2023 Best Picture Nominees Ranked

With the Oscars coming this Sunday, I thought it would be fun to watch through all 10 Best Picture nominated films. Usually, with the Oscars, the Academy nominates super small more prestige films that nobody has seen and then gets confused why no one watches the Oscars. This year, they actually did a decent job of nominating films. Before the nomination announcement, I had already seen 5 of the 10 films, with two of them being huge blockbusters, and I had actually heard of all 10 films before the nominations. Most of these movies aren't the typical style that I usually watch but going through these films allowed me to broaden the type of movies I see. These movies were a bit difficult to rank as most of them are very well-made films while also all being vastly different. With that being said, here are my thoughts and ranking of the 10 films nominated for Best Picture.

10. Triangle of Sadness

Triangle of Sadness is the one movie on this list that I don't think was good. I was interested in it at first as it was marketed as a comedy starring Woody Harrelson. However, watching the movie, I was extremely disappointed. The movie did have the occasional funny moment but for the overall movie, I did not find it funny at all. I found the story extremely disjointed. It introduced our two leads at the beginning of the story, but the basically ignores them for the next 30 minutes or so and keeps shifting to other characters. Once we get to the second half of the film, we are introduced to more characters that weren't present at all in the first act and are just expected to be the main characters. The story itself was very disjointed with no clear plot or end goal. In the end, the movie doesn't really have any clear resolution and just abruptly ends. I can tell the movie was trying to provide some sort of social commentary but either it was very unclear or I was just too dumb to understand it. Based on the ratings on various sites, it is clear I am missing something about this movie.

Score: 5/10 Grade: C Oscar Nominations: 3

9. Women Talking

This movie is a significant step up from Triangle of Sadness and is still a very good movie even with its low placement on this list. This movie is all about a group of women in a religious community who have suffered years of abuse having to decide whether they are going to leave the community or stay and fight back. I thought the basic premise was very interesting and the overall film was just really well done. The characters we see in this debate are all very compelling and we get to see all of their different viewpoint and why they feel the way that they do. The movie also does a great job of showing how those at different stages of life view things differently (ie. the older women have a different opinion than the middle-aged mother who has a different opinion than the single woman). I also like how even though the movie is kept to a single location a majority of the time, it still manages to be interesting and exciting. The main reason that I put this so low is that the movie is so dialogue and debate-heavy. While I can appreciate the craft and acknowledge that it is a very well-made movie, this kind of movie just isn't really my thing.

Score: 7/10 Grade: B Oscar Nominations: 2

8. All Quiet on the Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front is the foreign film representative for the Best Picture nominees. This is a German film and is all about a group of new recruits as they experience fighting for the Germans on the western front of WWII. I thought the battles were really well done. They were really able to showcase the traumatic aspects of war as well as their impact on the soldiers. While the movie is more event and character-driven than by a plot, I thought the journey of our main characters was really well done as well. You see them very optimistic and naïve when they first join but as the war wages on, you see them transform when the fear sets in. The movie really shows the journey from being children to becoming men. I really liked the cinematography and how the whole movie was shot both with the different camera angles as well as the overall color and tone. I think this movie has a very good shot at the Best Cinematography Oscar. What keeps this movie so low is that I felt the pacing was a bit off at times. Several moments were very interesting and engaging while others felt very boring. I also felt the movie was about 20-30 minutes too long and could have ended a bit sooner. Overall, while this movie is low on this list, I was still very engaged and thought it was a very good film.

