Well, Schmoes, as 2023 finally draws to a close, we reflect on a year full of ups and downs, thanks to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes resulting in many movies getting pushed to next year. If there is one thing for sure, there are always movies that are highly overrated and underrated by critics and fans alike. As the UnPopular Opinion Guy, I felt it was only fitting to issue my list of the movies I felt the masses got wrong. Some of these may shock you, and some may piss you off, but these are my honest-to-goodness perspective on the movies of 2023. If you disagree with any of the choices, please voice your opinion in the comments below. After all, the only opinion that really matters is yours, and I am just here to share mine.
5. Oppenheimer
Christopher Nolan is one of the best filmmakers working today, but few directors are blanketly idolized as much aside from Zack Snyder. Nolan, who has segued away from using co-writers, scripted and directed Oppenheimer, a portrait of a complex man whom the public viewed differently than those in his inner circle. With a stoic performance by Cillian Murphy, a wasted performance by Emily Blunt, an Oscar-bait turn by Robert Downey Jr, a solid turn by Matt Damon, and countless supporting players who would do anything to be in a Nolan film, Oppenheimer is unnecessarily non-linear as it shifts from color to black and white and bounces through the physicist’s life. So much was made about the recreation of the atomic bomb test using practical effects in what ended up being a big boom. Oppenheimer is a massive undertaking at three hours and impressive to look at, but it is too cold, too distant, and just not nearly as good as everyone makes it out to be.
4. John Wick: Chapter 4
At one point, Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves were poised to make two John Wick sequels back to back. Along the way, the decision was made only to make one movie and kill the title character. With the risk of an IP goldmine on the line, John Wick garnered a spin-off, Ballerina, which has yet to be released, and an atrocious prequel series, The Continental, on Peacock. That does not change the fact that Chapter 4 sends off the John Wick franchise in grand fashion; it just feels too long and underbaked simultaneously. I will not complain about the intricate action sequences nor Keanu Reeves’ dedication to making this the best film in the series, but it does not come together. The staircase sequence alone feels ten minutes too long, and the sheer number of destinations the story heads to means we have to stretch the level of credulity already strained by this franchise. It is far superior to most action movies but fails to be as good as the first two movies in the series.
3. Barbie
Barbie is a good movie. I enjoyed it. But note that this ranking calls out the most Overrated films of the year. As much fun as I had watching Barbie, to declare it worthy of a Best Picture nomination is far too generous. This is a well-scripted movie with excellent performances, namely from Ryan Gosling. Greta Gerwig directed something no one expected from a movie about a mass-produced doll, especially me, but this movie is not one of the year’s best films. A well-made satire, a funny, family-friendly comedy that appeals to all ages and genders, Barbie is exactly what a big-budget studio film should be, but that is about it. No disrespect to anyone involved as this earned the box office records it attained, but lauding it as more than that is a mistake.
2. Killers of the Flower Moon
2023 will go down as the year of movies that are too damn long. Ridley Scott’s Napoleon almost earned this spot, but Martin Scorsese’s lack of self-control allowed this fascinating true story to balloon to the untenable length of three-and-a-half hours. Lily Gladstone turns in an accomplished performance on par with Leonardo Di Caprio and Robert De Niro, but others here border on the hammy side, including Jesse Plemons and Brendan Fraser. The other glaring issue with this movie is that a film about the Osage spends so little time exploring them beyond a superficial level. Killers of the Flower Moon is overlong and not nearly as searing as it wants to be.
1. M3GAN
How did this movie become a thing? A perfect example of the YouTube/TikTok-ization of pop culture, the thirty-second sequence of M3GAN dancing provocatively before going on a killing spree is the material that memes are made of. Still, it does not make a solid movie. M3GAN is one of the most predictable horror movies ever that is neither scary nor original. Swapping Chucky for a life-sized AI doll, M3GAN played on fears of artificial intelligence but did so without a sense of humor or true fear. Now that Blumhouse is marketing every project as being “from the producers of M3GAN” and a sequel on the way, we will likely see tons of copycats for years to come rather than an actual good idea worthy of a big screen platform.
Let us know what you think of these picks in the comments below. Also, let us know your most overrated movies of the past year!