It’s that time of year again, when former President Barack Obama lists his favorite movies from the past 12 months.

A mix of blockbusters and lesser-known titles, his 13 picks continue a tradition of best-of-the-year lists for books, television, movies and music he began more than a decade ago while he was in the White House.

What You Need To Know

  • Barack Obama picked 13 movies as the best of 2023

  • His first 3 picks — "Rustin," "Leave the World Behind" and American Symphony" — were produced by Higher Ground, the media company he formed with wife Michelle Obama in 2018

  • The list is a mix of blockbusters and lesser-known titles from the U.S. and abroad

  • Obama has been releasing best-of lists for books, television, music and movies since he was in the White House

“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,” Obama wrote on X Wednesday when he announced his top movie picks. “Here are some films that reflect their hard work over the last year.”

His top 3 picks — "Rustin," "Leave the World Behind" and American Symphony" — were produced by Higher Ground, the media company he formed with wife Michelle Obama in 2018

  • “Rustin,” directed by George C. Wolfe, chronicles the life of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin
  • “Leave the World Behind,” starring Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke, tells the story of a vacationing family navigating an unforeseen crisis
  • “American Symphony,” a documentary about musician Jon Batiste and his life partner Suleika Jaouad
  • “The Holdovers,” starring Paul Giamatti, about a boarding schoolteacher needing to babysit students over the holidays
  • “BlackBerry,” a feature about the rise and fall of the famed smartphone
  • “Oppenheimer,” a biopic about nuclear bomb inventor Robert Oppenheimer starring Cillian Murphy
  • “American Fiction,” a movie based on the novel Erasure, about a frustrated Black novelist
  • “Anatomy of a Fall,” a French courtroom thriller
  • “Monster,” a Japanese drama about a mother struggling to understand her son’s behavior
  • “Past Lives,” a drama about two childhood friends from South Korea who reunite as adults
  • “Air,” a drama about the rise of Nike directed by and starring Ben Affleck
  • “Polite Society,” a dramatic comedy about a woman interfering in her sister’s impending marriage
  • “A Thousand and One,” a drama about a single mother who kidnaps her son from the foster care system