The winner of Best Drama this year is also the film that topped our Foreign-Language category: Happening. It saw limited success when it ran earlier this year for domestic audiences, but it was shortlisted as France’s entry for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards. The adaptation of Annie Ernaux’s novel of the same name details the horrific conditions around abortion in France back in the 1960s. It’s a powerful and poignant tale of a young woman’s quest for bodily autonomy, and it resonated not only with French audiences but with American audiences as well, especially given recent events.
The order reflects Tomatometer scores (as of December 31, 2022) after adjustment from our ranking formula, which compensates for variation in the number of reviews when comparing movies or TV shows.
#1
Adjusted Score: 104629{835de6664969b5e2b6c055b582ef3cf063416af730213b9aba3a0f9f5e47a307}
Critics Consensus: A tough but rewarding watch, Happening puts a personal face on an impossibly difficult choice and its heart-rending aftermath.
#2
Adjusted Score: 103748{835de6664969b5e2b6c055b582ef3cf063416af730213b9aba3a0f9f5e47a307}
Critics Consensus: Till reframes an historically horrific murder within a mother’s grief, brought heartwrenchingly to life by Danielle Deadwyler’s tremendous performance.
#3
Adjusted Score: 102979{835de6664969b5e2b6c055b582ef3cf063416af730213b9aba3a0f9f5e47a307}
Critics Consensus: Led by Frankie Corio’s tremendous performance, Aftersun deftly ushers audiences to the intersection between our memories of loved ones and who they really are.
#4
Adjusted Score: -1{835de6664969b5e2b6c055b582ef3cf063416af730213b9aba3a0f9f5e47a307}
Critics Consensus: No Bears bears witness to Jafar Panahi’s incisive filmmaking while urging viewers to examine the complex layers of a deceptively simple story: a man oppressed and suppressed by his country.
#5
Adjusted Score: -1{835de6664969b5e2b6c055b582ef3cf063416af730213b9aba3a0f9f5e47a307}
Critics Consensus: Sensitively written and beautifully acted, Girl Picture captures the whirlwind of teenage emotions without sacrificing narrative maturity and depth.
#6
Adjusted Score: 99788{835de6664969b5e2b6c055b582ef3cf063416af730213b9aba3a0f9f5e47a307}
Critics Consensus: Led by a luminous Lesley Manville, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is a good old-fashioned story charmingly told.
#7
Adjusted Score: 99181{835de6664969b5e2b6c055b582ef3cf063416af730213b9aba3a0f9f5e47a307}
Critics Consensus: Justice is served in Argentina 1985, a crusading courtroom drama that shines a light on historically somber times with refreshing levity.
#8
Adjusted Score: 99064{835de6664969b5e2b6c055b582ef3cf063416af730213b9aba3a0f9f5e47a307}
Critics Consensus: To Leslie‘s familiar framework is granted extra depth through a stellar Andrea Riseborough and a sensitive and nuanced approach to the cycle of addiction.
#9
Adjusted Score: -1{835de6664969b5e2b6c055b582ef3cf063416af730213b9aba3a0f9f5e47a307}
Critics Consensus: Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom is a simple story with a big heart — and a reminder of film’s ability to communicate universal truths across international borders.
#10
Adjusted Score: 101035{835de6664969b5e2b6c055b582ef3cf063416af730213b9aba3a0f9f5e47a307}
Critics Consensus: Led by the soaring melody of Cate Blanchett’s note-perfect performance, Tár riffs brilliantly on the discordant side of fame-fueled power.