We are mere, horrifying moments away from learning the identities of the Academy Award nominees for the year of our lord 2023. What are our options? Predictable, surprising, upsetting, revolutionary, sad, sadder, not really sad at all, and gratifying to every life choice we’ve ever made. Something like that.

I am jumping ahead of them on this curve, announcing my disgustingly long list of contenders for every category that may or may not be on my personal ballot for this year. We’ll see how many of these unseen films I’ll get to watching, but as much as I consider this cinematic year overall to be a step down from the highest highs of the past two years, there’s still so much innovative, exemplary work to be rewarded. Please, share your own favorites from this year in the comments, let me know what I should catch up on, where our tastes align or diverge, and whether I can persuade you into seeing any of my bespoke beauties.

Director

• Afire, Christian Petzold
• Alcarras, Carla Simón
• All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, Raven Jackson
• Anatomy of a Fall, Justine Triet
• Asteroid City, Wes Anderson
• Barbie, Greta Gerwig
• The Delinquents, Rodrigo Moreno
• Four Daughters, Kaouther Ben Hania
• Godland, Hlynur Pálmason
• The Kings of the World, Laura Mora
• Law of Tehran, Saeed Roustaee
• The Mother of All Lies, Asmae El Moudir
• Monster, Hirokazu Kore-eda
• New Religion, Keishi Kondo
• Our Body, Claire Simon
• Pacification, Albert Serra
• R.M.N., Cristin Mungiu
• The Taste of Things, Tran Anh Hung
• Totem, Lila Alves
  • Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, Kelly Fremont Craig
  • Birth/Rebirth, Laura Moss
  • The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, William Friedkin
  • De Humani Corporis Fabrica, Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel
  • Earth Mama, Savannah Leaf
  • Godzilla Minus One, Takashi Yamazaki
  • Huesera: The Bone Woman, Michele Garza Cervera
  • Kokomo City, D. Smith
  • Knock at the Cabin, M. Night Shyamalan
  • Mami Wata, C.J. “Fiery” Obasa
  • Master Gardener, Paul Schraeder
  • May December, Todd Haynes
  • Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan
  • Our Father the Devil, Ellie Foumbi
  • Palm Trees and Power Lines, Jamie Dack
  • Past Lives, Celine Song
  • Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce, Beyonce
  • Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music, Rob Epstein and Jeffery Friedman
  • A Thousand and One, A.V. Rockwell

Documentary Film

• De Humani Corporis Fabrica
• Four Daughters
• Kokomo City
• Lakota Nation vs United States
• Menus Plaisirs – Les Troisgois
• The Mother of All Lies
• Our Body
• Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce
• Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music
  • 20 Days in Mariupol
  • Against the Tide
  • A House Made of Splinters
  • Liquor Store Dreams
  • Retrograde
  • Rewind and Play
  • Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed
  • Silver Dollar Road
  • The Stroll

International Film

• Afire
• Anatomy of a Fall
• De Humani Corporis Fabrica
• The Delinquents
• Four Daughters
• Godland
• Godzilla Minus One
• Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell
• Menus Plaisirs – Les Troisgois
• The Missing
• Monster
• The Mother of All Lies
• Our Body
• The Taste of Things
• Totem
  • 20 Days in Mariupol
  • The Boy and the Heron
  • Love Life
  • Mami Wata
  • Red Rooms
  • Suzume
  • When Evil Lurks
  • The Zone of Interest

Animated Film

• The Boy and the Heron
• Robot Dreams
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
• Suzume
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Ensemble

• Afire
• Alcarras
• Anatomy of a Fall
• Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
• Asteroid City
• Barbie
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
• Joyland
• Killers of the Flower Moon
• Knock at the Cabin
• Law of Tehran
• Monster
• R.M.N.
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
• Totem
• You Hurt My Feelings
  • Beau is Afraid
  • The Blackening
  • Blue Jean
  • Dicks: The Musical
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
  • How to Blow Up a Pipeline
  • Love Life
  • Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
  • Oppenheimer
  • Palm Trees and Power Lines
  • Past Lives
  • Rye Lane
  • The Unknown Country

