Every Film I’ve Watched in 2023: January
Greetings friends! This is a record of every film I’ve watched in 2023, including rewatches, repeats and first viewings. Each film is accompanied by how / where I watched it, and my thoughts in 100 words or less. Welcome to part 1: January.
1. The Nice Guys (2016)
How? - Blu-ray [rewatch]
Thoughts - I still have a great time with this film. It’s not Shane Black’s best work, but it’s still a lot of fun. The glue holding it together is the performances. Russell Crowe is brilliant, but Ryan Gosling’s comedic turn steals the show. Every time I watch this, I’m glad the rumoured sequels and spin-offs didn’t happen. This works so well because it’s isolated and doesn’t outstay its welcome. It may not be totally original or unique, but it’s simple and well-executed.
2. Toy Story 4 (2019)
How? - Disney Plus [rewatch]
Thoughts - I like it, but I don’t love it. I have a great time watching it, it’s well written, the animation is great as usual, and there will always be novelty value in seeing characters I grew up with. However, for me Toy Story was the perfect trilogy. I don’t feel Toy Story 4 offers as much as the other three films. It stands out as a wild tangent, and it struggles to justify its own existence (beyond being an opportunity to sell Forky merchandise). But, as harmless fun goes, it’s good stuff.
3. Lightyear (2022)
How? - Disney Plus [first viewing]
Thoughts - I’m not sure why people were so critical of this film (beyond the increasingly boring trolls who blanket oppose representation), but I also wasn’t blown away by it. It’s fun in places, and it has the usual visual flare expected of Pixar, but it was also incredibly long, confused and over-complicated. There were times when I wasn’t sure what the film was trying to achieve, aside from evoking Interstellar of all things. I’m glad I watched it, but I don’t think it has the same rewatch value as the other Toy Story films.
4. Top Gun (1986)
How? - Blu-ray [rewatch]
Thoughts - I’ve got a soft spot for Top Gun, because it brings back happy memories of watching it with my dad. It’s obviously a product of its time, with cheesy dialogue and moments which haven’t aged well, but it’s still fun. In hindsight there isn’t really a story per say, but it moves along at a brisk pace and keeps the entertainment factor high. The film might have taken itself seriously back in 1986, but it’s best not to take it too seriously now. The film does its thing, but that thing isn’t much.
5. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
How? - Blu-ray [rewatch]
Thoughts - Without question, one of the best films of last year. It’s fun, insanely well-executed, but also really well written. The throughline of “training people not just to complete the mission, but to make it home alive” is powerful. It’s a better film than the original, not simply because of technical advancements in filmmaking, but there’s an actual story and a tense atmosphere. There’s still some 80s cheese sprinkled in, but it’s definitely more serious than the original. Above all, this film is genuinely exciting, which comes down to how well the aerial combat was choreographed and filmed. Amazing work.
6. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
How? - Amazon Prime [first viewing]
Thoughts - One of the best films I’ve seen in years. Wildly creative, entertaining in overwhelming supply, fully understands the multiverse as a storytelling tool (unlike Marvel), and yet it’s still oddly personal. If you strip away the wackiness, this is a film about life, love, responsibility, expectations and regrets. The main reason this film works so well is because the script is polished to perfection, and there’s incredible actors bringing the dialogue to life in glorious fashion. It’s the perfect package. Vibrant action, crazy multiverse shenanigans, razor sharp dialogue, immensely talented actors, and deep exploration of profound themes and messages.
7. Moonage Daydream (2022)
How? - Blu-ray [first viewing]
Thoughts - I genuinely struggle to describe this film, it’s just spectacular. It’s not a standard documentary, because it doesn’t simply tell Bowie’s story. It’s a collage, which captures key events, emotions and themes. It’s a multimedia explosion, utilising concert footage, sounds, colours, music, dance, mime and David Bowie’s own narration. It’s less a documentary which records events, but instead is focused on how Bowie was feeling at certain points in time, both spiritually and emotionally. David Bowie is my favourite artist of all time, and it made me think about him in a different way, which is nothing short of impressive.
8. Us (2019)
How? - Blu-ray [rewatch]
Thoughts - I’ve got a lot of time for this film. It’s still unfairly compared to Get Out, however if you consider it in isolation, it’s a very good film. Jordan Peele is an exceptional writer and director and is great at building atmosphere and spectacular moments of tension. The cast are fantastic across the board, particularly Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke. Beyond the thrills and chills, there are multiple layers, themes and hidden easter eggs, making this a treat for fans of horror and damn good storytelling. I disagree with the cynics, because Jordan Peele hit another home run.
