amigos movie review 2023

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REVIEW: “Amigos” (2023)

Doppelgänger [noun] – an apparition or double of a living person . That’s a fitting and essential definition to keep in mind as you watch “Amigos”, the new Teluga-language thriller written and directed by Rajendra Reddy. It’s a slow-starting two-sided movie that takes some time to gain its footing. But once it does, Reddy and his hard-working star Nandamuri Kalyan Ram put together a tensely entertaining second half that ultimately ends up saving the day.

While the very core of its premise is undeniably silly, that doesn’t mean there isn’t fun to be had. Reddy goes all-in with his doppelgänger idea which (to be fair) is the only way to tell a story like this. There are a lot of things that don’t make sense, and there are just as many questions it’s best not to ask. But as the story uncoils and the reveals stack up, those things become easier to look past.

Ram plays Siddharth, a regular Joe who lives with his tight-knit family in Hyderabad. He’s smitten with a local DJ named Ishika (played by Ashika Ranganath). The problem is she’ll only marry a man who can pass her very specific (and seemingly impossible) test. Reddy devotes much of the first half of his movie to Siddharth’s playful (and sometimes downright silly) pursuit of the girl of his dreams.

Siddharth gets wind of a popular new social website (doppel.com of course) that connects people with their doppelgängers from around the world. Siddharth is immediately matched with Manjunath, a meek and kind-hearted computer programmer from Bengaluru. Just as the two are planning to meet, the website finds another match – the quieter, more stoic Michael from Kolkata. The three have a meet-up in Goa and hit it off. Soon Manjunath and Michael are helping Siddharth win the heart of Ishika.

The story’s big twist kicks off a second half that gives the proceedings a welcomed burst of energy. Without spoiling too much, let’s just say Michael isn’t quite who he claims to be. His real name is Bipin Roy and he’s a notorious gun runner and arms dealer who’s wanted by the NIA (National Investigation Agency). And he didn’t come to Hyderabad just to meet his two lookalikes. His motivations are much more sinister, and Reddy reveals them while steadily ratcheting up the tension.

The shift from the light and playful first half of the movie to the grittier and more violent second isn’t seamless, and it takes some adjusting. And not just in terms of tone, but also with the characters (most notably Michael). But Reddy does a good job building up to his big finish, to the point that we don’t have a lot of time to think about the sometimes corny first half antics. The bursts of stylish yet fittingly brutal action help too, although some of the style choices (like the occasional dizzying frame rate stutter or the vehicles zipping around at 1.5X speed) can be more distracting than exciting.

As for Ram and his wild three-headed performance, he certainly seems to be having a good time playing the everyday guy Siddharth, the nerdy bespectacled Manjunath, and the moodier Michael. Of the three, he really sinks his teeth into Michael who is by far the most fun and interesting. “ An Indian Pablo Escobar ,” he’s called and the film is at its best when we’re watching him live up to that title. It helps us to get past some of the shakier moments. “Amigos” is now showing in select theaters.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

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3 thoughts on “ review: “amigos” (2023) ”.

Estaré atento a tu reseña de Los Wiggles.

I can feel your opinion about this movie. Slow starting films are always annoying.

Most definitely. I really wanted to score it a little higher because it does pick up at the halfway mark.

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Where to Watch

Brahmaji (Siddharth's Uncle) Nithin Prasanna (Charlie) Nandamuri Kalyan Ram (Siddharth) Ashika Ranganath (Ishika) Sapthagiri

Rajendra Reddy

Three nearly-identical men become fast friends after meeting via an online doppelgänger-finding app. It's all fun and games until one of them turns out to be a notorious fugitive.

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'Amigos' review: Thrills more as an idea than a film

Amigos opens with its climactic scene. We see two bruised Kalyan Rams facing off each other on a dark night. One of them manages to get hold of the gun and shoots the other. The catch here is, we have no clue about the identities of these people. Did the evil Kalyan shoot the good Kalyan or the other way around? We have to sit through—in this case, endure—the whole film to reach there.

The film directed, directed by Rajendra Reddy, has a thrilling idea at its core. Siddharth (he’s the hero of the story, let’s call him the ‘good guy’ for better understanding) is fascinated to find his doppelganger. Before we come to this point, we are fed information about doppelgangers twice—during the opening credits and a painfully verbal exposition by a nameless character played by Sapthagari.

So when Siddharth comes across a website that lets one find their lookalike, he quickly manages to get in touch with two of his doppelgangers and they plan to meet in Goa. One of them is the clean-shaven, formally dressed Manjunath ‘Manju’ Hegde (let us call him the ‘meek guy’) and the other is Michael (he is the ‘bad guy’), who walks into the low-angle frame in slow-mo with a cigar.

