We’ve made it! A whole year! We continue to breath just enough oxygen to help fuel our cinema addiction. A medium derived from reflected light pushing shadows onto film and projecting those shadows through a prism to expand onto our theater screens.A marvelous bit of human ingenuity, used to satisfy our craving for expression through art. A wonderful thing…let’s celebrate that
Making it through another year means we get to ruthlessly butcher the artistic pursuits of many people throughout the film industry. A year defined by two major film guilds striking simulatenously. The strike nearly derailed the entire year, as Dune 2 was pushed back, and dominos were nearly about to fall, before reason and a little pinch of leverage got the industry back on track. Thankfully, the majority of the year proceeded as planned, with few delays.
If I were to compare 2023 with the previous film years of this decade, it’s undoubtedly the best we’ve experienced thus far. Yes, recency bias plays a part, but the totality of interesting work from some of the best modern directors we received, pushes it over the top. Deep roster of career works, late legacy films, daring debuts, and obscurity pictures.
Starting with Jonathon Glazer’s The Zone of Interest, when the Holocaust seemingly has been covered in every way imagniable on film and television, here comes Gazer presenting the most haunting depiction of Nazi life in cinematic history. It’s a masterpiece. Next, Christopher Nolan collectively blew all our minds with a furious cinematic explosion in Oppenheimer. Nolan delivering career work, and elevating his subject matter away from nonsese structural screenplay experiments. Hirokazu Koreeda isn’t getting the acclaim of his 2018 Shoplifters, but Monster is his best entry since. Todd Haynes giving us Safe moods with May December, and his best entry since Carol.
It was a beautiful year for film fans with adult dramas making somewhat of a resurgance. The Marvel model is starting to decay, making the industry carve a new path forward. Time will tell where audiences go on types of films, but seeing originality rewarded after years of formulalic approaches, that is a major step in the right direction. With that, let’s get into the 2023 Weird Cinema Award Winners….
Here’s a quick peak at last years winner: The Banshees of Inisherin
(Total number of films: 154)
Worst Film
Honorable Mention: Joy Ride
5. Renfield
4. Ant-Man Quantamania
3. Hypnotic
2. Eileen
1. The Marvels
Best Ending
Honorable Mention: Monster
5. The Zone of Interest
4. Killers of the Flower Moon
3. Oppenheimer
2. May December
1. Past Lives
Best Scene
Honorable Mention: Ihmad Khan (Ben Kingsley) rides blindfolded on a bicycle out of the hospital, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
5. The opening prepartion for the feast, The Taste of Things
4. I’m Just Ken, Barbie
3. The nuclear flash auditorium speech, Oppenheimer
2. Dinner with his parents for the final time, All of Us Strangers
1. Animated journey through space and time, Beau is Afraid
Best Comedy
Honorable Mention: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
3. Barbie
2. Beau is Afraid
1. Poor Things
Best Adventure, Action or Sports Film
Honorable Mention: How to Blow Up a Pipeline
3. Jawan
2. The Iron Claw
1. Gran Turismo
Best Horror
Honorable Mention: Knock at the Cabin
3. Beau is Afraid
2. Infinity Pool
1. Skinamarink
Weirdest Film
Honorable mention: Skinamarink
5. The Boy and the Heron
4. May December
3. Poor Things
2. Dicks: The Musical
1. Beau is Afraid
Best Sound Mixing
Honorable Mention: Fanny Martin, Anatomy of a Fall
5. Coll Anderson, Barbie
4. Paul Hsu, Beau is Afraid
3. Richard King, Oppenheimer
2. Stevie Haywood, All of Us Strangers
1. Johnnie Burn, The Zone of Interest
Best Sound Editing
Honorable mention: Paul Hsu, Beau is Afraid
5. Paul Heyman’s, The Society of Snow
4. The Taste of Things
3. Johnnie Burn, Poor Things
2. Richard King, Oppenheimer
1. Johnnie Burn, The Zone of Interest
Best Visual Effects (VFX)
Honorable Mention: Gardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
5. The Creator
4. Godzilla: Minus One
3. Beau is Afraid
2. Poor Things
1. Oppenheimer
Best Production Design
Honorable mention: Cobweb
5. Ruth De Jong, Oppenheimer
4. Sarah Greenwood, Barbie
3. Fiona Crombie, Beau is Afraid
2. Shona Heath, James Price, Poor Things
1. Chris Oddy, The Zone of Interest
Best Animated Feature
Honorable mention: Chicken Run: Dawn of the Chickens
5. Suzume
4. Nimona
3. The First Slam Dunk
2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
1. The Boy and the Heron
Best Costuming
Honorable mention: Milena Canonero, Asteroid City
5. Tran Nu Yen Khe, The Taste of Things
4. Jacqueline West, Killers of the Flower Moon
3. Daisuke Iga, Perfect Days
2. Jacqueline Durran, Barbie
1. Holly Waddington, Poor Things
Best Makeup & Hairstyling
Honorable mention: BlackBerry
5. Saltburn
4. Priscilla
3. The Society of Snow
2. Barbie
1. Poor Things
Best Documentary
Honorable mention: FPS: First Person Shooter
3. Beyond Utopia
2. STILL: A Michael J. Fox Story
1. The Deepest Breath
Best Editing
Honorable Mention: Mario Battistel, The Taste of Things
5. Affonso Gonçalves, May December
4. Paul Watts, The Zone of Interest
3. Jennifer Lame, Oppenheimer