9. This is England (2006)
How? - Blu-ray [rewatch]
Thoughts - I hadn’t watched this film in years, but it’s still extremely powerful. This isn’t a technical marvel or flashy blockbuster, it’s a genuine insight into real people, real emotions and real issues. The cast is absolutely spectacular, especially a young Thomas Turgoose, and an immense, harrowing performance from Stephen Graham. The film works so well because Shane Meadows is a masterful writer, who can make a simple dialogue exchange more tense than any car chase or shootout. It’s not an easy watch, but it’s rewarding on multiple levels, and is an insightful, sensitive deep dive into difficult subject matter.
10. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
How? - Blu-ray [rewatch]
Thoughts - One of my favourite films, and it stars Adam Sandler, how on Earth did that happen? Well, Paul Thomas Anderson wrote and directed a brilliant, obscure romance and Adam Sandler turns in the best performance of his career. I love this film, and I find myself loving it more as the years go by. On one hand it offers the overwhelming chaos of several alarm clocks going off in unison, but the other hand offers a touching insight into the early days of a romance. The mixture of comedy and sincerity brings out so many emotions, it’s just great.
11. The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
How? - Disney Plus [first viewing]
Thoughts - I appreciated this more than I enjoyed it. It’s well written, the acting is fantastic, particularly from Colin Farrell, and it feels like a Brothers Grimm fairy tale mixed with an existential crisis. However, it’s also slow, melancholic, and less sharp and engaging than Martin McDonagh’s previous work. It’s a slow burner. I was invested in the characters and the humour worked in places, but it felt too safe. Far more happens at surface level in terms of deeper themes and meanings, and it’s the most restrained film McDonagh has made. Awards voters will love it; I can see why.
12. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
How? - Blu-ray [rewatch]
Thoughts - I cannot adequately describe how much this film means to me. It’s my favourite film of all time, and I’m expecting to watch it more times this year. It’s a visual masterpiece, an emotional rollercoaster, and a fun comic book film all wrapped into one neat package. Combining an epic multiverse adventure with a powerful origin story is so damn impressive. Plus, there’s an insanely talented cast who lend their voice talents in iconic performances. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry, it makes me think, and it’s the film I can always rely on to lift me up.
13. Elvis (2022)
How? - Blu-ray [first viewing]
Thoughts - Although I struggled with Baz Luhrmann’s style, Elvis narrowly won me over. It was informative, sincere, cinematic, and the performances from Tom Hanks and Austin Butler are incredible. I only wish Luhrmann didn’t get so carried away, rushing past important events and character moments in favour of trying to make the film more exciting with cheap thrills and gimmicks. The story is already compelling, and the actors are bringing their A-game, Luhrmann just needed to stop overcompensating. Adding so much sound, light and weird visuals made it feel like a Vegas slot machine, which doesn’t benefit the story.
14. Casino Royale (2006)
How? - Blu-ray [rewatch]
Thoughts - I’m glad to say this holds up as a solid James Bond film. It’s ludicrous in all the ways you’d expect Bond to be, but it’s also stylish and exciting. There are scenes in Casino Royale which still look and feel fantastic, despite being seventeen years old. In fact, this is a better standard of filmmaking and storytelling than we see in some later Bond films. Crucially, Daniel Craig gives a great performance, which is one of the reasons this film works so well. This is a modernised and more mature Bond, which simultaneously revitalised and elevated the franchise.
15. Quantum of Solace (2008)
How? - Blu-ray [rewatch]
Thoughts - This is big, dumb Bond and it is exhausting. 106 minutes of dull action, and a tedious screenplay that lacks cohesion and emotional depth. Anything this film has to offer has been achieved to a higher standard in literally any other Bond film. Daniel Craig is the best Bond, but he’s let down by a plot and script that are overwhelmingly stupid. There’s no meaning to this film, which would be fine if it were entertaining, but it isn’t. If you want to see Bond on a violent revenge mission, save yourself the agony and watch Licence to Kill instead.
Favourite film of the month
Moonage Daydream and Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Thank you for checking out part 1, hopefully you’ll find yourself back here soon for part 2! If you’ve enjoyed this article, please check out my other recent articles:
