Obama drops annual favorite movies list, including 3 produced by his media company

Former President Obama released his favorite movies of 2023 list on Wednesday, continuing his post-White House tradition of highlighting the entertainment he enjoyed most over the year.

This year’s list was topped by three films made by Higher Ground, the production company founded by the former president and first lady in 2018.

Obama opened with an acknowledgement and celebration of the historic Hollywood strikes, which saw movie production freeze for months this summer and fall as both writers and actors demanded better deals.

“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 said.

The former president’s list includes the three Higher Grounds films — “Rustin,” “Leave the World Behind,” and “American Symphony” — as well as blockbuster successes like “Oppenheimer.”

“I’m biased… but these are in fact three of the best films I saw this year,” he joked about the Higher Ground titles.

Here’s his full 2023 movie list:

• Rustin
• Leave the World Behind
• American Symphony
• The Holdovers
• Blackberry
• Oppenheimer
• American Fiction
• Anatomy of a Fall
• Monster
• Past Lives
• Air
• Polite Society
• A Thousand and One

Obama also shared his favorite reading of the year last week.