It's that time of year again. Or it was. But after an embarrassingly long delay, I've knocked enough movies off my watchlist to come on out with it - My official verdict on the best of the best for movies in 2023. [Since writing this, an even more embarrassingly long time has passed, but here we go.]
Best Animated Feature:
Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse
Nimona, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Elemental
This is the one category that's technically incomplete for now. I wasn't able to see 'The Boy and the Heron' in theaters and, at time of writing, it's still not available to stream or rent a physical copy, and is too expense to rent digitally to fit in my budget right now. So this result may change in the future, but for now, 'Across the Spider-Verse' is a worthy winner I have no qualms giving the gold to.
Best Non-English Language Film:
The Zone of Interest [U.K.]
Monster [Japan], Society of the Snow [Spain],
Perfect Days [Japan], Anatomy of a Fall [France]
It would be hard to conceive a historical film more bleakly prescient to 2023 than Jonathan Glazer’s ‘The Zone of Interest.’ In the most innovative film of the year, Glazer crafts a scathing portrait of complicity in evil; meticulously recreating the world of the commandant of Auschwitz and his family. The horrors happening offscreen contrast to the indifference of a family that is inescapably aware yet choosing to ignore and ultimately embrace the evil their life is built upon. It is an incredible work of historical art, but becomes all the more powerful as Glazer polishes it into a mirror to reflect back the contemporary atrocities its audience has themselves become complicit in, happening just out of sight but, no matter what we tell ourselves, never truly out of mind.
Best VFX:
Godzilla Minus One
The Creator, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Poor Things,
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
In an era where so many big-budget blockbusters are skimping on VFX budgets and abusing work deadlines, truly great VFX is more valuable than ever. The incredible team behind Godzilla: Minus One delivered a masterclass in how to create a big movie on a small budget, and the titular king lizard himself has never looked better.
Honorable Mentions: Society of the Snow, Oppenheimer, Blue Beetle
Best Makeup and Hairstyling:
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Society of the Snow, Priscilla, Poor Things, Maestro
I don't know if any snub this year was more shocking than the GOTG team getting left off the Hair & Makeup shortlist. The final installment in James Gunn's beloved space-faring trilogy set a record for most prosthetics used in a single film, with a crew led by Alexei Dmitriew and Cassie Russek creating an army of anthropomorphized animal hybrids. Over the past decade, this franchise has delivered some of the most spectacular scifi makeup in the business, and this was their magnum opus. They deserved to walk home with the gold.
Honorable Mentions: Barbie, Evil Dead Rise, Last Voyage of the Demeter,
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Best Costumes:
Holly Waddington [Poor Things]
Jacqueline Durran [Barbie], Francine Jamison-Tanchuck [Color Purple],
Milena Canonero [Asteroid City], Amanda Monk [Dungeons and Dragons]
Very strong work from a lot of different genres gave our actors some truly iconic looks this year. Choosing a top pick between 'Poor Things' and 'Barbie' was tough, but ultimately I'm giving the gold to Waddington for sheer originality. Her creative powers are operating off the charts here, creating a distinctive wardrobe for Bella Baxter and all of the deranged misfits in her wake. This world's blend of period setting with surreal scifi offers incredible design opportunity and Waddington rose to the occasion with a deep wardrobe of brilliant styles that feel both rooted in history and excitingly imaginative.
Honorable Mentions: Stacey Battat [Priscilla], Jacqueline West [Flower Moon],
Ann Roth [Margaret], Trish Summerville [Songbirds and Snakes]
Best Production Design:
Asteroid City
Barbie, Poor Things, Killers of the Flower Moon, The Color Purple
Like costumes, this was an incredibly tough category this year, with so many gorgeous, inventive worlds being brought to life on screen; from the sprawling historical recreation of the Osage Nation to the fantastical, pink-plastered homes of Barbieland. But for me, the masterful pastel desert oasis of Asteroid City was unbeatable. Under the guidance of production designer Adam Stockhausen, this delightful pastiche of Route 66 Americana and Wes Anderson's trademark touch is the director's most inviting setting since the Grand Budapest Hotel. You couldn't ask for a better home for this eccentric cast of characters to face the unknown in.
Honorable Mentions: The Zone of Interest, Oppenheimer, Bottoms, GOTG Vol. 3, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Priscilla
Best Sound:
The Zone of Interest
Oppenheimer, Society of the Snow, The Killer, The Iron Claw
Last year, sound designer Johnnie Burn created one of the most haunting monsters in contemporary cinema with his work on 'Nope.' This year, he teamed with Tarn Willers to bring one of history's worst monstrosities to horrifying life. This team's painstaking historical research to create the soundscape of Auschwitz just over the wall of the Höss' home is a monumental piece of work that the movie simply wouldn't function without. 'Oppenheimer' may have been the loudest movie of the year, but 'Zone of Interest' is the perfect testament to the raw power of sound design.
