With 2023 officially behind us, it is time to reflect on the year in movies. By and large, 2023 was a good time at the movies. Time will tell how everything shakes out. With two major strikes shaking up release dates, there were questions about how the back half of the year would fare. But, we still got plenty of commercial hits, prestige picks, and a wonderful influx of international features.
As we here at GoodTrash Media reflect back on the year, we want to celebrate the cinema of 2023.
In this rundown, I want to highlight 10 hidden gems and underseen stories that won’t crack my top twenty (with one exception). I’ll be back later with my Top 10 Films of 2023. So, enjoy this little appetizer.
Honorable Mention: Bug Man
Full disclosure, Clayton Tramel, the director, and Alex Sanchez, the lead, are both close friends of us here at GoodTrash Media. With that disclaimer out of the way, this little indie dramedy is a warm, beautiful story of a young man trying to figure out life—with nowhere else to go, he climbs into a Volkswagen Beetle that sits atop metal insect legs. Sanchez’s performance will win you over. The film is gorgeously shot by Samuel Calvin, and features a stirring score from Nicholas Poss. Tramel’s script and direction are tight, walking a line that could easily fall too far into goofy comedy or hyper-saccharine melodrama. Instead, it stands as a poignant tale of a schlubby guy trying to figure out what really matters in his life, and how to make moves to get there. Bug Man is available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime.
10. Champions
Bobby Farrelly, one half of the Farrelly Bros. directing duo, has a noted history of directing solid comedies. Woody Harrelson is a funny guy. Put them together, and you get a solid sports movie with a few flaws holding it back. With a setup straight out of The Mighty Ducks, Woody Harrelson plays a disgraced college coach sentenced to community service. He is set to coach a local Special Olympics team. It’s an underdog story and a story of a man having to learn a better way to live. Harrelson is great, and Kaitlin Olson gets a fun turn as well. The movie has a ton of heart, and I feel it does well representing its cast of characters who have intellectual disabilities—showing that their life off the court is as normal as anyones as they deal with bad bosses, housing decisions, relationships, and friendships. The film’s biggest weakness is in its script and plotting. It is a film that attempts too much without being able to properly manage most of it. But, it is a crowd pleasure, and I think most audiences will have fun with it.
9. No One Will Save You
Brian Duffield’s alien invasion thriller is a taut tale featuring very little-to-no dialogue and mostly one performance. Kaitlyn Dever is the (mostly) sole character in this near-haunted house approach to an alien invasion. The movie does a lot well—including fun creature design, smart use of its budgetary constraints, and creating an intriguing, mysterious path for our lead. However, the no dialogue bit feels gimmicky, and I think the ending doesn’t quite get where it needs to go. But, if you like something like Signs, you’ll have a good time with this.
8. Flamin’ Hot
There were a lot of trends in 2023 movies, and big brands making themselves look good was a central one. Flamin Hot gives us an origin story we didn’t know we needed—Flamin’ Hot Cheetos—and the underdog hero who got Frito Lay to step out of their comfort zone. Eva Longoria directs in her feature debut showing a lot of promise. Jesse Garcia portrays the real life Richard Montañez who put down the mop and stepped into the board room thanks to his efforts to make the hot Cheeto happen.
7. 80 for Brady
I too saw the trailers and posters for what I thought would be an abysmal 90-minutes at the movies. But I could not be more wrong. With a cast of wonderful actors, 80 for Brady is a sweet, endearing story about four die-hard Tom Brady fans who desperately want to see him play in the Super Bowl. This is a real crowd pleaser, and a great way to spend a Friday or Saturday evening—no matter how you feel about Brady. Cameos abound in this tale that sees our four protagonists going on the adventure of a lifetime.
6. Blue Beetle
As comic book movie fatigue grips the nation, many casualties lay on both sides of the battlelines. The DC published Blue Beetle adaptation being one of them in 2023, which is unfortunate. The film is full of heart and an earnest attempt to tell the tale of our latin hero played with great enthusiasm by Xolo Maridueña and featuring a fun ensemble anchored by veteran comic George Lopez. What stands out about Blue Beetle for me is the emphasis on family. While the villains are generic and the plot is loosely Iron Man (2008), the DNA of the film is deserving of an audience. Unfortunately, it is understandable that comic book audiences who’ve seen all the movies from Marvel and DC would bounce off. Yet, I think casual audiences should give this a go because there’s something very special inside.
5. A Haunting in Venice
Kenneth Branaugh’s third Hercule Poirot (both in front of and behind the camera) tale sees the expert detective take a trip to Italy in an attempt to debunk a noted psychic. While Branaugh’s previous adaptations were sold as big, flashy pieces, A Haunting in Venice saw minimal promotion. However, it is the strongest iteration of Branaugh’s turns with the character, focusing on a small, atmospheric tale pitting the natural against the possible supernatural. And though the mystery might be easily solved by viewers, it is still a fun way to kill a couple of hours and features a great turn from Tina Fey as the catalyst to bring Poirot to the Halloween Party where our mystery begins.
4. Influencer
Ah, influencer culture. A key part of the dystopia we currently exist in. This little thriller, distributed by SHUDDER, follows an influencer traveling through Thailand who meets a fellow international traveler who guides her on her journey. What follows is a mostly clever suspense-filled thriller that will keep you guessing. Unfortunately, the third act takes a dip in quality, otherwise this might have landed higher on my year-end lists.
3. NYAD
This Netflix original tells the true story Diana Nyad in her attempt to swim the 103-mile run from Cuba to Florida while in her sixties. Featuring a string of dynamic performances from Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, and Rhys Ifans, NYAD is an exhilarating story of determination and sheer will. And while the movie takes liberties, the story is nonetheless exciting and impressive. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, making their narrative feature directorial debut, infuse enough flare and style into the story to keep it from becoming repetitive, which is a major concern with a story of this nature.
2. You Hurt My Feelings
Since Seinfeld was on the air, Julie Louis-Dreyfus has proven herself to be one of our great comedians. In Nicole Holofcener’s You Hurt My Feelings, Dreyfus gets to tackle a dryly comical role that has her playing a writer who overhears her husband sharing his true feelings about her newest work. You Hurt My Feelings smartly examines relationships of different types and existing in different places and forces us to reflect on our own relationships and the way we communicate and treat one another.
1. Polite Society
Nida Manzoor’s feature directorial debut is an action comedy you need to see. Teenager Ria Khan wants nothing more than to be a stunt double, which is contrary to what her British-Pakistani family wants for her. When her sister gets engaged, Ria suspects something sinister and sets out to stop the wedding. Polite Society is a fun-filled story of sisterly love with some great action sequences sprinkled throughout. The film has a lot of heart, and audiences from teens to adults should get a kick out of it—no pun intended.
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Arthur is a creator of content, lover of movies, and father of dogs. If you want to keep the conversation going, then click here to follow Arthur on Twitter. If you would like to keep up with what Arthur is watching, then head over to Letterboxd and give him a follow!
