Announcing Our First Kickstarter of 2024 + Top 10 Movies for 2023
Phil & Kat run down their favorite movies of the year and announce their first Kickstarter of 2024
Hello Lifeline Comics readers!
It’s our final newsletter of 2023! We’ve spent the last few posts discussing things we’ve learned this year and talking about our Top 10 Direct Market Comics and Kickstarter Projects of the year.
To close out the year, we’re going to officially announce our first project of 2024, and talk about our Top 10 Movies released in 2023!
Let’s get into it!
Like Father, Like Daughter Vol. 2 Kickstarter Launches January 8th
We have a TON of plans for the new year and are happy to announce our January campaign - the full Like Father, Like Daughter origin story!
“A powered teen must choose between her deadbeat superhero father and her evil spy mother - a two volume origin story!”
Be sure to follow the project for a chance to back early bird specials and to enter our first 48-hour giveaway.
Top 10 Movies of 2023
We saw a lot of movies in 2023. In fact, we can tell you exactly what we saw:
But which releases were our favorites? Read on to find out!
10. Kat’s Pick: Barbie
Barbie was one of my most anticipated films of the year, and for the most part I was pretty satisfied with the final product. I’ve enjoyed Greta Gerwig’s work since Lady Bird (Frances Ha also shouldn’t be looked over) and adding Margot Robbie to the mix: you couldn’t go wrong with this mash up of talent.
Granted, there are some elements that didn’t completely meet my expectations (where was gay Barbie?), but even if this wasn’t a perfect movie it’s still one of the most important releases of the year (and maybe even the decade). The box office numbers alone prove that! A phenomenon that brought people back to theaters in flocks (and not waiting for streaming) in a post-covid landscape was truly a special achievement that will forever be remembered in movie history.
10. Phil’s Pick: Tetris
A biographical film about the creator of the game Tetris that thrives in large part due to a charismatic performance by Taron Egerton as the determined and entrepreneurial Henk Rogers. The film is lent some heft by its Cold War setting, which is a nice counterbalance against the game development plotline and injects some higher stakes into the third arc.
There are moments where the dramatization of the events surrounding the proliferation of the game maybe feel a little too dramatized, but the movie quickly assuages those feelings with incredibly fun stylized sequences (example: punctuating action beats in a car chase with flashes of beautifully colorful 8-bit art).
A stylized, well-paced movie with a strong script, everything falls into place very nicely for Tetris.
9. Kat’s Pick: May December
I went into this film with no knowledge of what May December was actually about, and let me tell you, that’s exactly how you should go into this Netflix movie. The best part of the ride is slowly figuring out how royally screwed up Joe and Grace’s relationship is and has been. May December could have easily ridden on salaciousness, but lands on my Top 10 because of the humanity it captures through Charles Melton’s portrayal of Joe. It may even be an Oscar winning performance.
9. Phil’s Pick: Knock at the Cabin
We were intrigued by Knock at the Cabin when its trailer first premiered, but actually skipped seeing the movie in theaters due to middling reviews and buzz when it was released. I caught it on streaming a few months later and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
Anchored by fantastic performances by Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge (it’s so refreshing to see gay fathers as the leads of a horror film), KatC is a wonderfully tense movie that throws its protagonists into a confusing home invasion which tests the boundaries of their faith and sanity. There are a lot of really interesting character beats and histories - particularly for Aldridge’s Andrew and the four home invaders, who each get at least some interesting shading.
It’s not a perfect movie. But it accomplishes its goal by doing an excellent job of putting you in the protagonists’ shoes as they grapple with an impossible-to-believe situation. And it gives you a lot to think about when you leave the theater.
8. Kat’s Pick: Killers of The Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese is the only director that can get me pumped to watch a 3+ hour film in theaters. Killers of the Flower Moon not only keeps your attention, but truly grabs you in a way not many 90 minute films can achieve.
It was devastating to learn the history of the Osage Nation, but it’s important to see a film with such wide-release put a magnifying glass on the true coverups. Lily Gladstone deserves every award that she’s destined to receive, and I hope this means we get to see her grace our screens even more.
8. Phil’s Pick: Joy Ride
A “road trip” comedy like this really lives or dies on its ensemble cast. And thankfully, Joy Ride gets an A+ for its four lead actors. Stephanie Hsu and Sherry Cola, in particular, are absolutely hilarious and have tons of memorable lines and jokes. The locations and cinematography are fun and colorful. And the gross-out humor is used (in my opinion) in just the right quantity.
While I do think that the third arc has a slight dip in quality compared to the fantastic and well-paced first two-thirds of the film, Joy Ride remains a great raunchy comedy that had me leave the theater with a big smile.
