sitcom-like hijinks. (Available for purchase on digital and on demand)

    17. ‘NYAD’

    This legit feel-gooder centers on the remarkable real-life feat of athlete and journalist Diana Nyad (Annette Bening). After turning 60, she decides to free-swim the 110 miles from Cuba to Key West. No faux Disney princess, Nyad can be controlling and arrogant — especially to her best friend and coach (Jodie Foster). But these qualities work in her favor as she sets out on her historic swim. Inspirational rah-rah fare aside, two bona fide movie stars show how an adult friendship can go the distance. (Netflix)

    18. ‘Priscilla’

    If Elvis presented the King of Rock ‘n Roll as a razzle-dazzle music icon struggling with his demons, this drama plays like the other side of the record. The softer side. And a necessary one. Using delicate touch, writer and director Sofia Coppola shows how a teen Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny) was wooed by significantly older rock star Elvis Presley. Beyond the pretty dresses and nail polish, there’s a transfixing and tart portrait of marital loneliness. (In theaters)

    19. ‘Dumb Money’

    Because of the dual strikes, this wickedly entertaining comedy was undervalued at the box office. Maybe it’s fitting? Nonetheless, buy in to the hard-to-believe true story of the Boston finance misfit (Paul Dano) who took on The Man by sinking $50,000 into GameStop stock. The cast, which also includes Seth Rogen, Sebastian Stan, America Ferrera and Pete Davidson, are all winners. (Available for purchase on digital and on demand)

    From Barbie to Oppenheimer to M3gan and Everything In Between See the Best Movies of 2023
    Courtesy of Youtube

    20. ‘M3Gan’

    Hey, it’s the anti-Barbie doll! But this weird little demon still delivered both laughs and thrills. Bring on the sequel. (Available for purchase on digital and on demand)

    [ad_2]

    Medina Boudreaux

    Source link