(Photo by MGM/courtesy Everett Collection.)
Welcome to the best new movies of 2023, where you can discover the latest films championed by the critics community! Every movie on the list is Certified Fresh, meaning they held on to a Tomatometer score of at least 75{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6} after a minimum number of critics review — 40 for limited or streaming releases, 80 for wide theatrical releases, with five of those reviews coming from Top Critics.
The year started off strong with successive surprise genre hits in January, like M3GAN (from Blumhouse), Plane (starring Gerard Butler), Missing, and Infinity Pool (see the best horror movies of 2023). Notably, no wide release in February went Certified Fresh, plus we saw misfires from the normally reliable Steven Soderbergh (Magic Mike’s Last Dance) and Marvel Studios (Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania).
Check back every week for the latest best new movies of 2023! —Alex Vo
#1
Adjusted Score: 103241{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: A bone-chilling body horror, Huesera offers genre fans a twisted take on What to Expect When You’re Expecting.
#2
Adjusted Score: 100119{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: Led by Laure Calamy’s gripping performance, Full Time serves as a sobering reminder that just staying financially afloat can sometimes feel like a white-knuckle thriller.
#3
Adjusted Score: 101464{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: A gut-punching contemplation of a woman’s immigrant experience, Saint Omer puts a mother on the stand and the audience in the jury box to find humanity in the inhumane.
#4
Adjusted Score: 96451{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: A possession thriller that knows the devil’s in the details, Attachment scares some fresh angles out of a well-worn horror subgenre.
#5
Adjusted Score: 95264{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: After Love marks an impressively nuanced feature debut for writer-director Aleem Khan — and a brilliant showcase for Joanna Scanlan’s dramatic chops.
#6
Adjusted Score: 113363{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: Unapologetically silly and all the more entertaining for it, M3GAN is the rare horror-comedy that delivers chuckles as effortlessly as chills.
#7
Adjusted Score: 95220{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: Packing a lot into its brief runtime, Jethica anchors its supernatural thrills with the serious story of a truly terrifying stalker.
#8
Adjusted Score: 96498{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: Juniper‘s story offers few surprises — and it doesn’t need any, with Charlotte Rampling holding the viewer rapt from start to finish.
#9
Adjusted Score: 93349{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: While it may lack a narrative punch, Alcarràs captures this rural world and its heritage with a gripping sense of nostalgia for things forever gone.
#10
Adjusted Score: 96494{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: With a bracingly irreverent approach to its story and Emma Mackey bringing Brontë vibrantly to life, Emily is a biopic that manages to feel true while taking entertaining creative liberties.
#11
Adjusted Score: 101265{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: Stepping out from Rocky Balboa’s iconic shadow at last, the Creed franchise reasserts its champion status thanks to star Michael B. Jordan’s punchy direction and a nuanced heel turn by Jonathan Majors.
#12
Adjusted Score: 98396{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: Turbulent waters even for strong swimmers, Infinity Pool provides a visceral all-inclusive retreat of Cronenbergian perversion for those wanting to escape commercial sundries.
#13
Adjusted Score: 95610{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: Missing can strain credulity in its efforts to keep the audience guessing, but a fast pace and relatable fears keep this twisty techno-thriller from completely losing its way.
#14
Adjusted Score: 89902{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: While it may not belong in the upper ranks of cinematic queer love stories, Of an Age is a moving romance elevated by powerhouse performances.
#15
Adjusted Score: 89104{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: Smart, self-aware, and all too timely, this slasher co-written by Kevin Williamson is Sick in all the best ways.
#16
Adjusted Score: 88655{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: Narratively sparse and visually vast, Pacifiction is a tsunami of a political thriller that philosophically rewards those willing to weather it.
#17
Adjusted Score: 83250{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: A solid showcase for Jim Gaffigan as well as a sneakily ambitious dramedy, Linoleum adds another impressive entry to writer-director Colin West’s filmography.
#18
Adjusted Score: 81005{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: Within the outline of its fairly standard story, The Offering puts a unique — and often genuinely scary — spin on demonic possession horror tropes.
#19
Adjusted Score: 87341{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6}
Critics Consensus: Plane charts a standard action-adventure course with its cruising altitude just a few miles above Direct-to-Video — but with Gerard Butler in the cockpit, thriller enthusiasts will still find this a fun flight.
