The best movies we saw at New York Film Festival, ranked (including 'The Killer')

NEW YORK – Another New York Film Festival is in the books.

And with it, renewed hope for some high-profile Oscar players. After somewhat muted receptions at Venice Film Festival last month, Netflix’s “Maestro,” starring Bradley Cooper, and “The Killer,” with Michael Fassbender, were both enthusiastically embraced by Big Apple audiences. Emma Stone (“Poor Things”) and Sandra Hüller (“Anatomy of a Fall”) continued to wow critics with their tour-de-force turns, while Charles Melton (“May December”) emerged as a strong contender for best supporting actor.

After taking in nearly two dozen films at the two-week festival, we ranked the best (and worst) of the bunch.

22. 'Foe'

In this appalling sci-fi drama, director Garth Davis aims for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” but lands much closer to “Don’t Worry Darling.” Young Hollywood royalty Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal play a Midwestern couple whose marriage combusts when one of them is recruited for a space colonization project. Despite their very best efforts, the Oscar nominees can’t rescue this movie from leaden dialogue and a nonsense eleventh-hour twist.

Where to watch: In theaters now.

21. 'Aggro Dr1ft'

Harmony Korine's vibey infrared nightmare is "Grand Theft Auto" by way of hell. Travis Scott, a tormented assassin and the literal devil make strange bedfellows in this meandering, ASMR-style movie, which provoked multiple walkouts at the festival. But, hey, if you can get on its wavelength, more power to you.

Where to watch: No release date yet.

20. 'Strange Way of Life'

In Pedro Almódovar's chic but slight new Western, a wistful rancher (Pedro Pascal) reconnects with the gruff sheriff (Ethan Hawke) he fell in love with 25 years earlier. Clocking in at just 31 minutes, the film is overstuffed with too many narrative threads, although Pascal's lovely turn helps elevate this vibrant riff on "Brokeback Mountain."

Where to watch: In theaters now.

19. 'The Pigeon Tunnel'

In this Apple TV+ documentary, director Errol Morris sits down with John le Carré for what would be the spy novelist’s final interview before his death in 2020. The highly stylized film is at its best in the spirited conversations between Morris and le Carré, a wryly funny and perceptive subject who digs deep into how childhood betrayals informed his gripping stories.

Where to watch: In theaters now, streaming on Apple TV+ Friday.

18. 'Maestro'

Carey Mulligan is the luminous, tragic heart of "Maestro," a technically marvelous but uneven marital drama about legendary composer Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and his resilient wife, Felicia (Mulligan). The film is in the unenviable position of following last year’s "Tár" − Todd Field’s masterwork about another complex (albeit fictional) conductor − although Maya Hawke and Matt Bomer shine in bit roles as Bernstein's daughter and former lover, respectively.

Where to watch: In theaters Nov. 22, streaming on Netflix Dec. 20.

'Maestro': Bradley Cooper surprises at his own movie premiere amid actors' strike

17. 'Hit Man'

A nerdy teacher (Glen Powell) goes undercover as a fake contract killer in Richard Linklater’s crowd-pleasing comedy caper. Although some jarring narrative leaps are merely hand-waved away, Powell's megawatt charm is yet another reminder why he should be at the top of the A-list. And sparks fly with Adria Arjona, playing a doe-eyed femme fatale.

Where to watch: No release date yet.

'Hit Man': Netflix's true-crime thriller nearly went to Brad Pitt

16. 'Orlando, My Political Biography'

In Paul B. Preciado's genre-smashing documentary, 25 trans and genderqueer people of all ages come together for a loose retelling of Virginia Woolf's 1928 novel "Orlando," in which a man wakes up as a woman. Messy, radical and full of hope, the film cleverly infuses Woolf's story with modern perspectives on trans identity and looking beyond the gender binary.

Where to watch: In theaters Nov. 10.

