St Louis Film Critics Assn Announces Nominations for 2023 Awards

St Louis Film Critics Assn Announces Nominations for 2023 Awards

“Oppenheimer” leads with nominations 14, followed by “Killers of the Flower Moon” with 12, “Barbie” 11 and “The Holdovers” with 9

The year’s top film phenomenon “Barbenheimer” dominated the nominations announced Dec. 10 by the St. Louis Film Critics Association, with Christopher Nolan’s scientific biopic leading the way, earning 14 nods for best film, director, actor Cillian Murphy, supporting actor Robert Downey Jr., supporting actress Emily Blunt, ensemble, adapted screenplay, cinematography, editing, production design, costume design, music score, visual effects, and best scene.

Awards will be announced Dec. 17.

In addition to determining nominations in 24 categories, the regional critics’ group recognized two groups for special merits involving the industry’s labor strikes this year.

Special Merit: The Screen Actors Guild and Writer’s Guild of America for fighting for artists’ equity and protecting the future of filmmaking by striking against practices that minimize or eliminate protection and living wages for artists.

Special Merit: A24 for showing solidarity with the actors and writers by securing approval from SAG-AFTRA and WGA to continue filmmaking and publicity.

The epic western crime drama “Killers of the Flower Moon” received 12 nominations, including best film, director Martin Scorsese, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, actress Lily Gladstone, ensemble, adapted screenplay, cinematography, editing, production design, costume design, music score and scene.

Killers of the Flower Moon

Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster comedy “Barbie” about the Mattel doll’s existential crisis in BarbieLand, KenEnergy and toxic masculinity in the real world, earned 11 nods for film, director, actress Margot Robbie, supporting actor Ryan Gosling, ensemble, original screenplay, production design, costume design, music soundtrack, comedy and best scene.

Alexander Payne’s comedy-drama “The Holdovers” about a cranky teacher supervising students left on a prep school campus and the bonds formed during Christmas break in 1970 earned recognition for its three principal characters among its nine nominations for film, actor Paul Giamatti, supporting actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph, supporting actor Dominic Sessa, ensemble, original screenplay, editing, music soundtrack, and comedy.

“Maestro,” “May December” and “The Zone of Interest” each earned six nominations.

Todd Hayne’s discomforting drama “May December” tally included nods for its three principal actors Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, director, music score, and film.

Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore in “May December”

Jonathan Glazer’s chilling wartime drama set next to Auschwitz “The Zone of Interest,” a film produced in the United Kingdom, earned its accolades for film, international feature, adapted screenplay, cinematography, editing and music score.

Bradley Cooper’s biopic on Leonard Bernstein, “Maestro,” received nods for film, actor Bradley Cooper, cinematography, editing, music soundtrack, and scene.

“American Fiction” earned five nominations for film, actor Jeffrey Wright, adapted screenplay, comedy and supporting actor Sterling K. Brown, who happens to be a St. Louis native.

“Past Lives” and “The Killer” had four nominees each, with Celine Song’s semi-autobiographical American-made film nominated for film, director, original screenplay, and actress Greta Lee.

David Fincher’s “The Killer” was heralded for its technical skills, with nominations for editing, stunts, soundtrack, and best action movie.

John Wick Chapter 4

Other films with three nominations apiece: “Air,” “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” “Asteroid City,” “John Wick: Chapter 4,” “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” “Poor Things,” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.”

Founded in 2004, the St. Louis Film Critics Association is a nonprofit organization of professional film reviewers who regularly publish current and timely film criticism, support local productions and festivals, and enhance public education, awareness, and appreciation of films.

Vetted members are affiliated with qualifying media outlets in the St. Louis metropolitan region.

For the awards, eligible films are those that opened in the greater St. Louis area or had an online premiere during the 2023 calendar year – including those film that were given awards-qualifying runs in 2022 but were not available to all SLFCA members until 2023. Films slated for release in early 2024 are also eligible if a press screening, DVD screener, or screening link was provided to all SLFCA members.

