The Best Movies of 2022

This was a great year in cinema, with many fantastic films released throughout the year along with what I consider to be a masterwork! It would be nice if they drip-fed the Oscar bait films throughout the fall instead of backloading December (as they always do), but I did my best to catch up during January. I then wrote about half of this list before getting too busy to continue, so I am now posting it on the eve of the Oscars! Agh!

As always, if you would like a quick summary of my awards, a TL;DR is included at the end of the blog that ranks my favorite films of the year, along with what awards they received.

DISCLAIMER: I have not seen every film released during 2022, and I did not try to. I skip the movies that do not interest me unless they get significant praise from critics and friends. However, trying to guess who the Academy will award in each category is always a ton of fun, so I will continue doing those predictions. I also decided to put my honorable mentions at the END of the blog instead of the beginning this year in order to perhaps build some more intrigue for each category.

Oscar Predictions for Unincluded Categories

• Costume Design - Elvis
• Documentary Feature Film - A House Made of Splinters
• Documentary Short Film - Stranger at the Gate
• Film Editing - The Banshees of Inisherin
• Makeup and Hairstyling - The Whale
• Production Design - Elvis
• Short Film (Animated) - Ice Merchants
• Short Film (Live Action) - Night Ride

Here are the Best Movies of 2022 according to Robert!

Best Family Film: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

After seeing the first Puss in Boots movie in theaters back in 2011, I assumed that this sequel would be equally as bland and boring. I am so happy to be wrong, because this was one of the most fun and heartfelt animated films that I have seen since Spider-Verse. The recent trend of CG animation towards traditional 2D techniques and anime-style action lines has me so excited for the future of animated films, as it creates far more personality. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish recreates Puss as a feline going through an existential crisis while giving many of the characters their own great emotional moments, especially (surprisingly) Goldilocks. Her story easily elevates the entire film and made it simple to select this movie as the best family film of 2022. It is still in theaters if you have missed it up until now.

Honorable Mentions: Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio; and Turning Red.

Best Screenplay: Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

This might be the best screenplay that I have experienced since The Social Network. The dialogue is witty and absurd at times, but then emotional and soulful during other times. The story is insane and insanely creative while still hitting strong thematic beats that moved me to tears many, many times. The Daniels spent nearly a decade writing this film, and their dedication to creating a wonderful story shines through in one of the best films of the 21st century. EEAAO is available to stream on Paramount+ or you can rent it from whatever digital streaming retailer if you have not yet had a chance to experience it.

Honorable Mentions: Charlotte Wells (Aftersun); Jordan Peele (Nope); and Zach Cregger (Barbarian).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, and Ian Stokell (All Quiet on the Western Front)

OSCAR PREDICTION: Writing (Original Screenplay) - Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin)

Most Iconic Character: Daniel Craig (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery)

For the second year in a row, Daniel Craig finds himself in my awards due to his portrayal of a fantastic lead character in a franchise. Last year was for James Bond in No Time to Die, and this year is for Benoit Blanc in Glass Onion. Although the film as a whole was not as great as Knives Out, it was still a fun mystery with piercing social commentary. Watching Blanc struggle to understand how Among Us works while being chastised by the late Angela Lansbury was possibly the funniest scene to come out of the pandemic for me. As Netflix paid an arm and a leg for multiple Knives Out sequels from Craig and writer-director Rian Johnson, that is where you can stream it if you have not yet seen Glass Onion. I was lucky enough to see it in theaters during its one week run!

Honorable Mentions: Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish); and Zoë Kravitz (The Batman).

Best Cinematic Song: Naatu Naatu (RRR)

I typically have not cared for Indian films in the past, but RRR completely surprised me as the most delightful action film of the year! Both of the lead actors, Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr, carry the film with their charisma and bravado, giving a truly heartfelt bromance with amazing action setpieces. Of course, this also includes a fantastic dance sequence where these two Indian revolutionaries show up their British oppressors on the dance floor in an unbridled energy and passion. I am pulling HEAVILY for Naatu Naatu to win the song Oscar this year since RRR was not nominated for Best International Film (a true crime), but I fear that it may not win still. Regardless, this was my favorite cinematic song of the year, and you can catch RRR on Netflix if you have not had a chance to.

