It's been a wild and crazy year, not just in the real world but here at Movie Show Plus. You can read all about that here.

But as the year ends, I'd like to share with you my Top Films of 2023. Though I've seen fewer films overall than in recent years, I still have seen more than most, even if there were a few that slipped through the cracks (for example, I have not yet seen "Anatomy of a Fall" or "The Boy and the Heron," two films that are showing up on several other year-end lists).

That being said, here are my favorites from 2023:

I said this at the end of 2020 but I feel the same way: 2021 was certainly...a year. If anything we entered a "new normal" in which most of us were used to masking up, flashing vaccine cards and maintaining our distance. And that's just for those that didn't succumb to the virus or were too terrified to leave their houses.

But 2021 did represent a return to movie theaters, and the future looks bright. With a slew of films from 2020 held over and released into 2021 and beyond, there definitely was no shortage of content in 2021 at the box office or on the ever-increasing streaming platforms at our disposal.

I understand that there might be some films on my "Best of" list that you haven't heard of...and that's OK. I don't add them to be pretentious or to say "hey look at all of the smaller films I have access to!" But believe it or not, movies both big and small are actually way more accessible to mainstream audiences than ever before. There isn't a single movie on this list that you won't be able to find on a streaming platform or in theaters (I take that back...there is one), so I urge you to seek out the films you haven't seen on this list, and to share your feedback as to your top films of 2021.

There are two documentaries and two animated films on my list...including one that is actually an animated documentary, go figure.

There are some films that I share love for with other critics and many (too many, some might say) where I go my own way. I loathed the critical darling "The Green Knight," was only slightly warmer on P.T. Anderson's "Licorice Pizza" and only thought "C'mon C'mon" and "West Side Story" were just OK...I stand by the pure scientific fact that Jared Leto's performance in "House of Gucci" is among the worst cinematic performances and casting decisions in the history of cinema, despite his name (barf!) showing up on some "year-end" best lists...but I digress.

Having those debates is part of what I love about what I get to do for a living...so let some more of the debates begin! Here for you, is a list of my 21 Favorite Films of 2021, with the small privilege of being able to change/adjust this list as I finish out my list of "must-see" 2021 films ("Drive My Car," "Matrix: Resurrections," "The King's Man" and "The Tender Bar" are the few films I've yet to see).

One other small admission: My absolute favorite film of 2021 was "Come From Away" (Apple TV+), but since that is technically a filmed stage-play, I don't believe it qualifies for this list...but definitely seek it out.

So with that, my favorite 21 movies of 2021:

In some ways, it's hard to believe we're half-way through 2021...but following 2020 (the year that felt like an entire decade in and of itself), the faster we get back to some sense of "normal" the better.

Movies are just now starting to pick up into full swing, with Summer blockbusters like "F9" setting post-pandemic records and inching towards pre-pandemic levels. Theaters across the country are open and at full capacity, and we're somehow just a few months away from what is hopefully a "normal" awards season for film.

Before that rush of "award films" in the Fall, I thought it would be nice to take a look back at the best of 2021 so far. I've left off films that came out in early 2021 that were still eligible for last year's pandemic-adjusted awards season (films like "The Father" and "Supernova" were omitted). And you'll note four of my top ten thus far are documentary films (it's already a strong year for the genre).

With that, here are my Top 10 films of 2021 so far...in no particular order...as well as where you can watch them currently.

2020 was certainly...a year. For my entire existence on this Earth - as it has been for every single person reading this - the movies have offered an escape from the harsh realities of life. Movie theaters have been my sanctuary, my safe haven. And since becoming a professional film critic in 2010 - a fulfillment of a life-long dream - they've become my home away from home...A place that I would visit 2-3 times per week, to catch up with friends and fellow critics and to partake in an activity and place that I apparently had been taking for granted all these years.

I haven't been to a movie theater since March 2020, and it hurts.

Movies are still my passion and a huge part of my life, and as is the case with every one of us in 2020, they've recently been relegated to home TV screens, or in a pinch, iPads or laptops.

It's just not the same, and it sucks.

But when 2020 handed the movie industry lemons, they made delicious, refreshing lemonade. Yes, in a year like no other, there were still great films being made, they just weren't playing on the big-screen. As several major movie releases were postponed or shuffled to streaming services, many smaller films carried the torch for the industry. Oh, there were great films in 2020. Don't let anyone tell you different. The problem has just been that this year, they've been harder to find, and with a slew of streaming platforms, there are just so many places to look.

Luckily I'm still here, watching movies, and organizing for you the best of the best. What follows is a list of my 20 favorite films of the year, and I hope that you get a chance to find them too.

One quick caveat before we begin...it's been harder than ever in 2020 to decipher how to categorize certain works. For this list's purposes, I'm taking the cues directly from the studios. So for example, the five-part Amazon "mini-series" (or is it a collection of five films?) "Small Axe" by Steve McQueen? Amazon is qualifying them for Emmys, not Oscars, so they're not on this list (despite this collection of TV episodes curiously being named "Best Film" by the LA Film Critics Circle). Nor is the HBO concert film by Spike Lee, "David Byrne's American Utopia" for similar reasons.

Last but not least, by far, the absolute best thing I've seen all year was "Hamilton" on Disney+. Not even a close second. But again, this is not technically a movie, so it's not on this list. Speaking of "Hamilton," check out the Hulu doc "Freestyle Love Supreme" and the HBO doc "Siempre, Luis" as great companion pieces, or just to get more of a dose of Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Here then, are the top 20 films of 2020:

Let's take a look at the best the 1990s had to offer by way of Christmas movies!

There have been more Christmas movies than can be counted, but we thought we would take a look at some of the best of all-time.  In this part three of a five-part series, we're going to offer up our picks for the best Christmas movies of:

• Pre-1980
• The 1980s
• The 1990s
• 2000 - 2009
• 2010 - current

The only rule is that the film must have seen theatrical release (no TV movies) and be released in the appropriate decade.

​Here then, are the 10 Best Christmas movies of the 1990s: