2023 BFI London Film Festival: Top 10 awards contenders

Jacob Sarkisian
·8 min read
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This year’s BFI London Film Festival treated those of us over here in the UK to a plethora of excellent films from major Oscar contenders such as “Maestro” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” to smaller, independent films such as “Dancing Queen” and “The Kitchen.” This year’s festival was one of the better ones in recent years, such was the quantity of quality movies playing in London. As such, here are the top 10 movies that screened at LFF and whether or not they could become genuine players in this upcoming awards season.

10. “Saltburn” (Amazon/Warner Bros.)
Director: Emerald Fennell
Cast: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Archie Madekwe
Release Date: November 17
Plot: “A student at Oxford University finds himself drawn into the world of a charming and aristocratic classmate, who invites him to his eccentric family’s sprawling estate for a summer never to be forgotten.”

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Fennell won Best Original Screenplay in 2021 for her feature film debut “Promising Young Woman.” She follows that up here with a wildly entertaining drama that is doused with plenty of dark humor. Keoghan leads the film as an oddball character, something he is now becoming known for, while Elordi shines in a supporting role as a posh, rich Oxford student who is the object of Keoghan’s gaze. Pike, however, is the star of the show in a scenery-chewing role full of witty one-liners. The film is engrossing and entertaining but can’t live up to the heights of one of its inspirations, “The Talented Mr. Ripley.”

Awards potential: It could land with voters but they equally may prefer other projects. Categories to watch out for are Picture, Actor (Keoghan, Original Screenplay, and Editing.

9. “The Kitchen” (Netflix)
Director: Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares
Cast: Kane Robinson, Jedaiah Bannerman, Hope Ikpoku Jr, Ian Wright
Release Date: TBC
Plot: “In a dystopian future London where all social housing has been eliminated, Izi and Benji fight to navigate the world as residents of The Kitchen – a community that refuses to abandon their home.”

Kaluuya and Tavares both make their feature film directorial debuts with this dystopian drama, which features strong lead performances from rapper Robinson (also known as Kano) and young star Bannerman. Ian Wright, formerly a Premier League footballer for Arsenal, gives an inspired turn in a key supporting role. It’s a promising debut from Kaluuya, in particular, who also co-writes. Let’s see what he does next.

Awards potential: The Oscars may be a step too far for this British drama but it could do well on home soil at the BAFTAs, particularly in Best British Film and Best Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer.

8. “The Holdovers” (Focus Features)
Director: Alexander Payne
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da’Vine Joy Randolph
Release Date: October 27
Plot: “A cranky history teacher at a prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a student who has no family plans.”

Payne and Giamatti reunite again after their brilliant work together on “Sideways,” which should have earned the latter a Best Actor nomination. Giamatti could be in line for that nomination for “The Holdovers,” however, which is a sweet, classic feel-good movie that possesses so much warmth and wit it warmed up the hearts of even the prickliest journalists over here in crisp London. Payne’s best movie in some time, although perhaps it doesn’t reach the heights of “Sideways” or “The Descendants.”

Awards potential: This could quietly be a major awards player. Categories to look out for are Picture, Director, Actor (Giamatti), Supporting Actress (Randolph), Original Screenplay, and Editing.

7. “Nyad” (Netflix)
Director: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin
Cast: Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, Rhys Ifans
Release Date: October 20
Plot: “It tells the remarkable true story of athlete Diana Nyad who, at the age of 60 and with the help of her best friend and coach, commits to achieving her life-long dream: a 110-mile open ocean swim from Cuba to Florida.”

This will likely be a little too straightforward for some. It’s a traditional sports story biopic, overall, but its power lies in its simplicity. It’s a gripping story from the off and easy to get wrapped up in. Directors Vasarhelyi and Chin know how to keep the narrative propelling forward and it’s just an enjoyable film from start to finish, elevated by two great performances from Bening and Foster.

Awards potential: It may not prove “out there” enough for the academy to take notice, but Actress (Bening) and Supporting Actress (Foster) could be categories to watch out for.

6. “Killers of the Flower Moon” (Apple TV+/Paramount Pictures)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons
Release Date: October 20
Plot: “Members of the Osage tribe in the United States are murdered under mysterious circumstances in the 1920s, sparking a major F.B.I. investigation involving J. Edgar Hoover.”

