The 15 best films for the first half of 2023 in the ranking

Six months full of cinema and streaming films are already behind us. We take that as an opportunity, like last year best films of the first half of 2023 to choose. Because after the best films of 2022, there are again many great films this year that definitely belong on your watch lists – including action and Marvel blockbusters, but also insider tips celebrated by us.

The 15 best films of 2023 so far: This is how the list came about

The best films of 2023, 15th place: Air

In Air – The big hit Director and acclaimed actor Ben Affleck tells us entertainingly about the making of a shoe. Strictly speaking: the Air Jordan. In 1984, when Nike rep Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) came up with the idea of ​​rescuing the struggling shoe brand by recruiting basketball star Michael Jordan, it’s the kind of cinema that has become rare. A medium-sized, non-franchise film but full of stars, Air finds the right tone to bring history to life in the most enjoyable way possible.

The best films of 2023, 14th place: Saint Omer

In French drama Saint Omer reports the journalist Rama (Kayije Kagame) of a court case in which a student Laurence (Guslagie Malanda) is accused of killing her baby. The case also becomes a psychological challenge for Rama, because she is pregnant herself and the case is not nearly as clear-cut as first thought. Saint Omer by director Alice Diop is tough stuff and poignant character cinema that doesn’t need big effects to make an impression. We carry this film with us for a long time after its end.

The best films of 2023, 13th place: Pearl

With Pearl As a prequel to X, Ti West delivers a fairy tale full of blood fountains that celebrates horror love. In 1918, a young Texas woman wishes to trade her uneventful country life for that of a movie star. Sometimes dreamy with references to The Wizard of Oz, then again as a psychotic character study, Mia Goth cements her status as a dark genre icon here and has us eagerly awaiting the conclusion of the MaXXXine trilogy.

The best films of 2023, 12th place: Babylon

Babylon is ecstasy in film form: Between aging film stars (Brad Pitt) and rising starlets (Margot Robbie), Damien Chazelle shows the Hollywood dream factory in the 1920s at the historic transition between silent and sound films. In the cinema, this exuberant festival of images divided minds and flopped without much audience. Nevertheless, we are enthusiastic about the frenzy of screen dreams and drug intoxication, in which the love for moving images drips from every shot.

The best films of 2023, 11th place: Scream VI

After last year’s Scream 5 successfully revived the popular meta-horror franchise, the series continues this year Scream VI as soon as possible. Part 6 breaks the rules of horror and takes the masked Ghostface killer from Woodsboro to the big city of New York for the first time, where the film culminates in a bloody, twisty finale. The cherry on the horror cream cake: Wednesday star Jenna Ortega is also there.

Best Movies of 2023, #10: The Banshees of Inisherin

The Banshees of Inisherin not only reunites the iconic film duo Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson after 14 years. Martin McDonagh’s film also impresses as a biting character study with twists and black humor. Because when a man on a small Irish island breaks his friendship with his closest friend, the situation escalates and increasingly changes the dynamics of the island community.

The best films of 2023, 9th place: Passengers of the night

passengers of the night turns out to be a highlight from France: When Élisabeth (Charlotte Gainsbourg), who has been abandoned by her husband, starts her new job on a nightly radio show, a tender family drama full of 80s nostalgia, longing and everyday drama unfolds. A real insider tip from director Mikhaël Hers.

The best films of 2023, place 8: The Fabelmans

Steven Spielberg is filming with The Fabelmans his own childhood and youth, which made him one of the most celebrated filmmakers par excellence – and we are blown away. Through the lens of the family drama, completely new perspectives on Spielberg classics open up and, along the way, a love of cinema blossoms anew. The well-known cast around Michelle Williams and Paul Dano does the rest.

The best films of 2023, place 7: Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves succeeds in what no film had done for a long time apart from existing large franchises: an extremely entertaining fantasy adventure as a round blockbuster – which unfortunately hardly anyone saw in the cinema. Chris Pine’s outsider team not only delights D’n’D fans with his magical mission, but can also cast a spell over everyone else with the world opened here, including surprising guest appearances.

Best Movies of 2023, #6: Guardians of the Galaxy 3

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 James Gunn sets out to save the MCU this year, and the dark undertones of his Rocket storyline are sure to bring goosebumps along with all the colorful fun. A Marvel blockbuster that convinces with its characters and its story and triumphs not only with us, but also at the box office.

The best films of 2023, 5th place: The teacher’s room

Leonie Benesch (Babylon Berlin, Der Schwarm) enchants us this year as an idealistic teacher who in The teacher’s room Wants to do everything right, but gets caught between student body and faculty during a series of thefts at her school. The subsequent escalation is so physically gripping that you see the German education system with different eyes afterwards. The drama by director and co-screenwriter Ilker Çatak was awarded best film at the German Film Awards and also made it into the top ranks here.

The best films of 2023, 4th place: Tár

Of course, we already knew that Cate Blanchett is a fantastic actress. But when they in Tar slips into the role of a renowned conductor and is confronted with a scandal in Berlin that threatens to end her career, this unfolds an atmospheric pull that, as a psycho trip, leads us to our limits in the best possible way.

The best films of 2023, 3rd place: John Wick 4

Keanu Reeves also disappoints us in his latest adventure John Wick: Chapter 4 not. The third sequel in the series shows what really good action cinema can look like today with choreographed stair fights, virtuoso stunts and shootouts from a bird’s eye view over 169 minutes. We can only sit back and enjoy. A well-deserved third place for the vengeful man in the suit, who once again defends himself against mafia structures and fights against the criminal underworld across half the globe.

Best Movies of 2023, #2: Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse shows us that multiverse not only means guest appearances and few consequences, but can also be the engine for creative fireworks. The changing and visually stunning animation styles are not only a feast for the eyes, but are also skilfully used for the dramatic story in part 2 of the Miles Morales trilogy. The adventure raises important questions about heroism and predestination. That inspires us too and proves once again that animated films are not “kids’ stuff” that should be left out in the cinema.

The best films of 2023, 1st place: Red Sky

Christian Petzold (Undine) proved what German films can do with his film this year red sky, where a holiday home on the Baltic Sea becomes the scene of a first-class drama. As a forest fire approaches, four young people try to explore their lives and their expectations for the future in the summer. It’s engaging and gripping, always very funny and then it really hurts. No wonder the film about Paula Beer and Thomas Schubert took the top spot as the best film of the first half of 2023.

The 10 biggest streaming films of 2023 on Netflix, Amazon & Co.

In this installment of our Moviepilot podcast, Stream Browsing, we take a look at the big movies coming exclusively to Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ and Apple TV+ this year. The result is a list of ten special recommendations.

From sci-fi epics to potential Oscar nominees, everything is included. The talents gathered are particularly impressive. In 2023 we can expect new movies from Martin Scorsese, David Fincher and Zack Snyder in the streaming space, while Gal Gadot, Leonardo DiCaprio, Henry Cavill and Chris Hemsworth will be in front of the camera.

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