15. 'The Boy and the Heron'

Animation master Hayao Miyazaki returns with another visually spectacular film, following a young boy during World War II who is grieving his mother and whisked into a magical realm by a charmingly pesky bird. While it doesn't pack the emotional wallop of other Miyazaki classics, the cozily familiar drama weaves profound adult themes with eye-popping whimsical characters.

Where to watch: In theaters Dec. 8.

14. 'Anatomy of a Fall'

A writer (Sandra Hüller) becomes the prime suspect in her husband's mysterious death in Justine Triet's intriguing courtroom thriller, which won the top prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in France. Ambiguous, painstaking and occasionally overwrought, the movie is grounded by Hüller's astonishing performance, which flickers between tenderness and rage, and keeps you guessing until the very last frame.

Where to watch: In theaters now.

13. 'Poor Things'

The critical hit of the fall festival season is both stranger and more straightforward than you'd expect. Emma Stone fearlessly throws herself into the role of the mischievous and sexually insatiable Bella Baxter, who embarks on a journey of reinvention after a life-saving, brain-replacing experiment. "The Favourite" director Yorgos Lanthimos creates a sumptuously askew Victorian world filled with mutated animals and ornate brothels, and Jerskin Fendrix's delirious score is a knockout. But the film would capsize without the enchanting Stone, who shows off her full arsenal of talent as the petulant, passionate and deeply lovable Bella.

Where to watch: In theaters Dec. 8.

'Poor Things': Emma Stone's wild Frankenstein movie doesn't 'shy away' from explicit sex

12. 'La Chimera'

In Alice Rohrwacher's lyrical Italian-language drama, "The Crown" star Josh O'Connor plays a grieving archaeologist-turned-tomb raider, who joins a merry band of thieves selling ancient relics. The film is a cautionary tale about greed and desecrating the dead, while Carol Duarte is a delightful standout as a tone-deaf singer and potential love interest.

Where to watch: No release date yet.

11. 'Perfect Days'

Koji Yakusho won best actor at Cannes Film Festival for his tremendous work as Hirayama, a quiet Tokyo toilet cleaner. Hirayama greets every morning with a smile as he goes about his solitary life filled with many passions, including books, plants and classic-rock cassettes. But the arrival of an estranged family member puts him face to face with his solitary life. Win Wenders' movie is not only a sneakily emotional character study, but an enviable tour of Japan's many aesthetically pleasing bathrooms.

Where to watch: No release date yet.

10. 'Ferrari'

If you can get past the sluggish start and sometimes questionable accents, “Ferrari” is one of the year’s most surprising and richly rewarding films. More than just a race-car drama, director Michael Mann movingly explores ambition and loss through Italian automotive legend Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver). Penélope Cruz is a powerhouse as Enzo’s jilted wife, and the movie’s pulse-pounding finale will leave you shaken.

Where to watch: In theaters Dec. 25.

'Ferrari': Penélope Cruz fuels Oscar talk with extraordinary turn in Michael Mann's biopic

9. 'Fallen Leaves'

Finland's Oscar entry for best international feature is also the year's best romantic comedy. Alma Pöysti is spellbinding as a lonely supermarket worker who falls in love with a brooding barfly (Jussi Vatanen). Written and directed by Aki Kaurismäki, the swoony film feels as though it's been beamed in from a bygone era, with lush visuals, biting humor and an all-time first date sequence.

Where to watch: In theaters Nov. 17.

8. 'Evil Does Not Exist'

After the Oscar-winning "Drive My Car," Ryusuke Hamaguchi is back with another stunning slow burn. The Japanese filmmaker turns his lens to a tight-knit rural community, which is upended when a Tokyo talent agency waltzes into town with plans to install a "glamping" site. At first a wickedly funny slice of life, the film gradually morphs into something far more chilling and resonant, showing how even the most peaceful creatures can strike back when threatened.

Where to watch: No release date yet.