The central conflict in the film and about the film is that Siddarth and Manju fail to recognise the fact that Michael is the bad guy. While the good guy and the meek guy remain oblivious to the bad guy’s cruel intentions, the screenplay spends a good chunk of time on a cliched rom-com angle featuring Ashika Ranganath and a puzzle to get to her heart that you know has been planted to spin a comic moment out of the triple role facet.

It’s only at the halfway mark that the other two characters learn the true side of Michael, whom we have known for all the while as a bad guy on a mission that endangers Siddharth and Manjunath. This is perhaps why we barely feel any shock when this reveal drops. And while Kalyan Ram is neat as the good guy and the meek guy, his performance as Michael renders this evil character caricaturish, with a serious voice and a persistent smug expression that screams ‘evil’. What made the actor intimidating in Bimbisara is clearly missing here.

All the issues with Amigos can be traced to its weak and predictable screenplay. For example, the dog coming to the rescue in the climax of HIT 2 works beautifully because this scene has been set up so subtly somewhere in the first act. In Amigos, however, when information is being given out, we can discern that the only purpose of the scene is to set up another moment. Here, a vegetable, yes, you heard that right, is used as a key plot point and we know that this vegetable will serve a purpose later in the film.

Moreover, we barely feel the stakes and the menace of the ‘bad guy’, even when people are killed and important characters are in grave danger because we are never truly invested in them. Siddharth’s father, mother, and sister are as lively as the cardboard stand-ins of the film placed outside the theatre I watched the film in. The mother wants her son to get married, the playful sister pulls pranks on her brother and the father… I don’t even remember; such is the genericness in writing. It is not that the artificiality in writing is restricted to the lighter portions.

Even serious angles in the film are treated in a generic way. We are told that NIA (National Intelligence Agency, I assumed) is after Michael and you cannot help but laugh at their inefficiency. We are informed about the NIA’s arrival with on-screen text that reads, ‘NIA team landed in Hyderabad’ as we see a flight land. In the end, the bad guy is caught, handcuffed and escorted by armed ‘agents’ in a convoy. He manages to destroy the entire convoy single-handedly. While we, as the audience, are willing to suspend our disbelief, I wish they at least tried to make it believable.

One can only imagine the fun this idea about lookalikes could have spawned. From comedy to thrills, the possibilities are endless. Amigos do try, but it leaves you craving the inventiveness the film deserved. Amigos is yet another reminder that having an exciting idea doesn’t suffice. One needs an equally strong screenplay to propel the film as a whole narrative.

Cast: Nandamuri Kalyan Ram, Ashika Ranganath, Brahmaji Director: Rajendra Reddy

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Amigos Movie Review

Article by Suman M Published by GulteDesk --> Published on: 11:03 am, 10 February 2023

2 hr 19 Mins   |   Action   |   10-02-2023

Cast - Nandamuri Kalyan Ram, Ashika Ranganath

Director - Rajendra Reddy

Producer - Naveen yerneni, Y Ravi Shankar

Banner - Mythri Movie Makers

Music - Ghibran

Kalyan Ram enjoyed a big success with the fantasy-action film Bimbisara wherein he appeared in a dual role. With a penchant for a variety of concept films, Kalyan Ram came up with yet another film Amigos, and this time he played a triple role based on doppelgangers. The movie was released today. Let us walk into the review.

What Is It About?

Siddharth (Kalyan Ram) is an ordinary young man who learns about doppelgangers and searches if there are any for him. To his surprise, he finds two lookalikes of him, Manjunath (Kalyan Ram), and Michael (also Kalyan Ram). They all meet and become good friends, but one of them meets them with bad intentions. Who is that and what are his plans? How did the other two escape his master plan? The answers to these questions are all about Amigos.

Performances

Kalyan Ram appeared in three roles and he tried his best to show variations from one another. The idea of doppelgangers is having a stark resemblance but not exactly the same. So the director chose to separate them with unique qualities from the way of speaking, mannerisms, and even a ‘tiny’ change in physical appearance, which is apt. Kalyan Ram completely leads the show and he did a perfect job. The heroine Ashika Ranganath and Brahmaji support him when needed. Others are adequate in their respective roles.

Technicalities

Narrating a story with the triple role is challenging. The director has gone for a plain narration most of the time to keep it less complicated and less confusing. The visual effects are good but could have been better to make the three characters’ presence much more lively. The background music is mostly the same throughout the film and it is passable. The remix song ‘Enno Ratrulostayi’ is good. Ashika Ranganath looked ravishing in the song. Cinematography is good.

Kalyan Ram Unique Concept

Thumbs Down

Romantic track First Half Partly predictable

We have seen umpteen stories of twins or triplets being misplaced when born and later meeting up to fight against a common villain. Amigos has the triple role, but not the routine triplet concept. The director executed an exceptional idea of doppelgangers from different backgrounds meeting in one place.

