10 Best Films 2023: Sam Sewell-Peterson
2. Rye Lane
Sometimes the best way to make an impact beyond a charming cast is to go small and firmly root your story in a recognisable locale (in this case South London). Hardly any modern romcoms are as romantic, funny and full of life as Rye Lane.
A chance meeting in a club bathroom sees two lost souls find each other following all-time bad breakups. Dom (David Jonsson) and Yas (Vivian Oparah) spend a day trekking across South London trying to salvage something, anything from their respective romantic traumas, but of course end up realising they already have what they truly desire in each other.
A few of the more memorable scenes along the way – Dom’s disastrous Spotify shuffle game at a cool barbecue and Yas’s “people who don’t wave at boats” rule – are destined for iconic status, and in the hands of Jonsson and Oparah the pair make for charming, lovable company over a brisk 80 minutes. Raine Allen-Miller’s feature debut marks her as one to watch, highlighting the stories of distinct British communities and subcultures with wit, a big heart, and a really distinct visual flair.
1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Review
How often do sequels to truly game-changing smash hit films actually deliver? They Empire Strikes Back-ed Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse with this much darker, more expansive and character-driven second instalment that leaves you frankly famished for the final chapter due next year.
If the first film was “anyone can be Spider-Man”, then this is “can (and should) Spider-Man save everyone?”. 2 years after several very different Spider-people crossed over to the world of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and he took the leap of faith to become a hero, the return of Gwen Stacey / Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld) and the actions of supervillain The Spot (Jason Schwartzman) leads Miles to encounter the fanatical Spider-Man 2099 / Miguel O’Hara’s (Oscar Isaac) Spider-Society and begins a battle to save the multiverse.
One watch cannot do real justice to this audacious animated epic; the sheer volume of information conveyed and number of deep-cut references and gags can almost overwhelm you. This is one of the greats, from the endless invention of the visuals (Gwen’s empathetic watercolour world being a particular highlight) to the fearless plot swings, you still never lose track of who these heroes are and what makes them super. The first Spider-Verse was the superhero movie and the groundbreaking piece of animation to beat five years ago, and this has done it all over again.
Recommended for you: 10 Best Films 2022: Sam Sewell-Peterson
The film industry has had another uncertain year, and this time much of the damage was self-inflicted by the avaricious executive class in charge of what gets made and what gets sacrificed in the name of money. Despite this adversity, those that really care about film as an art form and a way to make a decent living stood firm, and some powerful, revolutionary and fascinating movies (particularly in the indie and arthouse spaces) were released and embraced by grateful audiences. Please let 2024 be a return to normality for an industry in dire need of stability.
