The 20 Best Movies of 2023 So Far

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor
and Keith Kimbell, Metacritic Film Editor – July 1, 2023

Which films impressed critics during the first half of the year? In the gallery on this page we rank the highest-scoring movies debuting in theaters (or straight to VOD/streaming) between January 1, 2023 and June 30, 2023. Titles are ranked by their Metascores as of June 30, 2023 and must have a minimum of 7 reviews from professional critics to be eligible for inclusion.

14 of 21 photo by Columbia Pictures

86Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

(#7) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a popular choice when it won Best Animated Feature Film at the 2019 Academy Awards. In this first sequel to that beloved hit, Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) returns in a new multiverse adventure with Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) and a slew of new Spider-People. Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson from a script by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and David Callaham, this epic adventure finds Brooklyn’s own friendly neighborhood Spider-Man facing off against The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) and a few of his Spider-Pals, including Oscar Isaac’s Miguel O’Hara.

Across the Spider-Verse is now playing in theaters on at least one version of Earth. A sequel, Beyond the Spider-Verse, is tentatively scheduled for aa March 2024 release, though a delay is becoming increasingly likely.

“There’s not a frame of this rich, kaleidoscopically detailed animation that isn’t dazzling.” —Wendy Ide, The Observer

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