Barack Obama has revealed his favorite movies of 2023, including a few that he was personally invested in.
At the end of every year, the 44th President of the United States shares a roundup of his top books, films and music. After previously announcing his 15 favorite books — including a pick that Jenna Bush Hager featured in October for Read With Jenna — Obama released a list of the 13 movies from the year that he enjoyed the most on X and other social media platforms Dec. 27.
The former president said his selections were “biased” because three of the movies were flicks produced by Higher Ground, the production company he shares with wife and former first lady Michelle Obama.
“I’m biased since these movies were produced by Higher Ground, but these are in fact three of the best films this year,” he said in his tweet.
So, he split the list into two sections. He also referenced the SAG-AFTRA and writers strikes in his post.
“Earlier this year, writers and actors went on strike to advocate for better working conditions and protections. It led to important changes that will transform the industry for the better,” he wrote.
Obama added that “Rustin,” “American Symphony” and “Leave the World Behind,” three movies that he was an executive producer on, are some of the films from 2023 that “reflect” the hard work writers and actors put into their projects. (“Leave the World Behind” was also highlighted on his 2021 summer reading list.)
A day later, he added another entry after a recent trip to the movies.
“Update: I just saw The Color Purple and loved it. I’m adding it to this list as one of my favorite movies of the year,” he posted on his social media accounts.
Below is Obama's complete list of the best movies of 2023 — with TODAY.com including how you can watch them.
Barack Obama’s favorite movies of 2023
- “Rustin” — Where to watch: Netflix
- “Leave the World Behind” — Where to watch: Netflix
- “American Symphony” — Where to watch: Netflix
- “The Holdovers” — Where to watch: Available on Peacock Dec. 29
- “Blackberry” — Where to watch: AMC+, Roku Channel and YouTube for purchase
- “Oppenheimer” — Where to watch: Available on Apple TV+, Prime Video and YouTube for purchase
- “American Fiction” — Where to watch: Currently in theaters
- “Anatomy of a Fall” — Where to watch: Available on AppleTV+, Prime Video and YouTube for purchase
- “Monster” — Where to watch: Currently in theaters
- “Past Lives” — Where to watch: Available on Apple TV+, Prime Video and YouTube for purchase
- “Air” — Where to watch: Prime Video
- “Polite Society” — Where to watch: Prime Video
- “A Thousand and One” — Where to watch: Prime Video
- “The Color Purple” — Where to watch: Currently in theaters