For more information, visit the site: www.stlfilmcritics.com

Full List of Nominations:

The Zone of Interest

BEST FILM

American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
May December
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
The Zone of Interest

BEST DIRECTOR

Greta Gerwig “Barbie”
Todd Haynes “May December”
Christopher Nolan “Oppenheimer”
Martin Scorsese “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Celine Song “Past Lives”

Jeffrey Wright in “American Fiction”

BEST ACTOR

Bradley Cooper “Maestro”
Leonardo DiCaprio “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Paul Giamatti “The Holdovers”
Cillian Murphy “Oppenheimer”
Jeffrey Wright “American Fiction”

Teo Yoo, Greta Lee, John Magaro in “Past Lives”

BEST ACTRESS

Lily Gladstone “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Greta Lee “Past Lives”
Natalie Portman “May December”
Margot Robbie “Barbie”
Emma Stone “Poor Things”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Sterling K. Brown “American Fiction”
Robert Downey Jr. “Oppenheimer”
Ryan Gosling “Barbie”
Charles Melton “May December”
Dominic Sessa “The Holdovers”

Viola Davis in “Air”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Emily Blunt “Oppenheimer”
Viola Davis “Air”
Rachel McAdams “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret”
Julianne Moore “May December”
Da’Vine Joy Randolph “The Holdovers”

The Holdovers


BEST ENSEMBLE

Asteroid City
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

American Fiction – Cord Jefferson; based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett

Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret – Kelly Fremon Craig; based on the novel by Judy Blume

Killers of the Flower Moon – Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese; based on the book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

Oppenheimer – Christopher Nolan; based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin

The Zone of Interest – Jonathan Glazer; based on the novel by Martin Amis



BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Alex Convery “Air”
Justine Triet and Arthur Harari “Anatomy of a Fall”
 Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach “Barbie”
David Hemingson “The Holdovers”
Celine Song “Past Lives”

(L to R) Jake Ryan, Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks in director Wes Anderson’s ASTEROID CITY, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Robert D. Yeoman “Asteroid City”
Rodrigo Prieto “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Matthew Libatique “Maestro”
Hoyte van Hoytema “Oppenheimer”
Lukasz Zal “The Zone of Interest”

BEST EDITING

Kevin Tent “The Holdovers”
Kirk Baxter “The Killer”
Thelma Schoonmaker “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Michelle Tesoro “Maestro”
Jennifer Lame “Oppenheimer”
Paul Watts “The Zone of Interest”

BarbieLand

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Adam Stockhausen “Asteroid City”
Sarah Greenwood (Production Designer), Katie Spencer (Set Decorator)“Barbie”
Jack Fisk “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Ruth De Jong “Oppenheimer”
James Price (Production Designer), Shona Heath (Production Designer), Szusza Mihalek (Set Decorator)“Poor Things”

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Jacqueline Durran “Barbie”
Jacqueline West (Costume Design), Julie O’Keefe (Head Osage Wardrobe Consultant) “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Ellen Mirojnick “Oppenheimer”
Holly Waddington “Poor Things”
Stacey Battat “Priscilla”

Priscilla

BEST MUSIC SCORE

Robbie Robertson “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Marcelo Zavros “May December”
Ludwig Göransson “Oppenheimer”
Daniel Pemberton “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
Mica Levi “The Zone of Interest”

BEST MUSIC SOUNDTRACK

Air
Barbie
The Holdovers
The Killer
Maestro

Maestro


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

The Creator – Jay Cooper, Ian Comley (ILM Visual Effects Supervisors); Andrew Roberts (On Set Visual Effects Supervisor); Neil Corbould (Supervising Special Effects Supervisor)

Godzilla Minus One – Takashi Yamazaki (Visual Effects Supervisor)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – Stephane Ceretti (Visual Effects Supervisor), Alexis Wajsbrot (Visual Effects Supervisor), Guy Williams (Visual Effects Supervisor), Teho Bialek (Visual Effects Supervisor)

