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.

2 of 21 photo by ARRAY Releasing

82Mars One

(#19) A streaming exclusive from Ava DuVernay's ARRAY Releasing, the Brazilian melodrama Mars One follows a lower-middle-class Black family in Brazil whose members attempt to retain their optimism about the future despite the recent arrival of a far-right extremist government. (The title comes from the storyline involving the young son, who is encouraged by his father to advance his soccer skills but instead dreams of someday joining a mission to colonize Mars.) Critics think it's a well-executed slice-of-life tale.

Stream it now on Netflix.

“Insightful, kind and exceptionally well-acted, [Mars One] reminds its characters that they’ll find what they need if they just keep looking.” —Shayna Maci Warner, Paste

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