Between an international film circling the events of the Holocaust (The Zone of Interest), a feel-good coming-of-age dark academia flick (The Holdovers), and a billion-dollar picture about plastic dolls crossing over into the real world (Barbie), this year’s Best Picture nominees are certainly diverse in both tone and sentiment. For the first time, I have completed my goal of watching every Best Picture nominee for the year in anticipation of the annual Academy Awards. Rather than ranking based on personal enjoyment of the given films, I attempted a more objective approach, taking a closer look at each movie’s themes, cinematography, writing, performances, and overall cohesiveness as a picture. Here is my overview and ranking of the 96th Academy Awards Best Picture nominees, ranked from ten to one.
- Oppenheimer
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Oppenheimer (dir. Christopher Nolan) follows theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer’s journey throughout college and his career, highlighting his role in the development of the atomic bomb.
It’s no surprise that my prediction to win the award is a dramatic, star-studded biopic directed by Christopher Nolan. Oppenheimer is the mold for an Oscar-winner, and deservedly so. It erupted into a box office giant that dominated theaters everywhere and neared a billion dollars and was capable of those numbers as a three-hour war biopic, which is a complete rarity for the industry. This is due to the spellbinding powers of Christopher Nolan, lead Cillian Murphy and the rest of the cast and crew who created this century-defining marvel. Oppenheimer crafts horror, despair, and internal acting performance in such a unique way, and will certainly influence filmmaking as a medium for years to come.
- Anatomy of a Fall
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In Anatomy of a Fall (dir. Justine Triet), a writer’s husband, is found dead by her visually-impaired son.
This is, in my opinion, the most narratively and cinematically cohesive picture from this past year. Milo Machado-Graner, who plays the son, presents one of my favorite performances ever from a child actor, and the rest of the cast is also excellent. The majority of the film takes place in a courtroom, which allows an incredibly dense screenplay to thrive in a more controlled setting. I find the writing to be the film’s greatest isolated strength, complemented by very hypnotic monologues. This is arguably one of the strongest movies of 2023.
- Poor Things
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Poor Things (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos) follows Bella Baxter, a previously deceased woman who is brought back to life Frankenstein-style by Godwin Baxter, a mad scientist. As her infantilized mind develops and transforms, Bella comes to astounding conclusions about the world and discovers her individuality.
I have news for people who thought that Saltburn was the most disturbing movie of 2023. Poor Things is the bravest, most bizarre, and most otherworldly nominee — a wonderfully ugly trip that I never want to experience again. As my review states, “[includes] an interesting portrayal of the men as emotional and the women as strong-willed and intelligent,” a flipping of stereotypes that I haven’t commonly seen reflected in cinema. Emma Stone is the shining beam of this project, giving my favorite performance of the year in an all-encompassing acting masterclass. This is what a film should be. - Killers of the Flower Moon
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Killers of the Flower Moon (dir. Martin Scorsese) highlights the true story of a group of men cunningly marrying women of the wealthy indigenous Osage nation before murdering them and their family members to inherit their riches.
Scorsese’s latest film is my personal favorite of this group of nominees. Although it was three and a half hours long, I can confidently say that I wasn’t bored for a single moment. The elements of precision, passion, and dedication put into the film are evident and allow it to soar, as Scorsese’s direction and writing are exquisite. Although I think that it was snubbed in the Best Adapted Screenplay category, I will be thrilled if Lily Gladstone wins the Best Actress Oscar on Sunday night.
- The Holdovers
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In The Holdovers (dir. Alexander Payne), Paul, a stuck-up boarding school teacher, is tasked with the chaotic journey of watching several students who are unable to go back to their families on winter break. They are also isolated with the school’s chef, Mary, who is grieving the recent death of her son.
This is one of my favorite films of the last few years. It’s very uniquely shot, as Payne didn’t want the film to appear “set” in the 70s, but look as if it was truly created during the ‘70s. He achieves this through the use of old film, grainy overlays, and a cozy soundtrack — which is the one word I would use to describe this film. It’s an immediate classic, a title that is rarely attributed to films in the modern industry, especially ones without a largely star-studded cast or gigantic budget. Dominic Sessa, who plays lead teenager Angus Tully, enjoyed an acting debut in this film as a local student casting, deservedly rising to stardom this awards season. Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who plays Mary, is widely predicted to win Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film, and Paul Giamatti, who plays Paul, is even in talks to possibly overtake expected winner Cillian Murphy for the Best Actor award. This ensemble effectively stabilizes the film and truly helps make it timeless. - Past Lives
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Past Lives (dir. Celine Song) is about two childhood best friends, Nora and Hae Sung, who lose contact after Nora emigrates to America. When Hae Sung finds Nora on Facebook decades later, they reflect from afar on their drastically different lives and rekindle their bond.
