I recently shared my favorite books from 2023, and in preparing that post I had the urge to go back through my monthly recaps and parse out other favorites from the year. Initially I was going to share everything in one post but it became way too long, so instead I’m breaking it into smaller posts in the hopes it will be more digestible for everyone.
My movie watching was pretty sporadic, with big bursts at the beginning of the year when award nominations were announced, in July when friends were all out of town, and in December when end-of-year movies released.
With tv I rewatched a lot of old favorites like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks & Rec when I was packing because they’re great to have on in the background. I also did a big rewatch of The West Wing at the beginning of the year and another of Downton Abbey in the fall, but I did make time for some new-to-me series as well.
Below are my top movie and tv recommendations of what I watched in 2023.*
movies.
The first movie I watched in 2023 was The Banshees of Inisherin, and I loved it. It’s beautifully written, the acting is superb, and the scenery is stunning. A great treatise on the importance of relationships and connection. hulu
Even more so than Banshees, however, I loved Aftersun. Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio were wonderful as a father and daughter on holiday in Turkey in the late 90s, and the entire movie is so well done. Of all the movies from last year’s awards season, this was definitely my favorite. And at 1 hour 36 minutes it is the perfect length.
Return to Seoul was a really beautiful film about a young Korean woman adopted and raised by a French family who finds herself back in Korea in her early twenties. The film follows her over a stretch of years as we see how her different identities shape her decisions. This is one of those films where the more I thought about it, the more I liked it.
In 2022 Maggie worked on a feature-length documentary about Cyndi Lauper, and in June Let the Canary Sing had it’s *world premiere* at the Tribeca Film Festival. It is a really great film, and I am excited for it to be available more widely so you can all see it for yourselves [and maybe catch a glimpse of yours truly if you’re lucky :)].
The standout of the summer was seeing Barbie. It has great throwbacks and pop culture references, the sets are phenomenal, and it has a lot of great messages for those who want them. It’s not a perfect movie and there were a few points when I wasn’t sure where they were going with the plot, but overall I loved it. now streaming on max
I completed summer’s doubleheader and saw Oppenheimer one Sunday afternoon with Maggie and Daniela. I struggle with sitting still through a 3-hour movie, but this one was well made and the acting was great. Will I rewatch it, the way I likely will Barbie? Probably not. But do I think it’s worth seeing once? Absolutely.
In early fall Maggie was invited to a screening of Flora and Son and invited me along as her plus-one. Not only did I get to enjoy my first experience at the Roxy Cinema, but the movie was also very good. Helmed by the same director as Once and Begin Again and starring Eve Hewson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, it’s a lovely story of family and friendship and forgiveness. apple tv+
I have been wanting to see Past Lives all year and thankfully there are still a few places in NYC showing it so one Sunday afternoon in December I took myself on a solo date to finally see it. It’s a lovely film about connection and friendship and love and family and growth and transition and everything life throws your way, and the acting was superb. Highly recommend.
American Fiction is one of those films I knew I was going to love, and it was wonderful to see it live up to and exceed my expectations. It takes you on a roller coaster of emotions, but the ride is really great.
All of Us Strangers is another one I was always going to love. Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal. Claire Foy and Jamie Bell. That’s the entire cast, and each of them was the exact perfect choice for their role. When it ended it struck me that without any one of those actors the movie doesn’t work, and with all of them it is fantastic.
tv shows.
I wrote a whole post about my rewatch of The West Wing at the top of the year because it remains a top-notch show. max
I really enjoyed season 1 of Shrinking — the cast was great, and it was a good balance of humor, seriousness, and downright oddity. Looking forward to future seasons. applt tv+
I am still in denial that Ted Lasso has ended. Season 3 had its ups and downs, especially in the first half, but man they brought it together beautifully. I love how it ended and as much as I would love to have this crew in my life forever I hope they stick with their plan of this being the final season. Also once you’ve watched the final episode this video will give you all the feels. apple tv+
While dog-sitting one week I decided I would watch Queen Charlotte, the Bridgerton prequel limited series about Queen Charlotte and King George III’s relationship. I thought I would watch one episode a day, but then I got really into it and Sarah was watching in Chicago and there was a group text situation and I wound up watching faster than anticipated. The casting was phenomenal, particularly Charlotte, George, Agatha [Lady Danbury], Brimsley, and Reynolds. My main complaint was that there wasn’t enough of George and Charlotte together [especially in episode 5], but as a result we got the “do you love me” scene so perhaps it was worth it. There was definitely some setup happening for future spinoff situations, so I won’t be surprised if and when those are announced. netflix
Y’all. Jury Duty was so good. When I first heard the concept I wasn’t sure it would work, but they really did it beautifully. It could not have been cast better, and I really and truly enjoyed it. prime video and freevee
The summer highlight here was season 2 of The Bear. With very few exceptions I thought season 2 was even better than season 1. I loved getting more depth to characters like Marcus and Richie, and the guest spots were absolutely perfect. I know it stresses out a lot of people, and I also think it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever watched. hulu
My summer surprise hit was season 1 of Deadloch. I saw it mentioned in a Cup of Jo newsletter and next thing I knew I had watched all 8 episodes over a weekend. There are a few points where the plot goes a little wonky, but overall I enjoyed it. Good mix of drama, intrigue, and dark comedy, and the acting was superb. Also my inner monologue had an Australian accent for a few weeks, so there’s that. prime video
I watched season 3 of Only Murders in the Building, and I continue to enjoy it. The season started off a little shaky for me and I’ll admit to feeling unsure how it would go, but I should have trusted that it would come together. For me the episodes got better as the season continued, and I flew through the final few episodes. It’s such an odd premise but it works, and I continue to enjoy this show. hulu
Over the holidays I watched A Murder at the End of the World and I am still processing what I saw. The acting was superb, and while the web got a little confusing it will go down as one of the best things I watched last year. It’s 7 roughly hour-long episodes, and trust me when I say they deserve your full attention. Count me in for anything with Emma Corrin or Harris Dickinson from here on out. hulu
What were the your favorite things you watched in 2023?
xx
*summaries are mostly copied from monthly recaps with light edits and updates