The first half has the three characters introduced well, but the story slows down with the romantic track and comedy mostly. The actual plot is kept for the second half but the narrative gets sloppy meanwhile. The actual plot takes off with the interval block. The turn in the tale begins only with the interval and it was done well with a series of hints and guesses popping up.

The second half will dive into the baddie’s agenda but only after the introduction of his routine ‘gangsta’ background. The cat-and-mouse game between the trio has some decent twists, but the extreme thrill factor is missing for most of it. The director preferred to narrate it without complexity and confusion, but it left some of the scenes predictable.

The conflict between the protagonist and the evil doppelganger has engaging episodes. The climax action block is well-made. Like any other recent movie, Amigos also has got a cliffhanging twist in the end.

When the concept of doppelgangers is unique, the director could have maintained the freshness by avoiding the formula writing of characters like a normal guy having one innocent, and one ruthless lookalike. At times, the characters remind that of NTR’s Jai Lava Kusa. Also, an elite force like NIA failing to identify a doppelganger is unconvincing.

Overall, Amigos has a different concept and a fresh approach for a protagonist in a triple role. Other than few twists this fails to thrill on the whole.

Bottomline : Good Concept Lacks Thrill

Rating: 2.5/5

Tags Amigos Hot Telugu Movie Review Telugu review

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Release Date : February 10, 2023

123telugu.com Rating : 2.75/5

Starring: Kalyan Ram, Ashika Ranganath, Brahmaji, Sapthagiri & Others

Director: Rajendra Reddy

Producers: Y. Ravi Shankar, Naveen Yerneni

Music Director: Ghibran

Cinematography: S. Soundar Rajan

Editor: Tammiraju

Related Links : Trailer

After scoring his biggest hit, Nandamuri Kalyan Ram is back with another concept-oriented film titled Amigos. As Kalyan Ram is playing a triple role, there is a good buzz around the film. Directed by debutant Rajendra Reddy and produced by Mythri Movie Makers, the film has hit the screens today. So let’s see how it is.

Siddharth (Kalyan Ram) who lives in Hyderabad, is fascinated by the concept of doppelgangers (lookalikes). He keeps searching for his lookalikes, and much to his surprise, he finds not one but two of them (Manjunath Hegde & Michael). Soon the three meet and Siddharth takes the help of the other two to make Ishika (Ashika Ranganath) fall for him. When everything is going well, Siddharth and Manjunath get to know the unknown side of Michael, which shocks them. Who is this Michael? What is his backstory? What did Siddharth and Manjunath do after knowing about Michael? The film has the answers.

Plus Points:

From start to finish it is all Kalyan Ram’s show. Kalyan Ram has got a lion’s share of the screen time as he is seen almost in every frame of the film. It isn’t easy to play a triple role but Kalyan Ram has done the job effortlessly. It is important that an actor has to show variations while playing roles of this sort, and Kalyan Ram’s act was nothing short of brilliance. Amigos is undoubtedly one of the best performances by Kalyan Ram. The actor is ruthless as Michael, innocent as Manjunath, and shows subtleness as Siddharth.

The film has a few interesting moments and the proceedings are a bit fast in the second half. A tense atmosphere is nicely created between the antagonist and the protagonist’s family. Scenes that come in this regard are well-knitted and fairly engaging.

The placement of Enno Ratrulosthayi song is good and brings in much-required relief in this seriously driven action drama. Ashika Ranganath makes a decent debut in Tollywood. She looked gorgeous and performed well in her limited role. Brahmaji ably supported Kalyan Ram and he evokes a few laughs. Jaya Prakash is decent.

Minus Points:

The concept of doppelgangers itself is very interesting but the makers didn’t come up with an engaging screenplay More drama could have been created around the film’s core point to elevate the proceedings. But that didn’t happen with Amigos.

There are interesting moments here and there but they are again short-lived. The film’s narrative is middling throughout and the entire first half is boring with slow pacing. The concept is introduced fairly but then the graph dips suddenly and picks up only in the second half. There isn’t anything exciting that happens in the first hour and the interval bang is weak.

There aren’t any twists and turns and the movie becomes predictable after a point in time. The way the NIA is showcased is pretty bad and many times they keep failing to catch hold of a dreadful criminal. This kind of film needs sharp editing and an effective background score but sadly these two aspects were not on the expected lines.

Technical Aspects:

It is surprising to see this kind of inferior work from Ghibran. More care should have been taken regarding the background score to enhance the impact. The cinematography by Soundar Rajan is good and so is the case with production values. The makers didn’t compromise on the quality.

The editing could have been far better and the entire first half needed some heavy corrections. Coming to the debutant director, Rajendra Reddy, he has done an okayish job with the film. He was successful in picking up a fascinating concept and his casting was also perfect. But the issues in writing played a spoilsport. What otherwise could have been a very good thriller ended up being just an okay flick due to the substandard screenplay.

