The 11 Best Cast Films of 2023, According to Casting Directors

“All of Us Strangers” — Kahleen Crawford

Carmen Cuba (“Fingernails”): The cast of “All of Us Strangers” is transcendent, which, of course, is exactly the point of their roles as created by writer and director Andrew Haigh. It is clear that the film’s casting director, Kahleen Crawford, understood Haigh’s unique sensitivities and that her keen eye identified the qualities that the actors would need in order to exist in multiple emotional and physical dimensions. Andrew Scott, as the central figure in this experience, is a revelation, someone we’ve seen and loved in other ways but not as a protagonist in a cinematic sensorium — that he is an openly gay man sunk me deeper into every intimate feeling he experienced without feeling either in or out of the story myself.  

Claire Foy as his mother was the most exquisite mix of love, curiosity, connection, and confusion. We’ve seen her wondrous eyes before, but in this role they transported me right into my own relationship as a (potentially complicated) mother as well as forced me to feel what it must be like to be my own child struggling to connect with me. I realize now in hindsight that I had a specific emotional connection to Jamie Bell’s layered performance as the father because it also transported me to Jamie as his younger self in Billy Elliott, the film in which his young boy character lost his mother and also faced questions about his sexuality. Pairing them to be working alongside the adult Andrew Scott as their both middle-aged and 12-year-old son is a strangely perfect, yet imperfect, somatic experience. 

And of course Paul Mescal as the romantic love interest exuded charm but also gave us physical signals that helped us feel that his youth and freedom might come with a haunting price. I won’t stop thinking about all the ways these casting choices were able to emotionally transport me (and the audiences I’ve seen the film with) for a very long time.

Gayle Keller (“Problemista”): Watching this amazingly brilliant cast in “All of Us Strangers,” I was taken by how much this film reminds me of a piece of theater. There are only four roles in the film, molded with precision to tell this story. Nothing is wasted. The film is mostly interior shots, very little exterior, like a play. Most of the rooms that the actors play in look like set pieces at times. I feel like these actors, if this was a stage play, would change their performances very little because they are all so gifted with an emotional life that you see it not only in their faces, but in the clothes they wear, how they wear them, how they decorate their apartments and homes — and how they all carry their grief.

I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that the four actors have all done theater. Andrew Scott playing Hamlet, Paul Mescal playing Stanley in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” Claire Foy playing Lady Macbeth and Jamie Bell being discovered on stage before he landed the title role for “Billy Elliot” at age 12.

But how casting director Kahleen Crawford worked with Andrew to create this cast is what I found extraordinary. The actors fit perfectly, the kind of fit that you think is other-worldly, like the film itself. These actors float in and out as if in a dream but so grounded in real emotion without any sentimentality that it takes your breath away. Everything and nothing feels real. I also felt that changing the title from “Strangers” to “All of Us Strangers” lent a oneness to all the characters, because we all, at one time or another, can feel like strangers to our families, lovers, or even ourselves.

“Anatomy of a Fall” — Cynthia Arra

Heidi Levitt (“Raymond and Ray,” “The Artist”): In the last decade there has been an emphasis on “real people” casting, meaning casting people who may not be actors but instead are authentic to the story. Watching the brilliantly directed “Anatomy of Fall,” you feel like you are watching “real people” and the essence of each performance feels so true and vulnerable that it could be a documentary. I was on the edge of my couch trying to figure out the truths unfolding in the courtroom and inside their family home nestled in the French Alps. The performances are across the board authentic, and yes, they are actors! I became an observer inside the story witnessing the emotional trauma as it unfolded. 

The leading cast is led by the luminous Sandra Hüller who makes the most complex character shy away from melodrama and instead reveal an interior world that is tormented, fragile, and also sprinkled with levity and love. As I watched I wondered continually, “Could she have done this?” and at the same time I felt torn inside. Her son, played by Milo Machado Granor gives a performance so vulnerable, it reminds me of Jodie Foster’s haunting work in “Taxi Driver.” But, what really blows me away is how all the actors feel like real people, and yet they are actors — skilled actors who disappear into their characters. I only wish more American movies would allow this kind of casting, opening up the process to less recognizable stars and less Hollywood gloss.

