Barack Obama's Favorite Movies of 2023

Obama's Favorite Movies of 2023

Former US President Barack Obama has revealed his favorite movies of 2023, including some from his own production company alongside hits like Oppenheimer. The famous politician founded Higher Ground Productions in 2018 alongside his wife, Michelle Obama, and has since produced multiple movies, shows, documentaries, and podcasts. Three films made by his company were released for Netflix in late 2023.

An image of Cillian Murphy looking upset as Oppenheimer in front of an image of Robert Downy Jr. as Lewis Strauss and Kenneth Branagh is Niels Bohr

Now, Obama has posted a list of his favorite movies in 2023, highlighting the films that were produced by Higher Ground. His top three films are Rustin, Leave the World Behind, and American Symphony, all of which were made by his production company. However, he lists his other favorites as The Holdovers, BlackBerry, Oppenheimer, American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Monster, Past Lives, Air, Polite Society, and A Thousand and One.

Twitter article posted by Barack Obama

What Obama's Favorite Movies List Says About 2023 In Film

Obama's favorites list includes many movies that are grounded in reality, telling stories of people in situations that could happen in real life. While some, like the ending reveals in Leave the World Behind, aren't entirely grounded, most of the former President's favorite films are based on realistic events. This especially rings true for the likes of Rustin, BlackBerry, and Oppenheimer, all of which are based on historical figures and events.

2023 has been a rough year for some companies, with Disney's box office failures and similar underperforming for the DCEU revealing a shift in what audiences want to see. While franchises like Indiana Jones and superheros didn't earn much money, big-screen debuts for established names like The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Barbie broke $1 billion each in theaters. Coupled with the positive critical reception of more grounded movies, it appears being part of a film franchise can no longer guarantee success. The year was also defined by major strikes across the industry, with the SAG-AFTRA actors strike deal not being made until early November. This will no doubt alter how the film industry operates going into 2024, possibly changing the landscape of what to expect from movies in the future. Obama's list highlighting Oppenheimer and his own grounded productions indicates what kind of movies may be popular going into next year.

Obama's Higher Ground Productions Future Plans

Obama's Higher Ground will be producing two TV shows in the future, Bodkin and White Mountains.