Honorable Mentions: Maestro, Perfect Days, How to Blow Up a Pipeline,
Killers of the Flower Moon, GOTG Vol. 3
Best Editing:
Jennifer Lame [Oppenheimer]
Thelma Schoonmaker [Flower Moon], Paul Watts [Zone],
Jonathan Alberts [Strangers], Hirokazu Kore-eda [Monster]
Perhaps above all else, Jennifer Lame is the secret weapon behind the success of 2023's most shocking hit - Oppenheimer. How did a talky, 3-hour-long historical epic become one of the biggest movies of the year? Impeccable editing, that's how. Lame delivers a masterclass here in her craft, making the long hours of scientific posturing and political hearings feel every bit as gripping as the actual bomb tests through the magic of the editing suite, a true wizard spinning cinematic gold out of scenes that easily could have dragged. From the moment I left the theater, I had no doubt that she would take home this prize with not just the best editing of 2023, but of the decade thus far.
Honorable Mentions: Daniel Garber [Pipeline], Toni Froschhammer [Perfect Days], Kirk Baxter [Killer], Jaume Martí & Andrés Gil [Snow],
Best Original Song:
‘What Was I Made For?’ by Billie Eilish & Finnias O’Connell [Barbie]
‘I’m Just Ken’ by Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt [Barbie], ‘Live That Way Forever’ by Richard Reed Parry & Laurel Sprengelmeyer [Iron Claw], 'Camp Isn’t Home’ by Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon & Josh Lieberman [Theater Camp],
'Quiet Eyes' by Sharon van Etten & Zach Dawes [Past Lives]
This category was very much an all-out brawl between the various stars of the 'Barbie' soundtrack. But in the end, while 'I'm Just Ken' was the ear-wormy delight that was stuck in my head all summer, it's 'What Was I Made For?' that cuts straight to the thematic core of the year's biggest movie. It's a moving, powerful ballad that makes the most of Eilish's vocal range and her and her brother's writing talents, providing the musical heartbeat to 'Barbie's' emotional climax. While so many nominees for Original Song each year are quick bops to play over the credits, 'What Was I Made For?' is deeply rooted in the text of the film. The duo's second statue in this category was well-deserved.
Honorable Mentions: ‘Can’t Catch Me Now’ by Olivia Rodrigo & Dan Nigro [Songbirds], 'Dear Alien' by Jarvis Cocker & Richard Hawley [Asteroid City]
Best Original Score:
Ludwig Göransson [Oppenheimer]
Robbie Robertson [Flower Moon], Daniel Pemberton [Spider-Verse],
Gavin Brivik [Pipeline], Christopher Bear & Daniel Rossen [Past Lives]
2023 saw some truly epic scores, but none flew quite so high as Ludwig Göransson's masterful work on 'Oppenheimer.' And thank goodness for Christopher Nolan parting ways with Hans Zimmer, because Göransson was absolutely the right man for the job. His score delivers huge, epic sound when needed to match the incomprehensible destruction on screen but, more importantly, crafts a softer, beautiful rhythm to match the quiet moments that make up the bulk of the movie. Here, the music is in tune with the delicate nature of the minute equations building towards detonation, setting symphony to the countless neurons spinning and firing in the brain of our titular scientist, pushing him to the brink.
Honorable Mentions: Michael Giacchino [Snow], Jerskin Fendrix [Poor Things], Laura Karpman [Fiction], Mark Orton [Holdovers], Ryuichi Sakamoto [Monster]
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Tony McNamara [Poor Things]
Christopher Nolan [Oppenheimer], Martin Scorsese & Eric Roth [Flower Moon]
Andrew Haigh [Strangers], Kelly Fremon Craig [Margaret]
Tony McNamara and Yorgos Lanthimos have proved a match made in movie heaven, taking the wild machinations of the director's vision and transcribing them into scripts that are unpredictable, witty, and somehow relatable. Alasdair Gray's novel is brought to delightful life on the screen by McNamara, treading a delicate path with such potentially alienating material. The adaptation wastes no time handwringing over how to present Bella Baxter's fantastical story to the audience, allowing her endearing character to stand on her own. What results is one of the wittiest and most surprising scripts of the year, a delight for fans of every genre this odyssey crosses in its long journey to actualization.