Authentic doesn’t mean we can’t cast actors. Wonderful actors are real people too. They are actors who know how to become anyone. Sandra Hüller, who we have seen play so many different roles from comedic to dramatic, is truly that movie star who has the talent to disappear and “act” without ever flaunting it.

“Earth Mama” — Geraldine Baron, Abby Harri, Salome Oggenfuss

Dixie Chassay (“Poor Things”): The casting of “Earth Mama” by Geraldine Baron, Abby Harri, and Salome Oggenfuss was awe-inspiring, and the search for Gia would have been a significant undertaking. Everything hinged on her portrayal of a young woman facing the loss of her kids, the internal fight to get them back, addiction, generational trauma and the question of giving up her unborn child for adoption; it was a masterclass in casting and serving a subject and story that should and must to be told.

Tia’s debut performance is a sensation. The ensemble and supporting cast (Keta Price, Erica Alexander, Sharon Duncan Brewster) and characters around them were touching, nuanced and subtle (the cashier played by Tina Robinson amongst many) and always serving to recreate this world that goes by daily, mostly unseen, with honesty and texture giving dimension to a contemplative movie about pain and life on life’s terms for those struggling to survive.

“Ferrari” — Francine Maisler

Dixie Chassay: Francine Maisler is the Picasso of casting and the ensemble that she put together for “Ferrari” is masterful, and indicative of the worlds that Francine builds through cast. It is a challenge to cast multiple male-dominated scenes in everyday scenarios — working, eating, meeting, talking, in barber shops — while maintaining intrigue and interest at every opportunity. 

The details of this casting composition are crucial, creating a landscape that captured an Italy at this period in time. Maisler’s work is an example of how supporting cast bring vividness and depth — I loved the maid played by Franca Abategiovanni — while the well-established lead cast felt fresh. Penelope Cruz was wonderful in her portrayal of a grieving mother and strong matriarch. The casting of Shailene Woodley was original and an interpretation of this role that breathed buoyancy and empathy into what is often the mistress cliché.

“The Holdovers” — Susan Shopmaker

Shayna Markowitz (“Maestro”): Susan Shopmaker did an outstanding job casting “The Holdovers.”  The task of casting a teenager in any role can be challenging — particularly an unknown actor, as was the case with Dominic Sessa — but casting one to play the lead of the film opposite Paul Giamatti requires a lot of hard work, often endless searching, and feeling confident that the actor’s skill and depth will be able to carry the film. 

The film wouldn’t work if the casting of Angus fell short, and Dominic was sensational. He was entirely believable as an authentic teenager. Da’Vine Joy Randolph was delicious as Mary Lamb, and I think it’s this trio of Dominic, Da’Vine, and Paul that really make the film sing — it hinges on the casting and chemistry of these three characters. The rest of the ensemble is top-notch from the supporting teenage boys to the delightful Carrie Preston. Susan did a remarkable job populating the world with actors who felt like real people — and in a different time period to boot — who were that perfect combination of funny, sincere, and, at times, heartbreaking.

“How to Have Sex” — Isabella Odoffin

Lucy Bevan (“Barbie”): This cast is made up of a group of young people all of whom are friends/become friends and so there is a vital chemistry that needs to occur during the casting process. [Casting director Isabella Odoffin] nailed that; each role is perfectly cast. Mia McKenna Bruce elevates the film and is utterly believable as a young woman having fun and finding her way; this is a star-making moment, and Isabella’s contribution should be celebrated. Shaun Thomas is perfection as Badger, Elliot Warren so believable as a crowd warmer that you forget you are watching a performance. The film is challenging and heartbreaking and all the cast are spot on.