On the whole, Amigos works to an extent and highly benefits from the excellent performance of Kalyan Ram. Ashika, Brahmaji, and others justified their roles. The film actually had more scope but it wasn’t utilized to the full extent. The film has a decent second half and a below-par first half. Hence Amigos ends up being a just okay watch this weekend.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

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Amigos Review: Dull Doppelganger

Movie: Amigos Rating: 2.25/5   Banner: Mythri Movie Makers Cast: Kalyan Ram, Ashika Ranganath, Saptagiri, Brahmaji and others Music: Ghibran Cinematographer: Sounder Rajan Editing: Tammiraju Art: Avinash Kolla Producers: Naveen Yerneni and Y Ravi Shankar Written and Directed by: Rajendra Reddy Release Date: Feb 10, 2023

In the wake of Bimbisara's massive success, Kalyan Ram's movies became all the rage. The trailer for "Amigos" has piqued interest thanks to the intriguing premise of a doppelganger.

Let's find out its merits and demerits.

Story Siddharth (played by Kalyan Ram) is immediately smitten with Ishika (played by Ashika Ranganath), a radio host. After Siddharth's family contacts Ishika's family, a "pelli choopulu" (meeting of the families) is arranged. Despite this, Ishika turns down Siddharth's proposal because she would only consider marrying a man if he passes a test she created.

Meanwhile, Siddharth learns of a website that tracks down doppelgangers and, after searching for his own lookalike, he discovers not one, but two people who are strikingly similar to him: Michael from Kolkata and Manjunath from Bengaluru. In an effort to pass Ishika's test, Siddharth approaches them for help.

However, Siddharth does not realize until later that Michael is impersonating him. This raises the question: why is Michael posing as Siddharth? What is his sinister plan?

Artistes’ Performances: In his last film, Bimbisara, Kalyan Ram played two distinct roles. He goes one step further and gets to play three different characters here. There isn't much to say about his two positive roles, Siddharth and Manjunath, but he shines as the negative character Michael. Throughout the film, we only see Kalyan Ram, and he carries the film.

Ashika Ranganath's Telugu debut is adequate.

Brahmaji as Kalyan Ram’s uncle provides some laughs. JP as Kalyan Ram’s father gets some scenes worth noting.

Technical Excellence: The cinematography is impressive. There are two songs, one is the remix of “Enno Ratrulostayigani”. Background score is very bad.

Highlights: The concept of three lookalikes

Drawback: Flat narration Lack of high moments Second half

Analysis Regardless of the outcome of his efforts, Nandamuri Kalyan Ram never stops trying to surprise and delight his fans. Last year, his attempt to play an evil king in the time-travel thriller "Bimbisara" was a massive success. This time, he utilized the doppelganger concept to play three different characters.

The concept of "lookalikes" has existed for a while, and the Telugu film industry has been attempting to tell such stories since at least the days when Kalyan Ram's grandfather played a dual role in "Ramudu Bheemudu." However, the new director, Rajendra Reddy, brings a fresh take to this by incorporating the use of the Internet to find one's doppelganger.

The premise of the film appears promising. Despite the hero playing three similar roles, the screenplay is clear, and the director has been successful in explaining the concept of doppelgangers meeting through a website in the first half of the film, which is primarily devoted to the main character's love story.

However, the film lacks thrilling moments. The main plot twist appears in the second half of the film, but it fails to generate any excitement. The proceedings are not engaging. When the story reaches its main point, it becomes even more apparent that there are many logical problems. This is another Telugu film that portrays NIA officers as a group of buffoons.

With the exception of Michael, Kalyan Ram did not put much effort into portraying the other two characters, and they are also dull. The film feels repetitive as Kalyan Ram appears as one or more characters 90% of the time.

Overall, the film has only an intriguing premise going for it, but it offers nothing more. The narration is mostly dull and the film drags on for too long.

Bottom line: Not Exciting

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Tags: Amigos Amigos Review Amigos Movie Review Amigos Telugu Movie Review Amigos Rating Amigos Movie Rating Amigos Telugu Movie Rating

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Amigos Movie Review: Kalyan Ram movie has a good storyline, marred by faulty execution

Kalyan ram played a double role in bimbisara and delivered a blockbuster, and in amigos, he tries to do a triple role. the rajendra reddy film had a good premise but its execution was below the mark, says our review..

Listen to Story

• Michael, Manju and Siddhu are three friends (amigos) in the film.
• Kalyan Ram plays all three roles.
• There is no chemistry between Ishika and Siddhu.

Release Date: 10 Feb, 2023

Movies about doppelgangers are not new in Hollywood as we have seen in The Double or Enemy. But it is an interesting concept for a Telugu film where we find not two but three lookalikes who are extremely different from each other and yet connected irrevocably per chance. Written and directed by Rajendra Reddy, Amigos stars Nandamuri Kalyan Ram, Ashika Ranganath, Bhramaji, Saptagiri and others. And Kalyan Ram acts in a triple role in this film, starring as the three amigos (friends).

