A Glean movie guide
The Best of 2023
The definitive 2023 watchlist.
From Oscar winners to indie darlings, these are the year's must-watch films.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
Oppenheimer
A masterfully directed biographical epic that captures the tension and weight of the atomic age.
The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer's role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.
- 02
Killers of the Flower Moon
A haunting and meticulously crafted crime saga exploring a dark chapter of American history.
When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one—until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.
- 03
Poor Things
A visually stunning and audaciously original journey of self-discovery and liberation.
Brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist, a young woman runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.
- 04
Anatomy of a Fall
A gripping courtroom drama that dissects a marriage with surgical precision and ambiguity.
A woman is suspected of her husband's murder, and their blind son faces a moral dilemma as the sole witness.
- 05
The Zone of Interest
A chillingly detached look at the banality of evil through a unique and immersive lens.
The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.
- 06
Past Lives
A quiet, deeply moving exploration of destiny and the connections that linger across time.
After decades apart, childhood friends Nora and Hae Sung are reunited in New York for one fateful weekend as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life.
- 07
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
A breathtaking achievement in animation that pushes the boundaries of visual storytelling.
After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters the Spider Society, a team of Spider-People charged with protecting the Multiverse's very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must set out on his own to save those he loves most.
- 08
The Holdovers
A warm and witty character study that feels like an instant holiday classic.
A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam.
- 09
Godzilla Minus One
A powerful monster movie that prioritizes human stakes and emotional resonance.
In postwar Japan, Godzilla brings new devastation to an already scorched landscape. With no military intervention or government help in sight, the survivors must join together in the face of despair and fight back against an unrelenting horror.
- 10
Barbie
A vibrant and clever cultural satire that balances existential themes with pure spectacle.
Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.
- 11
The Boy and the Heron
A hand-drawn masterpiece from Hayao Miyazaki that serves as a profound meditation on life and loss.
While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."
- 12
American Fiction
A sharp and hilarious satire that takes aim at the commodification of culture.
A novelist fed up with the establishment profiting from "Black" entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.