“May December” — Laura Rosenthal, Alexis Leggett

Destiny Lilly (“The Color Purple”): One of the exciting things about “May December” is that, in a way, it is a movie about casting. Natalie Portman’s character has been cast in a film where she will play Julianne Moore’s character and the whole film is a piece about the way casting informs a story. Moore and Portman are exquisite as always, and I also loved the intricate work of casting all of the people who populate their lives, particularly Cory Michael Smith as the son who has never grown up and D. W. Moffett as Moore’s still-haunted ex-husband who is just trying to make the best of things. Charles Melton is getting deserved praise for his work, and it shows how in the casting process a casting director can encourage the director to give an actor like Melton, who has done mostly teen dramas prior to this, an opportunity to show what else he can do. I have been a huge fan of Todd Haynes’s work for decades and he has worked with Laura Rosenthal many times, and I’m sure that long-standing relationship allows them to really trust each other in the casting process. I also have to shout out the young actors who play the children of Moore and Melton’s characters: Gabriel Chung, Elizabeth Yu, and Piper Curda. They are all perfectly cast.

“Past Lives” — Ellen Chenoweth, Susanne Scheel

Kharmel Cochrane (“Saltburn”): “Past Lives” is a beautiful film charting the relationship of two friends over 20 or so years. That in itself would have been enough to scare me off — finding the younger versions of Nora and Hae Sung is no mean feat. Ellen and Susanne were able to cast them perfectly. The film has a small but mighty cast. Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro work beautifully together in those heartbreaking, awkward, gut-wrenching scenes. The film is permeated with long two- and three-hander scenes meaning that there is no space to hide. There is not a single moment where you are not fully absorbed. I love how the casting had a quiet confidence — a real feeling that these characters were real and you were fully invested. I can only imagine that the casting process left no stone unturned in the search for Korean actors, and this is so evident in the scenes back in Korea with Shin Hee-Chul, Kiha Chang, and Jun Hyuk Park delivering performances that make you believe that they have been friends for years. Then a lovely performance by Jojo T. Gibbs rounded off this pitch-perfect casting. This is a film that I am envious I didn’t cast and came away feeling inspired.

Nicole Daniels (“Priscilla”): “Past Lives” is brilliantly cast by Ellen Chenoweth and Susanne Scheel. The three performances by Greta Lee, Teo Yoo and John Magaro were so subtly convincing that I am still left wondering where the three characters are today. Greta and John were as charming and sympathetic as ever. I had never seen Teo before and I am so grateful to Ellen and Susanne for introducing me to this incredible actor who performed entire monologues without uttering a single word. Ellen and Susanne’s talent at casting new and intriguing actors greatly enhanced the film’s effectiveness. 

“Saltburn” — Kharmel Cochrane

Mindy Marin (“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”): “Saltburn” was one of my favorite movies of the year. I loved how surprised I was at all the twists and turns. The excellent cast took us on a wild ride, indeed. Rosamund Pike was a revelation with her comedic delivery — laugh out loud, while cowering at the same time. Barry Keoghan tore his scenes apart, put them together again, then handed you your hat. Alison Oliver – so good, a real discovery. Richard E. Grant – aways great, still great. Also wonderful: a very fresh Archie Madekwe and a tasty cameo by Carey Mulligan, who herself is having a fine year. Bravo to Emerald Fennell and her casting director Kharmel Cochrane. My guest who attended the screening with me said it best, “The movie stayed with me like a friend all week.”

“Society of the Snow” — Javier Braier, María Laura Berch, Iair Said

Luis Rosales (“Cassandro,” “Bardo,” “Roma”): “Society of the Snow” is a riveting experience that takes us deep into the human condition, and more than just a movie. J.A. Bayona, along with his talented team of collaborators, achieves the goal of placing you within a story based on real-life events, where the great themes of life and death are present in each frame.

Scouting, assembling, training, and finding the right actors for an ensemble cast full of young actors is no easy feat. It must have required the casting directors to be not only fully committed to the story and script but developing a strong creative bond with the director, and it must have taken a great deal of time to be able to achieve such results.

Javier Braier, María Laura Berch, and Iair Said did an exceptional job assembling the perfect cast of up-and-coming actors who were able to put their life experience to the service of the story. Starting with Enzo Vogrincic, Agustín Pardella, and Matías Recalt, who were able to delve into the material and the characters in such a profound and experiential way that at moments it seems closer to a documentary instead of a work of fiction.

