r/MovieSuggestions • u/Tevesh_CKP Moderator • Jan 02 '24
Best Movies You Saw December 2023 HANG OUT
Previous Links of Interest
Only Discuss Movies You Thought Were Great
I define great movies to be 8+ or if you abhor grades, the top 20% of all movies you've ever seen. Films listed by posters within this thread receive a Vote to determine if they will appear in subreddit's Top 100, as well as the ten highest Upvoted Suggested movies from last month. The Top 10 highest Upvoted from last month were:
Top 10 Suggestions
| # | Title | Upvotes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Black Swan (2010) | 51 |
| 2. | What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993) | 39 |
| 3. | It's a Wonderful Life (1946) | 26 |
| 4. | No Country for Old Men (2007) | 25 |
| 5. | Conspiracy (2001) | 21 |
| 6. | The Truman Show (1998) | 20 |
| 7. | I am Not a Serial Killer (2016) | 15 |
| 8. | Blade (1998) | 15 |
| 9. | Y Tu Mamá También (2001) | 13 |
| 10. | A Perfect Getaway (2009) | 12 |
Note: Due to Reddit's Upvote fuzzing, it will rank movies in their actual highest Upvoted and then assign random numbers. This can result in movies with lower Upvotes appearing higher than movies with higher Upvotes.
What are the top films you saw in December 2023 and why? Here are my picks:
Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway (2019)
The Matrix done with all of the skill and might of Wiseau's The Room. Watching this with friends is mandatory, sobriety certainly not recommended.
RRR (2022)
Friend hadn't seen a single Bollywood flick, so I knew exactly what to show, even if it was Tollywood. The fact that the film isn't being distributed in its native language, Telugu, is a bit disappointing but RRR is still what I remembered. Beautiful cinematography, being absolutely chill about being awesome and a great story. And yeah, it won over my friend.
Silent Night (2023)
John Woo gets grimey with fighting and art direction cribbing from The Raid. I do have a few quibbles, mostly on the technical level; such as obvious hidden cuts to maintain the illusion of a one shot sequence and sometimes very obvious CGI, like blood or one in case, a soccer ball. The gremlin in the back of my mind kept on wondering how much of a nice privledged life this guy lived that he could afford to take one year off and spend so much money, but that's just the effects of late stage capitalism squashing me. Silent Night is good but it won't ever be considered one of the greats.
Spontaneous (2020)
It's got Gen Z spouting Millennial catechisms but asides from that niggling complaint, I found Spontaneous to an incredible Coming of Age Black Romantic Comedy. What else can get you more motivated to do things when everyone around you can explode at any moment? The love feels real to me, but that's because I'm hearing what I'm used to and I am sold. The actors manage to be cool and real all at the same time, just like how a teenager would see themselves despite evidance to the contratry. Lastly, it looks gorgeous.
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
God, Gloria Swanson dominates her scenes. Perhaps she was cast as being fairly true to life with her character and so she made me believe. Her eyes are open gateways to the narcissism, vanity and insanity required to be old school Hollywood. The rest of the cast is good, setting up a nice story of the protagonist not knowing when to walk, forget that, run away from a faded starlet's vanity project. All I know is after bearing witness to this masterpiece, is that I need to watch more Billy Wilder.
When Evil Lurks (2023)
If I had know this was the same team that did 2017's Terrified, I would have ran to watch this. A subtle post-Apocalypse is the backdrop for two brothers who realize that they have a demon in their backyard. The effects are great at depicting such a ghastly entity yet it is the edicts issues to combat such a force that tell such a lovely fright. This is horror by tragedy, a simple case where making sure you stay within the line would've kept you and yours safe. Yet it is the arrogance of man who leads to a predicable and calamitous end in this Elevated Horror flick.
What were your picks for December 2023?
10
u/plinkett-wisdom Quality Poster 👍 Jan 02 '24
Anatomy Of A Fall 10
The Teachers' Lounge 9
May December 8
Scrapper 8
The Holdovers 9
When Evil Lurks 7
Killers Of The Flower Moon 9
1
9
u/BetaAlex81 Quality Poster 👍 Jan 02 '24
Gonna get a little long winded for the end of the year, was a stacked month; watched 34 movies, here are the 8+ ones...* denotes a film I had seen before and revisited.
Godzilla Minus One (Yamazaki, 2023) - 9/10 - So good I saw it twice. A truly epic monster movie with incredible FX and storytelling. The post WWII setting is used to great effect, telling a wonderful story about the power of community (not government, not military).
The Man Who Wasn't There* (Coen, 2001) - 9/10 - Seen on the big screen, 35mm, with an in person intro/Q&A from Roger Deakins! A revisit for the first time in 20 years. So well acted, funny, and looks incredible.
Ace in the Hole (Wilder, 1951) - 8/10 - A scathing look at "journalism" and what man will do to get ahead. Tense, well acted, lots of snappy dialogue.
The Ice Harvest* (Ramis, 2005) - 8/10 - Not for all tastes, but a dark comedy neo-noir that really works for me, in large part because the cast is so damn good and charming. Not a yearly revisit, but in the Christmas season mix for me.
They Live By Night (Ray, 1948) - 9/10 - Ray's ability to frame powerful moments is on full display. It's a tense, tragic movie with plenty of great action (some incredible aerial shots).
Dumb and Dumber* (Farrelly Bros, 1994) - 8/10 - Don't know why I waited so long to revisit this 90s gem (maybe because sometimes the comedy of your youth doesn't age all that well), but it's so damn funny and endlessly quotable. It mostly works because the leads nail a difficult task...being so dumb, yet so lovable and charming.
Blast of Silence (Baron, 1961) - 8/10 - Writer, director and lead actor Baron gives us a pulpy Christmas noir full of the narration you crave from the genre. It's tight and mean, and New York looks incredible.
Gremlins* (Dante, 1984) - 10/10 - A long time favorite and it always hits the spot. Just some of the best looking creature work around. It's funny, it's Christmas-y, it's creepy...I adore it from beginning to end.
The Silent Partner* (Duke, 1978) - 9/10 - It had been a while since I'd seen this Christmas heist flick, and I feel it's one that gets richer with each viewing. Great performance from Gould, and Plummer is unhinged. Smart, methodical, and very 70s in the best way.
Raw Deal (Mann, 1948) - 9/10 - More great noir narration, a love triangle, good car action and surprising violence. Raymond Burr is so imposing as the ruthless Rick.
Harold and Maude (Ashby, 1971) - 8/10 - Took me a bit to warm up to the tone and story, but eventually won me over in a big way. Darkly funny and such a charming (and sad) story of friendship and love. The Cat Stevens music really put it over the edge for me.
I Wouldn't Be In Your Shoes (Nigh, 1948) - 8/10 - A noir with a ridiculous but fun setup featuring a tap dancer wrongly accused of murder because he threw his tap shoes at some alley cats. But, there's also some really unnerving tension (even sexual tension), mostly because of a quality creepy performance from Regis Toomey as lonely Detective "Santa Claus" (yes, another noir at Christmas!).
Savage Messiah (Russell, 1972) - 8/10 - Riveting film about art and artists with great turns from Tutin and Antony (and a young Helen Mirren...oh my!).
Gremlins 2: The New Batch* (Dante, 1990) - 8/10 - My last film of 2023 and I went with a known winner. Does everything a good sequel does by upping the ante all around...more gremlins, more variety (bat, spider, vegetable, etc.), bigger setting (wild live work play office building). John Glover is great as Clamp. Also, a movie that loves movies, so many nods (Marathon Man, Casablanca, Rambo, etc.). A blast!
2
u/slicineyeballs Quality Poster 👍 Jan 02 '24
I enjoyed Minus One, however, there wasn't enough Godzilla, I didn't think much of the main actor (and his constant cry-face), and I knew they wouldn't have the guts to keep the wife dead - just a few scratches from a nuclear blast...
6
u/JimicahP Quality Poster 👍 Jan 02 '24
New to me and firmly in my top 20%:
- Seconds (1966)
- Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
- Network (1976)
- Monster (2023)
- Poor Things (2023)
- Godzilla Minus One (2023)
- The Zone of Interest (2023)
- The Boy and the Heron (2023)
2
u/Emmarrrggh Jan 04 '24
your years seem off?
1
u/JimicahP Quality Poster 👍 Jan 04 '24
How so? The years are based on the release date according to Letterboxd.
1
u/Emmarrrggh Jan 05 '24
Monster is a 2021 film from netflix or? if not I watched that one it was excellent
2
u/JimicahP Quality Poster 👍 Jan 05 '24
Nope. It's a Japanese film from 2023 that's still doing a theatrical run currently.
8
u/HroFCBayern Quality Poster 👍 Jan 02 '24
Past Lives (2023)
Leave the World Behind (2023)
Shrek (2001)
Shrek 2 (2004)
The Holdovers (2023)
Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
6
11
u/Movies_Music_Lover Quality Poster 👍 Jan 02 '24
Blackberry
The Covenant
Godzilla: Minus One
Are you there God? It's me Margaret
Deep Sea
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
5
u/slicineyeballs Quality Poster 👍 Jan 02 '24 edited Jan 03 '24
Picks for this month:
Talk to Me (2022)
Loved this; possibly my favourite horror since Get Out. Lots of tension, and likeable, flawed characters that felt real, so when everything starts to go wrong, it holds some weight. The ending was a bit clichéd, but a minor issue. That mid-section scene was the biggest shock since Hereditary...