The director introduces us to Siddharth aka Siddhu (Kalyan Ram) who is a happy-go-lucky guy in Hyderabad waiting to meet the woman of his dreams. He coincidentally meets Ishika (Ashika) and falls in love with her and is set on marrying her. His parents and he go to formally ask for her hand in marriage and she ends up rejecting his proposal.

A dejected Siddhu is wondering how to win her over when he learns about doppelgangers and finds out that there is not one but two more guys – Manjunath (Kalyan Ram) from Bengaluru and Michael (Kalyan Ram) from Kolkata - who look exactly like him! The three meet up in Goa, become friends (Amigos) and that’s when it strikes Siddhu how he can win Ishika over. A plan is hatched, Ishika is won over and the two get engaged. But that’s precisely when trouble starts for the three amigos. One of them is the most wanted criminal - an Indian Pablo Escobar at that. Why does Michael want Siddhu in jail? Is the criminal caught by the National Investigation Agency?

At the outset, the storyline is interesting and, seeing the success of playing dual roles in Bimbisara, Kalyan Ram has gone the extra mile and played a third role in this Amigos. Director Rajendra Reddy has tried to give all three men – Manju, Michael and Siddhu – different characterisations, but he has succeeded the most only with Michael, who has come scope for performance.

The first half of the film is spent creating meet cute situations between Ishika and Siddhu and stretched with unnecessary scenes involving the families, Ishika’s job as RJ and so on. There’s just no chemistry between Ishika and Siddhu and their romance is insipid. It’s only when Manju and Michael enter that there is some life to the film, but then again, the cliched scenes and dialogues, that are liberally sprinkled, kill the momentum. Sample this - a hardened criminal who doesn’t think twice about killing people is shown as someone who spends copious amounts of time trying to help a man ‘patao’ his girlfriend. Like really.

As we near the climax, it just becomes too long drawn and Kalyan Ram is not enough to save the film. If Rajendra Reddy had written this story better, it would have been a very good film.

Music director Ghibran has done an OK job, as has the cinematographer, S Soundar Rajan. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers, who have had some blockbusters recently, Amigos is a disappointment. Kalyan Ram aces the role of Michael but, in his love for experimentation, hope he doesn't do too many negative roles successively.

Amigos released on February 10 and is running in theatres.

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• What is the release date of 'Amigos'? Release date of Nandamuri Kalyanram and Ashika Ranganath starrer 'Amigos' is 2023-03-10.
• Who are the actors in 'Amigos'? 'Amigos' star cast includes Nandamuri Kalyanram and Ashika Ranganath.
• Who is the director of 'Amigos'? 'Amigos' is directed by Reddy Rajendra P.
• What is Genre of 'Amigos'? 'Amigos' belongs to 'Action,Thriller' genre.
• In Which Languages is 'Amigos' releasing? 'Amigos' is releasing in Telugu.

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Amigos: Release Date, Trailer, Songs, Cast

• Release Date 10 February 2023
• Language Telugu
• Genre Action, Thriller
• Cast Nandamuri Kalyan Ram, Ashika Ranganath, Brahmaji, Sapthagiri
• Director Rajendra Reddy
• Writer Rajendra Reddy
• Cinematography S. Soundar Rajan
• Music Ghibran
• Producer Naveen Yerneni, Y Ravi Shankar
• Production Mythri Movie Makers
• Certificate A

About Amigos Movie (2023)

In a rather unexpected turn of events, Michael (Kalyan Ram) stumbles across two of his doppelgangers in the same day. A whirlpool of chases, fights, and other life-threatening events follows.

Amigos Movie Cast, Release Date, Trailer, Songs and Ratings

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Amigos Movie is directed by the Rajendra Reddy and produced by Naveen Yerneni & Y Ravi Shankar under the banner Mythri Movie Makers, the movie cast includes Kalyan Ram, Ashika Ranganath, Nithin Prasanna, Brahmaji and Saptagiri. Ghibran composed the music for Amigos.

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Ashika Ranganath

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Best movies of 2023, according to critics

Looking back on 2023, it's fair to say the year was one for the film history books. From the box office-breaking Barbenheimer weekend to the writers' and actors' strikes that lasted a large part of the year, countless defining events majorly impacted the industry. Alongside these headline-making moments were 12 months of incredible film releases.

"Maestro" audiences bore witness to a "career-best performance" by Carey Mulligan, with Jeffrey Wright's jaw-dropping turn in "American Fiction" following suit. There was the buzzy "Saltburn" and "May December," Greta Gerwig's flawlessly directed "Barbie," and the gorgeously shot "Poor Things." In fact, there were so many good films this year it would be almost impossible to name them all, let alone compile a comprehensive list of the very best—so we've left that job up to the critics.