Some may be mad that Scorsese’s latest isn’t higher up on this list. But sixth spot is by no means an insult to this American crime epic. DiCaprio and De Niro are reliably good, as we’ve come to expect from them, but it’s Gladstone who is the soul of the movie, and her performance is the most affecting. Scorsese pulls of a daring final sequence that elevates the film to something else, meanwhile, proving he is still at the very top of his game.

Awards potential: One of the heavy favorites in a lot of categories — Picture, Director, Actress (Gladstone), Actor (DiCaprio), Supporting Actor (De Niro), Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Original Score, Production Design, Costume Design, and Sound.

5. “Poor Things” (Searchlight Pictures)
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Cast: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef
Release Date: December 8
Plot: “The incredible tale about the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.”

Lanthimos and Stone re-team after their success on “The Favourite,” which brought the former Best Picture and Best Director bids and the latter a Best Supporting Actress nomination. They find success again here with the eccentric, electric “Poor Things.” Stone delivers perhaps the best performance of her career while she is aided by a wonderfully strange Willem Dafoe and a hilariously scandalous Mark Ruffalo in supporting roles. There are plenty of zingers from writer Tony McNamara but Stone is the star of the show here.

Awards potential: A key player. “Poor Things” could earn nominations in Picture, Director, Actress (Stone), Supporting Actor (Ruffalo and Dafoe), Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Original Score, Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Sound, and Visual Effects.

4. “The Book of Clarence” (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Director: Jeymes Samuel
Cast: LaKeith Stanfield, Omar Sy, Anna Diop, RJ Cyler
Release Date: January 12, 2024
Plot: “Struggling to find a better life, Clarence is captivated by the power of the rising Messiah and soon risks everything to carve a path to a divine existence.”

Samuel proves himself to be a one-of-a-kind filmmaker here as he brings his signature style to biblical times. Stanfield shepherds the film in another great performance (he also plays Clarence’s twin brother, Thomas) while James McAvoy and Benedict Cumberbatch delight in key cameo roles. Samuel brings such flourish and flare to this picture it’s impossible not to have a good time. A truly impressive feat.

Awards potential: This will be competing at next year’s Oscars.

3. “Maestro” (Netflix)
Director: Bradley Cooper
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Sarah Silverman, Maya Hawke
Release Date: December 20
Plot: “This love story chronicles the lifelong relationship of conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.”

Cooper proves that “A Star is Born” was no stroke of luck — he really is a top-tier director. Here, he transforms what could have been an ordinary biopic into something proper cinema lovers can admire. Each time period is made in the same style as the films that came out in said time period — one of many intelligent decisions from Cooper, who transforms before our eyes into Bernstein in what is Cooper’s best performance of his career. He is matched, beat for beat, by Mulligan, too, making this a wonderful two-hander.

Awards potential: This is going to be a major player with expected nominations in Picture, Director, Actress (Mulligan), Actor (Cooper), Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, and Sound.

2. “The Bikeriders” (20th Century Studios)
Director: Jeff Nichols
Cast: Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon
Release Date: TBC
Plot: “It follows the rise of a Midwestern motorcycle club through the lives of its members.”

Perhaps the most surprising film of the festival, for me. Jodie Comer nailing another difficult accent and turning in another powerhouse performance isn’t surprising. Austin Butler displaying more movie star charisma and sexiness isn’t surprising. But what is surprising is just how moving this film is as Nichols paints a portrait of a unique world filled with unique people. It’s expertly made (and made with love) and it’s a joy to be transported so completely into the world of the bike riders. Hardy, by the way, gives his best performance in years and deserves to be in the conversation for Best Supporting Actor.

Awards potential: It could go either way — the film could hit the big time with Oscar voters or it could go under the radar and be overlooked. Picture, Actress (Comer), Supporting Actor (Hardy), Cinematography, Editing, and Sound are the categories to watch out for.

1. “May December”
Director: Todd Haynes
Cast: Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton
Release Date: December 1
Plot: “Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple buckles under pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past.”

Todd Haynes proves himself a master of tone in this delicious melodrama, combining darkness and comedy expertly. Moore and Portman are on top, top form here with two brilliantly-judged performances. The use of the score “The Go-Between” by Michael Legrand is also genius. But the biggest takeaway is just how good former “Riverdale” star Melton is, giving one of the best performances of the entire year, regardless of category. He proves himself an intelligent performer and Melton’s role is so heartbreaking and captivating. Come for Haynes’ exquisite control as a director. Stay for Melton.

Awards potential: It could be a key Oscar player. Picture, Director, Actress (Portman), Supporting Actress (Moore), Supporting Actor (Melton), and Original Screenplay are the categories to look out for.

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