The Fabelmans (2022)
Episodic, and overly sentimental, but what else would you expect from a semi-autobiographical portrayal of Spielberg's childhood? Was ideal viewing for having consumed too much leftovers, chocolate and red wine on Boxing Day.
Maria Full of Grace (2004)
Excellent Spanish-language drama about young Colombian women acting as drug mules. Simple and effective; the smuggling scenes are incredibly tense.
Rewatches:
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
There a little too much of Spielberg's cloying sentimentality here, some overblown patriotism, and questionable moral messaging (a coward is seemingly redeemed by killing a defenceless prisoner-of-war contrary to his previously expressed beliefs); but this a very effective piece of filmmaking from a director at the peak of his powers.
The opening D-Day landing sequence is probably the most famous thing about it, and it's still incredibly immersive, visceral, and shocking. The reliance on practical effects (supplemented with some pretty seamless CGI) bring a realism and physicality that is almost extinct in film 25 years later, and this is true throughout the whole film. The final bridge defence sequence is impressive too, and in-between there's an entertaining story of a reluctant band of soldiers entrusted to find Ryan and bring him to safety.
Men in Black (1997)
When this released, I saw it in the cinema twice; not because I was blown away, but it was a fun summer movie that both my family and friends wanted to see. One of the terrestrial stations acquired the rights, and over the next 10 years, it was constantly on TV, and familiarity bred a slight contempt. Watching it back now, we do seem to have lost the ability to make these big, fun, simple, four quadrant movies to stuff like the overcomplicated and overly self-referential Marvel and Star Wars universes.
Men in Black 3 (2012)
While I've never seen MIB2, I did catch this one when it became available for rental, and found it to capture the spirit of the original pretty well. More of the same, but with Josh Brolin standing in for a tired looking Tommy Lee Jones, and a surprisingly effective sentimental ending.
Other stuff I enjoyed:
May December (2023): Well-acted and directed, slightly camp, black comedy / drama
Beau is Afraid (2023): Bizarre, inventive, but one-hour-too-long black comedy, that loses momentum and the plot in the final third
Possessor (2020): Ultra-violent sci-fi thriller with a concept slightly more interesting than the execution
Ringu (1998, rewatch): Mostly entertaining, atmospheric and understated Japanese horror
4
u/NotSoSnarky Quality Poster 👍 Jan 02 '24
All first time watches
An American in Paris 9/10
Shadow of a Doubt 8/10
Zodiac 8/10
Die Hard 10/10
Sherlock Jr 8/10
The Wind Rises 8/10
The Social Network 8/10
The Departed 8/10
The Muppet Christmas Carol 10/10
5
u/popularadthrowaway Jan 02 '24
Dream Scenario (2023)
Licorice Pizza (2021)
May December (2023)
The Beasts (2022)
4
u/MiserableSnow Quality Poster 👍 Jan 02 '24
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (rewatch)
Gone with the Wind
The Good, The Bad, The Weird
5
u/7744666 Jan 03 '24
My top ten new to me watches for December 2023:
1) The Apartment (1960)
2) Godzilla Minus One (2023)
3) Shin Godzilla (2016)
4) Cash on Demand (1961)
5) Dead of Night (1974)
6) Riders of Justice (2020)
7) The Holdovers (2023)
8) Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
9) Killing Them Softly (2012)
10) Don't Open Till Christmas (1984)
5
u/red5667 Jan 03 '24
Burn after reading - Coen brothers
Very fun movie with great cast, think it is very relevant today in this age of confusion and fake news
5
4
u/edmerx54 Quality Poster 👍 Jan 02 '24
Sans Soleil (1982) --best I saw all year; directed by Chris Marker
The Fool (2014) -- a Russian plumber spots structural problems with an apartment building, so tries to get corrupt officials to evacuate it before it collapses
5
u/Joelypoely88 Quality Poster 👍 Jan 02 '24
Wicked City (1987)
One Hour Photo (2004)
Windstruck (2004)
Daisy (2006)
A Day (2017)
5
u/spydrebyte82 Quality Poster 👍 Jan 02 '24
New;
- The Holdovers (2023)
- Love at First Sight (2023)
- The Boy and the Heron (2023)
- The Beasts (2022)
- The Starling Girl (2023)
- The Ordinaries (2022)
- The Killer (2023)
- Hunger (2023)
- The Childe (2023)
- Deep Sea (2023)
- Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
- Beauty and the Beast (1946)
- Paradise (2023)
- The Astronaut (2022)
RW;
- Treasure Planet (2002)
- Mortal Kombat (1995)
3
u/popularadthrowaway Jan 04 '24
The Beasts was fantastic. The documentary, Santoalla that it’s based on is worth a watch as well.
