20 Dazzling Shots From This Year’s Oscar Nominees
There are a lot of qualities that help a movie get Oscar-nominated: big-name stars, a prestigious director, a sharp script, and weighty subject matter. One big perk for a movie: looking really, really pretty.
Jokes aside, looks alone aren’t quite enough to guarantee a film makes it into Oscar contention. But they can often help. After all, great and thoughtful photography gives films a chance to compete in the Best Cinematography category, in which directors of photography and masters of their craft go head to head for a chance to receive one of the highest honors in their field. This year’s field is no exception, with all five men nominated — including “El Conde’s” Edward Lachman, “Killers of the Flower Moon’s” Rodrigo Prieto, “Maestro’s” Matthew Libatique, “Oppenheimer’s” Hoyte van Hoytema, and “Poor Things’” Robbie Ryan — having received prior nods from the Academy, although excitingly for the race, none have ever taken the statue.
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The 2023 nomination pool is one of the strongest Oscars fields in recent memory, and as such it stands to reason that the nominees are some of the best-looking contenders in recent memory. What’s more impressive is how varied the artistry on display is, as drastically different films with drastically different aesthetics have all been recognized by the Academy. One of the big trends on display this year? Black and White photography, which has been used to gorgeous effect in “El Conde,” “Maestro,” and “Oppenheimer,” giving the films a classical flair.
Other films go in a more colorful direction, such as “Barbie” and its hot pink environments or “Poor Things” and its whimsical, steampunk-inspired landscapes. Some films this year like “Killers of the Flower Moon” use cinematography to display majestic landscapes and convey epic scale, while others like “Past Lives” use its images to convey intimacy and romance.
With the 94th Academy Award ceremony airing this Sunday, March 10, IndieWire is taking a look at some of the best shots the nominated films have to offer. We limited ourselves to one shot from each film, and listed them in no particular order. Read on for our list of 20 great shots from this year’s Oscars contenders.
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