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.

9 of 21 photo by Lionsgate/Dana Hawley

84Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

(#12) It's a bit surprising that it took this long for cinema to give us an adaptation of Judy Blume's classic (and oft-censored) 1970 coming-of-age novel, but with results this good it was worth the wait. Writer-director Kelly Freeman Craig previously demonstrated her deft touch with young adult storylines with her 2016 film The Edge of Seventeen, and once again she expertly blends comedy and candor in this tale of sixth-grader Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson), whose mother Barbara (Rachel McAdams) is Christian and father, Herbert (Benny Safdie), is Jewish. As Margaret explores her religious identity, she makes friends and forms a club called the Pre-Teen Sensations, where they all discuss boys, bras, and menstruation.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret is available to purchase from digital services and may still be found in theaters in some markets.

“Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret isn’t just the best Blume adaptation currently available, it’s also an instant classic of the coming-of-age genre, a warm, witty, incredibly inspiring film that is already one of the year’s best.” —Kate Erbland, IndieWire

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