I want to make it clear that my ranking of these films may not perfectly align with the scores given in their initial reviews. Over time, just like everyone else, my opinions develop or completely change. With that being said, these nominees are all very similar in quality and no one should be offended if my opinions don’t align with yours.

10. Barbie – Contrary to the film’s placement on this list, I’m not a Barbie hater. I actually believe this is one of the better-directed films of the year. The Greta Gerwig snub left a bad taste in my mouth. That being said, this is also one of the most flawed films on the list. It constantly takes big swings but occasionally misses. As for the Margot Robbie snub, I agree with it. The casting is dead-on but the performance is really nothing special.

9. Maestro – This features one of the best lead performances of the year and Bradley Cooper directs with a sure hand. I can’t wait to see what he does next. Unfortunately, this also feels like the biggest example of “Oscar Bait” that the nominees have to offer. It’s well-made on every technical level, but there’s a slight feeling of “been there, done that.”

8. Poor Things – This is easily one of the stranger films on this list. It features one of the more unique visual styles and the comedy finds a nice balance between crude and heartwarming. Where the film stumbles is its over-exploration of somewhat basic themes/ideas. In the film’s second half, it feels as if it retreads the same basic ground over and over again.

7. American Fiction– This is easily one of the more purely fun films on this list. It tackles the topic of race in a comedic and nuanced way. For awhile now, movies focusing on racial issues have become a bit stale. American Fiction tackles the topic in a way that truly feels new. That being said, I didn’t find the film nearly as funny as many have claimed.

6. Anatomy of a Fall – This is one of those films that seems a bit vanilla on paper, but is elevated by it’s top-notch dialogue throughout. In fact, this is a film that intends to rely solely on its dialogue. It remains compelling throughout, but doesn’t ever lead to a climax that feels wholly satisfying.

5. Past Lives – This was easily one of the tougher films for me to place on this list. Romance isn’t always a genre I particularly seek out, but I did appreciate Past Lives‘s ability to consistently subvert the tropes of the genre. Opposed to the typical formula of “boy meets girl and the two fall in love,” this film is more about the romances that have passed us by and how one reconciles that with their current reality.

4. Killers of the Flower Moon – Although this is still a masterful piece of filmmaking, I couldn’t help but get the feeling that Scorsese is beginning to lose a bit of his artistic edge. Although the highs of this film are as high as ever, they’re coupled by some oddly amateurish directorial choices. What places it at number 4 is the pure entertainment value of the performances. A weaker Scorsese picture (in my opinion) still tops 90% of movies that are released in a given year.

3. Oppenheimer – Although I believe this is another impressive film from Christopher Nolan, I couldn’t help but feel that this might be the biggest example of traditional “Oscar bait” in his filmography. That being said, it’s one of the more admirable examples of traditional Oscar bait. A director like Nolan has the ability to turn what is seemingly a dull premise into an absurdly entertaining film.

2. The Zone of Interest– This is one of the rare films that is disarmingly simple on it’s surface, but deeply complex within its subtext. I was hesitant going into the film, thinking it would just be another typical Holocaust film. What I ended up experiencing was one of the rarest kinds of films. Something simple that effects the viewer in some extremely complex ways. This is a true thought-provoking cinema to the highest degree.

1. The Holdovers – Easily, my favorite film of the nominees is Alexander Paynes’s The Holdovers. With whatever criticisms I could fling at the film, I still found it to be the most balanced and easily enjoyable of the nominees. It displays a savvy in almost every portion of the filmmaking process, not simply relying on just one strong element to carry us through. It’s not impressively intelligent or subversively complex, but it brings the pathos more effectively than any other film this year.

Prediction: To me, it seems clear that Christopher Nolan and Oppenheimer will be this year’s golden child. I think there’s a strong chance it takes the awards for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director.