Honorable Mentions: Matt Johnson & Matthew Miller [BlackBerry],
Cord Jefferson [Fiction], Sofia Coppola [Priscilla], Jonathan Glazer [Zone]
Best Original Screenplay:
Celine Song [Past Lives]
Wes Anderson [Asteroid City], Samy Burch [May December],
Justine Triet & Arthur Harari [Anatomy], Yuji Sakamoto [Monster]
With one of the greatest debut films in recent memory, Celine Song announced herself as a cinematic force to be reckoned with. Perhaps I'm biased, as someone who struggles with fixating on what-ifs in life, but no movie in 2023 hit me with quite as heavy an emotional brick as 'Past Lives.' Song's script grabs onto the heartstrings early on and never lets go, interweaving ruminations on love, destiny, and the immigrant experience into the upturned lives of its three core characters. Song is able to say so much with her dialogue, but it is what isn't said out loud that is most powerful. In the silence and the yearning, enough space is left for the audience to fall right in and be fully immersed in the the raw emotions found between the lines.
Honorable Mentions: David Hemingson [Holdovers], Sean Durkin [Iron Claw],
A.V. Rockwell [Thousand and One], Emma Seligman & Rachel Sennott [Bottoms]
Best Cinematography:
Rodrigo Prieto [Killers of the Flower Moon]
Hoyte van Hoytema [Oppenheimer], Łucasz Żal [Zone],
Robbie Ryan [Poor Things], Jamie D. Ramsay [Strangers]
One of the toughest calls of the year, but ultimately Prieto's masterful work on Scorsese's latest takes the top spot. 'Flower Moon' is Prieto at the hieght of his powers, a cinematic maestro creating some of the most searing images of the year. From the raw, natural power of erupting oil and blazing prairies, to the sinister shadows of the encroaching conspiracy, this historical epic feels truly epic thanks to the uncompromising vision of its cinematographer. An elemental battle between light and dark is at play in Osage County, and in Prieto's work, that contrast could not be more clear, with enrapturing shots that arrest the attention for all 3 hours of this trip to a grim side of American history.
Honorable Mentions: Robert Yeoman [Asteroid City], Pedro Luque [Snow],
Linus Sandgren [Saltburn], Philippe Le Sourd [Priscilla],
Best Supporting Actor:
Charles Melton [May December]
Robert De Niro [Flower Moon], Milo Merchado-Graner [Anatomy]
Mark Ruffalo [Poor Things], Eita Nagayama [Monster]
This category really tried my commitment to avoid category fraud. Dominic Sessa [The Holdovers] and Glenn Howerton [BlackBerry] gave incredible performances that were campaigned in Supporting, but they're so obviously co-leads that I couldn't bring myself to put them in. With those two out, it came down to a very strong list of true supporting players - chief amongst which was Charles Melton's arresting breakout into the big leagues as Joe in 'May December.' It's an incredibly difficult role to pull off with both authenticity and sensitivity, and Melton threads that line incredibly well. His carefully crafted mannerisms and vocal choices convey volumes without any unnecessary exposition. Joe is one of the most complex individuals we encountered on screen in 2023, and in all his conflicting layers, he never feels anything less than real. I can't wait to see what Melton does next.
Honorable Mentions: Paul Mescal [Strangers], Willem Dafoe [Poor Things],
Robert Downey Jr. [Oppenheimer], John Magaro [Past Lives]
Best Supporting Actress:
Da’Vine Joy Randolph [Holdovers]
Danielle Brooks [Color Purple], Julianne Moore [May December],
Rachel McAdams [Margaret], Scarlett Johansson [Asteroid City]
'The Holdovers' is a movie of deep feelings that often seem in conflict, but ultimately prove to be two sides of the same coin - huge heart and profound sadness. It's that balance that makes it so perfectly capture the Christmas season, and it's Da'Vine Joy Randolph's turn as head cook Mary Lamb that embodies it the best. She cares for the titular lonely misfits with hilarious lines and sincere tough love, but holds unimaginable grief just beneath the surface. She gets some of the script's biggest laughs, but when that grief breaks through, it is an arresting sensation. More than any delivery of the year, "You can't even dream a whole dream, can you?" is still stuck in my head months later - countless feelings rolled into one. For holding the most heart of any performance this year, her Oscar win was well deserved.
