Barack Obama has revealed his favorite films of 2023, with the list causing a stir online.
Posting to X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday, the former president said the top movies he'd seen this year were Rustin, American Symphony and Leave the World Behind. The three films were produced through Higher Ground, the company he founded with wife Michelle Obama to showcase diverse talent in the entertainment industry. Leave the World Behind sparked controversy and negative reviews after X user Libs of TikTok accused the film of "demonizing" white people.
Also on the list was the campus comedy-drama The Holdovers, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer and Blackberry, a biographical comedy about the former cellphone giant.
Other titles the 62-year-old enjoyed throughout 2023 included the crime-thriller Anatomy of a Fall, Japanese drama Monster, the romance Past Lives and sports-drama Air, about the legendary partnership between Nike and basketball star Michael Jordan.
American Fiction, based on the 2001 book Erasure by Percival Everett, also made the cut, as did British martial arts film Polite Society and crime-drama A Thousand and One.
"Earlier this year, writers and actors went on strike to advocate for better working conditions and protections," Obama wrote alongside the list.
"It led to important changes that will transform the industry for the better. Here are some films that reflect their hard work over the last year—including some like Rustin, American Symphony, and Leave the World Behind that we were proud to release through @HGMedia. What films did I miss?"
Since being shared, Obama's post has received over 5 million views. However, fans on X were appalled that one of the year's biggest hits was omitted; Greta Gerwig's Barbie.
"He forgot barbie," wrote Caleb.
"No Barbie? Really? This hurts," wrote Laura Donovan.
"Travesty," said Law Paul.
"Barbie the only movie that should be on the list," agreed Pony Boy.
"Bro got no taste," commented Michael T. Quinn Jr., while Liz said: "The fact that barbie and the little mermaid aren't on here tells me eveything I need to know about him."
Released in July, Barbie was 2023's biggest box office success story, earning $1,441,820,453 worldwide. The fantasy comedy beat out its fiercest competition Oppenheimer, a war-thriller about the American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and the development of the atomic bomb. The films were released on the same day, sparking "Barbenheimer" memes.
Starring Margot Robbie as the titular doll and Ryan Gosling as Ken, Barbie was also the largest opening weekend for a movie with a female director. The film is tipped for Oscars success, while Mattel plans to launch an entire toy movie universe following Barbie's box office triumph.
Other perceived omissions from Obama's list that drew criticism from commentators included Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, The Color Purple musical produced by Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey, and Disney's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
"Barbie, The Color Purple, and The Little Mermaid should be here too!" wrote X user Steven, while Blake Ells noted, "Obama left off KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, BARBIE and THE COLOR PURPLE what is this."
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About the writer
Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more
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