(Web Desk) - Former US President Barack Obama, known for his annual tradition of revealing his favorite films, has disclosed his top picks for 2023.
The list, encompassing a diverse range of titles, from Hollywood blockbusters to independent and international cinema, also features productions from his own company, Higher Ground Productions.
Obama’s top films of 2023
Notable among Obama’s favorites is Christopher Nolan’s historical drama ‘Oppenheimer’, based on the life of the atomic bomb’s inventor, J. Robert Oppenheimer.
An intriguing absence from his list is Greta Gerwig’s ‘Barbie’, a film that was released simultaneously with ‘Oppenheimer’ and sparked the public’s coined term ‘Barbenheimer’ as a nod to their competition.
Obama’s picks from his and wife Michelle Obama’s company, Higher Ground Productions, include ‘Rustin’, ‘American Symphony’, and ‘Leave the World Behind’.
While he acknowledges potential bias, he firmly believes these productions are among the best films of the year.
More favorites and industry impact
Other films earning Obama’s nod are ‘The Holdovers’, ‘BlackBerry’, ‘American Fiction’, ‘Anatomy of a Fall’, ‘Monster’, ‘Past Lives’, ‘Air’, ‘Polite Society’, and ‘A Thousand and One’.
Beyond his film selections, Obama also recognised the significant changes driven within Hollywood due to the strikes by the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
He emphasised the hard work and resilience displayed by the industry in the face of these challenges.