Honorable Mentions: Under Pressure (Aftersun); and Unchained Melody (Elvis).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Music (Original Song) - Lift Me Up (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)

Best Ensemble Cast: Nope

Jordan Peele's latest film was an amazing homage to classic blockbuster thrillers such as Jaws, Jurassic Park, and others. But while his writing and directing were, of course, important to the film, he also had a tremendous cast to help tell his story. Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya are perfect as the outgoing, quirky sister and strong, silent brother who are dealing with some supernatural events on their ranch. Keith David and Brandon Perea both nail their supporting roles, while Michael Wincott steals the show in his scenes as a slightly insane cinematographer, giving off STRONG vibes of Quint from Jaws or Captain Ahab from Moby Dick. On top of this, you have a tremendous performance from Steven Yeun as a tourist trap owner, whose story actually carries significant importance to the film in unseen ways. Be sure to hop on Peacock to watch Nope, or otherwise rent it how you like, and enjoy the fantastic acting brought by this cast.

Honorable Mentions: Everything Everywhere All at Once; and All Quiet on the Western Front.

Best Animated Film: Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

I absolutely love movies made with stop-motion animation, having grown up watching Wallace and Gromit. The Nightmare Before Christmas and Kubo and the Two Strings stand out to me as some of the best films in this genre, as well as most of Laika Studios' catalogue. Guillermo del Toro's interpretation of Pinocchio has that magical feeling that stop-motion brings to an animated film while also embroiling itself in many of del Toro's favorite themes in film. Children are in peril in this film and treated terribly by fascist adults, forcing them to grow up very quickly. By focusing on the background setting of fascist Italy, del Toro has added a lot of political and social commentary to an otherwise simple fable. However, he also has added a lot of the whimsical and bizarre dark fairytale style that has defined his career (such as in Pan's Labyrinth), making both this story and the visuals of it more interesting. Finally, there is a very lovely emotional center of this story that made me cry at multiple moments throughout the movie. I wish so very badly that I could have seen this great film in a theater, but it is still worth watching on Netflix if you can.

Honorable Mentions: Puss in Boot: The Last Wish; and Turning Red.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

Best Leading Actor: Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

There is a LOT that is being asked of Yeoh in EEAAO during her portrayal of a Chinese-American woman going through a midlife crisis. Not only is there a lot of relationships being explored with Evelyn (Yeoh), specifically with her daughter and husband, but she is also learning how to navigate and fight in a multiversal way against powerful enemies. Just like the film itself, Yeoh must have the flexibility to portray the huge, world-altering choices of a powerful protagonist while also showing her small connections to the people around her and how it affects all of their lives. There is a grand scope of parallel universes and the instability of their existence being perfectly intertwined with very close relationships and the instability of their existence as well. Such is the paradoxical nature of this magnificent film, with Michelle Yeoh leading the way as its fierce and strong lead.

Honorable Mentions: Paul Mescal (Aftersun); and Felix Kammerer (All Quiet on the Western Front).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actor in a Leading Role - Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin)

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actress in a Leading Role - Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

Best Technical Effects: All Quiet on the Western Front

I am once again combining several categories to save some time this year, with Technical Effects being representative of both Visual Effects and Sound. I suppose that it is a little stereotypical to give both of these awards to a war film, but All Quiet on the Western Front has some amazing work in both of these fields. The deep rumble of tanks moving towards the trenches or the sound of a man slowly bleeding out in a crater will both haunt me. The suicidal charge across no man's land will always be a gut punch for me to watch, no matter how many WWI movies that I see. However, this film specifically makes every violent action that occurs as horrific as possible. There is no glory and there are no cool moments such as in Saving Private Ryan. We only see the absolute worst of war and its consequences, with a focus on deromanticizing military conflicts. It very much reminded me of what Unforgiven was for the Western genre. Using these technical effects to elevate the horrors of war made this an easy award to hand out. Like most of these films so far, you can watch it on Netflix if you think you will be able to handle its brutality.

