Awards season is approaching fast, and speculation about who will be nominated is rife. Hotly contested awards such as Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Director are all the focus of debate after a year full of exceptional performances and stories on the big screen and a flood of potential winners rising to the top.
Regarding the possible nominees for Best Director at the 2023 Oscars, some craft stalwarts are expected to be nominated. Names such as Steven Spielberg, Baz Luhrmann, and James Cameron are all tipped to receive nominations, but there are many newer or less established directors that have made a huge impact with their films this year. With that being said, here is a list of the underdogs that could steal the show in the Best Director category.
Martin McDonagh – The Banshees of Inisherin
This dark tragicomedy starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson has made waves since its release. Not only does the film reunite Farrell, Gleeson, and McDonagh for the first time since McDonagh's directorial debut, In Bruges, but The Banshees of Inisherin has received consistently high praise from critics and audiences alike. The film is set in 1923 on the fictional Irish island of Inisherin and concerns the friendship between Colm (Gleeson) and Pádraic (Farrell), which abruptly ends when Colm cuts contact with Pádraic.
The film is a strangely beautiful study of what happens when a cornerstone relationship suddenly dissolves and the havoc that it can cause those in the radius. McDonagh has been praised for his direction and screenplay, with many claiming it is his best work since 2008's In Bruges. With the film currently sitting at 98% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and a slew of awards already under McDonagh's belt for the picture, he more than deserves an Oscar nomination.
Todd Field – Tár
Todd Field was a promising new director some years ago, lauded by critics for his 2001 film In the Bedroom and 2006's Little Children. However, after the release of Little Children, Field disappeared from directing for 15 years. With many projects left unmade, Field finally made a triumphant return with Tár, a drama about a fictional classical music conductor Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett), and her rise and self-made downfall.
One of the things that make Tár great is the way in which the storytelling remains organic, so much so that many people believed that Lydia Tár is/was a real person. While of course credit goes to Blanchett's performance, the true triumph is in how the story weaves together, how it unfolds, and how it frames its central character. Field has crafted an impressive tale of obsession and the abuse of power that should put him in contention.
Gina Prince-Bythewood – The Woman King
The Woman King sees Viola Davis star as General Nanisca, who leads a group of female warriors, the Agojie, in Dahomey, West Africa. Inspired by true events, Nanisca and her warrior women take on the Empire of Oyo and free women who have been trapped in slavery. Not only does the film explore female warriors and their strengths, but it also explores familial relationships and how they can endure despite the distance.
The film is a historical epic, driven by inspiration from the truth and other films of its kind like Braveheart, Last of the Mohicans, and Gladiator. Prince-Bythewood has a long career in the television and film industry, as well as in sports. This background informed how the realism and emotion of fighting were brought to life on screen. The film is a masterclass in showcasing strength and sensitivity in a way that is balanced instead of forced, and Prince-Bythewood deserves to be considered for her work.
Alejandro G. Iñárritu – Bardo, False Chronicles of a Handful of Truths
Mexican director Alejandro G. Iñárritu not only directed this black comedy film, but he also co-wrote, edited, and produced it. In the film, journalist Silverio is honored with a prestigious award whilst living in LA. The win prompts his return to his homeland of Mexico, sparking a visually stunning and strange journey through Silverio's reckoning with his own and his country's history.
The film is an intimate study of identity and self told through impressive, almost hallucinatory, visuals. While it has been dubbed self-indulgent by some, the film is undeniably fascinating and is put together in an extraordinary way. The passion that Iñárritu has for the subject is clear in every frame, and the humor running throughout adds a layer of levity to the existential questions on the screen.
Jordan Peele – Nope
The Academy has a long history of ignoring both horror and sci-fi films. Despite the acclaim that both Nope and Jordan Peele has received this year, Peele is one of the biggest outsiders in the race for Best Director. Set in a small town called Jupiter Falls, the Haywood siblings OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald (Keke Palmer) begin to realize that something strange is in the skies above them. The film goes on to not only produce some of the most atmospheric scenes, but to also tackle the need for fame no matter the cost.
Peele has a flare for subverting genre norms as well as creating visual masterpieces using his expertise in storytelling and vast knowledge of cinema. Aesthetically, the film has a Western feel with an air of 1980s Spielberg movies, and is filled with homages to other works like Akira. If the Academy can get over its bias against the horror genre, Peele is in for a real chance at Best Director.