Although it was a tumultuous year for the film industry,2023 had no shortage of great movies. The SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes may have led to a temporary delay in production, but these strikes only reinforced the importance of giving artists what they were worth. While the year had itsfair share of box office disasters,many acclaimed drama films earned significant financial and critical success. It certainly will not be easy for critics and awards pundits to narrow down which films represent the best of the year.
While new films fromChristopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, Yorgos Lanthimos,andGreta Gerwigearned significant attention,some of the year’s best films were from up-and-coming filmmakers. Not every film will be abox office success likeOppenheimer, but a film’s financial performance doesn’t necessarily indicate its quality. In fact, there are more than a few smaller films that didn’t receive much attention that are worth praising as some of the year’s highlights. Here are the ten most underrated drama films of 2023, ranked.
10’A Thousand and One' (2023)
Directed by A.V. Rockwell
A Thousand and Oneis a remarkable directorial debut from filmmakerA.V. Rockwell,and features one of the year’s best performances fromTeyana Taylor. Taylor stars as the single mother Inez, who raises her young son, Terry, outside the foster care system to ensure that he has the best upbringing. Unfortunately, this choice has consequences once Terry grows up. The film serves asboth a tribute to the power of single parents and a critique of the foster care system.
WhileA Thousand and Onedoes not embellish its characters’ everyday existence, Rockwell crafts a vibrant,exciting depiction of New Yorkthat makes the city itself feel like a character. Although the film deals with serious issues, there’s also a lot of heart, humor, and honesty that comes from seeing Inez raise her child on her own terms.
A Thousand and One
After unapologetic and fiercely loyal Inez kidnaps her son Terry from the foster care system, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability, in a rapidly changing New York City.
Watch on Prime Video
9’Flora and Son' (2023)
Directed by John Carney
Writer/directorJohn Carneyhas proven himself to be adept in using music to tell heartfelt stories about youthful relationships. While his landmark2007 musicalOnceused its simplicity to reinvent the genre, his latest filmFlora and Sonexamines the possibility of finding artistic passion late in life.Flora and Sonshowed how music can create familial bonding momentswith a story that focuses on the single mother Flora (Eve Hewson) in Dublin. Flora begins to take an interest in music when she realizes that it’s a way for her to connect with her troublesome teenage son Max (Orén Kinlan).
AlthoughFlora and Son’s original songs are impressive in their own right, it’s even more exciting to see what events in these characters’ lives inspire their work. WhileFlora and Sonhasn’t received the same attention as some of Carney’s other projects, it’s just as satisfying as an emotional story.
Flora and Son
A single mom at war with her son is trying to find a hobby for him. One day, she rescues a guitar from a dumpster.
Watch on Apple TV+
8’Of an Age' (2023)
Directed by Goran Stolevski
While there have been manygreat coming-of-age movies in the last decade, the Australian dramaOf an Ageturns the premise of an initial romantic interaction and transforms it into a thriller.Young love can be both terrifying and exhilarating,andOf an Ageshows the complex emotions that adolescents feel when they don’t entirely understand their emotions. The film explores an intimate relationship between the young Serbian immigrant Kol (Elias Anton) and his friend Adam (Thom Green); it’s a relationship that defines them both as they grow up.
While directorGoran Stolevskiis by no means a household name, his sensitive depiction of masculinity and visceral imagery indicate that he has a promising future as a filmmaker. Although the gentle momentum and sensuality of his filmmaking techniques may evoke comparisons to directors likeLuca GuadagninoorBarry Jenkins, Stolevski has created a style that is entirely his own.
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7’The Royal Hotel' (2023)
Directed by Kitty Green
Kitty Green’s 2020 dramaThe Assistantwas a groundbreaking first feature that examined thehorrors of a toxic workplace environment, and gaveOzarkstarJulia Garnerone of the best roles of her career. Green’s second feature,The Royal Hotel, touches onsimilar themes of toxic masculinity and the unspoken threats of sexism. Its story focuses on the young women Hanna (Garner) and Live (Jessica Henwick), who take a new job as bartenders in the Australian outback. They find that their workplace is constantly surrounded by aggressive men that attempt to get under their skin.
Green’s sense of realism makes the film even more intense, as none of these interactions feel less than authentic. The film does a great job at questioning each character’s motivation at every turn, and allows Garner to give another reserved, yet powerful performance. Although it may not be considered a “horror” film, the authentic depiction of toxic masculinity makesThe Royal Hotelone of the year’s most terrifying films.
The Royal Hotel
While exploring the Australian outback, two friends end up at the Royal Hotel, a run-down and isolated inn that holds more than a few secrets. Initially seeking only shelter, they soon find themselves entangled in a web of mystery and danger.
Watch on Apple TV
6’Chevalier' (2023)
Directed by Stephen Williams
Agreat movie biopicneeds to both engage the viewer with its subject and explore the context of their achievements, andStephen Williams’ period dramaChevalierdoes both. The sweeping musical epic explores the life of the French-Caribbean musician Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), whose skills of composing attracted the attention of Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton). AlthoughChevaliercelebrates the genius of Saint-George’s artistry,it explores the racial and financial tension within 18th century France.