Honorable Mentions: Nope; and Top Gun: Maverick.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Sound - Top Gun: Maverick

OSCAR PREDICTION: Visual Effects - Avatar: The Way of Water

Best Emotional Actor: Paul Mescal (Aftersun)

From the very opening scene, I could immediately tell that there was a storm brewing inside of Calum (Mescal) beneath his smiling surface. Depression is often shown in movies and TV shows as this very obvious sadness that the character carries around with them, when in reality it is almost always hidden behind a facade of contentment. Mescal exemplifies this reality perfectly as a very troubled Scottish father who is trying his best to have a fun vacation in Turkey with his daughter (her mother and him are amicably divorced). I empathised very heavily with Calum and his struggles since I am also a father about to turn 30 years old, plus I have a similarly-aged son as his daughter, Sophie. It takes a really special actor to be able to pull these kind of complex and layered emotions off, and that makes this an easy award to hand to Mescal. It seems like you can only rent this movie from digital retailers or Redbox, so do so if you missed this fantastic film.

Honorable Mentions: Stephanie Hsu and Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once).

Best Music: Michael Giacchino (The Batman)

I love Nirvana, so I was hooked into this film's score from the first trailer when Something in the Way was combined with a Batman score resembling Danny Elfman's work with Tim Burton. Giacchino has done tremendous work in creating a memorable new score for a new Batman story while still paying homage to his predecessors. I was pleasantly surprised with how good The Batman was overall, despite the story being a thinly veiled retelling of Se7en. As a quick aside, Zoë Kravitz was perfect as Selina Kyle, John Turturro was a scene-stealer as Carmine Falcone, and Jeffrey Wright paired perfectly with Robert Pattinson as a buddy cop duo in Jim Gordon and Bruce Wayne. I grew up loving Batman but, as an adult, found issues with a lot of his core beliefs. This movie was definitely the Batman made for people like me, presenting us a Batman and Bruce Wayne that has a much more nuanced take on crime and how to fight it. Definitely go enjoy this movie and its great music on HBO Max. 

Honorable Mentions: M.M. Keeravani (RRR); and Volker Bertelmann (All Quiet on the Western Front).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Music (Original Score) - Carter Burwell (The Banshees of Inisherin)

Best Supporting Actor: Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

If the parallel universe theory and Michelle Yeoh's character are the brains and the strength of EEAAO, Quan is ABSOLUTELY its heart and soul. I have never loved a character in a film for their profound goodness more than Quan's portrayal of Waymond, a pushable Chinese-American husband, father, and laundromat owner. He has a heart-wrenching speech towards the end of the film that explicitly acknowledges all of the bad in the world and how he is not ignorant of it nor naive. But he chooses to see the good in the world and to continue to push everyone to love each other. It sounds corny as hell in text form, but packs a whallopping punch when you see it. Quan delivers his performance with such utter sincerity that I am so upset that we lost out on possibly decades of brilliant acting due to racism against him in Hollywood after his childhood performances in The Goonies and Temple of Doom. Here's to wishing him the best and a career revitalization that will give us many more wonderful performances to look forward to!

Honorable Mentions: Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once); and Albrecht Schuch (All Quiet on the Western Front).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actress in a Supporting Role - Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin)

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actor in a Supporting Role - Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

Best Scene: The Star Lasso Experience (Nope)

This was one of the most memorable scenes in a film from the past few years for me. As someone with claustrophobia, there is a certain point in this scene that absolutely terrified me and disturbed me in a way that no other film has done. Not only is it the most horrifying scene in a horror-thriller movie, but it also acts as a huge turning point narratively that changes both the genre and the audience's understanding of the film. Jordan Peele never seems to miss with his incredible films, and this one is no different. And to think that this all happens right after ANOTHER super memorable scene about Steven Yeun's character and a chimpanzee.

Honorable Mentions: Trapped in a crater with the enemy (All Quiet on the Western Front); and Gordy's Home (Nope).

Best Existential Actor: Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

The character of Joy Wang carries so many very difficult life questions with her. The existential dread of nothing mattering combined with the self-loathing of feeling like a disappointment create a complex antagonist for her mother, played by Yeoh, to square off against. Hsu brings Joy to the screen with all of the creepiness and absurdity of an all-powerful being with nothing to live for while also giving her an emotional core that many members of both the millennials and zoomers can relate to. The world sucks and life is not worth living, so why even try anymore? This question posed by Hsu's character requires all of the emotional intelligence of her father (Quan) and all of the traumatic experiences of her mother (Yeoh) in order to be answered in a truly satisfying way.

