[Source: 1News]

As 2023 draws to a close, 1News looks back at the movies that had us flocking to movie theatres – braving through 20 agonising minutes of ads while praying our popcorn doesn’t run out halfway through – to witness the spectacle on the silver screen.

Here’s the top five films of 2023 which attracted people back to the cinema:

Barbie

A fun romp full of heart, Barbie follows stereotypical Barbie as she ventures into the human world after suffering an existential crisis.

The attention to detail, sight gags and catchy musical numbers – wrapped up in syrupy pink bow – is ripe for watching over and over again.

It’s also been pivotal in opening up conversations – and launched many a think piece – around feminism, masculinity, beauty standards and diversity for children and adults alike.

Oppenheimer

Barbenheimer dominated the headlines this year – and for good reason.

The cultural phenomenon that was the battle between Barbie and Oppenheimer’s competing theatrical releases was a sight to behold, and it didn’t end with the marketing campaigns and press junkets come release day.

Director Christopher Nolan’s biographical epic – chronicling the life of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, the “father of the atomic bomb”, and his guilt over his creation – is a riveting watch, even if you barely scraped a pass in Year 10 science.

Killers of the Flower Moon
After years of delays, Martin Scorsese’s long-awaited film had its theatrical release this year – and not a moment too soon.

The movie explores a series of murders which gripped the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma and the birth of the FBI, and is a masterful depiction of compounding tragedy and resilience.

Lily Gladstone is captivating in her star-making turn as Mollie Kyle, the wife of World War I veteran Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), who is targeted for her family’s ownership of head rights on the mineral-rich Osage reservation.

Despite the lengthy run time, the film is gripping from start to finish – even if you have to plan your bathroom breaks and pray you don’t run out of snacks halfway through the movie.

The Boy and the Heron
Director Hayao Miyazaki’s masterful film is his most personal yet, drawing on his childhood growing up in wartime Japan and his personal and professional relationships.

The coming-of-age tale follows a 12-year-old boy as he navigates the tragic loss of his mother and his father’s remarriage in the 1940s.

It’s a deft meditation on profound grief and letting go, all in the familiar art style and fantastical worlds we’ve come to expect from the director.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
The second instalment in the Spider-Verse trilogy is a brilliant feat of animation with its dazzling art and rich cast of characters.

It’s full of warmth and laugh-out-loud humour too – but that doesn’t take away from the momentum of the incredible fight scenes.

I just hope we see more of Spider-Cat in the final film.