Indiewire’s Picks: The Best 25 Films of 2023

Indiewire, one of the leading independent cinema platforms, has selected the top 25 films of 2023. The list, compiled by David Ehrlich and Kate Erbland, is as follows:

25. “I’m Scared” – Ari Aster

“I’m Scared” tells the story of Beau Wassermann, a highly tense and paranoid man with a turbulent relationship with his authoritarian mother, Mona, and who has never known his father. Suffering from anxiety disorders and panic attacks, Beau is forced to return to his old home to attend his mother’s funeral. However, during the journey, he must confront the dark forces awaiting him. For Beau, this journey turns into a discovery of the mysteries of his inner world and his relationship with his mother.

24. “The Forgotten Place of God” – Hlynur Pálmason

The film follows the story of a young Danish priest who finds himself in unexpected situations when he travels to a remote region in Iceland to build a church and photograph the population amidst inevitable landscapes.

23. “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” – Kelly Fremon Craig

Adapted from Judy Blume’s 1970 novel of the same name, the film explores Margaret Simon’s journey through adolescence as she turns to God to cope with the changes in her body. Moving from the city to the suburbs, Margaret makes new friends and explores the complex feelings within her.

22. “Earth Mama” – Savanah Leaf

Written and directed by Olympic athlete and filmmaker Savanah Leaf, the film offers a compassionate and humanistic portrait of motherhood, race, and class. Gia struggles to regain custody of her two foster children while grappling with another difficult pregnancy, portraying life in the Gulf Region.

21. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” – Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson

The film follows the adventures of Miles Morales, who gains special abilities after being bitten by a radioactive spider, as he steps into a different world and crosses the Multiverse with Gwen Stacy. Miles encounters Spider-People who are duty-bound to protect the Multiverse, facing a great threat that puts them in a dilemma.

20. “La Chimera” – Alice Rohrwacher

Set in rural Tuscany, the film focuses on the illegal trade of archaeological plunder and historical artifacts.

19. “Kokomo City” – D. Smith

A raw portrayal of the lives of four Black transgender sex workers as they confront dilemmas within the Black community and among themselves.

18. “Pacifiction” – Albert Serra

After achieving great success as a writer in France, the protagonist returns to French Polynesia, finding himself in a crisis and deciding to accept a simultaneous translation job with an ambassador. Despite being very different individuals, a strange love develops between them over time.

17. “Love Life” – Kōji Fukada

Taeko and her husband Jiro live a peaceful life with their son Keita until Jiro’s ex, Park, re-enters their lives after a tragic accident. Taeko tries to help the deaf and homeless Park cope with pain and guilt.

16. “R.M.N.” – Cristian Mungiu

The film focuses on Matthias, who returns to the Transylvanian mountain village of his multi-ethnic roots before Christmas, where he faces the challenges of his life, concerns about his son Rudi’s education, and the plan to see his ex-girlfriend Csilla.

15. “Moon Killers” – Martin Scorsese

Premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, the film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone, depicts the killing of Native Americans as oil is discovered in their region in 1920s Oklahoma and the FBI’s investigation.

14. “Oppenheimer” – Christopher Nolan

The film narrates the invention of the atomic bomb, focusing on the story of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, a key figure in the Manhattan Project for nuclear weapons from 1942 to 1946.

13. “The Guilty” – Rodrigo Moreno

Bringing a fresh touch to the heist film genre, this Rodrigo Moreno film is seen as one of the significant examples of the ‘New Argentine Cinema’ movement. It provides a system critique woven with subtle humor, depicting the quest for freedom of two co-workers whose lives change with a bank robbery.

12. “Barbie” – Greta Gerwig

“Barbie” tells the story of a woman who embarks on a journey in the hope of finding a world where she can fit in. Realizing that she doesn’t conform to the ‘perfect woman’ image of her world, Barbie, an outsider in her fantastical world, sets out on a journey to our real world in search of a place where she can fit in.

11. “Against the World” – A.V. Rockwell

Ines, who kidnaps her six-year-old son Terry from a foster family, and they navigate life together by keeping secrets and protecting each other. In the fast-paced New York City, they embark on a journey to rebuild a home, identity, and a sense of stability.

10. “The Zone of Interest” – Jonathan Glazer

“The Zone Of Interest” focuses on the daily life of a German family living next to the German Auschwitz camp during the war. The film also tells the story of a Polish family helping prisoners in the camp.

9. “All of Us Strangers” – Andrew Haigh

The film follows the story of a man whose life changes after encountering his mysterious neighbor by chance. Adam, a screenwriter, encounters his neighbor Harry one night, and as their relationship grows, Adam retreats to his childhood home, discovering that his long-dead parents are alive and appear the same age as when they died thirty years ago.

8. “The Anatomy of a Fall” – Justine Triet

The film revolves around the story of a child whose existence changes the course of a case that his mother is suspicious of. Sandra, Samuel, and their 11-year-old visually impaired son, Daniel, live a secluded life in the mountains. When Samuel is found dead in front of their house one day, an investigation is launched into his suspicious death.

7. “Passages” – Ira Sachs

The film follows an unusual love triangle that begins in a club in Paris, featuring three protagonists portrayed by star actors: Tomas, a queer auteur film director; his husband, Martin; and Agathe, with whom a one-night stand turns into a relationship. Ira Sachs’s latest film explores the toxic dominance of a charismatic and conceited man who not only ruins his own marriage but continues his dominance in two relationships.

6. “Poor Things” – Yorgos Lanthimos

The film tells the story of a young woman resurrected by a scientist. Bella, a young woman, tragically dies but is brought back to life by the extraordinary scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter, who replaces her brain with a baby’s brain. Under Baxter’s protection, Bella embarks on a journey of self-discovery, encountering the skillful and unscrupulous lawyer Duncan Wedderburn. Together, they embark on a mad intercontinental adventure.

5. “Chasing a Scandal” – Todd Haynes

The film follows two women: popular TV actress Elizabeth

4. “Child and Heron” – Hayao Miyazaki

This Japanese animated film, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, tells the story of a teenager named Mahito during the Second World War. After losing his mother, Mahito is forced to move to the countryside to live with his father. Trying to adapt to his new life, Mahito spends his days playing around an abandoned tower. When he goes to the tower to play, he encounters a constant grey heron. However, he soon realizes that nothing is as it seems.

3. “Asteroid City” – Wes Anderson

The film revolves around unexpected events that occur during a program organized for scientific purposes. The Congress of Junior Star Observers and Military Space Students organizes a program in Asteroid City, a desert town, bringing students and their families from all over the country together for academic competition. However, in the planned scientific program, unexpected events occur that change the world, creating chaos and confusion, such as the sudden appearance of an alien. The military promptly declares the city a restricted zone, prohibiting all entry and exit.

2. “Love of the Chefs” – Tran Anh Hung

Eugénie, an extraordinary chef, has been working for the famous gastronomy establishment Dodin for 20 years. Spending time together in the kitchen, they build a love-filled passion closely connected to the practice of gastronomy. From this partnership, extraordinary and delicate dishes are created, surpassing even the best in the world. However, Eugenie, craving freedom, never wants to marry Dodin. When Dodin is faced with Eugenie’s reluctance to commit, he decides to cook for her.

1. “Another Life” – Celine Song

Childhood friends Nora and Hae Sung, deeply connected to each other, are forced to part ways when Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Twenty years later, they reunite in New York for an important week, confronting concepts of fate, love, life choices, and the decisions that shape their lives.