Honorable Mentions: Paul Mescal (Aftersun); and Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

Best Cinematography: Gregory Oke (Aftersun)

Gregory Oke and writer-director Charlotte Wells have done their best to make every shot in Aftersun gorgeous, even during the quiet and otherwise inane scenes. Several shots have stuck with me for months after watching this film, especially during the first 5 minutes and the final 5 minutes of the film. Oke and Wells' ability to visually depict what is happening between a father and daughter, including what is happening in the future, has haunted me ever since the credits rolled.

Honorable Mentions: Larkin Seiple (Everything Everywhere All at Once); and James Friend (All Quiet on the Western Front).

OSCAR PREDICTION: James Friend (All Quiet on the Western Front)

Best Directors: Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

I will admit to not being familiar with the work of "the Daniels" before seeing EEAAO. I had heard good things about their previous film, Swiss Army Man, but it seemed too absurd for me. However, for some reason, the absurdity that is embedded into this film by the Daniels pairs perfectly with their existential but heartfelt story. They have crafted a masterpiece of artwork that is also incredibly enjoyable, which is a pairing in film that I have not seen since Get Out back in 2017. Well done, Daniels, and I eagerly await their future works!

Honorable Mentions: Charlotte Wells (Aftersun); and Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin)

Best International Film: All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany)

"It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell."

General William Sherman spoke those words in regards to the Civil War that he participated in, and yet that quote is still said aloud these hundreds of years later as the world continues to ignore them. These words have been echoed time and time again through many anti-war films such as Full Metal Jacket, the original Best Picture-winning All Quiet on the Western Front, and Paths of Glory (of course there are many other examples; these are just the first three that I thought of). However, that message will NEVER become old, overstated, or overly utilized in cinema so long as horrible wars like the Ukrainian invasion and Yemeni civil war continue to happen around the world. War is devastating and terrible on not just its victims and civilians, but especially on its soldiers and footmen who are often forced into service against their will and severely traumatized for the rest of their lives.

All Quiet on the Western Front shoves these horrors directly into our faces again to remind us that we should never forget them nor ignore them. I have been appalled and disturbed by war films before, but this was the first one that made me emotional over the death of an unnamed character. When the protagonist, Paul, finds himself stuck in a crater with an enemy soldier that he just defeated in melee combat, we suffer with him as he sees the long, drawn-out consequences of his "victory". Moments like this fill this fantastic anti-war film that Germany has blessed the world with. Millions of men died for nothing but the rich's squabbles over land and oil. No life is worth a profit, and that includes the soldiers on both sides.

Honorable Mention: RRR (India).

OSCAR PREDICTION: All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany).

Best Film: Everything Everywhere All at Once

I think that this will be the least surprising entry in my entire list. Everything Everywhere All at Once is an absolute masterwork that I will rewatch and praise for decades to come. But I have already praised EEAAO up and down through six different categories now, so I will simply praise the aspects of the film that I have yet to mention.

Three different actors have won an award from me for their roles in this film, but every single member of the cast is outstanding. Jamie Lee Curtis is both hilarious and touching as a cranky middle-aged IRS agent, while James Hong is charming as a cantankerous grandfather and rebellion leader. Every single actor has multiple roles in the film, and each of these roles have small story arcs that culminate during the final "fight" scene. Both the music and visual effects in this film are amazing as well, matching the bright goofiness of one side of its themes as well as the bleak ennui of the other side. Also, for as much as I have mentioned the absurdity of the movie, I have barely even touched on how funny it is! I full-on belly-laughed multiple times throughout, and have repeatedly done so every time that I have rewatched it.

But at the end of the day, it is not the technical execution, nor the existential dread, nor the silly absurdity of EEAAO that has enraptured me. It is the wholesome heart at the center of the film about our connections with each other. Despite how hurtful those interactions can be, the joyful experiences that we get to have with our loved ones are worth all the other sludge surrounding those moments.

I have cried every single time that Evelyn finally sees her husband, Waymond, for the light in her life that he is.

Waymond: So, even though you have broken my heart yet again, I wanted to say, in another life, I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you.

I have cried every single time that Gong Gong finally accepts his daughter, Evelyn, and his granddaughter, Joy, for who they are.

I have cried every single time that Evelyn hugs Joy and decides to just be there for her.

