The best movies of 2023 tackled puberty, fascism, and one big blast

The overall slate of movies in 2023 felt like the best one since the start of the pandemic, as many big-time filmmakers poured their hearts and souls into passion projects. When films were at their best, as all of those on this list were, they wowed with visual panache, heartfelt storytelling, and some of the best acting of the year, even if they won't all get recognized by the awards circuit.

Scroll through our critic's picks of the 10 best films of 2023 using the left and right arrows on each photo.