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – Alex Wuttke (Visual Effects Supervisor), Simone Coco (Visual Effects Supervisor), Jeff Sutherland (Visual Effects Supervisor), Neil Corbould (Special Effects Supervisor)

Oppenheimer – Andrew Jackson (Production Visual Effects Supervisor), Giacomo Mineo (Visual Effects Supervisor), Scott Fisher (Special Effects Supervisor), Dave Drzewiecki (Visual Effects Director of Photography)


BEST STUNTS

Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – Mike Massa (Stunt Coordinator / Double), Abdelaaziz Attougui (Stunt Performer)

The Iron Claw – Chavo Guerrero Jr. (Stunt Performer and Stunt Wrestling Coordinator)

John Wick: Chapter 4 – Scott Rogers (Stunt Coordinator), Stephen Dunlevy (Stunt Coordinator)

The Killer – Dave Macomber (Fight / Stunt Coordinator)

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – Wade Eastwood (Stunt Coordinator)



BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

Anatomy of a Fall
Fallen Leaves
Perfect Days
The Teachers’ Lounge
The Zone of Interest

BEST ACTION MOVIE

The Killer

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
John Wick: Chapter 4
The Killer
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem


BEST COMEDY

American Fiction
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
Barbie
Bottoms
The Holdovers

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Yogi Berra subject of “It Ain’t Over”

American Symphony
Beyond Utopia
It Ain’t Over
Menus Plaisirs – Les Troisgros
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
 

BEST HORROR

Evil Dead Rise
Knock at the Cabin
M3GAN
Skinamarink
Talk to Me

Knock at the Cabin

BEST SCENE

Barbie — Gloria’s monologue on the impossible standards set for women

John Wick: Chapter 4 – Staircase fight on the 222 steps leading up to the Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Paris

Killers of the Flower Moon – The radio show finale

Maestro – Leonard Bernstein conducts London Symphony in “Mahler’s Symphony No. 2” in Ely Cathedral

Oppenheimer – Trinity Test

Anatomy of a Fall

Great Performances, Missed Potential in Shyamalan’s Latest Effort ‘Knock at the Cabin’

Great Performances, Missed Potential in Shyamalan’s Latest Effort ‘Knock at the Cabin’

By Alex McPherson

Partly saved by excellent performances and technical skill, M. Night Shyamalan’s “Knock at the Cabin” has the bones of a solid thriller but lacks the soul necessary to take it to another level.

Based on the 2018 novel “The Cabin at the End of the World,” by Paul G. Tremblay, “Knock at the Cabin” centers around a gay couple — the high-strung, defensive Andrew (Ben Aldrige) and the more contemplative, thoughtful Eric (Jonathan Groff) — and their young adopted daughter, Wen (Kristen Cui), who take a vacation at a secluded cabin in the woods. 

They’re having a grand ole time until a quartet of randos show up, led by the hulking Leonard (Dave Bautista), wielding makeshift medieval-esque weapons and insisting that they’re here to prevent the apocalypse. After a violent scuffle leaves Eric concussed, Eric and Andrew are tied to chairs and the intruders reveal their true directive. Andrew, Eric, or Wen must willingly give themselves up as a sacrifice, and the family has to kill one of their own, or else witness the death of humanity and be left to wander the scorched earth alone. 

Among the intruders are the aforementioned Leonard, a schoolteacher whose intimidating physique belies melancholy and earnestness; Redmond (Rupert Grint), a hard-edged ex-con; Adriane (Abby Quinn), a palpably nervous restaurant cook  and Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird), a nurse. They’ve each completely devoted themselves to the cause, despite being fearful of carrying it out. Eric, and especially Andrew, are shocked, confused, and doubtful, but their captors aren’t playing around. 