This is a beautiful film about imperfect people, and helps me to see the light in a world where I often find myself on the brink of complete nihilism. And so I have simply one more set of quotes to leave from the best film made in the last decade:

Evelyn: Maybe it's like you said. Maybe there is something out there -a new discovery- that'll make us feel like even smaller pieces of shit. Something that explains why you still went looking for me through all this noise. And why, no matter what, I still want to be here with you. I will always, ALWAYS, want to be here - with you.

Joy: So what? You're just going to ignore everything else? You could be anything, anywhere. Why not go somewhere where your - where your daughter is more than just...this? Here, all we'll get are a few specks of time where any of this actually makes any sense.

Then I will cherish these few specks of time.

Honorable Mentions: All Quiet on the Western Front; and Aftersun.

OSCAR PREDICTION: The Banshees of Inisherin

TL;DR

1. Everything Everywhere All at Once (Best Film, Best Directors, Best Leading Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Existential Actor, Best Screenplay)
2. All Quiet on the Western Front (Best International Film, Best Technical Effects)
3. Aftersun (Best Emotional Actor, Best Cinematography)
4. Nope (Best Ensemble Cast, Best Scene)
5. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (Best Animated Film)
6. The Batman (Best Music)
7. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Best Family Film)
8. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Most Iconic Character)
9. RRR (Best Cinematic Song)

Here are some explanations for films that are missing from my awards that some may be wondering about:

Good, not Great

Barbarian

The Black Phone

Elvis

The Fabelmans

Lightyear

Prey

Tár

Top Gun: Maverick

Triangle of Sadness

Turning Red

Bad or Overrated

The Banshees of Inisherin

The Northman

Skipped or Missed

Avatar: The Way of Water

Babylon

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Jackass Forever

Living

The Menu

Thor: Love and Thunder

The Whale

Women Talking

Thanks for reading my movie awards for this year! I always love writing them and I hope that you enjoyed reading them. I will see you next year for another celebration of both entertaining and artistic cinema!

The Best Movies of 2021

For whatever reason, I did not see as many movies this year as I typically do, which resulted in a much smaller list than previous years. Perhaps this is just a rebalancing after last year featured SIXTEEN movies on my list. Still, there were some great films this year, including two phenomenal masterpieces that I am so excited to talk about! If you want to just get to the final results, I have a TL;DR at the end of my blog that ranks my favorite films of 2021, as well as showing what awards they received from me.

DISCLAIMER: As I mentioned, I did not see every movie made in 2021 (with this awards season covering March through December) so there are likely several films that I would have put on this list if I had seen them. I watched a few of the Best Picture nominees, but honestly grew fatigued of the arthouse style this year, which is funny considering some of my favorite films are very niche arthouse (see: The Lighthouse, 2019). I will still make my Oscar predictions for each category because it's fun to do!

Here are my honorable mentions for 2021, followed by my Oscar predictions for categories that will not be included in my own awards:

Honorable Mentions

The Green Knight

King Richard

Raya and the Last Dragon

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Sing 2

Vivo

Movies That I Did Not Watch

Belfast

Coda

Cyrano

Don't Look Up

F9: The Fast Saga

Free Guy

The French Dispatch

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

In the Heights

The King's Man

The Last Duel

Last Night in Soho

Licorice Pizza

The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Nightmare Alley

Pig

A Quiet Place Part II

West Side Story

Oscar Predictions for Unincluded Categories

• Costume Design - West Side Story
• Documentary (Feature) - I did not see any documentaries this year unfortunately.
• Documentary (Short Subject) - See Documentary (Feature).
• Film Editing - The Power of the Dog
• International Feature Film - See Documentary (Feature).
• Makeup and Hairstyling - House of Gucci
• Production Design - West Side Story
• Short Film (Animated) - See Documentary (Feature).
• Short Film (Live Action) - See Documentary (Feature).

Now, without further ado, here are the Best Movies of 2021 according to Robert!

Best Animated Film: Encanto

Disney gives us another great film about family, responsibility, and expectations. Lin-Manuel Miranda's songwriting combines with Germaine Franco's composing to give us a fantastic musical that will move you and entertain you. Coincidentally, they also worked together on Coco, another wonderful Mexican-cultured film in 2017, so you can expect more of the same brilliance here. If you missed Encanto in theaters, be sure to watch it on Disney+!