Using Metacritic data, Stacker appraised all the new films released in 2023 and ranked the top 25 by Metascore, with ties broken by the number of reviews and further ties remaining intact. (Data was collected on Dec. 13.) There are sure to be several films you'll recognize as blockbuster hits, like "Oppenheimer" and "Killers of the Flower Moon." There are also several lesser-known titles—from "Beyond Utopia" and "The Disappearance of Shere Hite." Along with some likely Oscar contenders like "The Zone of Interest," there are also films you may be surprised didn't make the list.

Read on to see whether your favorite blockbuster is #1 and discover a few hidden gems along the way.

#25. Beyond Utopia

- Director: Madeleine Gavin - Metascore: 84 - Runtime: 2 hours, 5 minutes

In this unique documentary, viewers follow several North Koreans as they risk everything to escape their homeland. All the footage in the film is original —none of the harrowing scenes are recreations, and it was all shot by the filmmakers or the film's subjects themselves. The more tense moments are interspersed with talking-head scenes from other defectors that expound on life under the totalitarian regime. Ben Pearson, writing for /Film, called the movie " intense, thrilling, heartbreaking, and vital ."

#23. 20 Days in Mariupol (tie)

- Director: Mstyslav Chernov - Metascore: 84 - Runtime: 1 hour, 31 minutes

Another hard-hitting documentary, "20 Days in Mariupol" follows director Mstyslav Chernov as he navigates the nearly abandoned Ukrainian port city after the invasion of the Russian military. His footage captures fleeing civilians, destroyed hospitals, and people attempting to survive in the hollowed-out city. While the film is far from an easy watch, New York Times Critic-at-Large Jason Farago wrote that the film is a " truly important documentary ," serving as "a model of how we discover the larger truth of war."

#23. The Eternal Memory (tie)

- Director: Maite Alberdi - Metascore: 84 - Runtime: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Shot primarily during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, this documentary follows the relationship between famed Chilean journalist Augusto Góngora and his wife, actor and politician Paulina Urrutia, as she cares for him after his devastating Alzheimer's diagnosis. Writing for The Guardian, Wendy Ide described "The Eternal Memory" as " wrenchingly sad, but also a testament to the love that endures ."

#22. Earth Mama

- Director: Savanah Leaf - Metascore: 84 - Runtime: 1 hour, 41 minutes

"Earth Mama" is an A24 drama following a young woman who finds herself leaning heavily on her Bay Area community as she navigates her pregnancy and attempts to reunite with her two older children in foster care. Both subtle and intimate, the film explores the complexities of motherhood, love, and grief. New York Times Chief Film Critic Manohla Dargis called Savanah Leaf's feature film directorial debut " very moving and adamantly political ."

#21. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

- Director: Kelly Fremon Craig - Metascore: 84 - Runtime: 1 hour, 46 minutes

Based on the classic 1970 coming-of-age novel by Judy Blume, "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." follows a middle school-aged girl as she navigates a major move, her interfaith religious identity, and the various trials and tribulations of puberty. In her review, Lauren Mechling, senior editor at The Guardian, called the movie " a stunning evocation of the fear and yearning that come with standing on the precipice of adulthood," and though it was originally intended for preteens, its subject matter is sure to resonate with viewers of all ages and genders.

- Director: Lila Avilés - Metascore: 85 - Runtime: 1 hour, 35 minutes

In "Tótem," a 7-year-old spends the day with her extended family as they gather to celebrate what will probably be her father's last birthday. The film, told from the point of view of a child who cannot quite decipher the adults around her, is an honest, heartfelt look at the realities of an extended goodbye. Never veering into sentimentality, Variety's chief film critic, Peter Debruge, called the film " intimate [and] emotionally rich ."

#19. The Disappearance of Shere Hite

- Director: Nicole Newnham - Metascore: 85 - Runtime: 1 hour, 56 minutes

Narrated by Dakota Johnson, "The Disappearance of Shere Hite" is a documentary chronicling the life and legacy of feminist and women's sexuality researcher Shere Hite. Despite Hite's "The Hite Report" being the 31st bestselling book of all time as of 2021, most would be hard-pressed to give even a basic summary of its contents. The film has, as Monica Castillo writes in her review for Roger Ebert, brought Hite's important work back into the light . Castillo called the movie especially "poignant at a time when people are losing reproductive rights, and LGBTQ communities are losing their hard-won protections."

#18. May December

- Director: Todd Haynes - Metascore: 85 - Runtime: 1 hour, 53 minutes

Loosely based on the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau , "May December" follows a woman whose 23-year relationship began when her partner was just 13, blurring the lines between abuse and romance. Starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton, the movie's thematic content is challenging, to say the least. Still, most critics, like Manohla Dargis in her New York Times rave , agree its disturbing subject matter is delicately dealt with. Its ambiguous ending encourages viewers to even further complicate their perspectives on the family at the heart of the film.

