Venice Film Festival 2023: 10 of the best movies, from Golden Lion winner Poor Things, starring Emma Stone, to Bradley Cooper’s Maestro
- Emma Stone’s turn in Golden Lion winner Poor Things might win her an Oscar, and Glen Powell impressed as a fake gun for hire opposite Adria Arjona in Hit Man
- Our other picks include migrant drama Io Capitano by best director winner Matteo Garrone and a comedy about Salvador Dali scored by a former member of Daft Punk
The 80th Venice Film Festival will always be remembered as the one where the red carpets were largely shorn of A-list actors, thanks to the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors’ Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes.
Unsurprisingly, it was the main topic of conversation, from jury president Damien Chazelle wearing a T-shirt in sympathy with the striking screenwriters at the opening press conference, to Peter Sarsgaard collecting his best actor award for Memory on the final day and shining a spotlight on the issue of actors’ likenesses replicated via AI.
“If we lose that battle, our industry will be the first of many to fall,” he warned.
Still, amid all this existential angst, Venice threw up some real gems. Here 10 of the best films from the festival.
1. Hoard
Playing in Critics’ Week, this ambitious debut feature from British director Luna Carmoon came away with three prizes – two separate audience awards and a special mention for lead actress Saura Lightfoot Leon.
