This year was one of strikes, struggling franchises, and Barbenheimer. But 2023 was also a year with a lot of movies to choose from. Maybe more than ever before. There are always some films that are lost in the shuffle as the year goes by. Films that were worthwhile but perhaps just flew under the radar. This list is here to help with that. Welcome to the Top 10 Underrated Films of 2023!
With so many streaming services offering their films alongside theaters and on-demand services, it’s easy for viewers to be overwhelmed by choices. It makes sense that even the biggest film fan would miss some. We’re going to correct that problem for you. Here are some films you might have missed this year but are definitely worth your time.
Rye Lane
This London-set romantic comedy received a small release early in the year so, chances are, this one passed you by. And that’s a shame. Young Dom (David Jonsson) meets Yas (Vivian Oparah) when he’s sobbing his heart out over a recent breakup. In a unisex restroom. The humor doesn’t stop after that. The romance is nicely developed as well. Plus, there’s an appealing realness about all the story details that really makes its economical run time worth every second. Viewing tip: keep an eye out for a cameo that is every romantic comedy lover’s dream.
Rye Lane is streaming on Hulu.
Flora and Son
John Carney, director of the small gems Once and Sing Street, returned this year with another music-focused heart-warmer. This one stars Eve Hewson (daughter of Bono) as Flora, a young, single mom in Ireland with a troubled teen son on her hands. She needs something constructive for him to do. She finds a guitar. However, she ends up learning to play herself and it brings them together. I like that the undertones of romance between Flora and her online guitar teacher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) are very subtle. The story hits the right sweet-but-not-too-sweet attitude throughout.
Flora and Son is streaming on Apple Plus.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
The award-winning novel by Judy Blume finally comes to the big screen and it is lovely. Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) is 11 years old and just moved to the suburbs. Her coming-of-age encompasses everything from boys to religion to grandparents. The wonderful thing about this story is the way it allows Margaret’s mother and grandmother changes of their own. It becomes a deeply relatable story about womanhood at many stages of life. Rachel McAdams gives an excellent performance as Margaret’s mother and Fortson is remarkable. This female-centered film definitely deserved more love.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is streaming on Starz.
Past Lives
Though it received only a small release in the summer, this delicate drama is one of the best films of the year. Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) were childhood sweethearts until Nora’s family moved away from South Korea. They reconnect virtually but only see each other in person again 20 years later. Nora is married to an American novelist by then, so it can’t be romantic, but there is an overwhelming sense of “what if” during Hae Sung’s visit. The chemistry among all of the actors here is something special. The fact that the only stakes here are emotional makes the story somehow more vital. An essential viewing experience this year.
Past Lives is available to rent or buy on Amazon.
Stamped from the Beginning
Ibram X. Kendi’s 2016 non-fiction book of the same name got a film companion piece this year and it’s important viewing. This documentary combines commentary from Kendi and others with striking dramatizations using animation, and it provides an overview of the history of racist ideas in America. It is informative without being pedantic. Just like the book, this film encourages the viewer to learn more and think more about its topic after the credits roll. Good documentaries assist in engaging with necessary issues. This film does exactly that. This definitely qualifies as one of the Top 10 Underrated Films of 2023.
Stamped from the Beginning is streaming on Netflix.
Air
The muted box office performance of this film is disappointing because it is excellent. Who knew the inside story about a shoe could be so engaging? Well, when that shoe is connected to one of the greatest athletes of all time, it is. The details about how Nike persevered against other shoe manufacturers to sign with Michael Jordan and create the Air Jordan are the stuff of good cinema. The performances by Matt Damon, Viola Davis, and more are wonderful, while Ben Affleck‘s direction is outstanding. Inspirational may be an overused word but it’s an apt description here.
Air is streaming on Prime Video.
Polite Society
Sisterhood is what this overlooked gem is all about. It is also full of thrilling action sequences. What an intriguing combination, right? Teenager Ria Kahn (Priya Kansara) is alarmed and almost obsessed when her older sister Lena (Ritu Arya) becomes engaged. She instinctively feels this is not right for Lena. Events take a wild turn and she ends up being right. Ria is an aspiring stuntwoman and she gets plenty of opportunities to practice her skills as she saves her sister. It’s a crazy, fun ride and the love between the two sisters remains at the heart of it for the whole story.
Polite Society is streaming on Prime Video.
Leo
We sang the praises of Nimona here at Fangirlish, but did you know there is another Netflix animated film this year that’s worth watching? Adam Sandler voices Leo, a lizard who is the pet of a Florida elementary class. He believes he’s about to die so he hatches a plan to leave the only place he’s ever known and see more of the world. Except, when he accidentally reveals to the kids that he can talk, he finds a new purpose in helping them with their problems. The story here is genuinely sweet and there are more laughs than you might expect. A good option to watch with the kids in your life.
Leo is streaming on Netflix.
They Cloned Tyrone
Golden Globe winner John Boyega, Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, and MCU star Teyonah Parris team up for a brilliant mix of sci-fi, mystery, comedy, and action. Boyega is Fontaine, the neighborhood drug dealer, who stumbles onto a stunning government conspiracy when he’s shot by a rival dealer. Foxx and Parris are the local pimp and prostitute who help him figure out what’s going on. The writing here is just so clever and the resolution is so memorable, you’ll probably want to watch it more than once. And if you do, the entertainment value will not lessen. This is that kind of viewing experience.
They Cloned Tyrone is streaming on Netflix.
The Swan
Everyone was talking about Wes Anderson’s short film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar but he directed 3 other short Dahl adaptations this year, too. This one has the most emotional heft, I think. It’s about a boy being bullied and the heartbreaking way the title bird is involved. Anderson’s signature style of staging and production values helps to make the moral of this tale hit home. Rupert Friend stars as the narrator of this story and Ralph Fiennes appears as Dahl, just as he did in Henry Sugar. They both contribute to how effective and watchable this short is.
The Swan is streaming on Netflix.
We hope you find some movies you didn’t know about on this list and perhaps some new favorites. Do you think we missed any? What are some films you think are the Top 10 Underrated Films of 2023?