As time passes without a result, the unwelcome guests sacrifice themselves one-by-one, each death prompting large-scale catastrophes to unfold, from extreme weather events to a pandemic (ahem), which they watch on newscasts. The family must decide whether or not to believe their captors and to weigh saving humanity at large against the safety of their hard-fought unit. 

Thanks to gripping performances from the entire ensemble and a pervasive sense of claustrophobic tension, “Knock at the Cabin” is highly enjoyable in the moment, yet falters upon further reflection. The film’s various puzzle pieces haphazardly fit together, leading to toothless reveals that undercut the premise and have little new to say about “the apocalypse as moral dilemma,” especially when viewed as an allegory for climate change.

Still, there’s no denying the strength of the cast assembled here. Bautista is the obvious standout — both frightening and sympathetic. We can see each of the intruders wrestle with their compulsion, but Bautista is by far the most nuanced, embodying an antagonist whose devotion we never doubt, though his “reality” might be skewed. Grint, far separated from his portrayal of Ron Weasley in the “Harry Potter” franchise, chews scenery to a pulp as Redmond, dangerous and vulnerable. Quinn and Amuka-Bird are similarly solid — deeply uncomfortable in their shoes, but unwavering from their mission, with children they want to return to and secure a safe future for.

Aldrige and Groff are believable and endearing as the central couple, although the screenplay (by Shyamalan, Steve Desmond, and Michael Sherman) doesn’t do them any favors, leaning into exaggeration and heavy-handed explanation that could have used a subtler touch. Andrew is, understandably, fuming with rage, accusing the group of being warped by conspiracy theories and targeting him and Eric because of their sexuality. A hate crime committed against him in the past has left him psychologically scarred and fiercely protective of Eric and Wen, unwilling to give them up under any circumstances and sometimes acting rashly as a result. While this character trait does lend itself to the film’s sense of anticipation and violent release, it’s off-putting how a fundamental aspect of Andrew’s identity is formed through an act of hate — a clunky, obvious plot thread to further the film’s pulpy pretenses. 

Eric, the more religious one, is apprehensive but thoughtful, unsure of what to think. Groff excels in these quieter moments, bringing pathos and emotional grounding to the increasingly ludicrous developments. Cui, as Wen, is wonderful, conveying youthful curiosity along with a wiseness beyond her years — a constant reminder for what’s (potentially) at stake if Eric and Andrew don’t acquiesce to the group’s demands.

It’s praiseworthy that a queer couple headlines a mainstream horror-thriller, and “Knock at the Cabin” certainly emphasizes the love they have for each other throughout. We get frequent flashbacks to pivotal moments in Eric and Andrew’s relationship — contending with homophobic parents, having to distort the truth to adopt Wen, and the attack — painting them not as having extraordinary or supernatural characteristics, but as regular people trying to exist together within a culture that questions their right to exist.

Stylistically, “Knock at the Cabin” is also strong. Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke keeps the camera almost excessively close to the actors, heightening dread alongside Herdís Stefánsdóttir’s fitting score, and deploys dynamic flourishes (like tracking an ax as it delivers a killing blow), which hold the viewer’s attention from beginning to end. The film is energetically framed even when the plot takes eye-rolling swerves.

Indeed, “Knock at the Cabin” has all the elements of something special, but its frustrating reveals fall flat — ultimately saying nothing new or noteworthy about relevant (some might say too relevant, particularly regarding the various disasters that are triggered) topics that plague society to this day. What we’re left with is a narrative that takes concepts deserving of a serious approach — radicalization, the allure of echo chambers, what we are willing to give up to ensure a safer future, trauma, environmental calamity, alienation of the Other, faith as a blessing and a curse — and clumsily jerry-rigging them together, abandoning ambiguity to fuel a story that has no idea what to do with itself. The premise is taken to such extreme, albeit simplistic lengths that it’s difficult to take seriously, and the film’s views on “sacrifice” are altogether repellant when brought back down to earth. We’re all headed toward an apocalypse of our own making, and “Knock at the Cabin” renders a real-life concern of climate crises into a morality tale that winds up with a mawkish, superficial aftertaste.

