Following the events of the pandemic, there is no denying that the movie industry changed – and it’s only become more apparent as time has passed. Studios have turned to hybrid releases, where they’ll release new films in theaters and on streaming services to get them in front of a larger audience. At the same time, going to the movies is now much more of an experience.

With all these changes taking place, one thing remains the same: people have an ongoing love affair with movies. They still anticipate the latest releases, pick out Easter eggs in trailers, and stay up to date on all the buzz. Thousands of movies come out every year, but only a handful gain worldwide publicity and exposure. Just like details on new albums, information on TV shows, and online casino reviews, a ton of information online gets highly searched. Curious about what made the cut in 2023? Read on.

Oppenheimer/Barbie

At one point in the year, you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing about Oppenheimer or Barbie. And these two movies didn’t have anything to do with each other. In fact, they couldn’t be more different when it comes to their genres and intended audiences. Oppenheimer, directed by renowned director Christopher Nolan, focuses on the life of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who helped create the initial nuclear weapons during World War II. Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, is a dynamic comedy film based on Mattel’s famous Barbie dolls, featuring themes of self-discovery, feminism, and existential crises.

As they were both released on July 21, 2023, these two ever-so-contrasting films generated a cultural phenomenon called “Barbenheimer“ – where people would go to the movies and watch both as a double feature. The internet blew up with memes, viral videos, and posts – and coupled with their excellence, both became two of the year’s highest-grossing movies.

Avatar: The Way of Water

Thirteen years after the first highly coveted Avatar movie, fans were blessed with the sequel Avatar: The Way of Water. This excitement alone had people wondering what was on the horizon, and they turned to the internet to find out. The technology required and the time it took to develop all the visual effects and film performance capture scenes were what led to all these delays, and it naturally became one of the most expensive movies ever made. It surpassed Avatar (which cost $237 million to make) by $113 million, costing a total of $350 million to produce.

Cocaine Bear

COCAINE BEAR

Nothing attracts attention online as much as a wacky and bizarre movie or show, and that’s exactly what Cocaine Bear was. Based on true events, this comedy horror title is about an American black bear that ate 75 pounds of cocaine. The characters consequently try to evade the bear, and several plot twists keep viewers on their toes. The movie went so viral on social media because, frankly, who wouldn’t be curious about a film about a bear on drugs? Seeing it as ridiculous and B-movie-esque, people were trying to find answers about what would happen if a bear really did do cocaine.

Everything Everywhere All at Once

The theme of the multiverse has been building up since the days of The Matrix, Interstellar, and more recently, the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Avengers: Endgame and Loki. Everything Everywhere All at Once capitalized on the complexity and beauty of that concept, using it as a foundation to explore themes like surrealism, existentialism, and more. The film follows Chinese-American immigrant Evelyn Quan Wang who has to connect with different versions of herself in parallel universes to stop the multiverse from being destroyed. This genre-defying film and its unique premise resulted in 11 Academy Award nominations and 7 wins.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

2023 also saw the return of the much-loved Guardians of the Galaxy, with the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, a movie that Marvel fans had highly anticipated since Volume 2’s release in 2017. Fans were eager to see Rocket’s origin story and what sort of adventures the crew would get up to. After six years that included delays from James Gunn’s temporary departure after controversial jokes landed him in hot water, we were blessed with the fourth-highest-grossing film of the year. Prior to its release, its second trailer garnered a whopping 134.1 million views across social media. With music so central to the franchise, they also featured a curated playlist through their Spotify partnership and created a limited-edition Zune with Microsoft.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

The Super Mario Bros. Movie was so significant that it almost represented a historical moment. With Nintendo’s notoriety for being overly protective of their intellectual property, it was certainly a pleasant surprise for many to finally see those iconic characters on the big screen. After the flop of the 1993 adaptation, a Mario movie wasn’t on anyone’s radar.

The movie’s heartwarming story, vibrant animation, and star-studded voice cast made it a must-watch for an incredibly wide audience base – children, those feeling nostalgic, and current Mario fans alike. It stayed true to the Super Mario Bros. games and concept, where the premise revolved around the adventures of Mario and Luigi. The movie also featured mainstay characters like Peach, Toad, and Bowser, as well as elements like karts, the Tanooki Suit, and power-ups. It broke box office records from all directions, including becoming the highest-grossing movie based on a video game, and was ranked the second-highest-grossing film of the year after Barbie.