Score: 7.5 /10 Grade: B Oscar Nominations: 9

7. Elvis

Elvis is probably the most vibrant film on this list. Baz Lurman delivers a film that is very exciting, colorful, and just so over the top. His style feels like a great fit to tell a story about Elvis. The standout of the movie is of course Austin Butler as Elvis. He dives right into the role and delivers an amazing and Oscar-deserving performance. The second and third acts of the film are really well done. This is where the movie really finds its groove and gives Austin Butler time to shine. The music is also really fun to listen to. If you are a fan of Elvis's music, you'll love all of the songs in this film. I also thought Tom Hank's performance was really well done. He does a great job of playing this manipulative person trying to control Elvis. One of the main reasons this film is lower on the list is that I wasn't a fan of the story being told from Colonel Parker's perspective. The movie makes him out to be the villain so it seemed like a strange choice to have him tell the story. I also thought the first act was a bit too disorienting. It seems like it jumps around a bit too much and is a bit hard to follow. Finally, I thought the film was a bit too long, if they tightened up the first third just a bit, I think it would've been much better. Overall, this is a very exciting movie that does a great job of portraying the persona of Elvis.

Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B Oscar Nominations: 8

6. Tar

Tar is a very well-done character study. Tar follows world-renowned conductor/composer Lydia Tar as she goes through life at the top of her game. However, things start to go downhill when her dirty secrets begin to come to light. Tar is much more a character-driven story than a plot-driven one. It follows Lydia in her day-to-day life and lets us see how she ticks. I really enjoyed the music aspect of this film particularly all of the parts where she is teaching a class or conducting her orchestra. This movie does a great job of deconstructing the character of Lydia Tar, taking her at her highest and letting her be knocked down, and seeing her at her low points. Cate Blanchet delivers an amazing performance in this role and is well deserving of the Oscar for Best Actress. There are several monologues that she gives that are just really well done and so interesting to see. However, there are a couple things that keep this out of the top 5. The first issue is that I wasn't a big fan of the ending. it just kind of ends abruptly and I wish it would have been more uplifting. I also felt the pacing was a little uneven. The film would cycle between scenes that had me really interested and then go to something that made the movie feel really slow. Overall, this was a very good movie that just had a bit of a pacing issue.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+ Oscar Nominations: 6

5. Avatar: The Way of Water

Much like the last Avatar film. Avatar: The Way of Water is a visual masterpiece with groundbreaking visual effects. I feel that this movie is guaranteed to win Best Visual Effects. If it doesn't there is something seriously wrong with the Academy. This film also does a great job of continuing the world-building established in the previous. This movie takes what we know about Pandora and expands it and gives us new areas and cultures to explore. I also really enjoyed how the movie shifted the focus from the Forrest world to this new water world. The water world gave us a glimpse of how huge the world of Pandora really is. The water world also allowed Cameron to do a lot of the underwater shots that he enjoys so much. The scenes underwater are also very well done and fun to look at. The movie also utilizes its longer run time very well by giving the characters time to develop and make the world feel lived in. Finally, the action in the film is really well done specifically the big showdown in the 3rd act. The only nitpick I have is that I wasn't a fan of the direction they went with the villain. Overall, this is a very good exciting film that takes what worked about the first Avatar film and builds on it.

Score:8.5/10 Grade: A- Oscar Nominations: 4

4. The Banshees of Inisherin

The Banshees of Inisherin is about the relationship between two friends when one of them decides to suddenly end their friendship. The best things about this movie are the performances. All four of the more significant roles in the movie were all nominated for best acting Oscars. The actors give such complex and layered performances and really dive deep into their roles. The characters themselves are also really well-written. The movie does a great job of allowing you to get invested in the characters and really feel connected to them. I also liked how the story was so simple and easy to follow. It is all about Colin Farrell's character trying to rebuild the relationship that he lost with his friend and how the pursuit of that begins to negatively escalate. The main issue with this film is that I couldn't completely get behind Colm's reasoning for why he's doing what he is doing. His logic also doesn't make much sense when he decides to end things with Padric but still continues to be social with others. I also found the Padric character vagally irritating at times when he sees the consequences of his actions but yet still continues to bother Colm. In the end, this was another very well-done movie with a lot of compelling characters and a straightforward story.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A- Oscar Nominations: 9