All that aside, Shyamalan’s film is still fun to watch and let wash over you. The performances, formal craft, and atmosphere are top notch, but true meaning is left locked outside.

Ben Aldridge, Kristen Cui, Jonathan Groff.

“Knock at the Cabin” is a 2023 horror, mystery thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan and stars Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge and Kristen Cui. It is rated R for violence and language, and runs 1 hour, 40 minutes. It opened in theaters on Feb. 3. Alex’s Grade: B-.

Shayamalan Builds Tension in ‘Knock at the Cabin’ Thriller Adaptation

Shayamalan Builds Tension in ‘Knock at the Cabin’ Thriller Adaptation

By Lynn Venhaus
A taut and tense thriller that taps into our anxieties and fears during the past three years of the pandemic, “Knock at the Cabin” keeps one off-guard and on the edge.

While vacationing in a remote area, a girl, Wen (Kristen Cui) and her parents (Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge) are taken hostage by armed strangers who demand that the family make a choice to avert the apocalypse.

Its alarming scenario – sacrifice to avert the world’s end – grows tedious as the minutes tick by (1 hour, 40-minute runtime), but the viewer isn’t sure if we’re being played or is it convincing enough to think about doing the unthinkable. Therefore, it’s fraught with danger until the conclusion.

Supernatural specialist M. Night Shyamalan remains streaky as a director, but this is one of his more grounded works, on par with “The Visit” (2015) and “Split” (2016), if not his masterpieces “The Sixth Sense” and “Unbreakable.”

Based on the book, “The Cabin at the End of the World” by Paul Tremblay, co-screenwriters Shyamalan, Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman keep the focus tightly controlled. The cabin becomes a claustrophobic setting instead of its relaxing get-away-from-the-city intentions.

Shyamalan, who is a master at simmering tensions, has a strong cast to work with here.

Playing against type, Dave Bautista is gentle-giant Leonard, who says he is a school teacher but is a hulking, menacing presence leading a team of nervous enforcers who mean what they say.

These are not idle threats they speak, but what they say is so preposterous, it’s hard to believe that humanity rests on one family’s decision. However, they follow through with the gruesome details – and thankfully, we are spared most of the horrific visuals.

The four have intruded on a same-sex couple’s vacation with their adopted daughter. Daddy Eric (Groff) and Daddy Andrew (Aldridge) are used to being targeted, but they are fierce warriors regarding their family. They are not going to give up easily, no matter how many pleas from Leonard’s team.

Rupert Grint is Redmond, a hothead whose temper hurts their mission more than helps. Abby Quinn is Adriene, a nurturing type, and Nikki Amuka-Bird is Sabrina, a nurse, trying to be compassionate but firm.

Their words fall on deaf ears, as news reports visualize the grim reality of the outside world. Who do we believe?

Showing flashbacks of their relationship and their setbacks, Andrew and Eric are given a backstory that ties a few things together. The pair dote on their charming daughter, which makes the choices even more gut-wrenching.

The authentic performances, especially by Groff, best known as a Tony nominee in musical theater (“Spring Awakening,” “Hamilton”), but who also starred in David Fincher’s TV series “Mindhunter,” and Aldridge, a veterans of several television shows, help stick the landing.

Shayamalan uses his beloved Philadelphia again, and appears briefly in an air fryer infomercial, as he likes to pop into his own films.

It’s a satisfactory thriller for our times, and ramped up those uneasy feelings we’ve all had since the lockdown three years ago.

“Knock at the Cabin” is a 2023 horror, mystery thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan and stars Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge and Kristen Cui. It is rated R for violence and language, and runs 1 hour, 40 minutes. It opened in theaters on Feb. 3. Lynn’s Grade: B.

Knock at the Cabin Trailer; Credit: Universal Pictures/YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv_QhoUy-xc