Williams does a great job at framingChevalieras a competition story, as Saint-Georges must prove his merits in a contest with the rival composer Christoph Willibald Gluck (Henry Lloyd-Hughes). AlthoughChevalieris meticulously designed and captures the look and feel of 18th century France, the kinetic storytelling makes the story feel decidedly more modern. It’s an unmissable window into an era of history that rarely feels this exciting.
Watch on Hulu
5’Evil Does Not Exist' (2023)
Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi
The legendary Japanese filmmakerRyusuke Hamaguchimanaged to generate enthusiasm from a worldwide audience with hissensitive emotional dramaDrive My Car, a film that challenged expectations about what the healing process looked like. Hamaguchi’s follow-up feature,Evil Does Not Exist,is just as subversive. The film follows the single father Takumi (Hitoshi Omika) and his young daughter Hana (Ryo Nishikawa) as they live in a small village. When their village is selected as a new construction site for the Tokyo company Playmode, Takumi considers what he must do to protect the environment.
Hamaguchi’s gorgeous visuals make the film’s pro-environmentalist themes more powerful, as he often relies on recurring motifs rather than dialogue. While it may not be the devastating emotional achievement thatDrive My Carwas,Evil Does Not Existis equally worthy of consideration by fans of international cinema.
Editor’s Note: Not available for streaming.
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4’The Burial' (2023)
Directed by Maggie Betts
Whilecourtroom dramas were very popular in the 1990s, there sadly have not been as many new classics within the genre in recent years. However,Maggie Betts’ crowd-pleasing biopicThe Burialis an engaging new legal thriller that feels like a throwback to an older era of storytelling. The film tells theincredible true story of funeral director Jerry O’Keefe(Tommy Lee Jones), who hired the flashy personal injury lawyer Willie E. Gary (Jamie Foxx) to represent his family’s business in a major court case.
Although the playful banter between Foxx and Jones creates some surprisingly humorous moments,The Burialexamines the perils of corporate greed and the infrastructural flaws within the American justice system.AlthoughThe Burialwas able to find an audience when it debuted on Amazon Prime Video, it’s unfortunate that a majority of audiences did not get the chance to see it on the big screen.
The Burial
Inspired by true events, a lawyer helps a funeral home owner save his family business from a corporate behemoth, exposing a complex web of race, power, and injustice.
3’Carmen' (2023)
Directed by Benjamin Millepied
2023 saw the debut of musical filmslikeThe Color PurpleandThe Little Mermaid, which had previously been seen on stage. However,Benjamin Millepied’s new filmCarmenisan original musical loosely based on the opera of the same name.The film follows the young traveler Carmen (Melissa Barrera) and the ex-marine Aidan (Paul Mescal) as they flee from authorities within the Mexican desert.
Carmenmodernizes the classic opera with its beautiful choreographed dance numbers and a terrific score from composerNicholas Britell. Millepied does a great job at examining the characters’ emotional states through visuals alone, and relies upon the expressive physical performances by Barrera and Mescal. While it may not be a traditionally entertaining musical,Carmendeserves credit for keeping the genre feeling fresh.
2’Cassando' (2023)
Directed by Roger Ross Williams
Gael Garcia Bernalhas proven himself as an accomplished dramatic actor since his performance inPedro Almodovar’s brilliant 2004 thrillerBad Education, but he had the role of his career in this year’s biopicCassandro. The film explores the incredible true story of Saúl Armendáriz, an amateur wrestler who created the flamboyant character “Cassandro” during his performances in Mexican lucha libre wrestling matches.
Cassandrocelebrates the performative aspect of wrestling,and does a great job at showing how Armendáriz draws from his own personal experiences to craft his stage persona. The wrestling matches themselves are captured in intimate detail by director Roger Ross Williams, who explores the intricate staging that goes into each stunt. While 2023 saw the debut ofthe acclaimed wrestling dramaThe Iron Claw, wrestling fans will want to check outCassandroto see a different depiction of the sport.
1’Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant' (2023)
Directed by Guy Ritchie
While this year’sOperation Fortune: Ruse de Guerrefelt like business as usual for directorGuy Ritchie, the British filmmaker also released a surprisingly straightforward war drama that felt like an outlier within his career.Guy Ritchie’s The Covenantexplores the relationship between the American Master Sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his Afghan translator Ahmed Abdullah (Dar Salim) during an overseas operation. Although the story is fictitious,Ritchie drew from recent eventswhen creating the story.
Although Ritchie is known for his flashy dialogue and humorous action sequences,The Covenantisan earnest tribute to military veterans that underscores the importance of translators. While war dramas can be accused of being overtly nationalistic,The Covenantis able to celebrate the heroism of men like Kinely and Ahmed without lionizing violence itself. It’s well worth checking out for anyone who wants to see Ritchie try something new.
The Covenant
During the war in Afghanistan, a local interpreter risks his own life to carry an injured sergeant across miles of grueling terrain.
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