904 Best Movies & Shows Released in 2023 (Page 32)

Find the best movies and show to watch from the year 2023. These handpicked recommendations are highly-rated by viewers and critics.

Read also:

466. Unknown: The Lost Pyramid, 2023

In the world of excavation and wonderous breakthroughs, Unknown: The Lost Pyramid is a refreshing take on archaeology by showing the discoveries of Egyptian history from native Egyptian archaeologists. Following Dr. Hawass and his mentee, Dr. Waziri, as they race against the elements of the desert, the documentary uses their passion and egos to spearhead the narrative. Thus, every step closer feels both prideful and invasive with the constant reminder that they're excavating 2000+-year-old tombs. Comprehensive explanations and illustrative cinematography illuminate the meticulous labor that goes into Egyptology.

Genre: Documentary, Drama

Actor: Afaf Wahba, Zahi Hawass

Director: Max Salomon

Read also:

467. Unknown: Killer Robots, 2023

The latest installment in Netflix'S “Unknown” docuseries, Unknown: Killer Robots puts the evolution of artificial intelligence under an ethical microscope. Although the title could be misleading, it does cover the possible dangerous applications of AI as it forces us to question the growing divide between human morality and machine efficiency. With advances in war and medicinal applications, the capabilities of AI to heal, save and destroy are terrifying and awe-inspiring in equal measure. Like the previous films in the series, it is hyper-concentrated to an almost-stifling degree, but it’s also powered by the passionate subjects on either side of these advancements. Forgoing sensationalism, this digestible documentary questions intention over the technology itself.

Genre: Documentary, Drama

Director: Jesse Sweet

Read also:

468. Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team, 2023

With the U.S. the clear favorites for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Netflix immediately grabbed the chance to depict their third consecutive win… But with the surprise defeat in the round of 16, Netflix had to show a different story, and they delivered a personal and empathetic behind-the-scenes look in Under Pressure. The limited series is definitely dedicated to the fans, as the four episodes show plenty of the famous personalities that America has been rooting for, but even new viewers can appreciate the immense hard work and dedication the team devotes to their dream. Even if that goal has been cut short for some team members, Under Pressure is a reminder that the U.S. Women’s team is still in the running, and can aim for the three-peat dream again.

Genre: Documentary

Actor: Alex Morgan, Alyssa Thompson, Lindsey Horan, Lynn Williams, Savannah DeMelo

Rating: TV-MA

Read also:

469. Tuesday, 2024

Death often gets a bad rep in movies. When The Grim Reaper comes for the main character, they usually try to run away from it or steer clear of the light. But in Tuesday, Death is a welcome warm embrace. According to the immortal being, who appears as a hip-hop-loving macaw here, most people even beg for the absolute relief of it. Tuesday is like a modern-day fable in how it teaches us how to appreciate mortality and finality, as odd as that may sound. Indeed, it should be exhausting to be exposed to this much morbidity, but Tuesday has a way of honoring the end of a person’s life in creative and shocking ways. It’s also, refreshingly, unsentimental about it, a feat bolstered by its smart script and impressive all-around performances.Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Actor: Arinzé Kene, Ellie James, Ewens Abid, Hugh Futcher, Jay Simpson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Justin Edwards, Leah Harvey, Lola Petticrew, Nathan Amzi, Nathan Ives-Moiba, Taru Devani
Director: Daina Oniunas-Pusić
Rating: R

Read also:

470. Till Murder Do Us Part: Soering vs. Haysom, 2023

While it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out among a throng of Netflix True Crime specials, Till Murder manages to hold its own by squarely and concisely centering on the main conflict: Soering vs. Haysom. It’s his word and against hers, his show of love and logic versus her natural charm and charisma. Was he a hopeless romantic who was manipulated into slaying the two people he thought tormented his beloved? Or was she the victim of a murderous and obsessive boyfriend who couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else owning her? The framing, while simplistic and a tad sensational, helps in quickly grabbing your attention and holding it for all four hours.

