Entertainment: Best of 2023

The past year has been full of ups and downs and the entertainment industry wasn’t immune to it. After the writer’s strike and the actors’ strike, there was a period of lull in 2023 for entertainment. Luckily, we had a large backlog of movies, books, and shows to catch up to rate our Best of 2023 still!:

Movies:

Having completed my first ever 100 New Movie Challenge in 2023 there were plenty of great movies I got to experience as well as some duds. Some of the best of 2023 were:

Horror – Totally Killer (2023): It’s hard to keep up with horror and still keep it fresh. Totally Killer might not be an original concept but they found a way to make it a bit of nostalgia mixed with a modern spin. Humor and horror in the same movie but not your typical eye-rollingly bad horror.

Documentary – Angle (2023): Sports documentaries are tough unless you’re a true fan of that player or team. Sports entertainment such as the WWE is even tougher. It’s hard to follow a scripted event such as what the WWE offers and have it feel genuine. However, Angle explores everything from the Olympics to Kurt Angle’s career in the WWE and all the missteps in between. It’s a great way to pull back the curtain and see there’s more than just what you see on tv.

Comedy – Barbie (2023): 2023 was the year of Barbie. The movie was a breath of fresh air for everyone looking to get past the superhero slump lately. Not an original concept but fun, clever, witty and if you’re in on the joke it was a good time.

Drama: tick, tick… BOOM! (2021): Despite this being two years old, it was a great addition to the watched list this year. It was fun and energetic while telling a very deep and meaningful story. Great acting all around.

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Books:

The list of books was cut short by the pursuit of the movie challenge but that doesn’t cut out the good ones we read:

Lessons In Chemistry (2022): This was Barnes & Noble’s book of the year in 2022 and would go on to be a limited series by Apple TV+. Lessons In Chemistry is a look at the life and struggles of Elizabeth Zott. The story was told in a way that both felt familiar and relatable while leaning a bit more towards the female reader. Luckily the book doesn’t alienate the male audience and keeps a pace and tone that doesn’t turn you off to the content.

Be Useful: 7 Tools For Life: Arnold Schwarzenegger has done everything from bodybuilding to acting, to governor of California and this book deals with all of it. The appeal of Be Useful is a rare genuine bit of advice that doesn’t feel generic. Every bit of this book feels like it’s meant to be useful (no pun intended) instead of a regurgitated self-help book by a different author.

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Gaming:

2023 wasn’t filled with a ton of gaming but it doesn’t mean there weren’t some gems in there:

Baldurs Gate 3: If you like turn-based games based on Dungeons & Dragons then this one is for you. If you don’t, that’s a big hurdle to overcome but doesn’t mean that the entertainment value isn’t there. With a huge cast of interchangeable party members and a choice-based system that offers success rates based on dice rolls, BG3 keeps intrigue and fun constantly evolving through the story.

Spider-Man 2: Spider-Man has been a fan favorite on PlayStation for some time. Now that the second sequel was released after Spider-Man: Miles Morales, we dive right back into that world and pick up where we left off. The combat system is as fun as ever. The new wing suit adds a new wrinkle to the travel system. The huge map keeps a fresh feel as the game progresses. Never a letdown

Television:

Even with the writer’s strike, there were great moments on television this year:

The Bear: This one stepped it up a notch in the second season. Not only did it have one hell of a story queued up, but it also dove deeper into the characters you didn’t know you wanted more of. On top of having one of the most chaotic Christmas episodes of any television I’ve watched, The Bear was a pleasant surprise of 2023.

Ahsoka: If you wanted a show that gets you back into the magic of Star Wars then Ahsoka is your show. From a storytelling standpoint, it is right near the top with The Mandalorian. Of course, it helps to know the character’s backstory but if you don’t you can pretty much follow along without it. If you want to dive into it, start with The Clone Wars and work your way through the animated series.

The Last of Us: If The Walking Dead left a zombie-sized hole in your heart, The Last of Us fills it. With video game adaptations it’s hard to nail down the success of the source material but TLOU knocks it out of the park. The pace is fast but doesn’t gloss over it’s main characters. Strong leads keep you interested as well as the classic “what will happen next” around every corner.

2023 wasn’t the best year for entertainment but that doesn’t mean it was void of good content either. Will 2024 be a step up or a step back?