Today the voting body of the Southeastern Film Critics Association (which I’m proudly a member of) has announced their choices for the best of the 2023 movie year. The big winner was Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” which was named Best Picture. In addition, the film took home honors for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Ensemble, Best Cinematography, Best Score.
Below is the official press release from the Southeastern Film Critics Association along with a full list of the winners.
Monday, December 18, 2023 – The Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) has named
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer as the Best Picture of the Year. SEFCA’s eighty-nine members
located across nine Southeastern states also recognized Christopher Nolan for Best Director
and Best Adapted Screenplay. Additionally, the film earned Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, Best
Supporting Actor for Robert Downey, Jr. and Best Ensemble for its star-studded cast that
includes Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Aldren Ehrenreich, Jason Clarke, Tom Conti, Josh Hartnett,
Kenneth Branagh and others. Behind the camera Oppenheimer took the top prizes for Best
Cinematography (Hoyte Van Hoytema) and Best Score (Ludwig Goransson).
“This fall featured three big films from three grandmasters of cinema,” said SEFCA President
Scott Phillips. “Martin Scorsese released Killers of the Flower Moon. Ridley Scott brought
Napoleon to the big screen and Michael Mann hits theaters next week with Ferrari. Despite this
bumper crop from heavy-hitting auteurs, Christopher Nolan’s film from six months ago is
walking away with eight SEFCA awards. Oppenheimer is a stunning cinematic achievement. Our members recognized that in July, and they are rewarding it in December.”
When asked about the film year that was 2023, SEFCA Vice President Jim Farmer said, “2023
will be remembered by many as the year that featured the commercial, critical and cultural
phenomenon known as Barbenheimer. But it was also a season that offered a stunning amount
of high-quality films, with master filmmakers near the top of their games, fresher faces making
strong impressions and performers showing new dimensions. It was a pleasure to take in all that
2023 had to offer.”
Those “fresher faces” include writer/director Celine Song whose debut feature, Past Lives, lands
at # 4 on SEFCA’s Top 10 of 2023, and writer/director Cord Jefferson whose debut feature,
American Fiction, placed seventh in the SEFCA Top 10. The diverse list also includes an
animated film (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) and two foreign films (Anatomy of a Fall,
The Zone of Interest).
Read SEFCA’s full list of winners below. Visit SEFCA on the web at SEFCA.net to learn more
about its members as well as past winners. You can also follow SEFCA on Twitter at
@SEFilmCritics.
Top 10 Films of 2023
- Oppenheimer
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- The Holdovers
- Past Lives
- Barbie
- Poor Things
- American Fiction
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
- Anatomy of a Fall
- The Zone of Interest
Best Actor:
Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
Best Actress:
Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Supporting Actor:
Robert Downey, Jr., Oppenheimer
Best Supporting Actress:
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Best Ensemble:
Oppenheimer
Best Director:
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Best Original Screenplay:
David Hemingson, The Holdovers
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
Best Documentary:
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
Best Animated Film:
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best Foreign-Language Film:
Anatomy of a Fall
Best Cinematography:
Hoyte Van Hoytema, Oppenheimer
Best Score:
Ludwig Goransson, Oppenheimer
Keith & the Movies 
Boy, Oppenheimer just ran away with it, didn’t it? I’m not surprised. It’s an amazing achievement and Christopher Nolan and his team deserve all the praise. It’s easily my movie of the year with Godzilla: Minus One coming at a very close second and Barbie bringing up the rear at number 3.
I voted in our critics group but I’m still going back and forth. Hope to have my personal Top 10 out next week.
Boy, Oppenheimer just ran away with it didn’t it? Can’t say I’m surprised. Nolan and company delivered an absolute banger of a film. It’s also MY movie of the year with Godzilla: Minus One at number 2 and Barbie bringing up the rear at number 3.
Count me in the camp of “If I never hear about Oppenheimer again I’ll be happy.”
Good movie, but intensely overrated. The documentaries on this man and the subject are far more compelling and terrifying. You lose so much when the primary source material isn’t there to speak about it. Cillian Murphy is a fine actor, but he’s always an actor. Oppenheimer in a documentary is still a man, and yet far more mythical than any actor could put on airs in the attempt for.
That mirrors my thoughts on “Barbie”. I admit, I adore “Oppenheimer”. I’ve seen it three times and could soak it in again right now.
That’s a good list of winners. There’s still a lot of 2023 films to catch up on.
I know what you mean. I still had a few to watch before casting my vote. Hope to have my personal Top 10 up tomorrow
Barbie’s at the top of the 2023 film list for me
Nowhere near my Top 10 I’m afraid.😀
I still like the rollerblading leotard
I guess I just have to face it that I’m out of touch with the rest of humanity when it comes to Nolan in general, and Oppie specifically. I just didn’t engage with his latest, but it seemed to work for most people.
I don’t see Napoleon on any of the end of year lists I’ve seen so far, I suppose that has to rank as something of a critical disappointment after the pre-release buzz. (I haven’t seen it yet)
Napoleon disappointed me although I really enjoyed parts of it. I feel there is a longer director’s cut out there that would be considerably better.
I liked Wonka
Loved Oppenheimer but it’s winning one too many awards this season. Here are my thoughts on why I appreciate a film which is universally loved: