Consider this my initial outlook into the Best Picture race for the 96th annual Academy Awards, which will be celebrating and awarding their choices for the best films from 2023. I’ve presented all 50 films via 10 tiers that I have on my radar at the outset of the campaign, and during the extremely early part of the awards season. If you want more detailed thoughts on my thinking on why I believe a certain movie may currently be a contender, and why I have them placed where I do in the running, read my much more in-depth piece on the matter over at Ordinary Times.
TIER 1: THE INITIAL FRONT-RUNNERS
01. Killers Of The Flower Moon
02. The Color Purple
03. Dune: Part Two
04. Oppenheimer
05. Blitz
TIER 2: THE INTIAL HEAVYWEIGHTCONTENDERS
06. Asteroid City
07. Saltburn
08. Poor Things
09. Maestro
10. Our Apprenticeship
TIER 3: THE INITIAL “ON THE BUBBLE” SERIOUS CONTENDERS
11. Past Lives
12. The Bikeriders
13. May December
14. Rustin
15. Napoleon
TIER 4: THE INITIAL LONG SHOTS ON VERGE OF BEING TAKEN SERIOUS
16. Air: Courting A Legend
17. The Piano Lesson
18. The Holdovers
19. Magazine Dreams
20. Barbie
TIER 5: THE INITIAL LONG SHOTS WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE
21. Tetris
22. Dumb Money
23. The Iron Claw
24. The Killer
25. Wonka
TIER 6: THE INITIAL VIABLE CONTENDERS WITH A SLIM PATH
26. Next Goal Wins
27. Beau Is Afraid
28. Spaceman
29. The Book Of Clarence
30. The Way Of The Wind
TIER 7: THE INITIAL VIABLE CONTENDERS SEARCHING FOR A PATH
31. Untitled Bob Marley Biopic
32. Ferrari
33. Shirley
34. Priscilla
35. Golda
TIER 8: THE INITIAL ATYPICAL CONTENDERS WITH A SLIM PATH
36. The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar
37. Bottoms
38. Theatre Camp
39. Joy Ride
40. Talk To Me
TIER 9: THE INITIAL ATYPICAL CONTENDERS SEARCHING FOR A PATH
41. Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse
42. How Do You Live?
43. Elemental
44. Wish
45. Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny
TIER 10: THE INITIAL LONGEST OF LONG SHOTS
46. John Wick: Chapter 4
47. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1
48. Creed III
49. The Little Mermaid
50. Fast X
POTENTIALLY KEEP AN EYE ON…
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