10 Must Watch Movies of 2023

2023 was a stellar year in the film industry with a diverse array of television series and movies from action to drama being released.

In this article, Nairobi Leo.co.ke has compiled the top ten must-see movies you should watch before 2023 comes to an end. 

1. Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer is a biographical thriller movie that is based on the true story of J. Robert Oppenheimer who is best known for the invention of the atomic bomb.

The movie chronicles the career of Oppenheimer, with the story predominantly focusing on his studies, his direction of the Manhattan Project during World War II, and his eventual fall from grace due to his 1954 security hearing.

It stars Cillian Murphy who is famed for bringing to life gangster Tommy Shelby on “Peaky Blinders”.

2. Kaleidoscope

This is an American mini-TV series that was inspired by real-life events. The eight-part series involves a master thief and his crew attempting an epic and elaborate heist worth seven billion dollars but betrayal, greed, and other threats undermine their plans.

3. Extraction 2

This is a thriller that is a sequel to 2020's Extraction and is based on the graphic novel Ciudad.

Back from the brink of death, highly skilled Australian black ops commando Tyler Rake is tasked with another deadly mission of rescuing the battered family of a ruthless Georgian gangster from the prison where they are being held.

4. Obliterated

Obliterated is an American TV series that involves an elite joint special operations team from various branches of the U.S.

 Armed Forces and intelligence services to stop a deadly terrorist network from blowing up Las Vegas. In the first episode, the team manages to Stop a terrorist plan to destroy Las Vegas. The team then goes into a celebration mode before finding out that the bomb they disarmed was a fake. The genuine one is still ticking, somewhere in the city.

5. Barbie Movie

Barbie is a fantasy comedy movie that is based on the eponymous fashion dolls by Mattel. In the movie, Barbie embarks on a life-changing journey following an existential crisis. Overcoming culture shock and initial awkwardness, Barbie embraces the real world's messy, unpredictable nature.

6. Top Boy

The British crime drama series returned for a final series in September 2023. The first two seasons of Top Boy aired in 2011 and 2013 before it was canceled. The third season returned in 2019 and and a fourth season in 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the fifth season, Dushane and Sully endure new problems as everything they have built comes under threat from forces outside and within their empire.

7. An Instant Dad

This is a Kenyan movie starring renowned actor Blessing Lung'aho. In the movie, a carefree bachelor (Rikki) life takes an unexpected turn when his 10-year-old daughter suddenly appears on his doorstep.

Rikki who is a reveler complete with a Boys Club is forced to cut links with women and learn to be a father. Rikki’s family comes to his rescue with his mother giving him advice on how to be a good father for his daughter Amy.

8. Fatal Seduction

The South African thriller involves a married university professor Nandi who thinks her husband Leonard is cheating on her and begins an affair with a younger man which turns tragic. Nandi’s best friend ends up dead, and her husband and lover both become suspects.

9. Fast X

Also known as Fast and Furious 10, Fast X is an action thriller starring Vin Diesel, Jason Momoa, Tyrese Gibson, and Luda Cris.

In the movie, Vin Diesel and his family are outsmarted and outdriven every foe in their path. Dante (Jason Momoa) is inspired by vengeance and determined to fracture their family and destroy everything and everyone Nin Diesel loves.

New alliances are formed and old rivals resurface from London to Brazil to Antarctica and Rome.

10. The Diplomat

The Diplomatic is a political thriller TV series that premiered on Netflix in April 2023. The TV series involves Kate Wyler a new US Ambassador to the United Kingdom who is balancing between managing her deteriorating marriage with Hal Wyler who was once an ambassador and forging strategic alliances with the UK government.