Good day to you. My name is Luis A. Mendez. I’m a film critic based in Central Florida, and these are my PERSONAL awards ballots for the year 2023 in film. If a favorite film or performance of yours from the year is missing from any preferred categories, chances are I probably liked it, I just happened to have liked at least a few films or performances a little more.
Just a heads up, this version of the ballots was published a few years after I first made them in late 2023, and I did tweak a few of the nomination slots since then.
Now without further adieu here are my nominees for the best of the year:
BEST PICTURE
American Fiction
Elemental
Godzilla Minus One
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Saltburn
The Color Purple
The Holdovers
The Iron Claw
The Taste Of Things
My Personal Winner: Godzilla Minus One
BEST DIRECTOR
Bradley Cooper; Maestro
Emerald Fennel; Saltburn
Yorgos Lanthimos; Poor Things
Christopher Nolan; Oppenheimer
Martin Scorsese; Killers Of The Flower Moon
Takashi Yamazaki; Godzilla Minus One
My Personal Winner: Takashi Yamazaki; Godzilla Minus One
BEST ENSEMBLE
Godzilla Minus One
Oppenheimer
Saltburn
The Caine Mutiny Court Martial
The Color Purple
The Iron Claw
My Personal Winner: The Color Purple
BEST ACTOR
Bradley Cooper; Maestro
Leonardo DiCaprio; Killers Of The Flower Moon
Colman Domingo; Rustin
Zac Efron; The Iron Claw
Jamie Foxx; The Burial
Cillian Murphy; Oppenheimer
My Personal Winner: Bradley Cooper; Maestro
BEST ACTRESS
Fantasia Barrino; The Color Purple
Aunjuane Ellis-Taylor; Origin
Lilly Gladstone; Killers Of The Flower Moon
Carey Mulligan; Maestro
Emma Stone; Poor Things
Teyana Taylor; A Thousand And One
My Personal Winner: Emma Stone; Poor Things
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert DeNiro; Killers Of The Flower Moon
Robert Downey JR; Oppenheimer
Glenn Howerton; Blackberry
Holt MCallany; The Iron Claw
Charles Melton; May December
Mark Ruffalo; Poor Things
My Personal Winner: Robert Downey JR; Oppenheimer
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Juliette Binoche; The Taste Of Things
Emily Blunt; Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks; The Color Purple
Viola Davis; Air
Racheal McAdams; Are You There God? Its Me Margaret
Da’Vine Joy Randolph; The Holdovers
My Personal Winner: Danielle Brooks; The Color Purple
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Anatomy Of A Fall
May December
Rye Lane
Saltburn
The Holdovers
The Taste Of Things
My Personal Winner: The Taste Of Things
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
All Of Us Strangers
American Fiction
Godzilla Minus One
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
My Personal Winner: Godzilla Minus One
BEST HORROR FEATURE
Evil Dead Rise
Godzilla Minus One
M3GAN
Thanksgiving
The Blackening
The Last Voyage Of The Demeter
My Personal Winner: Godzilla Minus One
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Elemental
Nimona
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
Suzume
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
The Boy And The Heron
My Personal Winner: Elemental
BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE
Anatomy Of A Fall
Godzilla Minus One
Perfect Days
The Promised Land
The Taste Of Things
The Zone Of Interest
My Personal Winner: Godzilla Minus One
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
20 Days In Mariupol
Beyond Utopia
Kokomo City
Lakota Nation VS United States
Menus Plaisirs–Les Troisgros
The Pigeon Tunnel
My Personal Winner: Menus Plaisirs–Les Troisgros
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“High Life”; Flora And Son
“Peaches”; The Super Mario Bros. Movie
“Steal The Show”; Elemental
“Superpower (I)”; The Color Purple
“This Is The Thanks I Get?!”; Wish
“You’ve Never Had Chocolate Like This”; Wonka
My Personal Winner: “Steal The Show”; Elemental
BEST SOUNDTRACK
Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
The Color Purple
The Little Mermaid
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Wonka
My Personal Winner: The Color Purple
BEST SCORE
Godzilla Minus One
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
My Personal Winner: Godzilla Minus One
BEST SOUND
Godzilla Minus One
John Wick: Chapter 4
Maestro
Oppenheimer
The Color Purple
The Zone Of Interest
My Personal Winner: Godzilla Minus One
BEST EDITING
Godzilla Minus One
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse
The Color Purple
My Personal Winner: Oppenheimer
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
John Wick: Chapter 4
Killers Of The Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Saltburn
My Personal Winner: Maestro
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Godzilla Minus One
Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3
John Wick: Chapter 4
Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Creator
My Personal Winner: Godzilla Minus One
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
Asteroid City
Barbie
Poor Things
The Color Purple
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes
Wonka
My Personal Winner: Poor Things
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Barbie
Poor Things
Saltburn
The Color Purple
The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes
Wonka
My Personal Winner: Poor Things
BEST HAIR & MAKEUP
Barbie
Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3
Maestro
Poor Things
The Color Purple
Wonka
My Personal Winner: Poor Things
BEST STUNT WORK
Creed III
Extraction 2
John Wick: Chapter 4
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning
Polite Society
The Killer
My Personal Winner: Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning
WIN TALLY
8: Godzilla Minus One
4: Poor Things
3: The Color Purple
2: Elemental; Maestro; Oppenheimer
1: Menus Plaisirs–Les Troisgros; Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning; The Taste Of Things
NOMINATION HAUL
12: Oppenheimer
11: Poor Things; The Color Purple
10: Godzilla Minus One
9: Killers Of The Flower Moon
8: Maestro
6: Saltburn
5: Wonka
4: John Wick: Chapter 4; The Iron Claw; The Taste Of Things
3: Barbie; Elemental; Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3; The Holdovers; Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse; The Super Mario Bros. Movie
2: American Fiction; Anatomy Of A Fall; May December; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem; The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes; The Zone Of Interest
1: 20 Days In Mariupol; A Thousand And One; Air; All Of Us Strangers; Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret; Asteroid City; Beyond Utopia; Blackberry; Creed III; Evil Dead Rise; Extraction 2; Flora And Son; Kokomo City; Lakota Nation VS United States; M3GAN; Menus Plaisirs–Les Troisgros; Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning; Nimona; Origin; Perfect Days; Polite Society; Rustin; Rye Lane; Suzume; Thanksgiving; The Blackening; The Boy And The Heron; The Burial; The Caine Mutiny Court Martial; The Creator; The Killer; The Last Voyage Of The Demeter; The Little Mermaid; The Pigeon Tunnel; The Promised Land; Wish
