Category: Shaun Rose

The 105 Best Feature Films of 2023

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By Andrew Buckner

*All of the feature films included herein are done so based on the criteria of an official theatrical or premiere streaming release date in the U.S.A. of 2023.*

105. Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls

Director: Andrew Bowser

104. The Boys in the Boat

Director: George Clooney

103. The Inventor

Director: Jim Capobianco

102. Milli Vanilli

Director: Luke Korem

101. American Symphony

Director: Matthew Heineman

100. May December

Director: Todd Haynes

99. Dream Scenario

Director: Kristoffer Borgli

98. Silent Night

Director: John Woo

97. Sly

Director: Thom Zimny

96. Shelter in Solitude

Director: Vibeke Musaya

95. Rub

Director: Christopher Fox

94. Candy Land

Director: John Swab

93. Bloodthirst

Director: Michael Su

92. Resurrected

Director: Egor Baranov

91. Brooklyn 45

Director: Ted Geoghegan

90. Good Boy

Director: Viljar Boe

89. The Devil on Trial 

Director: Chris Holt

88. Unwelcome

Director: Jon Wright

87. Ferrari

Director: Michael Mann

86. Thanksgiving

Director: Eli Roth

85. Unicorn Wars

Director: Alberto Vazquez

84. John Wick: Chapter 4

Director: Chad Stahelski

83. Sharksploitation

Director: Stephen Scarlata

82. Dicks: The Musical

Director: Larry Charles

81. Living

Director: Oliver Hermanus

80. Sakra

Directors: Kai-Wai Kam, Donnie Yen 

79. Slotherhouse

Director: Matthew Goodhue

78. Blackberry

Director: Matt Johnson

77. Godzilla Minus One

Director: Takashi Yamazaki

76. King on Screen

Director: Daphne Baiwir

75. Totally Killer

Director: Nahnatchka Khan

74. Suitable Flesh

Director: Joe Lynch

73. Shin Kamen Rider

Director: Hideaki Anno

72. Huesera: The Bone Woman

Director: Michelle Garza Cervera

71. The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster

Director: Bomani J. Story

70. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Director: Aitch Alberto

69. V/H/S/85

Directors: David Bruckner, Scott Derrickson, Natasha Kermani, Mike P. Nelson, Gigi Saul Guerrero

68. Air

Director: Ben Affleck

67. A Man Called Otto

Director: Marc Forster

66. Inside

Director: Vasilis Katsoupis

65. Bottoms

Director: Emma Seligman

64. A Haunting in Venice

Director: Kenneth Branagh

63. Beneath Us All

Director: Harley Wallen

62. One Bullet to Bedlam

Director: Eric Hand

61. Pinball: The Man Who Changed the Game

Directors: Austin Bragg, Meredith Bragg

60. Infinity Pool

Director: Brandon Cronenberg

59. The Last Voyage of the Demeter

Director: Andre Ovredal

58. Birth/ Rebirth

Director: Laura Moss

57. No One Will Save You

Director: Brian Duffield

56. When Evil Lurks

Director: Demian Rugna

55. Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part 1

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

54. Shin Ultraman 

Director: Shinji Higuchi

53. Hell House LLC. Origins: The Carmichael Manor

Director: Stephen Cognetti 

52. Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva

Director: Dutch Marich

51. Saw X

Director: Kevin Greutert

50. Back to the Drive-in

Director: April Wright

49. Saltburn

Directors: Emerald Fennell

48. Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story

Directors: Christopher Griffiths, Gary Smart

47. Napoleon

Director: Ridley Scott 

46. Barbie

Director: Greta Gerwig

45. The Killer

Director: David Fincher

44. Priscilla

Director: Sofia Coppola

43. Chevalier

Director: Stephen Williams

42. Wham!

Director: Chris Smith

41. Past Lives

Director: Celine Song

40. Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

Director: Davis Guggenheim

39. Sam Now

Director: Reed Harkness

38. Sanctuary

Director: Zachary Wigon

37. Smoking Causes Coughing

Director: Quentin Dupieux

36. The Blackening 

Director: Tim Story

35. The Raker House

Director: John Covert

34. The Quiet Girl

Director: Colm Bairead

33. Suzume

Director: Makoto Shinkai

32. Evil Dead Rise

Director: Lee Cronin

31. EO

Director: Jerzy Skolimowski

30. Malum

Director: Anthony DiBlasi

29. Lola

Director: Andrew Legge

28. Polite Society

Director: Nida Manzoor

27. Asteroid City

Director: Wes Anderson

26. A Thousand and One

Director: A. V. Rockwell

25. El Conde

Director: Pablo Larrain

24. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Director: Kelly Fremon Craig

