The Film Scout – 2023 Year in Movies
There’s a lot going on in the world of film. The industry took a beating this year, from the impact of the writer’s strike to a significant decrease in theater attendance. The canceling and rescheduling of movies added an air of uncertainty, leaving fans eagerly anticipating the release dates of their favorite films (looking at you, Dune 2). Amidst all this chaos, and juggling a heavy work and traveling schedule, I was still able to see some great films in 2023. Here’s my loose review of this year’s film scene:
1.Believe it or not, the Scream franchise is still good! Coming off of the success of Scream 5, Scream 6 was a cool change of pace and probably the darkest entry in the series thus far. I like to think of the more recent Scream movies as “DLCs”—they’re fine to watch if you don’t watch the other movies, but you’ll still have a good time watching these “side quests.”
2. Speaking of side quests, Saw X is just that – another “side quest” film. That’s honestly not a bad thing for the franchise at this point. If you’ve seen these movies, you know just how limited the plot and story are. Seriously, how many times can you really make another Saw movie? Saw X provided something I didn’t ask for, but I’m not mad I got it. I’ll always be a fan of this series.
3. Much like the Mission Impossible franchise, Tom Cruise is really in his prime. The man is truly one of the best action stars working today. He and director Christopher McQuarrie make a strong team as they revive the Mission Impossible franchise. As excited as I was for Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, Part One, I’ll admit that it fell a bit short for me mainly due to its out-of-nowhere plot about artificial intelligence. It was a very strange switch-up from Mission Impossible: Fallout, which I consider to be one of the best action films in recent years. On a high note, Dead Reckoning, Part One looks gorgeous and is a testament for why excellent stunt work is always the chef’s kiss on any action movie.
4. No one knew this better than the crew behind John Wick 4, a movie which is undoubtedly a prime example for why there should be a stunt category at the Oscars. I actually have zero notes about this movie; it is absolutely the best action film of 2023. In addition, it had some of the best sound editing this year as well. If you haven’t watched this film, or any others from this series, I highly recommend you do.
5. This was definitely the year for older actors to show us they’ve still got it. Keanu Reeves and Tom Cruise are still badasses at 59 and 61, respectively, doing most of their own stunts with ease. Same with Harrison Ford who released a new Indiana Jones film this year– the man is 81 years old!
6. Every time a new Martin Scorsese film comes out, I feel like I’m in film school. I’ve probably watched every interview he’s done 10 times over at this point. The man just knows how to tell a story. His latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon, does a great job at capturing the essence of the 1920s and the terrible events surrounding the Osage Native American murders. Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro star in this film alongside Lily Gladstone– an actress I was not familiar with before this movie, but after seeing her performance in the film, I believe we will for sure see her at next year’s Oscars.
7. If I find myself going back to listen to the soundtrack/score after I’ve seen a movie, that’s a good indicator that it’s going to be my favorite movie for a while. Last year, I did it with The Batman. This year, I did it with Spiderman: Across the Spider-verse. Besides the incredible art style and storyline, this film has one of the best soundtracks this year. I keep going back to it like I’m watching it again for the first time. The rewatchability is just there!
8. I can’t end this without mentioning the absolute masterpieces that were Barbie and Oppenheimer. Not only did we get to see a really cheeky, feminist take on a classic toy in Barbie, and the absolute magic of classic filmmaking with Oppenheimer, but we got to see both of these on the same day, back-to-back, in packed out theaters of people dressed for the occasion. Bring box office double features like this back for 2024!
Overall, things still just ain’t the same for movie fans. As streaming services continue to dominate, the experience of owning a Blu-ray seems to be fading away and it’s surprising to me to see so few people expressing concerns over this shift. Have you seen Target lately? Their movie section is practically a ghost town now with its sad, empty shelves.
But I get it—with so much content being produced now, how does one even know what to watch? Or where to watch it? Even I haven’t really seen as many films this year, and if you know me, you know that’s saying A LOT.
I do often wonder what the future of film looks like. Will theaters even be a thing 10 years from now? I look at the state of the theaters here in Columbus and often think, “Where’s the life? Where’s that theater I worked at 17 years ago?” Remember that? When theater lines were out the doors, cars were packed in the parking lot, and teenagers were hanging by the side doors trying to sneak in for the midnight movie screenings on premier nights? What a time to be alive!
But in the middle of all this, we saw some major jolts of energy that show cinema still has a pulse.
Tom Cruise led this charge with his Mission Impossible entry.
Brendan Fraser got an Oscar.
Ari Aster is still weird.
And Martin Scorsese is on TikTok.
These are definitely different times.
But in this ever-changing landscape of film, filmmakers like Christopher Nolan are championing the future of cinema and preserving the magic of the movie theater experience. An event like ‘Barbenheimer’ may have started out as a tongue-in-cheek concept, but it ended up being a major success and one of my favorite movie-going experiences in a while. Such events contributed to the vibrancy of the film community and reinforced the cultural significance of movies as a shared experience.
And, of course, what would movies even be without the people that make them? Supporting SAG-AFTRA and the WGA is a no-brainer. It’s about recognizing and appreciating the hard work and passion that goes into the movies we love. It’s the best collaboration – writers, actors, everyone working together to create something amazing. So, let’s give credit where credit is due and keep this movie-making family strong. Support your favorite films however you can, and let’s keep this wonderful thing alive for all of us.
By John Houzer