Honorable Mentions: Raya and the Last Dragon; and Vivo.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Encanto

Best Legendary Character: Jason Momoa (Dune)

To say that Duncan Idaho (portrayed perfectly by Jason Momoa) steals every scene that he appears in would be an understatement. Momoa uses his charisma to bring levity into the film through Duncan, while also channeling his powerful presence to make Duncan an intimidating hulk of a man. The scene in the above screenshot in particular struck me as one of the greatest moments in cinema last year, and definitely makes Dune worth watching if you have not done so yet.

Honorable Mentions: Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man: No Way Home); and David Dastmalchian (The Suicide Squad).

Best Heroic Sendoff: No Time to Die

Daniel Craig has become my favorite actor to portray James Bond of all time, and he gets one of the best endings to a Bond story arc in No Time to Die. He has shown how Bond has grown and matured since his debut in Casino Royale while also giving a final performance that made me tear up in theaters. I know that not all of the Craig-era Bond films have been great, but No Time to Die is right up there with Casino Royale and Skyfall as some of the best Bond films to ever be released. Definitely do not miss this great movie!

Honorable Mentions: Spider-Man: No Way Home; and The Matrix: Resurrections.

Best Ensemble Cast: The Suicide Squad

James Gunn has worked his magic again in taking a crew of bizarre but fun characters and bringing them to life with a fantastic cast. Idris Elba, of course, plays the lead character Bloodsport with a cool energy, but David Dastmalchian deserves recognition for his role as Polka Dot Man as well. Viola Davis, John Cena, Margot Robbie, and Sylvester Stallone bring their A-games here, but Daniela Melchior gave so much heart to this film as Ratcatcher 2 that she deserves a shoutout. She quickly became my favorite character and provides most of the best moments in the film, including a touching flashback of her days with her father, the original Ratcatcher (portrayed wonderfully by Taika Waititi). If you can stomach some intense violence, this is a great and fun movie to watch!

Honorable Mentions: Dune; and The Power of the Dog.

Best Music: Bo Burnham (Inside)

To get ahead of any potential protestations, I had the privilege of watching Inside at a local theater as well as on Netflix, so I consider Inside to be a feature film rather than a comedy special, so it is eligible for all of my awards! As such, it really is a no-brainer for me to pick Bo Burnham's masterpiece for the Best Music in 2021 cinema. On top of great music production and composition, Burnham's lyrics hit a chord with me regarding my time during lockdown and post-lockdown in a world overrun by COVID-19. Combining catchy pop tunes with haunting lyrics was the magic ingredient for an absolutely amazing musical experience for me. This will always be on Netflix, so be sure to watch Inside if you have not yet!

Honorable Mentions: Hans Zimmer (Dune); and Germaine Franco (Encanto).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Hans Zimmer (Dune)

Best Comic Book Film: Spider-Man: No Way Home

The hype for this movie was tremendous, and yet it fully lived up to those high expectations. Willem Dafoe absolutely crushed his return as Norman Osborn, while Tom Holland continued his excellent run as Peter Parker, a.k.a. your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. This story's unpredictability led to a very exciting journey from start to finish for me. In addition, having a message of rehabilitation for villains instead of punishment or death was a very unique and heartwarming choice to make, and I greatly appreciated their decision to do so. I fully expect that anyone who reads this list will have already seen Spider-Man: No Way Home, but be sure to do so if not.

Honorable Mentions: The Suicide Squad; and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Best Supporting Performance: Rebecca Ferguson (Dune)

Having never read the books, I went into Dune with no expectations beyond Denis Villeneuve being one of the best modern filmmakers. After all, his films appear in my previous awards all over the place (Enemy, Prisoners, Sicario, and Arrival), in addition to the excellent Incendies that I watched long after it was released. So seeing Rebecca Ferguson turn in an amazing performance as Lady Jessica was so great for me, especially once I learned how much they amplified her role in the film as compared to the book. She shows fear and emotion in private, but calms and controls herself during those quiet moments before standing tall and fierce before others. The scene in the ornithopter about halfway through the film also showed off her frightening powers in an awesome way that made me love her even more. Ferguson definitely deserves recognition for her acting in Dune, regardless of whether she was nominated for an Oscar or not.

