I watched 565 movies in 2023 or 1.54 movies perf day for the entire year.  Of those movies, 101 of them were made released in 2023.  This is my Top 10 2023 Movies in alphabetical order.

Why I watched this one? Loved the trailer and I am a huge Jason Bateman fan.

What is this one about? Follows the history of shoe salesman Sonny Vaccaro, and how he led Nike in its pursuit of the greatest athlete in the history of basketball, Michael Jordan.

My thoughts on this one? Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have produced, starred, written and directed a very good movie. They have put together a top notch cast. Given that cast good things to do. Movie even manages to be suspenseful even though the final outcome is known by all.

Final thought: Currently my favorite movie of 2023. Great chance to make my Top 10. And yes…Mr. Bateman is very good in the movie.

Why I watched this one? I have a crush, and I am not afraid to admit it, on Rachel McAdams.

What is this one about? When her family moves from the city to the suburbs, 11-year-old Margaret navigates new friends, feelings, and the beginning of adolescence.

My thoughts on this one? Entertaining movie that revolves around a 12-year-old girl in 1970. Movie does an awesome job of showing what young girls talk about and worry about. This showed me a perspective that I had not even remotely considered. My wife thought the movie was spot on. Final thought: A very well done coming of age movie.

Why I saw this one? The wife wanted to actual go the theater…and this looked like the most promising movie.

What is this one about? Based on a true story, it’s David vs. Goliath tale about everyday people who flipped the script on Wall Street and got rich by turning GameStop (the video game store) into the world’s hottest company.

My thoughts on this one? Loved this movie. It will make my Top 10 list of favorite 2023 movies. Movie does a great job of explaining a difficult situation. Movie is filled with quality performances. Extra kudos to Pete Davidson in a supporting role. He steals the movie. That is a huge compliment considering all the other great roles. Paul Dano, one of the most unique leading men, is also stellar. Movie is funny, dramatic and suspenseful. Final thought: Needs to be seen!

Why I watched this one? I heard decent things about this one from my older children.

What is this one about? A charming thief (Chris Pine) and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people (Hugh Grant).

My thoughts on this one? Overall, I enjoyed this movie. I liked the characters and the actors in the roles. Some of the scenes are very well done (a graveyard scene and a castle break-in). On the negative side, things dragged out many times. The story was pretty predictable. Still, the good outweighed the bad.

Saw the latest superhero movie in theaters on opening night. My big draw to this was seeing Michael Keaton returning as Batman.

The Good: This movie is filled with lots of DC Easter Eggs. This covers previous movies and television shows. Ezra Miller, and some will not like reading this, is really good in a duo role. Michael Keaton is super fun to watch as Batman over 30 years after originally playing Bruce Wayne. Movie has an awesome final scene with an incredible cameo.

The Bad: The final 30 minutes seemed to drag. The final 30 minutes featured our heroes standing in front of a green screen as the computer experts filled the screen with somewhat boring images. Some of the motivations of the characters do not make a lot of sense when you stop and think about the plot twists.

Final thought: I liked it. None of the other three members of my family did. My 14 year old strongly disliked it. My wife was super bored. My 16 year old gave it a “it’s ok”.

This one, focuses on the intensely dramatic and high-stakes responsibilities and decisions that Golda Meir, also known as the ‘Iron Lady of Israel,’ faced during the Yom Kippur War. Helen Mirren is excellent as Golda. Somewhat surprised that Mirren is not getting more Oscar buzz for this movie. Watching this movie made me realize I know almost nothing about the history of Israel. Well done intense movie with a great performance from Mirren.

What is this one about? When a knight in a futuristic medieval world is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona — a mischievous teen who happens to be a shapeshifting creature he’s sworn to destroy.

My thoughts on this one? Really enjoyed this one. The animation is pleasing to watch. The story is very imaginative. Movie does a good job of balancing humor, action and some good heart tugging. Fun movie, that I will watch with my family in the near future.

This is considered by many to be the best movie of Christopher Nolan’s career. The movie follows the story of American scientist, J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy), and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.

So, do I agree that this is the best Nolan movie? Not really. In my opinion, this might crack the Top 5 of Nolan movies, but nowhere near the best. Personally, I would rank The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Memento and Batman Begins ahead of it. It would be fighting with Interstellar and Inception for that 5th spot.

The good. This has a great cast and they all do well in their roles. The movie looks amazing. For the first time in many Nolan movies, I did not have any issues with understanding what the actors were saying. The story, even though the ending was known, was still interesting and pretty thrilling.

The bad. I did not like the movie’s structure at all. Nolan cuts back and forth between when the bomb was invented and a Senate hearing that features Robert Downey, Jr. Downey is excellent in the role. It is just that those parts of the movie took away the momentum of the creation of the bomb. Seems like the movie was about 30 minutes too long. At times, I felt the movie was dragging.

Final thought: This is a well-done movie. Kudos for all the work that went into making it. One of the big things I think when I see a movie….is…”How much do I want to watch it again”? While I liked it, I do not see watching it again anytime in the near future.

Why I watched this one? I saw the trailer, and though I am not a huge horror fan, the combination of horror and comedy looked interesting.

What is this one about? When the infamous “Sweet Sixteen Killer” returns 35 years after his first murder spree to claim another victim, 17-year-old Jamie accidentally travels back in time to 1987, determined to stop the killer before he can start.

My thoughts on this one. First of all, Kiernan Shipka is excellent in the leading role. I would watch her in another movie in a second. Hopefully she has a long career in front of her. The 1980s callbacks are a blast to watch. The weak part of the movie is the villain. That part of the movie seemed somewhat lazy. Still, I really enjoyed this movie, and I would watch it again.

Wow! What a nice surprise, this latest Adam Sandler Netflix movie, turned out to be. This is a Sandler family affair, as it features three Sandlers in big supporting roles and Sunny Sadler in the lead role. First of all, Sunny Sadler really shines in this movie. Adam and Sadie Sandler are very funny in their supporting roles. Samantha Lorraine as Sunny’s best friend is also very impressive. Movie does a great job of showing the world of middle school (I teach 100 plus middle schoolers every day). Final thought: Well done movie. I recommend seeing this one.