They Cloned Tyrone, May December, and the 13 best Netflix movies (plus the 10 worst) of 2023

Best: Nimona

The road to release for this darling and epic animated film was a long one. Based on a popular graphic novel by ND Stevenson, Nimona has been in development since 2015. Production on the film eventually got underway at the Fox subsidiary Blue Skies Studio, but when Disney acquired Fox, they also closed down Blue Skies and Nimona was effectively canceled.

Luckily for fans. Annapurna later saved the day and revived the movie, with Netflix acquiring the distribution rights. Thank god it played out the way it did because Nimona was very well-received by critics and fans alike. The story is set in a fantastical world inspired by the Middle Ages and follows a knight who is accused of a crime he did not commit. Ironically, the only person who might be able to help him clear his name is a shape-shifting teenager the knight might be sworn to hunt as part of his duties.

Riz Ahmed and Chloë Grace Moretz voice the two leading characters. Nimona also features the voices of actors like Eugene Lee Young, Lorraine Toussaint, RuPaul Charles, Indya Moore, Frances Conroy, and more. The film received praise for its humor, writing, characters, animation style, and its deft handling of mature themes.

Written by Maddy Lennon