#17. Orlando, My Political Biography

- Director: Paul B. Preciado - Metascore: 86 - Runtime: 1 hour, 38 minutes

This uniquely formatted, experimental documentary tells the transition stories of 26 trans and nonbinary individuals, using Virginia Woolf's novel "Orlando" as a unifying framework. For Variety, Manuel Betancourt wrote that director Paul B. Preciado created a " towering manifesto " of a film that blurred genre boundaries and blended the political and the personal with humor and self-consciousness.

#16. The Delinquents

- Director: Rodrigo Moreno - Metascore: 86 - Runtime: 3 hours, 3 minutes

In "The Delinquents," an overlooked, overworked bank employee plots to steal enough money to live modestly for the rest of his life—and he'll cut his co-worker in if the other man agrees to hide the cash while he serves his inevitable jail time. However, there's more to this Argentine film than an action-packed plot; it ruminates on late capitalism and the odd connections between people with quirky humor. Writing for Roger Ebert, Jourdain Searles said the film " plays like a philosophical experiment ."

#15. All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt

- Director: Raven Jackson - Metascore: 86 - Runtime: 1 hour, 32 minutes

Spanning the course of several decades, "All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt" follows a Black woman in Mississippi from childhood into her adult years. Raven Jackson's first film has been highly praised for its composition and, as Richard Brody described in his New Yorker review, the way it " looks at ordinary life with such loving care ." In addition to Brody's assertion that the film is "the directorial debut of the year," fellow critics, including Monica Castillo for Roger Ebert, have lauded the film's subtlety and slow, deliberate pacing .

#14. Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé

- Director: Beyoncé - Metascore: 86 - Runtime: 2 hours, 50 minutes

A concert documentary film written, directed, and produced by Beyoncé herself, "Renaissance" takes viewers behind the scenes of the titular worldwide tour, giving them a rare look at the development of the epic scale of what can only be called an experience. Writing for Slate, Nadira Goffe, an associate writer of culture, praised how the movie embraced the singer's imperfections , dispelling the idea that all celebrities are—and should be—perfect. "Renaissance" also offers up a visual feast that NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour called " maximalist excellence ."

#13. Anatomy of a Fall

- Director: Justine Triet - Metascore: 86 - Runtime: 2 hours, 32 minutes

In this French courtroom drama, a young visually impaired boy struggles with his decision to testify after his mother is accused of murdering his father. "Anatomy of a Fall," winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes, wrestles with the idea of truth and whether it is ever really knowable. Writing for The Guardian, Wendy Ide called the film " electric, restlessly dynamic and compulsively watchable ," neatly stepping around the common pitfalls of legal dramas to create something fresh and complex.

#12. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

- Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson - Metascore: 86 - Runtime: 2 hours, 20 minutes

Following up on the critically acclaimed "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" sees Spideys from the far reaches of the multiverse team up to stop a new threat. Bursting with creative energy and multiple visually arresting animation styles, the film explores what it means to grow up and how much power we have over our own storylines. In his review for The Ringer , Daniel Chin wrote that "Across the Spider-Verse" is "even more ambitious, adventurous, and visually spellbinding than its predecessor—and just as filled with heart."

#11. Mami Wata

- Director: C.J. 'Fiery' Obasi - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 1 hour, 47 minutes

A black-and-white thriller based on Nigerian folklore, "Mami Wata" deals with the water spirit Mami Wata and one village's growing discontent with her earthly representative, Mama Efe, who serves as the village's faith healer. Peter Bradshaw raved about the movie's striking visuals , urgent storytelling, and stripped-down minimalism in his Guardian review, while RogerEbert.com Editor-at-Large Matt Zoller Seitz wrote, "The film casts a spell, and the spell persists to the end ."

#10. Fallen Leaves

- Director: Aki Kaurismäki - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 1 hour, 21 minutes

The only rom-com to make the list, "Fallen Leaves" follows two Finnish people as they attempt to start a relationship despite numerous obstacles that range from lost phone numbers to alcoholism. In her New York Times review, Esther Zuckerman called the film a " brilliant new gem of a comedy " that balances despair and levity to ultimately "life-affirming" effect.

#9. Poor Things

- Director: Yorgos Lanthimos - Metascore: 87 - Runtime: 2 hours, 21 minutes

Based on a 1992 novel of the same name, "Poor Things" tells the story of a resurrected Victorian woman who embarks on a journey of self-discovery and sexual liberation. Besides calling the film Yorgos Lanthimos' best, film critic Christy Lemire praised Emma Stone's " performance of a lifetime " as Bella in her Roger Ebert review. Constance Grady, a senior correspondent of culture at Vox, called the film " joyous in its weirdness , joyous in its exploration and celebration of its strange, strange world."