Honorable Mentions: Yūko Tanaka [Monster], Cara Jade Myers [Flower Moon],
Claire Foy [Strangers], Emily Blunt [Oppenheimer]
Best Actor:
Cillian Murphy [Oppenheimer]
Leonardo DiCaprio [Flower Moon], Kōji Yakusho [Perfect Days],
Andrew Scott [Strangers], Paul Giametti [Holdovers]
In an era of cheap, half-baked impersonations riding to the Oscars over more original characters, it can become easy to be jaded by biopic stars, which is perhaps why Cillian Murphy’s titular role in ‘Oppenheimer’ felt like such a breath of fresh air. To bring such a complicated historical figure to life, Murphy had to hollow out a space to fill with the many layers of the man behind the bomb. It is a deeply internalized performance, allowing the audience to connect with the film’s protagonist while letting him remain the enigma he stands as in history. More than anyone else, the onus of selling a movie based on such a controversial figure falls on the actor portraying him. And Murphy brings Oppenheimer to life in a way that lets us root for him while giving no easy outs for the consequences of his choices, rejecting the shallowness of standard imitation to embody a man that feels just as real as the lingering impact of his actions.
Honorable Mentions: Teo Yoo [Past Lives], Jeffrey Wright [Fiction],
Zac Efron [Iron Claw], Colman Domingo [Rustin]
Best Actress:
Lily Gladstone [Flower Moon]
Emma Stone [Poor Things], Sandra Hüller [Anatomy],
Natalie Portman [May December], Teyana Taylor [Thousand and One]
Much was made when Gladstone chose to be campaigned as a Lead instead of Supporting. But now, with the dust of the campaign season settled, it is clear that it was the right choice, and one that deserved to land her the win. 'Killers of the Flower Moon' is Mollie Kyle's story, and Gladstone tells it with powerful force. It is not a loud performance, with no huge monologues or quick-witted lines, but it is nonetheless sensational. The confines of history leave Mollie with what could be seen as a passive role, easily lost when opposite the huge personalities of the men plotting against her people, embodied here by some of the most towering actors of our age. But Gladstone is never diminished. Her Mollie, even when bedridden, is a force of nature, conveying more in silent glances than could be contained on a whole page of text. And when she does speak, she commands all attention. The crimes against the Kyle family and the Osage Tribe once seemed nearly lost to time, but Gladstone did them justice by immortalizing Mollie with her work here.
Honorable Mentions: Greta Lee [Past Lives], Cailee Spaeny [Priscilla],
Sakura Andō [Monster], Fantasia Barrino [Color Purple]
Best Director:
Christopher Nolan [Oppenheimer]
Martin Scorsese [Flower Moon], Jonathan Glazer [Zone],
Yorgos Lanthimos [Poor Things], Celine Song [Past Lives]
Christopher Nolan has built a reputation over the past two decades as one of the premiere directors of the 21st century. Best known for his epic, blockbuster work with superheroes and science fiction, his approach to a biopic like 'Oppenheimer' was always going to come under scrutiny. But the movie he delivered feels no smaller than any of his past reality-bending work, proving that being bound to the limits of history in no way diminishes his creative vision. Turning a story like this into popularly entertaining cinema without sacrificing the gravity at its core is no minor task. Pulling it off solidifies Nolan's place as a great in the annals of Hollywood, and was well worth his long overdue Oscar win.
Honorable Mentions: Justine Triet [Anatomy], Wes Anderson [Asteroid City],
Greta Gerwig [Barbie], Hirokazu Kore-eda [Monster]
Best Picture:
Oppenheimer
Killers of the Flower Moon, Past Lives, The Zone of Interest, Asteroid City,
Poor Things, May December, Monster, Anatomy of a Fall, All of Us Strangers
At this point, it should come as no surprise that the top movie of 2023 for me was 'Oppenheimer,' marking a rare two years in a row I've agreed with the Academy's pick. There's only so much left to say about the film without repeating myself, but there was nothing more shocking in Hollywood in 2023 than the third highest grossing hit being a 3-hour historical drama. Yet 'Oppenheimer' caught fire, proving that there is still an audience eager for electrifying cinema beyond the draw of major franchises.
For seven decades, the threat of the atom bomb has loomed over our world. 'Oppenheimer' examines its creation and its creator with a narrative that thrills without ever sacrificing the dark reality that is being birthed on screen. Nolan and his incredible cast and crew not only capture the scale of the bomb but the intricate web of science, politics, and moral dilemmas that make it all matter. It is an epic worthy of the weight of its subject, and one that will continue to hold relevance as we live in the shadow of the bomb and the decisions that continue to be made every day about the technologies that will shape the future.
Honorable Mentions: The Holdovers, Are You There, God? It’s Me Margaret,
Society of the Snow, Barbie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Priscilla
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