2023 has been somewhat unusual in terms of audiovisual production. Cinema has been greatly affected due to strikes by actors and writers, but series have also suffered, and it is expected that next year there will be a lot of filming but much fewer releases than usual.
However, we can confidently say that in 2023, some of the best series of recent years have been released. Both national and international, both live-action and animated, we have discovered gems of all kinds on streaming platforms. Therefore, we have compiled a list of the 10 that we found most interesting.
10. The other side
The second original series by Berto Romero for Movistar Plus has turned out to be a spectacular gem that no one expected. With a curious mix of horror and comedy, the fiction starring Berto himself and Andreu Buenafuente has made it into the best of 2023.
Nacho Nieto, a journalist specialized in the paranormal, is going through his worst professional and personal moment. After a failed suicide attempt, he comes back to life accompanied by the ghost of his mentor, Dr. Estrada, a legendary mystery communicator who passed away over 20 years ago. At that moment, a virulent poltergeist case crosses his path in an apartment in the outskirts of Barcelona, on Cardenal Cardona street, perhaps the most important paranormal case in recent years.
09. Swarm
Donald Glover has signed a series this year that is not afraid to be what it is and explores terror and gore in the most explosive ways possible. Starring Dominique Fishback, it is one of the biggest surprises we have come across in recent months.
Dre (Fishback) is a young woman whose obsession with the biggest female pop star of the moment leads her to embark on an unexpected journey across the United States as everything takes a dark turn.
08. The Jury
Jury Duty is one of the most surprising fiction proposals in recent years. It is a series with its usual narrative, except that the protagonist has no idea that he is… and everything revolves around him. A proposal that could have gone wrong but has turned out to be a gem.
The series follows the proceedings of an American jury through the eyes of Ronald Gladeen, a young jury member who is unaware that the entire case is fake. Everyone, except him, are actors and everything that happens is carefully planned.
07. Conflict
Another incredibly interesting proposal from 2023 has been Beef, a series produced by A24 starring Ali Wong and Steven Yeun in a masterful way. With a hilarious comedic tone, the series has become one of the most watched and beloved on Netflix.
In the series, a traffic incident between two strangers (a failed contractor and a dissatisfied businesswoman) unleashes a conflict that will bring out their darkest side.
06. Blue-eyed Samurai
Netflix has had a very strong year with its original series, and one of the best has been an anime about samurais with a very unapologetic gore tone. The series has been a hit in recent weeks and continues to grow month by month.
In this fiction that has already been renewed for a second season on Netflix, a sword master of mixed ancestry lives a covert life while seeking revenge in Japan during the Edo period.
05. Mrs. Davis
Okay, this series is not for everyone, but if you like oddities and believe in Damon Lindelof’s craftsmanship, Mrs. Davis will captivate you from start to finish and won’t let go until it completely blows your mind. Plus, its reflection on Artificial Intelligence couldn’t be more timely.
In the series available on HBO Max, a nun named Simone will stop at nothing to destroy the Artificial Intelligence before it causes a global collapse.
04. This world won’t make me a bad person
By now, it is more than clear that everything Zerocalcare does is a diamond in itself. The comic book author who also signed with Netflix Cutting by the dotted line has signed a new top-notch work with This world will not make me a bad person.
In fiction, an old friend returns after years of absence and doesn’t recognize the neighborhood where he grew up. Zerocalcare wants to help him, but what choice is the right one? In some way, it is a continuation of the acclaimed “Cortar por la línea de puntos”, but it is completely independent.
03. The Last of Us
2023 started with a total obsession with The Last of Us, the HBO Max series adaptation of the acclaimed video game by Naughty Dog. Undoubtedly, the series lived up to the circumstances and quickly became one of the biggest phenomena of the year.
Twenty years after the destruction of modern civilization due to a fungus – cordyceps – that takes over human bodies, one of the survivors, Joel, is tasked with getting young Ellie out of an oppressive quarantine zone. Together, they cross the United States, helping each other to try to survive… Adaptation of the acclaimed video game of the same name by Naughty Dog.
02. Poker Face
Rian Johnson is one of the most prolific creators in today’s cinema. His series of movies Knives Out are among the most followed cultural products on Netflix, and to top it off, he has signed in 2023 the wonderful series Poker Face, starring Natasha Lyonne.
Charlie Cale is a casino worker with an innate ability to detect lies. Running away from her casino owner boss, the young woman travels across the United States and along the way encounters various characters and solves homicides using her gift.
01. The Messiah
We couldn’t help but surrender to the feet of the Javis this year. The directors of Paquita Salas have made with La Mesías their greatest work to date, and also the best series of all released globally in 2023. A delight from beginning to end that will endure over the years.
The viral video of a Christian pop music group, composed of several sisters, impacts the life of Enric, a man tormented by a childhood marked by religious fanaticism and the yoke of a mother with messianic delusions.
