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2023: World Premieres
2023: U.S. Releases

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The Movies of 2023: World Premieres
 By Title // By Grade // By VOR Rating

= Full Review   /   = Capsule   /   = Feature or Blog Post   /   = Grain of Salt

Updated: 2 Mar 2024, after About Dry Grasses and a Holdovers downgrade

Full Listing of Films Screened

⑤  Indispensable to film fans, even if it's flawed

20 Days in Mariupol Dir. Mstyslav Chernov. Documentary about urban siege B+
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt Dir. Raven Jackson. Charleen McClure B+
Anatomy of a Fall Dir. Justine Triet. Sandra Hüller, Milo Machado Graner A–
Asteroid City Dir. Wes Anderson. Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson B+
Barbie Dir. Greta Gerwig. Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, American Ferrera B+
The Delinquents Dir. Rodrigo Moreno. Daniel Elías, Esteban Bigliardi A–
Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World Dir. Radu Jude B+
Four Daughters Dir. Kaouther Ben Hania. Documentary about Tunisian family A–
Killers of the Flower Moon Dir. Martin Scorsese. Leonardo DiCaprio B
Oppenheimer Dir. Christopher Nolan. Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. B+
Poor Things Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos. Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe C–
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Dir. Joaquim Dos Santos, et al. B
The Taste of Things Dir. Tran Anh Hung. Benoît Magimel, Juliette Binoche A–
Tótem Dir. Lila Avilés. Naíma Sentíes, Marisol Gasé, Montserrat Maranon A–
The Zone of Interest Dir. Jonathan Glazer. Christian Friedel, Sandra Hüller B

④  Good or bad, this is risky and original work

About Dry Grasses Dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Deniz Celiloğlu, Musab Ekici B
All of Us Strangers Dir. Andrew Haigh. Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy D+
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret. Dir. Kelly Fremon Craig B+
Beau Is Afraid Dir. Ari Aster. Joaquin Phoenix, Patti LuPone, Zoe Lister-Jones B–
The Boy and the Heron Dir. Hayao Miyazaki. Voice of Soma Santoki B
Earth Mama Dir. Savanah Leaf. Tia Nomore, Erika Alexander, Doechii A–
May December Dir. Todd Haynes. Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore B
Monster Dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda. Soya Kurokawa, Hinata Hiragi, Sakura Andō B+
Perfect Days Dir. Wim Wenders. Koji Yakusho, Tokio Emoto, Aoi Yamada B
A Thousand and One Dir. A.V. Rockwell. Teyana Taylor, Aaron Kingsley Adetola B+
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Dir. Wes Anderson. Ben Kingsley B+

③  Try to make time, but don't cry if you miss it

Bottoms Dir. Emma Seligman. Rachel Sennott, Ayo Edibiri, Havana Rose Liu B–
El Conde Dir. Pablo Larraín. Jaime Vadell, Gloria Münchmeyer, Alfredo Castro B–
Eileen Dir. William Oldroyd. Thomasin McKenzie, Anne Hathaway C–
Fallen Leaves Dir. Aki Kaurismäki. Jussi Vatanen, Alma Pöysti, Janne Hyytiäinen B
How to Have Sex Dir. Molly Manning Walker. Mia McKenna-Bruce, Enva Lewis C+
Io Capitano Dir. Matteo Garrone. Seydou Sarr, Moustapha Fall, Khady Sy B
The Killer Dir. David Fincher. Michael Fassbender, Sophie Charlotte B
Kokomo City Dir. D. Smith. Documentary about black transfemme sex workers B
Maestro Dir. Bradley Cooper. Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Maya Hawke B
Memory Dir. Michel Franco. Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard, Brooke Timber B
Origin Dir. Ava DuVernay. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts B
Passages Dir. Ira Sachs. Franz Rogowski, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Ben Whishaw C–
Past Lives Dir. Celine Song. Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro, Moon Seung-ah B–
Priscilla Dir. Sofia Coppola. Cailey Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Dagmara Domińczyk B–
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé Dir. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. Documentary B
Rotting in the Sun Dir. Sebastián Silva. Sebastián Silva, Jordan Firstman B–
The Royal Hotel Dir. Kitty Green. Julia Garner, Jessica Henwick, Toby Wallace B
Saltburn Dir. Emerald Fennell. Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Archie Madekwe B+
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Dir. Sam Wrench. Concert documentary B+

②  Even if it's good, it's hardly groundbreaking

American Fiction Dir. Cord Jefferson. Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown D+
Birth/Rebirth Dir. Laura Moss. Marin Ireland, Judy Reyes, AJ Lister C+
The Eternal Memory Dir. Maite Alberdi. Documentary about Alzheimer's B–
The Holdovers Dir. Alexander Payne. Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa D
The Iron Claw Dir. Sean Durkin. Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Holt McCallany C–
Mission: Impossible–Dead Reckoning, Part 1 Dir. Christopher McQuarrie C+
NYAD Dir. Elizabeth Chai Vaserhelyi, Jimmy Chin. Annette Bening, Jodie Foster C
Orlando, My Political Biography Dir. Paul B. Preciado. Documentary C–
Rustin Dir. George C. Wolfe. Colman Domingo, Johnny Ramey, Gus Halper D
Society of the Snow Dir. J.A. Bayona. Enzo Vogrincic, Matías Recalt C+
Strange Way of Life Dir. Pedro Almodóvar. Pedro Pascal, Ethan Hawke D
The Teachers' Lounge Dir. Ilker Çatak. Leonie Benesch, Leonard Stettnisch B–
You Hurt My Feelings Dir. Nicole Holofcener. Julia Louis-Dreyfus B–

①  Low ambition, little originality, easy to forget

Air Dir. Ben Affleck. Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Ben Affleck C
The Color Purple Dir. Blitz Bazawule. Fantasia Barrino, Colman Domingo D
Dumb Money Dir. Craig Gillespie. Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Shailene Woodley C–
Magic Mike's Last Dance Dir. Steven Soderbergh. Channing Tatum, Salma Hayek D–