Genre: Documentary

Rating: TV-MA

Read also:

471. The Railway Men – The Untold Story of Bhopal 1984, 2023

The 1984 Bhopal gas leak is the world’s worst industrial disaster, and with the success of HBO’s Chernobyl, YRF Entertainment partnered with Netflix to create a miniseries based on the event. The Railway Men: The Untold Story of Bhopal 1984 is a compelling watch, with four fictional protagonists that serve as composite characters of real life heroes in the tragedy. Even as the viewers know what will happen – the case details are available online and the show’s first moments reveal the outcome – it’s still a powerful depiction of the preventable tragedy, as the show recognizes the personal consequences through their heroes. While the narrative does sometimes lose balance, and the certain effects falter, the series carefully depicts the preventable chaos with an anger over the injustice that still remains unresolved.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Babil Khan, Divyendu Sharma, Juhi Chawla, Kay Kay Menon, R. Madhavan

Director: Shiv Rawail

Rating: TV-MA

Read also:

472. The Patients of Dr. García, 2023

Less medical drama and more spy bromance, The Patients of Dr. Garcia is a new perspective on World War II Spain. Starting from the Spanish Civil War, the country is torn between the Republicans (“Reds”) and the fascist-aligned Nationalists. The titular doctor, a liberal Republican, hides the wounded spy Arroyo in his quarters, much to the disapproval of Garcia’s Falangist lover. Arroyo later pays back this favor by forging a fake identity for Garcia, but invites him to his mission to infiltrate Nazi escape routes. The overall plot, with its steady pace, political details and ever changing forged identities, can feel overwhelming, especially for those unfamiliar with Spanish history. However, the stunning cinematography, divine sets, and unexpected plot twists make the espionage series compelling to watch.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Eva Llorach, Javier Rey, Raúl Jiménez, Stephanie Cayo, Tamar Novas, Verónica Echegui

Read also:

473. The Law According to Lidia Poët, 2023

This six-episode whodunit isn’t breaking any new ground, but it’s entertaining and engaging, especially with the rebellious Lidia Poët (Matilda De Angelis) as the lead. She’s smart and determined but not wholly immune to weaknesses—a sort of Enola Holmes for the more mature crowd. Her story is also a timeless reminder of the uphill battle women have fought (and are continuing to fight) for visibility and equality.

The familiar setup might also work for classic mystery fans. It’s a treat to dive into each episode knowing a new case is to be solved and a new lesson to be learned. The ending might be predictable at times, but this is one of those shows where the journey matters more than the destination. Italy in the early 20th century was a surprisingly restrictive and patriarchal society, making Lidia's successes all the more noteworthy and resonant.

Genre: Crime, Drama, War & Politics

Actor: Dario Aita, Eduardo Scarpetta, Matilda De Angelis, Nicolo Pasetti, Sara Lazzaro

Director: Letizia Lamartire, Matteo Rovere

Rating: TV-MA

Read also:

474. The Insurrectionist Next Door, 2023

Alexandra, daughter of Nancy Pelosi, has been working as an documentary filmmaker for HBO for more than 20 years now and the theme of her newest work does not surprise. Turning the camera on several Jan Sixers, she asks them about that day, and whether their belief in Trump and the conservatives has changed following their jail time. Her way of being in the film, though, is very present: physically and with her voice. Pelosi places herself not just as an interviewer, but as an interlocutor, probing their statements and more often than not exclaiming "You still believe in X?!" in one way or another. The Insurrectionist Next Door is colloquial, it's comedic tragedy with a hope to bridge the gap between two opposing political beliefs: a synecdoche for America as a whole.

Genre: Documentary

Director: Alexandra Pelosi

Rating: PG-13

Read also:

475. The Great Seduction (2023)

In the Great Seduction, locals of a small town trick a bigshot doctor into thinking that despite the place’s insufficiencies, it’s still worth settling into. They pretend to love American football because it’s his favorite sport. They leave paper bills to make him think he’s lucky. They eavesdrop on his calls to learn what dish he’d like for the day. But as the schemes escalate from amusing to immoral, the audience along with German are forced to wonder: does the end justify the means? Unfortunately, the film never answers its own ethical dilemma, nor does it offer meaningful insights or fresh perspectives about it. There’s also the lesser but equally distracting problem of Mateo’s medical background serving very little purpose in the film. The townspeople bend over backward to secure Mateo not because he’s a doctor who could literally save lives, but because the company they’re pitching to requires a doctor to be present for legal purposes. The film doesn’t always make sense, although when it does, it absolutely shines. It’s offbeat and jubilant, with a lot of charm to spare. It’s the type of film whose omissions you’d easily forgive because of how often it’ll make you smile.