Lead Actress

• Anatomy of a Fall, Sandra Huller
• Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Abby Ryder Forston
• Barbie, Margot Robbie
• Earth Mama, Tia Nomore
• Joyland, Rasti Farooq
• Maestro, Carey Mulligan
• May December, Natalie Portman
• Monica, Trace Lysette
• Monster, Sakura Ando
• No Hard Feelings, Jennifer Lawrence
• Other People’s Children, Virginie Efira
• Our Father, the Devil, Babetida Sadjo
• R.M.N., Judith State
• The Taste of Things, Juliette Binoche
• A Thousand and One, Teyana Taylor
  • Birth/Rebirth, Marin Ireland
  • Birth/Rebirth, Judy Reyes
  • Boston Strangler, Keira Knightley
  • Huesera: The Bone Woman, Natalie Solian
  • Killers of the Flower Moon, Lily Gladstone
  • Master Gardener, Quintessa Swindell
  • No One Will Save You, Kaitlyn Dever
  • Nyad, Annette Bening
  • Nyad, Jodie Foster
  • Palm Trees and Power Lines, Lily McInerny
  • Past Lives, Greta Lee
  • Polite Society, Priya Kansara
  • Priscilla, Cailee Spaeney
  • Reality, Sydney Sweeney
  • Talk to Me, Sophie Wilde
  • They Cloned Tyrone, Teyonah Parris
  • The Unknown Country, Lily Gladstone
  • You Hurt My Feelings, Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Lead Actor

• Afire, Thomas Schubert
• American Fiction, Jeffrey Wright
• Anatomy of a Fall, Milo Machado Graner
• Asteroid City, Jason Schwartzman
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, Jason Clarke
• Knock at the Cabin, Dave Bautista
• Law of Tehran, Peyman Moaadi
• Law of Tehran, Navid Mohammadzadeh
• Maestro, Bradley Cooper
• Master Gardener, Joel Edgerton
• May December, Charles Melton
• Monster, Soya Kurokawa
• No Hard Feelings, Andrew Barth Feldman
• Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy
• Pacifiction, Benoit Magimel
• Past Lives, Teo Yoo
• The Taste of Things, Benoit Magimel
• You Hurt My Feelings, Tobias Menzies
  • Air, Matt Damon
  • Beau is Afraid, Joaquin Phoenix
  • BlackBerry, Glenn Howerton
  • The Delinquents, Esteban Bigliardi
  • Godzilla Minus One, Ryunosuke Ichikawa
  • The Holdovers, Paul Giamatti
  • The Integrity of Joseph Chambers, Clayne Crawford
  • Joyland, Ali Junejo
  • Killers of the Flower Moon, Leonardo DiCaprio
  • Monster, Eita Nagayama
  • Passages, Ben Whishaw
  • The Pope’s Exorcist, Russell Crowe
  • Rustin, Colman Domingo

Supporting Actress

• Afire, Paula Beer
• American Fiction, Erika Alexander
• Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Kathy Bates
• Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Rachel McAdams
• Asteroid City, Scarlett Johansson
• Barbie, America Ferrera
• Beau is Afraid, Parker Posey
• Blue Jean, Kerrie Hayes
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, Monica Raymond
• Evil Dead Rise, Alyssa Sutherland
• Ferrari, Penelope Cruz
• Joyland, Alina Khan
• Joyland, Sarwat Gilani
• The Killer, Tilda Swinton
• Knock at the Cabin, Nikki Amuka-Bird
• Master Gardener, Sigourney Weaver
• May December, Julianne Moore
• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Pom Klementiff
• Pacifiction, Pahoa Mahagafanua
• Saltburn, Rosamund Pike
• Showing Up, Hong Chau
• You Hurt My Feelings, Michaela Watkins
  • Air, Viola Davis
  • Asteroid City, Hong Chau
  • Asteroid City, Margot Robbie
  • Beau is Afraid, Zoe Lister-Jones
  • Beau is Afraid, Amy Ryan
  • Blue Jean, Lucy Holiday
  • Cocaine Bear, Margo Martindale
  • Dicks: The Musical, Megan Mullaly
  • Earth Mama, Erika Alexander
  • Earth Mama, Sharon Duncan-Brewster
  • The Flash, Sasha Calle
  • The Holdovers, Carrie Preston
  • Huesera: The Bone Woman, Mayra Batalla
  • John Wick Ch. 4, Rina Sawayama
  • The Killer, Kerry O’Malley
  • Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Hayley Atwell
  • Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Rebecca Ferguson
  • Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Vanessa Kirby
  • Oppenheimer, Florence Pugh
  • Polite Society, Seraphina Beh
  • Polite Society, Ella Bruccoleri
  • Polite Society, Nimra Bucha
  • Saltburn, Carey Mulligan
  • Talk to Me, Miranda Otto

