The Best of 2023

Another year has come and gone, so now it's time to take stock of the last 12 months the only way I know how - by revisiting the pop culture highs! Here's a rundown of my favorite new releases of 2023. I hope you have a wonderful New Year!

Barbie (movie): It's a Barbie world, I'm a Barbie girl and Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie delivered beyond anyone's expectations. It grossed $1.4 billion globally, making it the highest earning live-action movie from a female director. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling took on the impossible feat of bringing Barbie and Ken to life and delivered incredible performances. The set design is out of this world. And the awards season battle has already begun! The movie has three songs (Dance the Night, I'm Just Ken and What Was I Made For?) competing in many of the season's Original Song categories. It's by no means a perfect movie but it's a fun and beautiful ride that I'll gladly go on again and again.

Aurora (album): This very real album from this very fictional band climbed its way to the number two spot on my Spotify Wrapped list. And for good reason. While the TV adaptation of Daisy Jones and The Six has many flaws (notice that it does not appear in this list), the music is perfect. This album hits all of the right notes with its Fleetwood Mac-esque sound.

Bottoms (movie): Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri shine in this satire of 80s high school comedies. The premise? Best friends PJ and Josie form a female fight club at school in order to meet girls and (as a fun bonus) teach them to fight back against the male jocks. Written and directed by Emma Seligman (also co-written by Sennott!), the raunchy, hilarious movie kept me surprised and entertained throughout its tight, 90-minute run time. It just might be my favorite of the year!

Traitors (TV): I wrote an entire newsletter devoted to the first season of the U.S. installment of this reality series, where a group of reality stars and "normal" people are brought together to identity who is a traitor and who is a faithful. Season two premieres on Peacock on January 12, so you have a few weeks to binge and revel in Alan Cumming's theatrics if you missed out the first time around. It's reality TV at its best - the perfect mix of stupid and smart.

The Holdovers (movie): A last-minute addition to the list! I just saw The Holdovers in theaters earlier this week, and it was a warm, wonderful film to see in the week between Christmas and New Year's. Set at a snowy New England boarding school, the movie follows a group of misfits who are stuck spending the holiday break together. Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sessa are just fabulous. And while the movie tackles serious tragedies in each character's lives, it's a warm, loving story about finding home among unlikely companions. Special shoutout to the man sitting in front of me in the movie theater who loudly, unapologetically laughed throughout the entire run. He had a blast and so did I.

Guts (album): Olivia Rodrigo's sophomore album is filled with catchy bops that navigate the entire spectrum of emotions. While many have compared her to contemporaries like Sabrina Carpenter or Reneé Rap or equally apt songwriters like Taylor Swift, with Guts, Olivia Rodrigo solidifies that her sound is different than the rest.

The second season of The Bear (TV): This wildly ambitious second season is must-see TV. As this cast of characters works together to transform The Beef into The Bear, they're tackling individual challenges too. Carmy is falling in love. Richie is learning about fine dining and dressing. Marcus is mastering his craft. Sydney is trying to create the perfect menu. Natalie is balancing pregnancy with business. Two of the very best episodes are back-to-back: Forks (episode six) is a STRESSFUL flashback to a past Christmas and Fishes (episode seven) let's Richie shine on a satisfying solo journey that will give you all the feels.

Past Lives (movie): I'm so glad to see that Celine Song's semi-autobiographical, directorial debut is getting much deserved awards buzz. Sometimes quietly beautiful films like this (especially when they're released early in the year) miss out on nominations. Greta Lee and Teo Yoo are fantastic in this story about two childhood friends who lose touch and reconnect at different moments throughout their adult lives.

I Have Some Questions for You (book): Rebecca Makkai's latest novel tells the story of Bodie Kane, who returns to her high school boarding school to teach a class about podcasting and (intentionally or unintentionally?) encourages her students to investigate a murder that took place on the campus back when Bodie was a student. It's a thrilling tale that had me staying up late to read the next chapter and practicing all my self-control not to skip ahead! I only did once! Growth!

The final season of Never Have I Ever (TV): A perfect conclusion to Mindy Kaling's series about loveably messy Devi, as she struggles through senior year, navigates boy troubles, encourages her mother to start dating and graduates from high school. Here's hoping Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, who is just outstanding throughout the show's entire run, has many more projects lined up.

Rye Lane (movie): Raine Allen-Miller makes her directorial debut with this downright charming romcom. The story mostly takes place across one day in London, after Yas and Dom meet and bond over their recent breakups. While deftly drawing inspiration from the romantic comedies that came before it, Rye Lane also makes its own unique mark in the genre.

The final season of Succession (TV): I binged all of Succession earlier this year and caught up just in time to watch the last few episodes air live on Sunday nights. And what a thrill it was! The final season of HBO's masterpiece delivered series-best performances by all of its actors but Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin, specifically, run away with the final stretch. While there's no way I would have predicted how the series concluded, it managed to deliver a very satisfying ending. My favorite episodes? Connor's Wedding and Church and State.

Taylor Swift (person): I would be remiss to write a 2023 list without so much as a mention of Taylor Swift. Even though attending the Eras Tour wasn't in the cards for me, I still gained an even greater appreciation for Ms. Swift through this spectacular showcase of her work (most of which I consumed via TikTok video clips). I waited anxiously to hear which surprise songs she'd play. I spent too much time refreshing a Ticketmaster queue. I sang along to Fearless outside a football stadium with a crowd of equally dedicated Swifties. Even without releasing a new album, Taylor managed to dominate the year.