National Board of Review Names ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Best Film

Killers of the Flower Moon
Director Martin Scorsese and Lily Gladstone on the set of ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ (Photo Courtesy of Apple TV+)

The National Board of Review selected Killers of the Flower Moon, based on the bestselling book by David Grann, as the Best Film of 2023. NBR also recognized the drama with the Best Director (Martin Scorsese) and Best Actress (Lily Gladstone) awards.

Killers of the Flower Moon is a stunning masterpiece from one of our greatest filmmakers, Martin Scorsese. The NBR is proud to award this complex, important, and deeply resonant epic as our Best Film and Scorsese as our Best Director,” stated NBR President Annie Schulhof. “We are also thrilled to honor Bradley Cooper with the NBR Icon Award – an equally impressive actor, writer, producer, and director, who brings his passion, artistry, and dedication to everything he does, including his latest beautifully sublime film, Maestro.”

NBR’s annual Best Of list is selected by film enthusiasts, filmmakers, professionals, academics, and students. In total, 245 films were viewed for consideration of this year’s awards.

National Board of Review Honorees

Best Film: Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Actor: Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers

Best Actress: Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Supporting Actor: Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

Best Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

NBR Icon Award: Bradley Cooper

Best Original Screenplay: David Hemingson, The Holdovers

Best Adapted Screenplay: Tony McNamara, Poor Things

Breakthrough Performance: Teyana Taylor, A Thousand and One

Best Directorial Debut: Celine Song, Past Lives

Best Animated Feature: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best International Film: Anatomy of a Fall

Best Documentary: Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

Best Ensemble: The Iron Claw

Outstanding Achievement in Stunt Artistry: Director Chad Stahelski and Stunt Coordinators Stephen Dunlevy & Scott Rogers, John Wick: Chapter 4

Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Rodrigo Prieto, Barbie & Killers of the Flower Moon

Top Films (in alphabetical order):
Barbie
The Boy and the Heron
Ferrari
The Holdovers
The Iron Claw
Maestro
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things

Top 5 International Films (in alphabetical order):
La Chimera
Fallen Leaves
The Teachers’ Lounge
Tótem
The Zone of Interest

Top 5 Documentaries (in alphabetical order):
20 Days in Mariupol
32 Sounds
The Eternal Memory
The Pigeon Tunnel
A Still Small Voice

Top 10 Independent Films (in alphabetical order):
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt
All of Us Strangers
BlackBerry
Earth Mama
Flora and Son
The Persian Version
Scrapper
Showing Up
Theater Camp
A Thousand and One