procrastinator’s must-see movies of 2023

So I’ve watched what I’m going to watch. I do like to see all the best pic nominees and I have accomplished that but the list of movies that people considered best of last year is pretty endless. While this list focuses more on this year’s releases than my other lists do (Books & TV) as you can see I do watch things from the previous years so figure they should also get their spotlight. This year I started tracking movies with a 5-star rating, I thougt it would help me remember and maybe compact the recency bias. But to be honest, do I remember Cha Cha Real Smoot as being all that great? No. But I gave it a high rating at the time so we’re going with it.

American Fiction – I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, relationships, and look at the literary scene through the lens of ‘Black’ fiction.
The Holdovers – The movie really finds a way to show the evolution from start to finish of characters and their understanding of each other with poignant moments.
Sharper – I dig a good caper or con and this was a fun layer of who’s screwing who and how with a strong cast including Julianne Moore to pull it all off.
Air – I almost didn’t watch this because the topic didn’t interest me but I was totally drawn into this Nike getting Michael Jordan.
Nyad – Another movie I almost didn’t watch but man this story is incredible and Annette Bening pulls it off, with the also great Jodie Foster.
Flora & Son – Starting with a pretty rough mother and son relationship it turns into something that’s just sweet.
Beastie Boys Story (2020) – I mean this was an era, I rarely do docs but this story by remaining members Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz of Beastie Boys along with appropriately Spike Jonze directing is a gem.
How to Blow Up A Pipeline (2022) – Environmental activists bring out the heist vibe I dig as we see how they come together and their plan.
Language Lessons (2021) – Natalie Morales and Mark Duplass create characters and circumstances that just brought me in as remote Spanish lessons bring them together.
Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022) – Another sweet flick, an aimless guy starts hosting bar mitzvah parties and develops a relationship with a mother and daughter that turns in just enough of an untropey way.