After several years enjoying the latest movies from the comfort of a couch, film fans have had plenty of reasons to flock back to theaters in 2023. There were fun escapes from the real world, jaw dropping animated features, compelling dramas and everything in between.

Swipe ahead for the best movies of 2023.

Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan’s stunning biopic about one of history’s most controversial scientists seemed to do the impossible by making scientists interesting for three full hours. Much like the bombs in the film, Oppenheimer ignited an unpredictable chain reaction of people returning to movie theaters for massive spectacles and great stories.

Photography: Universal Pictures

Poor Things

Emma Stone breathes life into this modern re-telling of Frankenstein from visionary director Yorgos Lanthimos. This strange, often unsettling story of an artificially constructed woman finding herself in the real world is dark without feeling depressing and clever without being pretentious. It’s also one of the greatest performances of Emma Stone’s career.

Photography: Element Pictures

Past Lives

This romantic drama that spans decades and continents has been dazzling audiences since it premiered this year at Sundance. Past Lives is a delicate and emotionally insightful journey focused on immigration and aging. This gorgeous portrait of life is one of the year’s greatest cinematic treats.

Photography: A24

The Holdovers

Paul Giamatti plays a curmudgeon teacher tasked with watching students left-behind at boarding school during winter break in the early 1970’s. This touching story is an instant Christmas classic, hitting all the right emotional notes you’d expect from a holiday movie. Expect The Holdovers to make it into your annual viewing rotation for years to come.

Photography: Miramax

May December

May December is more than just a steamy dark comedy with something to say about tabloid culture, it’s also a tragic portrait of a life ravaged by childhood abuse and trauma. This transfixing story with brilliant performances from Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore gives viewers a lot to chew on and unpack long after it’s over.

Photography: Gloria Sanchez Productions

Barbie

If you could only pick one movie to define 2023, it would have to be Barbie. Greta Gerwig’s subversive, campy and colorful adventure became a runaway cultural phenomenon. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling managed to give tremendous emotional depth and dimension to everyone’s favorite pair of inanimate dolls.

Photography: Warner Bros. Pictures

The Boy and the Heron

Legendary director Hayao Miyazaki delivers another brilliant and beautiful film that covers all of his greatest interests: the devastation of war, the magic of flight, enchanted mystery and inevitable mortality. The Boy and the Heron has a spectacular original Japanese voice cast while the English dub features heavyweights like Christian Bale, Mark Hamill and Florence Pugh.

Photography: Toho

Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Scorsese teams up with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro for an epic historical drama that doesn’t waste a second of its 3 hour and 26 minute runtime. Killers of the Flower Moon is a mesmerizing true story with marvelous performances that's arguably the masterpiece of Scorsese’s incomparable career.

Photography: Paramount Pictures

Saltburn

Saltburn might be the most polarizing movie of the year, offering a bleak take on obsession, desire and wealth that’s impossible to sit through without squirming. Barry Keoghan leads a stellar cast in this wild, visually stunning ride. Regardless of what you think about the film, you’ll never look at bathtubs the same way ever again.

Photography: Amazon MGM Studios

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a feast for your eyes, offering some of the most incredible animation ever produced. It also has incredible characters that explore real human emotions amidst a fantastical, mind-bending superhero story. Don’t worry if the film leaves you on a cliffhanger, a sequel has already been announced for 2025.

Photography: Sony Pictures

Asteroid City

If you’ve seen one Wes Anderson movie, you likely won’t be surprised by anything else he’s ever made. There’s a cohesion to his work, from the familiar cast of actors to the calming color pallets, that has never been more fully realized than in Asteroid City. This movie may not create new Wes Anderson fans, but longtime loyalists will love it.

Photography: Focus Features

The Zone of Interest

The Zone of Interest, Jonathan Glazer’s fourth film, focuses on a happy German family that just so happens to be living next door to Auschwitz during World War 2. This chilling Holocaust drama highlights the banality of evil made possible by a strong concrete wall to block out the horrors. It isn’t a movie you’ll enjoy, but it’s a movie you need to see to make sure history never repeats itself.

Photography: A24