7. Kat’s Pick: The Killer
This is a very Kat movie! It truly feels like a comic book come to life, which I always find harder to capture with live action films. Michael Fassbender and David Fincher keep your attention with meticulously crafted monologue, all while allowing the killer’s “perfection” motif to slowly crack. The Killer is a clean, cut, and concise action flick with a distinct style that gives this assassin story a real modern flair.
7. Phil’s Pick: Creed III
Creed III was a really pleasant surprise for me. I hadn’t seen either of the other Creed movies, nor any of the Rockys (don’t judge me!) when we went in for this one. I’m also not the biggest fan of sport movies. But Creed III does such an amazing job capturing the intensity of the rivalry between Adonis and Damian. The pacing of the film is fantastic, with a great payoff in the third act.
I also appreciate how new-viewer friendly the movie is. You could definitely feel the weight of the films that came before Creed III. But the history of the characters and the world never bogs down the story of this installment. Creed III let’s its predecessors inform the characters’ actions rather than letting them do the heavy-lifting and coasting on what came before.
6. Kat’s Pick: Scream 6
If you’re a long-time reader, you may know that Phil and I both love slashers, and the original Scream is actually our favorite movie. After a lukewarm showing with Scream 5, I was excited but NERVOUS about this sixth installment. The New York setting could either be a unique twist or a kitschy nightmare. And it was to my pleasant surprise that this was one of the franchise’s best sequels yet!
The movie utilized their legacy characters an appropriate amount, all while letting the new kids on the block grow into their own. The killers may have been predictable, but that didn’t make the ride any less exciting.
P.S. - I’ll forever cherish the ladder scene!
6. Phil’s Pick: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
I missed seeing Dungeons & Dragons in theaters but had the pleasure of catching it on streaming a few months after the fact. After past failed attempts at a D&D movie, I don’t think anyone expected this newest entry to impress.
Honor Among Thieves succeeds because of a great script and a charismatic cast. It’s exactly what a good D&D campaign should be - fun, surprising, character-driven, action-packed, and creative.
It’s well-paced and the jokes are actually funny. Who would have thought that the secret to making a good “game” movie is just to make a fun movie?
5. Kat’s Pick: Creed III
Phil and I see a lot of movies together! I find it hysterical that Creed 3 is the first movie that both made our lists. It’s a sports film, a genre Phil doesn’t tend to love, but is one of my favorites!
This should show you the greatness of Creed 3! Taking on directorial duties, Michael B. Jordan’s unique vision included anime influences that were responsible for one of my favorite “final match” sequences, all while keeping the heart of what makes sports’ films so great - character growth.
5. Phil’s Pick: Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer is my pick for the strongest screenplay of 2023. Watching the film, you can’t help but marvel at the masterful writing. So many gut-punch lines - including, I would argue, one of the greatest final lines in cinema.
Christopher Nolan is an expert in building tension. Oppenheimer is a long movie, clocking in at over three hours. But every second of the first act is utilized to pile on a sense of dread building up to the first bomb test. And then the rest of the film to let the consequences of the first act settle in.
It’s powerful, it’s beautiful, and it’s terrifying.
4. Kat’s Pick: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
As a lifelong Spider-Man fan, I can’t explain to you how important the Spider-Verse franchise is to me. Into the Spider-Verse is my favorite film of all time, and I was counting the seconds until I was able to see Across the Spider-Verse in theaters.
There are many elements that blew me away - the animation, the character growth, and, of course, all the deep cut spider characters. This movie was actually in my #1 spot for a long time, but “the Part 1” of it all (especially the cliffhanger) makes it hard to rate it as a full story, which is why it sneaks into my #4 slot.
4. Phil’s Pick: Scream VI
If you’ve been following this newsletter, you know that Kat and I are huge Scream fans. And because of this, I went into Scream VI with a lot of apprehension.
I was pretty disappointed by 2022’s Scream (the fifth film in the franchise). The news of Neve Campbell’s departure from the franchise was also a major hit. So despite a pretty exciting trailer and a fun New York setting, I went into this latest installment trying to keep my expectations measured. What I didn’t expect was the best Scream film since the original movie.
Scream VI strikes a perfect balance of carving its own path while remaining part of the long-running franchise. Everything that was missing from Scream 5 is back and better than ever. And the new cast really comes into its own after a (in my opinion) lukewarm introduction.
It’s a real shame that Scream VII won’t feature at least half of the Core Four after this entry did such a wonderful job setting up the cast to take the reins of the franchise. But thankfully, Scream VI also functions as a good conclusion to the stories of Sam and Tara.
While Scream’s future is very uncertain, I’m glad that Radio Silence got their time with the franchise and were able to exit on an extremely high note.
3. Kat’s Pick: The Holdovers
I squeezed this viewing at the end of the year when resting after my wisdom tooth surgery. I’m glad something good came out of the pain because Holdovers blew me away in ways I didn’t expect. The film is an instant classic! A Christmas movie that feels like it’s been in the cultural zeitgeist for decades, all while using modern storytelling to add something new to your standard “holiday film”.
3. Phil’s Pick: Barbie
Barbie has become such a phenomenon that it’s easy to lose sight of the simple fact that it’s a damn good movie.
Funny, insightful, and visually beautiful, there’s a reason that Barbie is the highest-grossing film of the year. Greta Gerwig told a moving and incredibly human story that just so happened to star a plastic doll and be decked out with as much pink as you can fit in a camera frame.
Margot Robbie, as always, turns in a phenomenal performance - balancing all of the nuance afforded her character by the powerful script and making it look effortless. And the supporting cast (particularly America Ferrera, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Michael Cera, and Simu Liu) all turn in memorable, moving, and hilarious performances.
Barbie is the winner of the 2023 Box Office, and very deserving of a top 3 spot on any list.
2. Kat’s Pick: Bottoms
I don’t remember the last time I laughed this hard at a movie! Bottoms had the whole audience rolling, and it really reminds you why it can be so magical to see a movie in a room with a bunch of strangers. Shared laughter is an experience I’ll never get tired of enjoying.
Bottoms is a genuinely funny flick with endearing characters. You can tell that there was a lot of freedom for improv with Rachel Sennott heavily involved in the creative process. This type of free rein is the secret to making a brilliant comedy.
And don’t get me started on the shining star that is Ayo Edebiri! I’ve loved her dramedy work on The Bear, and she perfectly aces the more slapstick comedy in this film…please give me more Ayo content in 2024.
2. Phil’s Pick: Missing
I quite liked Will Merrick and Nick Johnson’s Searching (2018). So when this anthology-style spin-off was first announced, I was pretty stoked. What I didn’t expect was Missing to completely blow its predecessor (and most of 2023’s other releases) out of the water.
Like Searching and Unfriended before it, Missing is a “screenlife” thriller - where all of the action in the film is seen through a computer, tablet, or smartphone screen. It’s a genre that has the potential to be fun and stylistic when used properly…or very boring when it’s not. And thankfully, Missing is definitely my favorite entry in this small genre to date.
Character-driven, oozing with style and full of rewarding details in every single frame, Missing gets better every time you watch it. It transitions with ease from comedic, to tense, to heartbreaking and does what all of the best narrative devices should do: make you forget that the device is even part of the film.
Storm Reid is an incredible lead who rises to every challenge the script presents her with. And there are: So. Many. Twists.
Seriously, every time you think you have the full story, a new wrinkle is added to the tapestry. If you like mystery thrillers, do yourself a favor and check out Missing.
1. Kat’s Pick: Air
I’ve always enjoyed basketball. It’s my little safe space when I just want to forget my problems and zone out to something I love. I don’t say this lightly, Air is a perfect movie! The film exudes its love for basketball. The underdog isn’t a player, but instead a cog in the machine that could be overlooked. (Hell, Nike themselves could be considered the underdog.) Air explores the larger themes of legacy, all while diving into the intricacies of the inner workings of marketing. This movie made me a bigger basketball fan and even convinced me to finally watch Michael Jordan’s Last Dance, (which deserves all the hype).
1. Phil’s Pick: Bottoms
Bottoms gets the top spot on my list because no other movie this year (or honestly, in recent memory) elicited as strong of a reaction from me.
This hilarious teen comedy had me full-on belly laughing for half of its runtime. It’s the kind of movie that can only be made as a passion project of incredibly talented comedians.
I think I said it best when we first talked about Bottoms in our newsletter:
Bottoms is a must see - especially if you're in your 20's or 30's, and even more especially if you're queer. I'm so glad that I got to see it in a semi-crowded theater, because hearing the uproarious laughter throughout the room is something I haven't gotten to experience in a very long time.
10/10 movie 👏. Will undoubtedly see it a hundred more times.
In Closing
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Thanks, as always, for reading our newsletter! We hope everybody had a very happy holiday and you ring in 2024 with a bang!
Next Kickstarter: Like Father, Like Daughter Vol. 2
Next Convention/Event: Emerald City Comic Con (2/29-3/03)