“The Zone of Interest” — Simone Bär

Susan Shopmaker (“The Holdovers”): We recognize them. They are us. The images could easily be taken for a snippet from a Manet or Seurat painting come to cinematic life: picnickers lazily swimming or picking berries before heading for home, their sleeping children in tow. There is nothing remarkable about them. We see characters living lives we identify with: they love; they work; they want the best for themselves and their children. Their lives, like ours, have patterns that repeat, that become habits, that become mundane. Simon Bär has assembled a cast that creates characters we see striving for the same things we strive for: the rewards of working hard every day. It is their work that is not mundane. Her cast lets us feel the deep chasm that separates the shell of their “normal” everyday lives from the reservoir of the inescapable minutia of their work. [These actors] are among the best, yet, as the soundscape of this horrible world unfolds, we never see actor-rewarding performances; we see only the minutiae of one world overcoming the minutiae of their other world. It’s hard to believe it’s not real.

Kate Rhodes James (“Napoleon”): “The Zone of Interest” is a masterpiece in every way. The choice of actors helps us, the audience, to navigate a story that, in the wrong hands, might simply not be palatable. Casting Christian Friedel as Hoss is a masterstroke.  Christian is a sensitive and thoughtful actor, and to understand people like Rudolf Hoss, we have to see vulnerability within to access them. I never doubted his devotion to his children, but when he leaves his home, gets on his favorite horse, and trots a mere 100 yards to enter Auschwitz, we see the change from devoted father to sadistic officer. He has compartmentalized his children from the Jewish children he is murdering day after day. Christian navigates this beautifully and seamlessly.

Sandra Hüller, who plays the wife of Hoss, is without a doubt one of the finest actresses of her generation. There is no acting, just being. Again, so little is relayed to us via dialogue, it’s all in the physicality and the reactions to situations. I knew all I needed to know from her by her actions and responses. It’s a spectacular performance that could be easily underestimated. 

Ellen Lewis (“Killers of the Flower Moon”): In a year of amazing films cast by colleagues that I respect so much, “The Zone of Interest” was a particular standout for me. The actors, cast by Simone Bär, Alexandra Montag, and Jacqueline Reitz, add a depth and uncanny sense of reality to this film that is essential to bringing this horrifying but unfortunately relevant story to life. The film is led by Sandra Hüller, who is also starring in “Anatomy of A Fall,” and Christian Friedel, as her husband and the Commandant of Auschwitz. Both are immaculately cast, frighteningly real, and terrifyingly cold.

Creating a realistic family for a film is always a challenge, and in “The Zone of Interest,” the casting team has fully succeeded. The children, the parents, and the grandmother in the Höss household, are eminently believable as a family unit and each in their own way convey a reflection of the unspeakable horror they hear, sense, and smell behind the wall. 

Additionally, their servants, the Commandants in the camp, and then later in the film the Nazi hierarchy living the good life, also feel natural, authentic, and belonging to this particular world.

A Tribute to the late Simone Bär

Kate Rhodes James: [Bär’s] work on “Land of Mine,” “The Dark,” and “All Quiet on the Western Front” (to name a few), in my view, is perfection. Simone and her team clearly spent a great deal of time researching the period [for “The Zone of Interest”]. The physicality of Rudolf Hoss’ children tells us how well they are cared for, fed, indulged. They want for nothing, which juxtaposes with the atrocities of Auschwitz literally next door to their home. Even the casting of the smaller roles of the maids has taken as much consideration as the leads. There is one maid who places every knife precisely, ensures that everything she does is done with precision. She does this because she is scared, she wants to hide, she wants to be invisible, and the actress who is cast is perfect in every moment.  

Susan Shopmaker: Simone Bär cast last year’s “All Quiet on the Western Front” and the equally disturbing “Babylon Berlin.” She died in 2023 and her exquisite “hand” is felt everywhere in “The Zone Of Interest.” I wish I could see what she would have done next.

Ellen Lewis: I am sorry that I never had the opportunity to meet and work with Simone Bär, an incredibly talented, gifted, and inspired casting director. Simone, in most recent years, astoundingly cast “Afire,” “Babylon Berlin,” “All Quiet on The Western Front,” and “Tár.”  We unfortunately lost Simone last year. It is a huge loss to the casting community, as well as the directors and actors who had the honor and opportunity to work with her.