7. 'Janet Planet'

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker makes a wondrous feature debut with this droll comedic drama, about a curious young girl (Zoe Ziegler) living in the orbit of her magnetic single mom (Julianne Nicholson), who always feels just out of reach. For millennials, the film evocatively captures the dog days of childhood in the early '90s. And the movie’s breathtaking final moments will haunt you long after.

Where to watch: No release date yet.

6. 'The Taste of Things'

Food is the ultimate love language in Trân Anh Hùng's exquisite culinary drama, which France has selected as its Oscar submission for best international feature. Delectable and quietly devastating, the film stars former real-life couple Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel, playing an esteemed cook and gourmet chef who find love in middle age, and rediscover the joy of cooking after tremendous loss. Binoche is radiant and heartbreaking, and the lavish food porn will make your mouth water.

Where to watch: In theaters Feb. 9, 2024.

5. 'Priscilla'

A year after Baz Luhrmann’s exhausting "Elvis" biopic, Sofia Coppola has crafted a far better Presley picture in every conceivable way. That’s in part because of Jacob Elordi (HBO’s “Euphoria”), who delivers an aching yet unnerving turn that resists mere impersonation. But the lion’s share of credit goes to Coppola and rising star Cailee Spaeny, who poignantly chart Priscilla’s journey from innocent girl to rock star’s wife to self-possessed young woman.

Where to watch: In theaters in New York and Los Angeles Oct. 27, nationwide Nov. 3.

'A child playing dress-up’: ‘Priscilla’ movie doesn’t shy away from Elvis age gap

4. 'The Killer'

One of our greatest American directors is back in top form with this terrifically subversive dark comedy, about a ruthless assassin (Michael Fassbender) who starts to get sloppy and soften up. He’s an inspired protagonist for David Fincher, whose cold and meticulous filmmaking has long been his calling card. Fassbender nails the deadpan humor and brutal action, while Tilda Swinton is riveting in a supporting role.

Where to watch: In theaters Oct. 27, streaming on Netflix Nov. 10.

3. 'May December'

"Notes on a Scandal" meets Ingmar Bergman's "Persona" in Todd Haynes' instant camp classic. The Southern-fried thriller follows a psychotically dedicated Hollywood star (Natalie Portman) who shadows a woman (Julianne Moore) she's set to play in an upcoming movie. Moore and "Riverdale" actor Charles Melton bring mystery and nuance to their complicated characters, whose scandalous sexual relationship started when he was 13. And Portman has never been more fun than she is here, with a barnstormer third-act monologue that will be feverishly quoted by gay men for years to come.

Where to watch: In theaters Nov. 17, streaming on Netflix Dec. 1.

'May December': Julianne Moore channeled Mary Kay Letourneau for Netflix's soapy drama

2. 'The Zone of Interest'

Jonathan Glazer ("Under the Skin") delivers a harrowing gut punch with this singular Holocaust drama, which is set just outside the walls of Auschwitz concentration camp at the palatial house of a Nazi officer (Christian Friedel) and his wife (Sandra Hüller). What makes the film so uniquely stomach-churning is that the violence never plays out onscreen. Rather, distant screams, cries and gunshots puncture nearly every scene, as this wealthy family attempts to live their day-to-day in willful ignorance of the horrors happening right outside their door.

Where to watch: In theaters Dec. 15.

1. 'All of Us Strangers'

Andrew Haigh's hypnotic tearjerker is nothing short of a masterpiece, following a lonely gay man (Andrew Scott) and his handsome new neighbor (Paul Mescal) as they help each other reckon with childhood trauma and grief. A sexy and shattering ghost story at its core, the film makes brilliant use of surrealist fantasy to explore larger themes of memory, parents and what it means to truly see someone. Scott delivers a career-best performance of aching vulnerability, and his scenes with the always-captivating Mescal are electric.

Where to watch: In theaters Dec. 22.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'The Killer,' 'Ferrari': New York Film Festival's best movies, ranked