2023: a tumultuous, but also exciting year for cinema that saw the bottoms fall out of once unstoppable franchises and the rise of new and old masters. Characterized by surprise blockbusters, stinging excavations of the human condition, and a few bold oddities, this year was a cornucopia of great film. This is always our favorite episode to do every year, so tune in to our hot and cold takes as we count down our favorite movies of the year.

Our lead-up to The Best Films of 2023 episode continues as we cover Yorgos' Lanthimos' ribald, fisheye fantasy: Poor Things. Is it the Greek filmmaker's most accessible film? We talk Emma Stone, fearless performances, and the sweetly demented world constructed for this raunchy coming-of-age fable.

The feel good film that took holiday moviegoers by storm, Alexander Payne's The Holdovers follows a cranky history teacher at a remote prep school that is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a troubled student who has no place to go. We discuss the trifecta of affecting performances in Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and first-time performer Dominic Sessa, as well as all the awards they're picking up.

"Two objects cannot occupy the same point in space or the same moment in time.” Michael Mann’s Ferrari disguises the fissures of masculinity in the typical rhythms of biographical fare, but does it fit in with the famed director's late oeuvre of between-the-lines human feeling? We discuss the movie, Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, and its shocking racing scenes.

Action maestro John Woo is back with his first stateside movie in 20 years, Silent Night. A dialogue-free revenge flick soaked in blood, chrome, and improvised explosives, the film finds Joel Kinnaman on a one-man quest to take down those responsible for the death of his son. Is Woo back and better than ever? Or has he lost his touch. We discuss.

This week, Derek, Amir, and Jeff sit down with the latest Toho monster flick to wash up on American shores, Godzilla Minus One. A Japanese film that has taken the U.S. box office by storm, Minus One combines disaster movie spectacle with a surprisingly strong human element. We review the movie and discuss its anti-war messaging, its shockingly low budget, and our favorite Godzilla films.

A thorny balancing act of different tones that drills straight into sordid psychodrama and the elusive nature of performance, Todd Haynes’ May December is high wire cinema at its finest. We review the film and dive deep into the trinity of powerhouses that is Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, and Charles Melton.

This week, Derek, Amir, and Jeff review Nia DaCosta's The Marvels, the 33rd entry in a flagging Marvel Cinematic Universe. With the three leads of Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, and Iman Vellani, it's certainly aiming higher, further, and faster. But is it another Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? Or is it another Quantumania? We discuss.

David Fincher returns with his take on the hitman yarn with The Killer. Starring Michael Fassbender as the titular assassin whose world is turned upside down after a botched job, Fincher's latest strips down the archetype to its nuts and bolts. Is it a minor entry in the perfectionist director's legendary oeuvre? Or are there hidden layers underneath its simple veneer? Tune in to our review of The Killer.

Sofia Coppola aims her dreamlike sights at Elvis Presley with Priscilla, a not-quite biopic of its titular Queen of Rock and Roll. The perfect convergence of subject matter and a filmmaker’s particular wheelhouse, Coppola’s spotlight on the wife of Elvis Presley twists the director’s potent examinations of girlhood adolescence with the nightmare of being groomed by an American legend. A dark, potent B-side to last year's Elvis.