In a competitive year for film, Celine Song’s Past Lives emerged victorious as the National Society of Film Critics’ Best Picture, marking a significant achievement for the indie darling.
The A24 release has been gaining recognition, also winning Best Picture at the Gotham Awards and securing a spot on the National Board of Review’s Top 10 Films list. The accolade from the NSFC comes at a crucial time with Oscar nominations voting about to begin.
Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer closely followed “Past Lives” in the rankings. Glazer, the director of The Zone of Interest, won the Best Director prize, further solidifying the film’s presence among critical favorites. “Oppenheimer,” while not claiming the top prize in any category, remained a consistent favorite, finishing in the top three in five different categories.
Sandra Hüller received accolades for both of her 2023 performances in the Best Actress category, showcasing her versatility in Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest. Emma Stone, starring in Poor Things, finished second in the category.
Andrew Scott’s unexpected rise in awards popularity continued as he secured the Best Actor prize for All of Us Strangers, a 13-point win over Jeffrey Wright in American Fiction. With a highly competitive Oscar category for Best Actor, Scott faces formidable contenders, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Cooper, and Colman Domingo.
REELated:
Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s exceptional performance in The Holdovers earned her the Best Supporting Actress prize. Randolph has now swept awards from the New York Film Critics Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and National Board of Review in a rare grand slam for the season.
In a notable appearance for Michael Mann’s Ferrari, Penélope Cruz received first runner-up honors in the Supporting Actress category for her fiery portrayal in the period drama.
Charles Melton secured a win for Best Actor for his performance in Todd Haynes’ May December, following his previous wins at the New York Film Critics and Gotham Awards.
The National Society of Film Critics, consisting of over 60 critics from the United States, has been giving out awards since 1966. While its choice for Best Picture doesn’t always align with the Oscars, recent years have seen more agreement between the two prestigious awards. “Past Lives” now stands as a contender to watch as the awards season progresses.
Below are the winners and runners-up:
BEST PICTURE
1. “Past Lives” (51 points)
2. “The Zone of Interest” (49 points)
3. “Oppenheimer” (44 points)
BEST DIRECTOR
1. Jonathan Glazer, “The Zone of Interest” (65 points)
2. Todd Haynes, “May December” (42 points)
3. Christopher Nolan, “Oppenheimer” (41 points)
BEST ACTOR
1. Andrew Scott, “All of Us Strangers” (52 points)
2. Jeffrey Wright, “American Fiction” (39 points)
3. Cillian Murphy, “Oppenheimer” (29 points)
BEST ACTRESS
1. Sandra Hüller, “Anatomy of a Fall” and “The Zone of Interest” (61 points)
2. Emma Stone, “Poor Things” (56 points)
3. Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the Flower Moon” (44 points)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Charles Melton, “May December” (51 points)
2. Robert Downey Jr., “Oppenheimer,” and Ryan Gosling, “Barbie” (tie) (31 points)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The Holdovers” (58 points)
2. Penélope Cruz, “Ferrari” (32 points)
3. Rachel McAdams, “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret.” (23 points)
BEST SCREENPLAY
1. Samy Burch, “May December” (53 points)
2. Celine Song, “Past Lives” (50 points)
3. David Hemingson, “The Holdovers” (36 points)
BEST FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
1. “Fallen Leaves” (65 points)
2. “The Zone of Interest” (51 points)
3. “Anatomy of a Fall” (44 points)
BEST NONFICTION FILM
1. “Menus-Plaisirs—Les Troisgros” (65 points)
2. “20 Days in Mariupol” (25 points)
3. “Kokomo City” (19 points)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. Rodrigo Prieto, “Killers of the Flower Moon” (55 points)
2. Łukasz Żal, “The Zone of Interest” (45 points)
3. Hoyte van Hoytema, “Oppenheimer” (44 points)
BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM
“Trailer of a Film That Will Never Exist: Phony Wars” (Jean-Luc Godard)
SPECIAL CITATION OF A FILM AWAITING U.S. DISTRIBUTION
“Close Your Eyes” (Victor Erice)
FILM HERITAGE AWARDS
Criterion Channel
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