Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Stephanie Hsu as Joy Wang, Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn Wang, and Ke Huy Quan as Waymond Wang. Evelyn is standing in front of Joy and Waymond, with them looking worried.

Movies

Oscars 2023: Best Picture Nominees Ranked From Worst to Best

There are 10 films nominated at the Oscars 2023 for Best Picture. Here they are all ranked from worst to best.

by Jeff Nelson

Published on March 3, 2023

4 min read

The Oscars 2023 has an impressive list of 10 Best Picture nominees. This year’s group ranges from big blockbusters, such as Avatar: The Way of Water, to a foreign war drama with All Quiet on the Western Front. Here’s a ranking of the Best Picture nominees ranked from worst to best.

10. ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’

Sigourney Weaver as Kiri | 20th Century Studios

James Cameron’s long-awaited Avatar: The Way of Water brings audiences back to the luscious world of Pandora. It’s a technical marvel, employing visual and auditory crafts to perfection. Cameron improves upon the first Avatar, but it misses out on a much-needed emotional impact. Perhaps one of the planned sequels will find a better balance and a more compelling story that could push it over the edge.

9. ‘Elvis’

Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee 'Elvis' Austin Butler as Elvis Presley laying back on a red couch. — Austin Butler as Elvis Presley | Warner Bros. Pictures

Elvis is pumped full of Baz Luhrmann isms that make this wild biopic stand out from the crowded field of stories based on legendary musical figures. Austin Butler undergoes a full transformation into the King of Rock and Roll himself, although this frantic storytelling is bloated. Elvis is deserving of top consideration in other categories, such as Best Actor, Makeup and Hairstyling, and Costume Design, but there are better Best Picture nominees at the Oscars 2023.

8. ‘The Fabelmans’

Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee 'The Fabelmans' Julia Butters as Reggie Fabelman and Gabriel LaBelle as Sammy Fabelman. Butters holding onto LaBelle, who's sitting on a chair in front of a film editing machine — L-R: Julia Butters as Reggie Fabelman and Gabriel LaBelle as Sammy Fabelman | Merie Weismiller / Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment

Steven Spielberg took control of his own story in the semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans. Gabriel LaBelle shines bright in this sentimental tale that pits family against the passion for artistry. However, the details the world already knows about the legendary filmmaker’s real life are more riveting than the fictional one. The Fabelmans is a heart-warming look at the craft of cinema, but its sugar-coated approach holds it back.

7. ‘Women Talking’

Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee 'Women Talking' Ben Whishaw as August, Rooney Mara as Ona, and Claire Foy as Salome sitting on a blanket on a field of grass looking out into a field — L-R: Ben Whishaw as August, Rooney Mara as Ona, and Claire Foy as Salome | Michael Gibson/Orion Releasing

Women Talking didn’t get the awards season campaign that it deserved. Sarah Polley beautifully adapted Miriam Toews’ original book to the silver screen, further elevated by a stellar ensemble cast. Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, and Ben Whishaw are prominent stand-outs. The stage play-esque narrative style and bleak cinematography may turn off some audiences, but Women Talking is an under-appreciated Oscars 2023 Best Picture contender.

6. ‘Triangle of Sadness’

Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee 'Triangle of Sadness' Charlbi Dean as Yaya and Dolly de Leon as Abigail sitting on a pebbled beach. Yaya is holding Abigail. — L-R: Charlbi Dean as Yaya and Dolly de Leon as Abigail | Fredrik Wenzel/NEON

Ruben Östlund’s divisive Triangle of Sadness is another piece of “eat the rich” commentary with no shortage of vulgar dark comedy. The social commentary isn’t as biting as it thinks it is, but it remains funny and highly amusing. Dolly de Leon delivers a show-stopping, awards-worthy supporting performance. Triangle of Sadness won the Palme d’Or out of the Cannes Film Festival and went on to earn an exciting wild card Best Picture nomination at the Oscars 2023.

5. ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee 'Top Gun: Maverick' Tom Cruise as Capt. Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell standing in front of a jet looking to the side, wearing his uniform — Tom Cruise as Capt. Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell | Paramount Pictures

Tom Cruise made a grand return in Top Gun: Maverick years after the 1986 original. However, the legacy sequel improves upon its predecessor in every way imaginable with some of the most breathtaking action sequences of the year. Top Gun: Maverick had an undeniably monumental impact at the global box office, but it’s also an excellent piece of blockbuster filmmaking that captures a nostalgic era of Hollywood.

4. ‘TÁR’

Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee 'TÁR' Cate Blanchett as Lydia Tár holding her arms out, holding a conducting stick — Cate Blanchett as Lydia Tár | Focus Features

Todd Field’s TÁR dominated the Oscars 2023 conversation since its Venice Film Festival premiere, ultimately landing a Best Picture nomination. This psychological drama infuses dark comedy and a layered characterization, coupled with a career-best performance from Cate Blanchett. TÁR is an extraordinary piece of filmmaking that earned its place as one of the best films to earn a nomination in the top category.

3. ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’

Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee 'All Quiet on the Western Front' Felix Kammerer as Paul Bäumer looking worried wearing a WWI German soldier uniform in the trenches — Felix Kammerer as Paul Bäumer | Netflix

The 1930 adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front won Best Picture at the Oscars, but now it landed a nomination with the German adaptation in 2023. Edward Berger’s film was under-appreciated upon its release, only to overperform against awards season expectations. All Quiet on the Western Front is a harrowing, brutal, and remarkably crafted adaptation. It’s undeniably one of the best war films in recent times, with stunning performances from newcomer Felix Kammerer and actor Albrecht Schuch. It would be a worthy winner.

2. ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’

Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee 'The Banshees of Inisherin' Colin Farrell as Pádraic Súilleabháin and Brendan Gleeson as Colm Doherty sitting on a stone wall with the ocean behind them. — L-R: Colin Farrell as Pádraic Súilleabháin and Brendan Gleeson as Colm Doherty | Jonathan Hession/Searchlight Pictures

Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin follows a simple premise about the degradation of a friendship going out of control. It’s funny, consistently engaging, and tremendously well-crafted. Colin Farrell is outstanding, but Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan elevate the film to new heights. The Banshees of Inisherin is one of the best films of the year and would make for an excellent Best Picture winner at the Oscars 2023.

1. ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’

Everything Everywhere All at Once is bursting with hard-hitting comedy, tender drama, and exciting action. Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Stephanie Hsu are a riveting trio, expertly navigating the genre-bending elements. It’s outlandishly original and exhibits eye-popping crafts, including phenomenal editing. Everything Everywhere All at Once is peculiar filmmaking that would make for a special Best Picture winner at the Oscars 2023.