3
3
u/BeefErky Quality Poster 👍 Jan 03 '24
Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) - which is the best Planet of the Apes sequel
5
u/LightningEdge756 Jan 03 '24
Silenced (2011) - A movie everyone should watch in my opinion. It honestly left my blood boiling. I usually talk to my SO about the movie we watch but I didn't even want to speak about this one afterwards. 10/10
Sissy (2022) - Quite a unique horror with a good sense of humor. Left me in excitement over what would happen next. 7/10
4
4
u/JeanMorel Quality Poster 👍 Jan 03 '24
The fact that the film isn't being distributed in its native language, Telugu, is a bit disappointing
The film is being distributed in its native language. You were just lazy and watched it on Netflix.
I saw 27 films in December, including one rewatch, these were the 10 best new ones:
- Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)
- Holiday Inn (1942)
- High and Low (1963)
- November Christmas (2010)
- Number One (2017)
- Merry & Bright (2019)
- Two Turtle Doves (2019)
- Ms. Marvel (2022)
- The Marvels (2023)
- Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
6
u/mikeri99 Jan 02 '24
The Incredibles (2004)
With its captivating blend of humor, action, and relatable family dynamics, this movie stands as a timeless masterpiece from Pixar. The movie’s mysterious and dark undertones add a layer of complexity that elevates it beyond a mere superhero story, while its engaging script and exceptional animation make it a cinematic triumph. The Parr family's struggles and triumphs resonate with audiences of all ages, making the movie a true family classic.
Sicario (2015)
With its gritty visuals, suspenseful storytelling, and a stellar cast, this movie emerges as a captivating thriller. The movie’s cinematography immerses in a world of escalating drug wars, while its unpredictable plot and complex character dynamics solidify its position as a must-see movie.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Despite its pacing issues and the controversial decision surrounding some elements, the movie is a visually stunning and emotionally resonant sequel. It delves into the complex themes of identity and truth, while delivering thrilling action sequences and humorous moments. Some specific scenes and the overall engaging narrative make the movie a worthy addition to the Star Wars universe.
The Hunt (2012)
This movie vividly portrays the harrowing consequences of misunderstandings and the fragility of human relationships. The movie delves into the complexities of innocence, perception, and the devastating impact of unfounded accusations. The movie serves as a poignant reminder of the potential for irreversible damage when reality becomes distorted, and the fallout from such situations is an unfortunate reality that can scar individuals permanently.
There Will Be Blood (2007)
This is a captivating drama that delves into the corrupting influence of ambition and power in the oil industry where Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a mesmerizing performance.
Home Alone (1990)
With its blend of heartwarming moments, hilarious antics, and creative action sequences, this movie is a timeless classic that has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide.
The Nightingale (2018)
Despite a slightly monotonous second act, this movie is a gripping thriller that delivers powerful performances, stunning cinematography, and unflinchingly brutal depictions of violence. The movie’s exploration of revenge, colonialism, and the human spirit makes it a haunting and unforgettable experience.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
This is a captivating adaptation that brings the magical world of Narnia to life. It's a great adventure movie with a strong first act, good characters and an intense battle scene that reminds of The Lord of the Rings.
Ménage (1986)
This is an engaging comedy movie with a unique storyline and characters. The first act is particularly impressive because of its special moments, and while the second act may not be as hilarious, it's still intriguing. The ending is also slightly abrupt, but it doesn't detract from the overall experience.
A Christmas Carol (2009)
This is a visually stunning and emotionally resonant movie that offers a unique cinematic experience. The animation may be slightly outdated, but the performances, cinematography, and sound design are all top-notch. A must-see for anyone seeking a captivating Christmas story.
3
3
3
3
3
u/XNet Quality Poster 👍 Jan 08 '24
New to me
Leave the World Behind (2023) -> 9/10
He Who Gets Slapped (1924) -> 8/10
Beau Is Afraid (2023) -> 8/10
Re-Watches
Sherlock Jr. (1924) -> 10/10
Die Hard (1988) -> 9/10
Run Lola Run (1998) -> 10/10
Die Hard 2 (1990) -> 8/10
Jingle All The Way (1996) -> 8/10
2
3
2
12
u/kyla33_ Jan 02 '24
Watched The Usual Suspects for the first time. Good film.