3. Everything Everywhere All At Once

Everything Everywhere All At Once is probably one of the wildest films I have seen in a while. This movie follows a Chinese immigrant, Evelyn, as she discovers that she can link to other versions of herself across the multiverse. This was a movie that did the multiverse right. Marvel tried to deliver multiverse mayhem with Doctor Stanger but ended up not reaching the heights that it should have. This movie, however, absolutely delivers on the craziness of the multiverse. The movie allows us to explore all of these different worlds and show how weird things can really get. Aside from pulling off the multiverse, this movie also delivers a lot of really well-done martial arts sequences. The way the movie blends these two concepts is just really well done. The movie as a whole was just really exciting between the universe traveling and the action sequences. It does a great job of establishing Evelyn's relationships with all of the various characters and finds a way to resolve each one satisfyingly and effectively. The performances are all really well done as well, with all 4 of the main actors getting nominated for best acting awards. The only thing that keeps this out of the top 2 was that I felt it dragged just a bit in the final third of the movie. Aside from that, this is a very good film that delivers on the wild ideas of the multiverse.

Score: 8.8/10 Grade: A- Oscar Nominations: 11

2. The Fabelmans

The Fabelmans is probably the most personal and heartwarming film on this list. The Fabelmans is a semi-autobiographical film by Steven Spielberg about a young boy, Sammy Fabelman, who longs to become a filmmaker. It is a very simple feel good story about a boy trying to achieve his dreams. It also feels like a very intimate story as it is deeply personal to Steven Spielberg. Spielberg does a great job with the overall tone of the film with it managing to not come across as pretentious and trying to show how great he is. The characters in the story are all very strong and well-written. Specifically, the parents are both supportive of Sammy in their own way but yet are both shown to have flaws. The movie achieves a balance with the characters while making them still seem likable while acknowledging their flaws. I also really enjoyed the whole movie-making aspect of the film. All the scenes where Sammy is using a lot of unique techniques to make his movies are just really fun to see. It is good to note that this movie is not going to be for everyone. If you aren't a fan of movies then you'll likely find this film boring. The only reason this film isn't at number one is that I felt the first act was a bit clunky in the storytelling. Regardless, this is still a great film and one of my favorites from this last year.

Score: 9/10 Grade: A Oscar Nominations: 7

1. Top Gun: Maverick

Top Gun: Maverick is definitely the most crowd-pleasing film on this list. Normally, films like this don't get nominated for best picture so I was so happy to see it get the recognition it deserves and see the Academy finally acknowledging films that people actually saw. The movie is very exciting with action and flight sequences throughout. It was really cool how the movie opted to use practical effects instead of CGI. The movie also manages to deliver the nostalgia of the original film while still creating a fresh new story. All of the characters are very compelling and they all get to experience growth throughout the story. Tom Cruise is great in the movie as well, managing to keep up with the younger actors during the more physically tiring scenes. The story itself is really well done. It is never slow and delivers a fantastic finale that pays off a bunch of moments set up earlier in the film. Overall, this movie achieves exactly what it is going for. It delivers a crowd-pleasing feel-good story and I am just so happy that it got nominated for Best Picture.

Score: 9.3/10 Grade: A Oscar Nominations: 6

After sharing my ranking of the best picture winners, I also wanted to share my predictions for each of the awards. My predictions differ slightly from my ranking. (ie. I have Top Gun as my favorite but Everything Everywhere All At Once predicted to win) This is just because what I like the most is not the most likely to win. With that being said, here are my predictions for this years Oscars.

Best Picture: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Best Director: Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans

Best Actor: Austin Butler, Elvis

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, Tar

Best Supporting Actor: Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All At Once

Best Supporting Actress: Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Best Adapted Screenplay: Women Talking

Best Original Screenplay: The Banshees of Inisherin

Best Costume Design: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Best Sound: Elvis

Best Original Song: Naatu Naatu, RRR

Best Original Score: Babylon

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: The Batman

Best Production Design: Babylon

Best Cinematography: All Quiet on the Western Front

Best Visual Effects: Avatar: The Way of Water

Best Film Editing: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Best Animated Film: Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio