20 Best Picture contenders for the 2023 Oscars

Rian Johnson reinvented sexy, star-studded murder mysteries with 2019’s , which wasn’t just a hit with audiences; the Academy (correctly) included it in their best original screenplay category. Johnson has assembled another star-studded ensemble, including Daniel Craig’s charmingly hilarious detective Benoit Blanc, as well as Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, and Leslie Odom Jr. Watch out for spoilers following its TIFF and BFI London Film Festival premieres!

The most obvious thing about is that it’s stacked with “should-be Oscar nominees”: Anya Taylor-Joy, Hong Chau, Nicholas Hoult, John Leguizamo, Judith Light, and director Mark Mylod. Leading man Ralph Fiennes, of course, should be an Oscar winner. Maybe he’ll have a shot after this buzz-generating TIFF debut, the tale of an exclusive and mysterious restaurant and its sinister celebrity chef.

After winning the screenplay Oscar for Get Out, Jordan Peele couldn’t break into the Academy’s ranks with follow-up Us. Could , a critically admired summer box office smash, get him back in the mix? Academy voters could stand to take more risks with their nominations, and a shrewdly layered creature feature about cowboys and aliens ought to be on their shortlist. So should Daniel Kaluuya, already an Oscar favorite, and Keke Palmer, the future of Hollywood.

The news that India has to instead push Last Film Show (Chhello Show) as its international feature Oscar submission may not, in fact, hurt ’s awards chances. Stateside distributors Variance Films and Sarigama Cinemas will submit S. S. Rajamouli’s historical epic for all of the Academy’s top prizes. Considering its sheer word-of-mouth reach, a best picture nomination is still on the table.

Todd Field only makes a film every dozen years or so, but when he does, cinephiles tend to take notice. They certainly are with , a psychological portrait of a conductor-composer that received a glowing reception and a top acting prize for Cate Blanchett at Venice. Could the acting legend join the exclusive three-timers’ club at the 95th Academy Awards?

Anyone who denies ’s Oscar chances likely isn’t aware how much the Academy values box office success. They also probably haven’t seen this high-flying wonder of a film. Producer-star Tom Cruise and director Joseph Kosinski made movie magic with 2022’s top long-delayed sequel, and while the original only took home a trophy for original song (and could do so again), expect a lot more attention from the Academy this time around.

(titled in French Sans Filtre, or “without filter”) is another 2022 satire, alongside The Menu and Glass Onion, that targets rich snobs. And hey, dramatizing the haves and have-nots and launching a U.S. awards campaign courtesy of distributor Neon certainly worked for best picture winner Parasite. This year’s Palme d’Or winner, Triangle Of Sadness is helmed by darkly comic mastermind Ruben Östlund, who stunned audiences with Force Majeure and The Square.

The next few months may become known as the great Brendan Fraser comeback. After a long hiatus from moviemaking, the beloved actor wowed the audience at Venice with his nuanced leading performance in Darren Aronofsky’s adaptation of Samuel D. Hunter’s play . It must be said that between this, After Yang, Everything Everywhere, Causeway, The Inspection, and even Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, A24 is having a stellar year. Can the studio crack the best picture code like they did with Moonlight?

director Gina Prince-Bythewood has cited Braveheart and Gladiator as inspirations for her historical epic about the all-female Agojie warriors of 19th century West Africa. Guess what those two films have in common? That’s right, they both won the Academy Award for best picture, a category that could surely include a period piece unlike any seen before. After all, it casts Viola Davis as a bona fide action star. Here’s hoping Oscar nominators give this blockbuster its flowers—and Davis her fifth acting nod.

Four-time Academy Award winner Frances McDormand joins Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, and Ben Whishaw in a drama about Mennonite women grappling with faith and abuse in their community. If that doesn’t scream shiny trophies, I don’t know what does. This year’s runner-up for the TIFF People’s Choice Award, is led by actor-writer-director Sarah Polley, who, movie buffs everywhere agree, sure would look great holding an Oscar statuette.