We are back to review the best cinematic experiences from the last year, which in my opinion offered a quite high quality level on average, which as you will see translates into a rather crowded list! Hope you find the opportunity to catch up some valuable movie you may have missed or, even better, to discover less known hidden gems (which in the end is the main goal of this list!). Enjoy!

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Notes: The films are divided into different categories, within which they are sorted in mere alphabetical order. This list includes only films released (in theaters as well as online) in Italy, or shown as a premiere in a prominent international film competition, during 2023. Click on a title to get more info and watch the trailer.

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– TOP 5 –

• Beau Is Afraid by Ari Aster
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Evil Does Not Exist (Aku wa sonzai shinai) by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Fallen Leaves (Kuolleet lehdet) by Aki Kaurismäki
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Holy Spider by Ali Abbasi
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Kidnapped (Rapito) by Marco Bellocchio
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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– HIGHLIGHTS –

• Anatomy of a Fall (Anatomie d’une chute) by Justine Triet
  
• Coup de chance by Woody Allen
  
• Daaaaaali! by Quentin Dupieux
  
• Decision to Leave (Heojil kyolshim) by Park Chan-wook
  
• El Conde by Pablo Larraín
  
• Flowing (Piove) by Paolo Strippoli
  
• Godland (Vanskabte land) by Hlynur Pálmason
  
• Hit Man by Richard Linklater
  
• Maestro by Bradley Cooper
  
• Oppenheimer by Christopher Nolan
  
• R.M.N. by Cristian Mungiu
  
• The Banshees of Inisherin by Martin McDonagh
  
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial by William Friedkin
• The Captain (Io capitano) by Matteo Garrone
• The Old Oak by Ken Loach
  
• The Promised Land (Bastarden) by Nikolaj Arcel
  

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– HONORABLE MENTIONS –

• Air by Ben Affleck
  
• Close by Lukas Dhont
  
• Firebrand by Karim Aïnouz
  
• Killers of the Flower Moon by Martin Scorsese
  
• La guerra del Tiburtino III by Luna Gualano
  
• Leila’s Brothers (Baradaran-e Leila) by Saeed Roustayi
  
• Navalny by Daniel Roher
  
• Sick of Myself (Syk pike) by Kristoffer Borgli
  
• Small Body (Piccolo corpo) by Laura Samani
  
• The Creator by Gareth Edwards
  
• The Crime Is Mine (Mon Crime) by François Ozon
• The Holdovers by Alexander Payne
  
• The Killer by David Fincher
  
• The Last Voyage of the Demeter by André Øvredal
  
• The Pale Blue Eye by Scott Cooper
  
• There’s Still Tomorrow (C’è ancora domani) by Paola Cortellesi
  

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– ANIMATION –

• Elemental by Peter Sohn
  
• Nimona by Nick Bruno & Troy Quane
  
• No Dogs or Italians Allowed (Manodopera) by Alain Ughetto
  
• Suzume (Suzume no Tojimari) by Makoto Shinkai
  

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– SOUNDTRACKS –

(click on the title to explore and listen to the soundtrack)

• • Babylon by Justin Hurwitz
    
  • Killers of the Flower Moon by Robbie Robertson
  • Maestro by VV.AA.
  • Oppenheimer by Ludwig Göransson
  • The Banshees of Inisherin by Carter Burwell
  • The Creator by Hans Zimmer
  • The Killer by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

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Past years’ lists:
2022 List
2021 List
2020 List
2019 List
2018 List
2017 List
2016 List
2015 List