2. Jonathon Alberts, All of Us Strangers
1. Hirokazu Koreeda, Monster
Best Cinematography
Honorable Mention: Eigil Bryld, The Holdovers
5. Rodrigo Prieto, Killers of the Flower Moon
4. Franz Lustig, Perfect Days
3. Robbie Ryan, Poor Things
2. Lukasz Zal, The Zone of Interest
1. Ryuto Kondo, Monster
Best Director
Honorable Mention: Ari Aster, Beau is Afraid
5. Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
4. Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers
3. Hirokazu Koreeda, Monster
2. Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
1. Jonathon Glazer, The Zone of Interest
Best Adapted Screenplay
Honorable mention: Martin Scorsese, Eric Roth, Killers of the Flower Moon
5. Hayao Miyazaki, The Boy and the Heron
4. Jonathon Glazer, The Zone of Interest
3. Tony McNamara, Poor Things
2. Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers
1. Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Best Original Screenplay
Honorable mention: David Hemingson, The Holdovers
5. Kim Jeen-woon, Shin Yeon-shick, Cobweb
4. Celine Song, Past Lives
3. Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall
2. Yuji Sakamoto, Monster
1. Samy Burch, May December
Best Overall Screenplay
Honorable Mention: Anatomy of a Fall
5. Poor Things
4. All of Us Strangers
3. Oppenheimer
2. Monster
1. May December
Most Original Film
Honorable Mention: Skinamarink
5. The Boy and the Heron
4. The Taste of Things
3. Poor Things
2. All of Us Strangers
1. The Zone of Interest
Best Original Score/Soundtrack
Honorable Mention: Andrew Desplat, Asteroid City
5. Joe Hisaishi, The Boy and the Heron
4. Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer
3. Ryuichi Sakamoto, Monster
2. Jerskin Fendrix, Poor Things
1. Mica Levi, The Zone of Interest
Best Ensemble
Honorable Mention: The Iron Claw
5. Past Lives
4. Oppenheimer
3. Monster
2. May December
1. All of Us Strangers
Best Supporting Actor
Honorable Mention: Willem Dafoe, Poor Things
5. Teo Yeo, Past Lives
4. Robert Downey Jr, Oppenheimer
3. Ryan Gosling, Barbie
2. Charles Melton, May December
1. Paul Mescal, All of Us Strangers
Best Supporting Actress
Honorable Mention: Krystal Jung, Cobweb
5. Sakura Ando, Monster
4. Merve Dizdar, About Dry Grasses
3. Sandra Hüller, The Zone of Interest
2. Claire Foy, All of Us Strangers
1. Julianne Moore, May December
Best Performance form a Male Lead
Honorable Mention: Benoit Magimel, The Taste of Things
5. Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
4. Joaquin Phoenix, Beau is Afraid
3. Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers
2. Koji Yakusho, Perfect Days
1. Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Best Performance from a Female Lead
Honorable mention: Greta Lee, Past Lives
5. Natalie Portman, may December
4. Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall
3. Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
2. Juliette Binoche, The Taste of Things
1. Emma Stone, Poor Things
Best Overall Performance
Honorable mention: Juliette Binoche, The Taste of Things
5. Koji Yakusho, Perfect Days
4. Paul Mescal, All of Us Strangers
3. Julianne Moore, May December
2. Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
1. Emma Stone, Poor Things
Best International Film
Honorable Mention: Anatomy of a Fall (France)
5. Perfect Days (Japan)
4. The Boy and the Heron (Japan)
3. The Taste of Things (France)
2. Monster (Japan)
1. The Zone of Interst (United Kingdom, Poland)
Best Picture
15. Killers of the Flower Moon
14. Anatomy of a Fall
13. Perfect Days
12. Past Lives
11. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
10. The Boy and the Heron
9. The Taste of Things
8. Barbie
7. Poor Things
6. May December
5. Oppenheimer
4. Beau is Afraid
3. All of Us Strangers
2. Monster
1. The Zone of Interest
The rest of the top 30:
The Zone of Interest takes home Best Film, marking the first win for Jonathon Glazer and the country of England. He also wins the Director category, Mica Levi wins her second in score (2019 winner for Monos), Johnnie Burn becomes the winningest person in Weird Cinema history with his third win for sound (one for Nope, 2022). The film is perspective shattering and honest. Jonathon Glazer’s masterpiece, adding to his illustrious filmography. It joins a phenomenal list of previous winners:
Banshees of Inisherin (2022), Memoria (2021), Babyteeth (2020), Parasite (2019), Shoplifters (2018), Call Me By Your Name (2017), The Handmaiden (2016)
Outisde of that, continue to support art house theaters and artistcally driven filmmakers. Even when it feels like a subject has been conquered by the poets, aetuers, and philosophers, the greats find new ways to approach it. 2023 re-sparked my energy for modern film after a lackluster 2022.
Nonetheless, it’s always great discussing film on twitter. Sharing in the love of the medium with others is a gift for cinephiles, so thanks to all you lovely people for enaging with me and let’s continue to have a good time in 2024. Feel free to reach out on Twitter and tell me your top 15 of 2023.
Looking ahead, the 1951 retrospective will be posted within the next month. 211 films watched, an extensive, exhaustive deep dive into the year. Tune in for that shortly. Thanks for reading Weird Cinema!
Weird Cinema 