23. The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial

Director: William Friedkin 

22. The Outwaters

Director: Robbie Banfitch

21. Sisu

Director: Jalmari Helander

20. Enys Men

Director: Mark Jenkin

19. Skinamarink 

Director: Kyle Edward Ball

18. Living With Chucky

Director: Kyra Elise Gardner 

17. Toga

Director: Shaun Rose

16. The Color Purple

Director: Blitz Bazawule

15. Divinity

Director: Eddie Alcazar

14. The Boy and the Heron

Director: Hayao Mayazaki

13. The Wheel of Heaven

Director: Joe Badon

12. The Eternal Memory

Director: Maite Alberdi

11. Anatomy of a Fall

Director: Justine Triet

10. Filmmakers for the Prosecution

Director: Jean-Christophe Klotz

9. Gods of Mexico 

Director: Helmut Dosantos 

8. A House Made of Splinters

Director: Simon Lereng Wilmont 

7. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Director: Laura Poitras

6. The Holdovers

Director: Alexander Payne

5. Beau is Afraid 

Director: Ari Aster

4. Killers of the Flower Moon

Director: Martin Scorsese

3. Holy Spider

Director: Ali Abbasi

2. Oppenheimer

Director: Christopher Nolan

1. Poor Things

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Runners-up:

Cocaine Bear

Director: Elizabeth Banks

The Conference

Director: Patrik Eklund

The Creator

Director: Gareth Edwards

A Good Person

Director: Zach Braff

Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant

Director: Guy Ritchie

Influencer

Director: Kurtis David Harder

The Iron Claw

Director: Sean Durkin

Knock at the Cabin

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Leave the World Behind

Director: Sam Esmail

Maestro

Director: Bradley Cooper

M3GAN

Director: Gerard Johnstone

Missing 

Directors: Nicholas D. Johnson, Will Merrick

Of an Age

Director: Goran Stolevski

Paint

Director: Brit McAdams

R.L. Stine’s Zombie Town

Director: Peter Lepeniotis

Sister Death

Director: Paco Plaza

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Directors: Jeff Rowe, Kyler Spears

They Cloned Tyrone

Director: Juel Taylor

Wonka

Director: Paul King

“Making and Unmaking” (2020) – Movie Review

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By Andrew Buckner

Rating: ***** out of *****.

In the opening scene of Making and Unmaking, a fantastic and fascinating 62-minute documentary from directors Shaun Rose and Andrea Stangle, Rose speaks of the aspects of his equally captivating debut feature, the “meant to be semi-autobiographical” Upstate Story (2018). He also conveys how the endeavor would become “more truth than fiction”. Herein, he also speaks of his worries of the 60-minute Drama failing. Furthermore, he communicates how this would reflect his own alleged shortcomings.

The honesty with which Rose addresses these feelings and ideas immediately spoke to me as a fellow filmmaker who, admittedly, has my own share of self-doubt in relation to my own work. It is this nature of personal reflection and frankness that is perceivable within every frame of this brilliant and heartfelt project. This is also a glimpse into the myriad reasons why this is essential viewing for any creative-minded individual. It is because a great number of the shortcomings in the artistic process Rose addresses throughout the undertaking, especially early-on, are universal. They will undoubtedly hit home, perhaps uncomfortably at times, for many. Such occurrences help make Rose a relatable and engaging figure throughout the entirety of the endeavor.

Making and Unmaking concerns the triumphs and downfalls, both personally and artistically, Rose experienced while preparing Upstate Story. It also recalls the ups and downs in offering the picture to the film festival circuit. The exercise also goes into intriguing detail on an unfinished film called “Dog Day” (2012-2013), which was stated to be about the technological swing in society. We also get several equally intriguing glimpses into other shorts Rose crafted before Upstate Story. These behind-the-scenes bits, which come largely in the first half of Making and Unmaking, are wonderful. They are quietly touching in their intimacy.

Making and Unmaking benefits from its uniquely independent movie look and tone. This is reflected via the excellent and appropriate-for-the-endeavor cinematography from Rose and Stangle.  Moreover, the interviews and archive footage heighten the emotional intensity and compulsively watchable essence of the production. The script for the endeavor, credited to Bruce Rose Sr. as well as Shaun Rose and Stangle, is well-structured and penned. Continually, the direction from Rose and Stangle is equally deft.

Recorded in New York and made on a reported budget of a mere $500, Making and Unmaking is constantly admirable in the way it handles its complex entanglement of themes and sentiment. Additionally, it is efficient and nicely paced. The attempt evenly balances all that it offers audiences. In turn, the virtuoso effort is also a refreshing affirmation of encouragement. While portraying the numerous avenues of excitement and irritation a single fabrication of imagination can make an individual go through, it, ultimately, showcases the light of joy that radiates when the construction is given to the world and praised. In this respect, as well as all the other regards previously mentioned, Making and Unmaking is a masterpiece; a cinematic four-course meal. It is a must-see which every viewer can somehow grow from and utilize in their own lives.