2023 Wrap Up

2023 has been an incredible year for cinema.

I feel like this was the year that found us return to cinema in full force. Some could say that was all thanks to Barbenheimer. The way in which literally everyone from all over the world took part in this monumental occasion by dressing up and doing double features for each film – I don’t think we will ever have anything like it again.

2023 was also the year that saw me reach one thousand followers on Instagram. What a highlight that was! And though I’ve been stuck at the same number now for the past few months, I absolutely love writing these reviews. Credits Rolling has been a safe haven for me and I would be lost without it.

As I look back on this year, here are my top five best and worst films:

Best:

  1. Barbie
  2. Saltburn
  3. Past Lives
  4. Oppenheimer
  5. Banshees of Inisherin

Worst:

  1. The Outlaws
  2. Murder Mystery 2
  3. Heart of Stone
  4. Your Place Or Mine
  5. The Marvels

Saltburn

Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) is struggling to find his place when he starts at Oxford University. Soon he meets Felix, (Jacob Elordi) who with his good looks and wealth is everything that Oliver is not. When the two strike up a friendship, Felix invites Oliver to spend the summer with him at his family’s estate for the summer.

Never have I ever been so engrossed while watching a film, but that is what happened with Saltburn. It took me on a journey from the very beginning and did not let up for one single moment. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the rug was pulled from underneath me. As the story unfolded, the events got crazier and more deranged, but I mean that in the best way possible.

Emerald Fennell is a visionary. I was such a fan of her debut Promising Young Woman; she made it known right off the bat that she wasn’t afraid to push the envelope and I couldn’t wait to see what she’d do next. I just had no idea she was capable of this.

The script is punchy with many jokes thrown in. They all land, thanks to the amazing delivery of the cast. Keoghan has proven time and time again that he is an absolute star. The places he took Oliver to were otherworldly and I have to commend him. I was pleasantly surprised by Elordi as well. Not only did he have the role of heartthrob down pat, he added that extra ounce of humanity to the character that made you give a shit.

The film would be nothing without its supporting cast, all of who knocked it out of the park. Richard E. Grant, Rosamund Pike and Alison Oliver make up the rest of the Catton clan. Their chemistry is impeccable and they each brought something unique to the table. I loved the addition of Carey Mulligan as the slightly unstable family friend too.

Saltburn is like a rollercoaster you don’t want to get off of. It is insane and didn’t hold anything back, but that is what I loved about it. Not knowing where it was going to go was refreshing and I never wanted the experience to end.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️