As we pass the halfway point of 2023, we look back on the films we have watched for the first time this year and share our top ten of the year so far.
We start with some honourable mentions which didn’t quite make our top ten:
Elvis – A first time watch of this great biopic about the relationshop between the famous singer and his manager Colonel Tom Parker.
Plane – Gerard Butler and Mike Colter star in this enjoyable action film about a plane that crashes in a war zone.
The Pope’s Exorcist – In a busy period for Horror films we saw Evil Dead Rise, Renfield and this film starring Russell Crowe, we went in with zero expectations but ended up enjoying it the most of these three.
Now onto our Mid Year Top Ten Films of 2023
10 – SCREAM VI

We really enjoyed the sixth film in this slasher franchise, despite the removal of Neve Campbellfrom the cast for the first time.
9. The Fablemans

This wonderful story of a young boy growing up about an aspiring filmmaker is said to be loosely based on the childhood of the films’ legendary director Steven Spielberg.
8. A Man Called Otto

This was our first cinema trip of 2023 and we had high hopes as we loved the book it is based on, Tom Hanks is great in the lead as a grumpy loner, who begins to let people in.
7. Cocaine Bear

We can’t help being a sucker for a ‘Creature Feature’ and this loosely based on true story film of a bear finding a shipment of drugs and going on the rampage was both gory and a lot of silly fun.
6. Air

Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, this tells the story of how a marketing executive led Nike to sign Michael Jordan to be the spokesman for their now famous Air Jordan shoes.
5. Brian And Charles

We only discovered this film as it was showing on a cruise we went on, but follows Brian, an inventor who being isolated with no one to talk to , he builds a robot for companionship. it is a fantastic ride of emotions.
4. No Hard Feelings

We loved the director Gene Stupnitsky’s first film Good Boys and loved this new film from him starring Jennifer Lawrence as a woman hired by wealthy parents to date their socially awkward son int his hugely enjoyable comedy
3. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

We started the year with a rewatch of all the Shrek films as well as the first Puss in Boots film, but this sequel is the best of them all. Puss finding out he is on his last life, having used 8 seeks out a last wish to get some more. Of course our fav was Perrito, his new sidekick support dog Chihuahua.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume Three

Director James Gunn completes his trilogy with our favourite of the three. This action packed, funny and at times heart breaking conclusion was an absolute joy, especially when we personally are suffering from comic book film fatigue.
And our number one was

The original is still our favourite of the four but this was an incredible action spectacle with Keanu Reeves again defying his age to be a fantastic action hero lead. Talks of a fifth film are happening but we loved the ending and hope this will be the last, and the franchise will now if continues look to go in a different direction.
Well that’s our top ten of 2023 so far, did any make your list?
You can find all the films we watch by following us on Letterboxd
You can also see what Teddy and I watch by following us on the Barking Mad About Films instagram page.