Summer is winding down, and that means the summer box office is coming to a close. This means it is time to see which movies came out on top in the eyes of IMDb.
Affectionately referred to as "The Jordan Year of Movies," 2023 has presented one of the biggest movie theater slates in recent memory. With countless franchise entries (legacy and otherwise) to the viral sensation of Barbenheimer, it has been a roller-coaster summer for moviegoers.
Many can predict some of the titles on this list, but the real surprise may come in which movies do not make the cut. From Barbie to Theater Camp, Oppenheimer to Spider-Man, the summer of 2023 has delivered.
10.) Gran Turismo
IMDb Score: 7.3
Many people on the internet threw those hands up in the air, admitting that Gran Turismo was a surprisingly good time after rough responses to the trailers. Based on a true story, there is no getting around this movie being a tough sell. Some impactful performances and great energy brought the Neill Blomkamp project into the top 10.
9.) Talk To Me
IMDb Score: 7.4
Talk To Me is an R-rated horror movie that takes another dive into the forever-trend of conjuring evil spirits. This was a fan favorite amongst the horror crowd and sparked a terrifying wave of praise for the genre. Talk To Me wasn't able to crack the top 20 in the summer box office, failing to be the top one (or two) horror film of the season. Despite that, the film was a box office success in its own right, making earnings over ten times its budget.
8.) Barbie
IMDb Score: 7.4
Please take the time needed to post about how egregious this is and proclaim rage and any other frantic emotions.
Now that it has become clear this is an objective list, Barbie barely cracks the top 10 of summer movies despite being one of the biggest box office phenomenons of the decade. Barbie is the new blueprint for promoting an IP as it brought waves of fans into red velvet seats on the way to a billion-dollar performance.
This IMdb score in the context of the box office is a testament to the blockbuster nature of Greta Gerwig's peak project.
7.) Theater Camp
IMDb Score: 7.5
Another niche entry into the Jordan Year of Movies, Theater Camp, brings musical representation to the list. Ben Platt moves the needle one way or another, and with a supporting cast featuring other rising stars Jimmy Tatro and Ayo Edebiri, it was a thumbs up by all who saw. Unfortunately, that wasn't many people as it failed to reach $4 Million at the box office.
6.) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
IMDb Score: 7.5
A key takeaway of 2023 has been the animation dominance in theaters, and TMNT: Mutant Mayhem is the fourth leg of that bandwagon. Taking the ball from the Spider-Verse phenom, Mutant Mayhem uses a variety of animation styles to support an engaging and character-driven story.
With more of this universe being greenlit by Nickelodeon, this was a massive hit for one of the most beloved children's IPs in history.
5.) Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
IMDb Score: 8.0
A pillar of consistency in modern-day action blockbusters, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part One was another crowd pleasure for the patron saint of popcorn, Tom Cruise. In a franchise that perpetually raises the bar, MI:7 brings it to new heights with a roster that is beginning to rival every big franchise in the business today.
Few showrunners in Hollywood want to give the fans what they want more than Cruise and Co. so while this is the 7th installment, things are still heating up as Mission Impossible nears its 20th year in theaters.
4.) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
IMDb Score: 8.0
Few fandoms in society are more passionate than comic book movie fans. Within that group, even fewer are more passionate than the Guardians of the Galaxy faithful. James Gunn's swan song in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a love letter to anyone and everyone who loves found family, animals, nostalgic pop music, and this lovable bunch of A-Holes.
While the gold standard of the MCU seems shakier than ever, GotG V3 proves why Guardians is the franchise of the franchise... inevitable.
3.) Past Lives
IMDb Score: 8.3
A24 makes its second appearance on the list with another amazingly received movie in Past Lives. Lovers divided and reunited is one of the biggest layups in the romance genre and a crowd pleasure time and time again. Celine Strong's directorial debut makes an impact on the highly influential A24 community.
2.) Oppenheimer
IMDb Score: 8.6
The latter half of the Barbenheimer craze seems to be the one that is going to have the most impactful impression come award season. There are so many things Oppenheimer does to make it a truly special theater experience. The least of which is being a three-hour, hyper dialogue-heavy, dense, and complex story that is within earshot of a 10-digit box office.
The definition of a must-see summer blockbuster.
1.) Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
IMDb Score: 8.8
The conversation of the best comic book movie trilogy of all time is one of the most heated in superhero fandom. Not only did Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 make the galactic trilogy a contender, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse has put the Spider-Verse trilogy on the top of the list for the next to enter the debate.
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse takes the momentum of the 2018 predecessor and pushes the ball down the field in a way that no one saw coming, and even fewer people can wait to see reach the goal line.