Celine Song’s directorial debut could not have been stronger narratively. Overall, as my review of the film reads, “it fills every gap with impeccable and moving storytelling while still managing to be very nonchalant and slice-of-life.” In today’s day and age, it’s incredibly refreshing to see a simply filmed original story, especially from the voice of a fresh female director. It’s devastating, yet gleefully inspiring, and holds some of my favorite lines of the year. - American Fiction
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American Fiction (dir. Cord Jefferson) follows a black author, Monk, and his frustrating quest to be recognized after another black novelist is popularized for writing, in Monk’s opinion, stereotypical, one-dimensional material that he finds embarrassing to their race. When he finally breaks and attempts to “gotcha” famous publishers by creating a lazily-written, purposefully stereotypical piece on the black experience, he is launched to fame as audiences everywhere emphasize the importance of his voice and applaud his bravery.
This is a brilliantly written satire and was quite a pleasant surprise for me, as I viewed it during a mystery screening. Jefferson focuses on the main plotline while also factoring in Monk’s personal family struggles, creating quite a moving picture. To quote my Letterboxd review (@grace0205), “it is an incredibly refreshing, insightful, and intellectually bright commentary on our world and media executed on our world and media executed within a carefully carved satirical lens.” I found Sterling K. Brown to be a showstopper, giving a heartbreaking performance as Monk’s brother, Cliff. As a multi-faceted, complex satirical comedy, I am thrilled and surprised that this film is getting its flowers this awards season and would love to see it take home the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. - The Zone of Interest
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The Zone of Interest (dir. Jonathan Glazer) zeroes in on the life of Nazi leader Rudolf Höss and his family as they live their day-to-day life in a beautiful residence next to the active Auschwitz concentration camp.
This is certainly the most horrific and disturbing film of this lineup, showing light, peaceful cinematography of the family relaxing while incorporating blood-curdling sounds that haunt the audience throughout. It’s the only international feature of the mix that is fully foreign language throughout and, in my opinion, feels more like an experimental spectacle than a traditional film. I see this as something that the Academy will likely admire during voting, making it a possible underdog in the race, but also a factor that draws away a mainstream audience. Overall, Glazer’s wide shots and unwavering focus make it a standout.
- Barbie
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In Barbie (dir. Greta Gerwig), things start going wrong for Barbie in Barbie Land, catapulting her into a journey of self-discovery and injustice that she was previously sheltered from, as she and Ken explore the “real world” together. They each develop juxtaposed ideas of how life should be upon their return, causing major conflict in a once peaceful Barbie Land.
Gerwig, accompanied by co-writer and husband Noah Baumbach, conjured up quite an original and cleverly written story from one of the most popular names in the world, which is certainly something to applaud. Some of the dialogue is rather outlandish in regard to the general tone of the film, as some topics are either oversimplified or attributed with unnecessarily complex language (although often for comedic purposes). However, the film’s wide target audience validates this approach, as important issues are more simply described for children, while others are more deeply expanded upon for an older population. Although I don’t believe that Barbie is close to being the strongest work of the year, I would definitely argue it to be among the most culturally defining — bringing millions to the theater.
- Maestro
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Maestro (dir. Bradley Cooper) is a biopic that follows famous conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein and his intense, scandalous life as his wife Felicia lingers in the shadows.
Simply stated, Cooper’s newest film has all of the aesthetics and glamour but lacks in substance. He trained in conducting for years to pull off the performance, as well as becoming close with the family of Bernstein before filming the biopic. Although he gave a beautifully authentic performance as Bernstein, the standout for me was Carey Mulligan as his wife, Felicia, who gave a quietly devastating performance as his counterpart. The film features incredibly clever and theatrical camerawork and set changes, black-and-white coloring, and very drawn-out sequences, immediately attributing the film with an acquired taste. Although excellent in technical aspects, it certainly could have been a biopic with passion and complex, intertwined themes, but instead fell short as a lifeless picture at its core.