Todd Haynes’s May December, Kelly Reichardt’s Showing Up, and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon claimed the top spots among films released in the U.S. in 2023 on Film Comment’s annual end-of-year survey. Of the films that screened at festivals worldwide but have not yet announced stateside distribution, Eduardo Williams’s The Human Surge 3, Lisandro Alonso’s Eureka, and Víctor Erice’s Close Your Eyes received top rankings.

“It speaks to the ongoing vitality of cinema as an art form, as well as the discernment of our critics in the year of ‘Barbenheimer,’ that this year’s top films represent some of the most boundary-pushing, complex movies of recent times—three new classics from contemporary masters,” said Film Comment’s Co-Editor Krute.

“It’s invigorating to see so many independent films that boldly deny the conventions of narrative and nonfiction cinema—including Cyril Schäublin’s Unrest, Joana Pimenta and Adirley Queirós’s Dry Ground Burning, and Alain Gomis’s Rewind & Play—land in the Top 20, not to mention the wonderfully inventive gems in our undistributed list,” said Film Comment’s Co-Editor Girish. “It’s reassuring for the future of not only cinema, but also criticism to see these titles emerge as the consensus picks of more than 100 critics!”

Film Comment’s Top 20 Films Released in 2023

1. May December Todd Haynes, U.S.
2. Showing Up Kelly Reichardt, U.S.
3. Killers of the Flower Moon Martin Scorsese, U.S.
4. Fallen Leaves Aki Kaurismäki, Finland
5. Pacifiction Albert Serra, France/Spain/Germany/Portugal
6. Anatomy of a Fall Justine Triet, France
7. Afire Christian Petzold, Germany
8. The Zone of Interest Jonathan Glazer, U.K./U.S./Poland
9. Unrest Cyril Schäublin, Switzerland
10. Our Body Claire Simon, France
11. Dry Ground Burning Joana Pimenta and Adirley Queirós, Brazil
12. Passages Ira Sachs, France
13. Trenque Lauquen Laura Citarella, Argentina
14. Orlando, My Political Biography Paul B. Preciado, France
15. De Humani Corporis Fabrica Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor, France/Switzerland/U.S.
16. Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros Frederick Wiseman, France/U.S.
17. Youth (Spring) Wang Bing, France/Luxembourg/Netherlands
18. Asteroid City Wes Anderson, U.S.
19. Rewind & Play Alain Gomis, France/Germany
20. The Boy and the Heron Hayao Miyazaki, Japan

Film Comment’s Top 10 Undistributed Films of 2023

1. The Human Surge 3 Eduardo Williams, Argentina/Portugal/Netherlands/Taiwan/Brazil/Hong Kong/Sri Lanka/Peru
2. Eureka Lisandro Alonso, Argentina/France/Portugal
3. Close Your Eyes Víctor Erice, Spain
4. ALLENSWORTH James Benning, U.S.
5. Gush Fox Maxy, U.S.
6. Nowhere Near Miko Revereza, U.S./Philippines
7. The Plough Philippe Garrel, France
8. La práctica Martín Rejtman, Argentina/Chile/Germany/Portugal
9. About Thirty Martín Shanly, Argentina
10. Samsara Lois Patiño, Spain