20 Best Movies Of 2023

The best film of 2023, Celine Song's remarkable debut Past Lives continues this year's recurring theme of reunions and fateful human connection with such delicacy, authenticity and tenderness that its inevitable farewell still leaves you reeling long after the credits have finished rolling.

The story of two childhood sweethearts (Greta Lee and Teo Yoo) who are separated by relocations, careers and marriage, Song's romantic-drama takes a deep dive into what it means to reconnect with people you no longer know, and consider paths not taken - for better and for worse.

Seamlessly directed and emotionally amplified by an evocative musical score, Past Lives serves as a stunning examination of unconditional friendship and love, complete with poetic imagery and one of the year's finest performances courtesy of Lee. A hopeful but heart-wrenching journey, it's also this year's magnum opus.