I had firmly believed my diet of books trumped that of movies/shows, especially when examined over a full year, especially when considering the best of the best. Not this year. Although my reading included gems, my viewing teemed with excellent and indeed magnificent offerings. Any of the following would reward your attention.
Follow the links below to my reviews.
The adaptation of Hugh Howey’s wonderful dystopian sci-fi series that began with Wool is wondrously atmospheric, superbly acted, and utterly unpredictable from episode to episode. Ten-episode Silo (10/10) probably tops the year.
Season 2 of The Bear (10/10) rivals Silo in excellence. Just as frenetic, deeply characterized, and riveting as Season 1. If you love food, even if you only love movies, treat yourself to these ten episodes.
Succession Season 4 (10/10)—need I say anything at all?
This first season of Slow Horses was most welcome but the second season (10/10)—perfection, the spy thriller outing you must see! (And I’m currently partway through Season 3!)
An arthouse father-daughter drama of immense emotional heft, Scrapper (10/10) might be the best 2023 film you’ll typically never hear of.
Rachel Antony & Laurence Billiet’s hypnotic, scary, inspiring documentary about both Bob Brown, the legendary Greens politician, and the beauty of Tasmania’s forests, The Giants (10/10) was hands down the most impressive documentary of the year.
Blockbuster it might have been, but Christopher Nolan’s transfixing Oppenheimer (10/10) deserves all its praise.
A completely different film was feminist crime fiction drama Deadloch (10/10) by Kate McCartney & Kate McLennan. Funny, tense, and affecting.
To learn so much about creativity, intelligence, idealism, and persistence, you can’t go past Turn Every Page (9/10), which gently portrays master biographer Robert Caro and master editor Robert Gottlieb.
Season 2 of The Newsreader surpassed the superb first season and exemplifies Australian drama.