2023 stood out as one of the strongest years for cinema in the 2020s so far. Major studio releases earned rare critical acclaim while smaller films found larger audiences because of their clear quality. Over the year, our reviewers and a number of established contributors assessed more than 100 new releases—from blockbuster phenomena like Barbenheimer to festival titles still seeking distribution—and selected the standout films that defined the year.
At The Film Magazine, we historically scored films out of 24 (a nod to film’s traditional 24 frames per second, with the score representing how many frames on average are worth watching). In 2023 we also adopted a star-based presentation. The films below earned 23 out of 24 and higher—our equivalent of five-star evaluations—and are presented here as the highest-scoring films of the year.
For reference, you can revisit our previous lists from 2022, 2021 and 2020.
Below we list our team’s highest-scoring films, ordered first by score (out of 24) and then alphabetically within each score group.
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1. Asteroid City – 23/24
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
“Beneath its meticulous style and formal organisation, Asteroid City carries a quiet melancholy: a recognition that life is often random and beyond control. As a post-pandemic film it resonates strongly, exploring isolation and reflection in ways that feel both specific to our moment and universally human.” – Margaret Roarty
Asteroid City Review
2. Bottoms – 23/24
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
“Bottoms is a laugh-out-loud, high-energy ride that already feels like a modern classic. It riffs on the teen sex comedy tradition while unapologetically centering queer characters and perspectives. Sharp, irreverent and heartfelt, it joins comedies like American Pie and Superbad as a standout satire about surviving high school.” – Margaret Roarty
Bottoms Review
3. The Killer – 23/24
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
“On paper The Killer may read as a conventional thriller, and some viewers might miss larger action set pieces. Yet its stripped-back style and tight focus on a cold, compelling protagonist make it one of 2023’s most arresting films—a finely observed character study that holds your attention.” – Mark Carnochan
The Killer Review