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Actor: Eligio Meléndez, Guillermo Villegas, Héctor Jiménez, Joaquín Cosío, Yalitza Aparicio

Director: Celso R. García

Rating: R

Read also:

476. The Contestant, 2023

In many ways, the 1998 film The Truman Show forecasted how we’d interact with media today. Parasocial relationships are a thing, as is the feeling of entitlement we get when prying into other people’s lives. But before all that, Japanese TV producers were already testing the ethical limits of voyeurism through the reality show Denpa Shōnen, a social experiment of sorts that broadcasted how people would react in extreme situations. It was one of the first of its kind, and so The Contestant takes us through its novelty; smartly, it explains how and why a show so brutal was a massive hit. It tries to understand Japanese media and humor, not other it, while also sympathizing with Nasubi, who sits down for an enlightening interview. The documentary itself is revealing and disturbing—except for a confusing third act, in which it completely loses its critical air and tells a story of heroism that, while inspiring, feels detached from the rest of the film. What was the aftermath of all that cruelty? Did no one file a retroactive complaint? Is Japanese media still this intense and unwittingly cruel? These are things you’d expect the documentary would tackle by the end, but it confusingly doesn’t. Still, it’s an important and educational watch, one that hopefully serves as a cautionary tale against the ever-manipulative media and always-hungry viewer.Genre: Documentary
Actor: Fred Armisen, Nasubi, Takehiro Hira, Toshio Tsuchiya
Director: Clair Titley
Rating: R

Read also:

477. The Company You Keep, 2023

Part Mr. and Mrs. Smith and part Parasite, The Company You Keep follows conman Charlie (Milo Ventimiglia) and CIA agent Emma (Catherine Haena Kim) as they pursue a whirlwind romance while keeping their real identities from each other. Charlie pulls off heists with the help of his family, all of whom are part of his crime business, while making sure to target only the Big Bads (that is, wealthy criminals who have yet to be caught). It's not long before Charlie and Emma cross paths as their true selves, but till then, the show makes sure it has a lot of fun with close encounters, hijinks, and elaborate capers filled with delightful disguises.

If you’re looking for an easy watch that has everything—romance, crime, drama, comedy—then this should be on your to-watch list.

Genre: Crime, Drama

Actor: Catherine Haena Kim, Felisha Terrell, Freda Foh Shen, James Saito, Milo Ventimiglia, Polly Draper, Sarah Wayne Callies, Tim Chiou, William Fichtner

Rating: TV-14

Read also:

478. The Breaking Ice, 2023

When travelling to another place, another city, another town, there’s a certain anonymity that frees one’s self. No one knows who you are, so you’re not expected to maintain a certain personality, and that can be necessary for young people trying to find their way. The Breaking Ice shows this in a fairly sentimental way, juxtaposing the wintry, snowy landscape with the warm but fleeting connection forming between three lonely adults, but there’s just something honest in the way the three try to hide but still share the same youthful ennui, even if they come from vastly different backgrounds. The Breaking Ice might not be daring enough to delve into the queer aspect of this trio, but it’s still a lovely, well-crafted drama contemplating the youth’s melancholy.Genre: Drama
Actor: Liu Baisha, Liu Haoran, Qu Chuxiao, Ruguang Wei, Zhao Wenhao, Zhou Dongyu
Director: Anthony Chen

Read also:

479. The Black Book, 2023

When the system messes with you personally, it’s such a powerful fantasy to be able to settle things with your own hands. To be strong enough to retaliate, and once things are settled, to be strong enough to be left alone, not to be messed with. The Black Book depicts this revenge fantasy, reminiscent of Liam Neeson’s Taken, albeit with corrupt police. The Nigerian action thriller isn’t afraid to go hard, with threats of splitting a person in half by a table saw, dramatic shoot-outs, and fight sequences. However, what makes the thriller work is that all these action sequences are intended to be the reckoning of corrupt institutions. There are some messy parts, certain shots that included some bad takes. Despite this, The Black Book still proves to be entertaining enough to forgive these mishaps.

Genre: Action, Mystery, Thriller

Actor: Ade Laoye, Alex Usifo Omiagbo, Bimbo Akintola, Bimbo Manuel, Femi Branch, Iretiola Doyle, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Sam Dede, Shaffy Bello

Director: Editi Effiong

Rating: R

Read also:

480. The Billionaire, the Butler & the Boyfriend, 2023

The animation can sometimes be distracting, but for the most part, The Billionaire is a well-edited docuseries about a deeply intriguing affair. The use of real-life tape recordings (secretly made by the Bettencourts’ butler) lends it an authentic air, while the re-enactments remain tastefully shot throughout. They’re accurate but anonymous, and never cheesy in the way others like it normally are. The framing is somewhat sensationalized, but that’s to be expected in covering scandals of this scale. What is surprising is how the filmmakers manage to bring everything back to Liliane and her daughter Françoise Bettencourt Meyers. By centering on their fractured, complicated relationship, this documentary about France’s corrupt elite somehow feels relatable and universal in its own way.

Genre: Crime, Documentary

Read also:

1 … 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 … 61