‘Past Lives’ Named Best Picture by National Society of Film Critics

The National Society of Film Critics has selected Past Lives as the best picture of 2023.

May December and The Zone of Interest each received two awards. May December was recognized with awards for best screenplay and supporting actor, Charles Melton. Zone of Interest helmer Jonathan Glazer was named best director, with star Sandra Hüller receiving recognition as best actress for her performances in both Zone of Interest and Anatomy of a Fall.

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Best actor went to All of Us Strangers‘ Andrew Scott, and The Holdovers‘ Da’Vine Joy Randolph won best supporting actress. Best cinematography went to Rodrigo Prieto for Killers of the Flower Moon.

The NSFC, founded in 1966 and made up of more than 60 critics from prominent outlets across the country, annually votes on its selections for best picture, director, actor, actress, supporting actor and actress, screenplay and cinematography. Awards may also be given out to film not in the English language, nonfiction film, production design and film heritage.

This year, the group began with a number of special awards, including film heritage honors for Criterion Channel and Facets, Kim’s Video, Scarecrow Video and Vidiots.

The NSFC praised Criterion for its “adventurous, wide-ranging, finely curated selection of films, ranging from American independents to world cinema to short films to classic Hollywood, making readily available the kind of repertory cinema that every city should have.”

Facet’s, Kim’s Video, Scarecrow Video and Vidiots were recognized for “maintaining wide-reaching libraries of films on disc and tape and making those libraries available to the general public.”

Voting is conducted via a weighted ballot system, the group explained on its X (formerly known as Twitter) account. On the first ballot, members vote for their top three choices, with the first choice getting three points, second choice getting two points and third choice getting one point. The nominee that receives the most points and appears on the majority of ballots wins. If no winner is declared on the first ballot, the category goes to a second ballot, without proxies. Voting continues with as many rounds as necessary until a nominee receives the most points and appears on the majority of ballots.

Any film that debuted in theaters or on streaming platforms in the U.S. during 2023 was eligible for awards consideration.

Last year, the NSFC named Tár as its best film of 2022, with Cate Blanchett also awarded best actress for her starring role and writer-director Todd Field getting the best screenplay award. Separately, The Banshees of Inisherin‘s Colin Farrell won best actor for his performances in both that film and After Yang, and Banshees‘ Kerry Condon was named best supporting actress.

A complete list of the winners and runners-up from 2023 follows.

Best picture: Past Lives
Runners-up:
The Zone of Interest
Oppenheimer

Best director: Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest
Runners-up:
Todd Haynes, May December
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer

Best actor: Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers
Runners-up:
Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer

Best actress: Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest
Runners-up:
Emma Stone, Poor Things
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

Best supporting actor: Charles Melton, May December
Runners-up: Robert Downey, Jr., Oppenheimer, and Ryan Gosling, Barbie (tie)

Best supporting actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Runners-up:
Penélope Cruz, Ferrari
Rachel McAdams, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

Best screenplay: Samy Burch, May December
Runners-up:
Celine Song, Past Lives
David Hemingson, The Holdovers

Best cinematography: Rodrigo Prieto, Killers of the Flower Moon
Runners-up:
Łukasz Żal, The Zone of Interest
Hoyte van Hoytema, Oppenheimer

Best Nonfiction Film: Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros
Runners-up:
20 Days in Mariupol
Kokomo City

Best Film Not in the English Language: Fallen Leaves
Runners-up:
The Zone of Interest
Anatomy of a Fall

Best experimental film: Jean Luc-Godard’s Trailer of a Film That Will Never Exist: Phony Wars

Film heritage award: Criterion Channel

Film heritage award: Facets, Kim’s Video, Scarecrow Video and Vidiots

Special citation for a film awaiting U.S. distribution: Víctor Erice’s Close Your Eyes

This story was first published on Jan. 6 at 10:05 a.m.

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