Supporting Actor

• Alcarras, Josep Abad
• Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Benny Safdie
• Barbie, Kingsley Ben-Adair
• Barbie, Ryan Gosling
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, Lance Reddick
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, Kiefer Sutherland
• Godland, Ingvar E. Sigurdsson
• John Wick Ch. 4, Donnie Yen
• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Shea Whigham
• Monster, Hinata Hiragi
• Oppenheimer, Macon Blair
• Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr.
• Oppenheimer, David Krumholtz
• Our Father, the Devil, Souleymane Sy Savane
• Palm Trees and Power Lines, Jonathan Tucker
• Past Lives, John Magaro
• They Cloned Tyrone, Jamie Foxx
• A Thousand and One, William Catlett
  • Air, Ben Affleck
  • Air, Matthew Maher
  • Anatomy of a Fall, Swann Arlaud
  • Asteroid City, Adrien Brody
  • Asteroid City, Jake Ryan
  • Asteroid City, Liev Schreiber
  • Asteroid City, Jeffrey Wright
  • Beau is Afraid, Nathan Lane
  • The Blackening, Dewayne Perkins
  • The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, Jake Lacey
  • The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, Lewis Pullman
  • Dicks: The Musical, Nathan Lane
  • Earth Mama, Bokeem Woodbine
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Chukwudi Iwuji
  • Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Henry Czerny
  • Oppenheimer, Casey Affleck
  • Oppenheimer, Alden Ehrenreich
  • Oppenheimer, Josh Hartnett
  • Oppenheimer, Rami Malek
  • Priscilla, Jacob Elordi
  • Reality, Marchant Davis
  • Reality, Josh Hamilton
  • Rye Lane, Benjamin Saprong-Broni
  • Saltburn, Jacob Elordi
  • A Thousand and One, Aaron Kingsley Adetola
  • You Hurt My Feelings, Owen Teague

Original Screenplay

• Afire
• Alcarras
• Anatomy of a Fall
• Asteroid City
• Law of Tehran
• Master Gardener
• May December
• Monster
• Other People’s Children
• R.M.N.
• Suzume
• A Thousand and One
• Totem
  • Godland
  • The Integrity of Joseph Chambers
  • Joyland
  • The Kings of the World
  • Maestro
  • No One Will Save You
  • Our Father, the Devil
  • Pacifiction
  • Past Lives
  • Rye Lane
  • Saltburn
  • You Hurt My Feelings

Adapted Screenplay

• Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
• Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
• Barbie
• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
• Earth Mama
• Knock at the Cabin
• Oppenheimer
• Robot Dreams
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
  • All of Us Strangers
  • Godzilla Minus One
  • How to Blow Up a Pipeline
  • The Killer
  • Killers of the Flower Moon
  • Love Life
  • Priscilla
  • Reality
  • Red, White, and Royal Blue
  • The Royal Hotel
  • The Zone of Interest

Cinematography

• Alcarras
• All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
• Asteroid City
• Bait
• Earth Mama
• Godland
• De Humani Corporis Fabrica
• Joyland
• The Kings of the World
• Kokomo City
• Mami Wata
• Monica
• The Mother of All Lies
• Pacifiction
• Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce
• Saltburn
• Scarlet
• The Taste of Things
• Totem
  • Anatomy of a Fall
  • Barbie
  • Earth Mama
  • Enys Men
  • Godzilla Minus One
  • The Killer
  • Killers of the Flower Moon
  • Knock at the Cabin
  • Law of Tehran
  • Maestro
  • May December
  • New Religion
  • Oppenheimer
  • Our Father, the Devil
  • Palm Trees and Power Lines
  • Passages
  • Past Lives
  • Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music
  • The Zone of Interest

Editing

• Alcarras
• All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
• Anatomy of a Fall
• Bait
• Barbie
• How to Blow Up a Pipeline
• De Humani Corporis Fabrica
• The Kings of the World
• Law of Tehran
• Monster
• New Religion
• Past Lives
• R.M.N.
• Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
  • Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
  • Asteroid City
  • Ferrari
  • Godland
  • The Integrity of Joseph Chambers
  • The Killer
  • Killers of the Flower Moon
  • Kokomo City
  • Menus Plaisirs – Les Troisgois 
  • Oppenheimer
  • Pacifiction
  • Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music