#8. Killers of the Flower Moon

- Director: Martin Scorsese - Metascore: 89 - Runtime: 3 hours, 26 minutes

An adaptation of the bestselling 2017 book of the same name by David Grann, "Killers of the Flower Moon" is about the murders of Osage Nation members after oil was discovered on their tribal land. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone, the movie has been held up as a perfect example of how drastically American history changes when the narrator of that history changes. Scorsese's handling of the heavy subject matter was praised by RogerEbert.com Managing Editor Brian Tallerico, who called it " a masterful historical drama about evil operating in plain sight" in his review.

#7. Oppenheimer

- Director: Christopher Nolan - Metascore: 89 - Runtime: 3 hours

One of the summer's biggest hits, "Oppenheimer" is an epic biographical thriller that covers the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in developing the atomic bomb. In addition to its compelling direction and nuanced performances from its leads, Associated Press film writer Jake Coyle praised the movie for how it wrestled with the question of the responsibility of power : whether it be in major things, like the development of the bomb, or more everyday things, like our interactions with our loved ones.

#6. All of Us Strangers

- Director: Andrew Haigh - Metascore: 91 - Runtime: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Best described as a romantic drama with a magical realism twist, Andrew Haigh's "All of Us Strangers" follows a Londoner named Adam as he begins a relationship with his mysterious neighbor and simultaneously discovers that his parents appear to still be alive, despite dying in a car crash 30 years prior. The gut-wrenching film at once inspires feelings of loneliness and connection, which is partly what makes it so remarkable.

"Haigh's study of loneliness does, in its own strange way, make us feel less alone," Benjamin Lee, East Coast arts editor at The Guardian, wrote in his review . "It may never get better in the ways we were told it would but if we can stop it from getting worse, then maybe that'll be enough."

#5. Menus-Plaisirs: Les Troisgros

- Director: Frederick Wiseman - Metascore: 92 - Runtime: 4 hours

Directed by 93-year-old veteran Frederick Wiseman, this documentary takes viewers inside the titular French restaurant that's held three Michelin stars for more than half a century. Earning a rare 100% score  from critics and audiences alike on Rotten Tomatoes, "Menus-Plaisirs: Les Troisgros" meticulously showcases what it takes to reach culinary perfection. Writing for Roger Ebert, Matt Zoller Seitz noted the project helps audiences " see through fresh eyes and understand things [they] never thought about or took for granted."

#4. The Boy and the Heron

- Director: Hayao Miyazaki - Metascore: 92 - Runtime: 2 hours, 4 minutes

A Studio Ghibli project, "The Boy and the Heron" is an animated fantasy film that follows a young boy, Mahito, who, after his mother dies, enters a timeless world via an abandoned tower and befriends a talking gray heron. As with many Studio Ghibli releases, critics have lauded Hayao Miyazaki's incredible animation and the movie's poignant themes of coping with grief and loss and eventually, coming to a place of acceptance.

#3. The Zone of Interest

- Director: Jonathan Glazer - Metascore: 93 - Runtime: 1 hour, 46 minutes

Jonathan Glazer's difficult-to-watch film "The Zone of Interest" follows a Nazi commander as he and his family work to build an idyllic home for themselves next door to Auschwitz. Critics have praised the drama for how it unemotionally examines how easily apathy can make us complicit in the horrors of history. Critic Raphael Abraham wrote for the Financial Times : "Glazer has achieved something much greater than just making the monstrous mundane — by rendering such extreme inhumanity ordinary he reawakens us to its true horror"

#2. Past Lives

- Director: Celine Song - Metascore: 94 - Runtime: 1 hour, 46 minutes

The drama "Past Lives" follows two people as they go from childhood loves in South Korea to veritable strangers in New York City to something in between. At once incredibly romantic and heartbreakingly sad, the movie is both " delicate, sophisticated and yet also somehow simple, direct, even verging on the cheesy ," as Peter Bradshaw described for The Guardian; it's a fitting way to encapsulate this singular entry into the cannon that sits in the runner-up spot for 2023 movies.

#1. Our Body

- Director: Claire Simon - Metascore: 95 - Runtime: 2 hours, 48 minutes

And the best movie of 2023, according to critics? That honor goes to "Our Body," a documentary about the doctors and patients of a gynecological ward at a public Parisian hospital. The film from acclaimed documentarian Claire Simon has a rare 100% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Variety's International Critic Jessica Kiang praised "Our Body," particularly for " demystifying and de-objectifying the female body " and for its "nonjudgmental, empathetic" approach to the choices pregnant people from all walks of life make regarding their health care.

Story editing by Eliza Siegel. Copy editing by Paris Close.

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