You can use many techniques to help build your world, ground your setting, or give dimensions to your characters. You can use music and create elaborate sets, but one of the best ways is through the costumes you make.

People instantly judge a character within moments on the screen, and the outfits are essential to that first impression. More than this, you can also use costumes as a way of storytelling. What do they say about this world? What do they say about how a character is progressing? 

Costumes can build worlds and tell us details we can only see, but also they can make us say, ‘Hot Damn’, look at that beading on that dress. That must have taken hours to do!

Our Highly Commended in 2023 are The Creator, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Oppenheimer, Red, White & Brass & Women Talking

Our Best TV Costumes in 2023 are Ahsoka: Season 1, Foundation: Season 2, Loki: Season 2,  Shadow and Bone: Season 2 & Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season 2

So without further ado, these costumes made us say ‘hot damn’ in 2023. Be warned that there may be slight spoilers for the films in question.

The Nominees Are –

Asteroid City

This world does not work unless everyone is impeccably costumed in every second.

Barbie

It would probably make it onto this list for sheer volume alone, but each work is rooted in the past and in what makes the character an icon.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Every character feels whole because they took the time to craft a costume that speaks to who they are.

Killers of the Flower Moon

When you are telling the story of Indigenous peoples, details matter, and they do here.

Saltburn

The decadence of details abounds in every frame.

And the Winner is!!!!!

Killers of the Flower Moon

Directed by – Martin Scorsese
Costume Design by – Jacqueline West
Head Osage Wardrobe Consultant – Julie Okeefe

When you are telling a story rooted in the world of a specific people, you need to get those details right. This often does not happen, but there was extensive investment in getting that right here. They used photos of the people in question, hunted down the loom charts used to make the blankets, and worked with the community to make it feel right. It is an important detail that helps bring the characters out of the abstract and brings it into the history that needs to be told.   

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

What are your favourite cinematic moments from 2023?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 

Credits – All images used were created by the respective studios and artists of each film