Sound Design

• 20 Days in Mariupol
• All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
• Bait
• De Humani Corporis Fabrica
• The Delinquents
• Evil Dead Rise
• Ferrari
• Godzilla Minus One
• Huesera: The Bone Woman
• The Killer
• The Kings of the World
• Maestro
• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
• Oppenheimer
• The Outwaters
• Pacifiction
• Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
• The Zone of Interest
  • Asteroid City
  • Barbie
  • Godland
  • Enys Men
  • The Integrity of Joseph Chambers
  • John Wick Ch. 4
  • Killers of the Flower Moon
  • Mami Wata
  • New Religion
  • No One Will Save You
  • Our Father, the Devil
  • Polite Society
  • Shin Ultraman
  • Talk to Me
  • Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music

Score

• Asteroid City
• Barbie
• Blue Jean
• Godzilla Minus One
• The Integrity of Joseph Chambers
• Killers of the Flower Moon
• Master Gardener
• Monster
• Oppenheimer
• Pacifiction
• Scarlet
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
• A Thousand and One
  • Earth Mama
  • The Killer
  • Kokomo City
  • May December
  • Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
  • Past Lives
  • Suzume
  • The Zone of Interest

Production Design

• Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
• Asteroid City
• Barbie
• Beau is Afraid
• Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
• Evil Dead Rise
• Godland
• Godzilla Minus One
• Killers of the Flower Moon
• The Last Voyage of the Demeter
• Master Gardener
• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
• The Mother of All Lies
• Priscilla
• Saltburn
• Showing Up
• The Taste of Things
  • All of Us Strangers
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
  • John Wick Ch. 4
  • May December
  • No One Will Save You
  • Oppenheimer
  • Passages
  • Rye Lane
  • They Cloned Tyrone
  • A Thousand and One
  • The Zone of Interest

Costume Design

• Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
• Asteroid City
• Barbie
• Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
• Killers of the Flower Moon
• Mami Wata
• Master Gardener
• May December
• Passages
• Polite Society
• Priscilla
• A Thousand and One
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
  • John Wick Ch. 4
  • Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
  • Monster
  • Oppenheimer
  • Rye Lane
  • Showing Up
  • The Taste of Things
  • They Cloned Tyrone
  • You Hurt My Feelings

Makeup & Hairstyling

• Asteroid City
• Barbie
• Beau is Afraid
• Evil Dead Rise
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
• The Last Voyage of the Demeter
• Maestro
• Mami Wata
• Nyad
• Oppenheimer
• Priscilla
• Talk to Me
• A Thousand and One
• When Evil Lurks
  • Air
  • Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
  • Cocaine Bear
  • Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
  • Killers of the Flower Moon
  • Rye Lane
  • You Hurt My Feelings

Visual Effects

• Beau is Afraid
• Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
• Evil Dead Rise
• Godzilla Minus One
• The Last Voyage of the Demeter
• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
• No One Will Save You
• Oppenheimer
• Shin Ultraman
  • Barbie
  • Cocaine Bear
  • John Wick Ch. 4
  • Nimona
  • Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
  • Suzume

Song

• Asteroid City, “Dear Alien (Who Art in Heaven)”
• Barbie, “Dance the Night Away”
• Barbie, “I’m Just Ken”
• Barbie, “What Was I Made For”
• Dicks: The Musical, “Out Alpha the Alpha”
• Killers of the Flower Moon, “Wahzhazhe”
• Past Lives, “Quiet Eyes”
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, “Calling”

Still 2 C

20000 Species of Bees, About Dry Grasses, After Love, Another Body, The Ants and the Grasshopper, Apolonia Apolonia, Ballerina, The Beast, The Beasts, Beyond Utopia, Blind Willow Sleeping Woman, The Blue Caftan, Blue Giant, Bobi Wine: The People’s President, Brother, The Burial, Cairo Conspiracy, Carmen, Chevalier, The Civil Dead, The Color Purple, El Conde, Creed III, Dry Ground Burning, El Dorado – Everything the Nazis Hate, Elemental, Fallen Leaves, The First Slam Dunk, The Five Devils, Fremont, Full Time, Geographies of Solitude, Great Photo Lovely Life, Jules, Kaguya-sama: Love is War – The First Kiss That Never Ends, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, The Iron Claw, L’immensita, La Chimera, Last Summer, The Little Mermaid, Lonely Castle in the Mirror, Madeline Collins, The Mission, Music, Napoleon, Of an Age, Origin, Perfect Days, The Plains, Poor Things, Return to Dust, Revoir Paris, Rotting in the Sun, Sanctuary, Sharper, Shayda, Shin Kamen Rider, Sick of Myself, Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, Society of the Snow, The Starling Girl, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, Theatre Camp, Trenque Laquen, Unclenching the Fists, Wandering Heart.