Honorable Mentions: Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog); and Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actress in a Supporting Role - Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog)

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actor in a Supporting Role - Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog)

Best Cinematic Song: All Eyes on Me (Inside)

Inside starts out with a goofy and light tone, but about halfway through descends into a darkness filled with depression and anxiety over the state of our world. All Eyes on Me takes the auto-tune heavy beat style used by Kanye West at concerts and harnesses it to tap into the deepest existential crises of my generation, while still acknowledging our own ennui in the face of such imminent and inevitable destruction. I cannot listen to this song and not get chills over my entire body every single time. One line in particular always resonates within me:

"You say the ocean's rising, / Like I give a shit.

/ You say the whole world's ending; / Honey, it already did.

/ You're not gonna slow it, / Heaven knows you've tried.

// Got it? Good, / Now get inside."

Honorable Mentions: Welcome to the Internet (Inside); and Surface Pressure (Encanto).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Be Alive (King Richard)

Best Emotional Return of Characters: The Matrix: Resurrections

I know that there were a lot of people who were disappointed by this film, but it gave me everything that I wanted from a Matrix sequel. It definitely has its flaws, but everything from the mind-bending first act to the insight into a post-war world where machines and human live together was so refreshing and positive (as opposed to the relentless despair of The Matrix: Reloaded and Revolutions). I also read an article several months before its release about how director Lana Wachowski lost both of her parents within a year of each other and could not figure out how to deal with her grief. In the end, she decided that although she could not bring her parents back to life, she could take these two characters who were near and dear to heart and resurrect them. That kind of emotional bond to Neo and Trinity moved me in an incredible way both when they finally reunite with each other and when they finally kiss for the first time in 50 years (within the storyline). It may not be a perfect film, but it is a truly heartfelt story that everyone should get to enjoy! Check it out on HBO Max if you missed it in theaters.

Honorable Mentions: Spider-Man: No Way Home; and No Time to Die.

Best Leading Performance: Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog)

The best villains in cinema are either pure evil (A Clockwork Orange, No Country for Old Men) or a complex character that has some empathy behind their motives (There Will Be Blood, Ex Machina). In this case, the latter applies to Phil Burbank, who is brought to life menacingly by Benedict Cumberbatch. His subtle mind games with Rose (well acted by Kirsten Dunst) drive the tension of the film, showing the burning, cold hatred of a man whose brother was "stolen" from him by a new wife. However, the tenderness and inner turmoil of Phil comes to light during the second half of the film, which sees him mentoring Rose's son, Peter (also greatly done by Kodi Smit-McPhee), while growing ever more fond of him. The way that the story takes this relationship really surprised me, and it would not have worked if it were not for the fantastic performance that Cumberbatch gives here. Definitely check out this Oscar frontrunner on Netflix if you somehow missed it up until now!

Honorable Mentions: Bo Burnham (Inside); and Stephanie Beatriz (Encanto).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actress in a Leading Role - Kristen Stewart (Spencer)

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actor in a Leading Role - Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog) [but I really am rooting for Will Smith (King Richard)]

Best Technical Achievement: Dune

This year, due to the smaller size of my list, I decided to condense the categories of Best Cinematography, Best Sound Effects, and Best Visual Effects into one category. As it happens, all this really does is condense three awards that would have gone to Dune into one! The visual effects are absolutely gorgeous and bring the world of Arrakis to life in both a terrifying realistic way and a painterly fantasy way. The deep rumble of the sandworms and menacing silence of floating soldiers elevate this film, especially in a theater. Finally, Greig Fraser gives us amazing shots (such as in the above picture) that really give us the scope and size of many of these enormous beasts and machines, while also giving us those close and tender moments between characters that lets us see their expressions and emotions towards each other (especially between Lady Jessica and Paul). I fully expect Dune to nearly sweep the technical awards at the Oscars this year, and deservedly so.

Honorable Mentions: The Power of the Dog; and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Cinematography - Ari Wegner (The Power of the Dog)

OSCAR PREDICTION: Sound - Dune

OSCAR PREDICTION: Visual Effects - Dune

Best Time Capsule of Reality: Inside

As I already mentioned, Inside really brought to the screen just exactly how it felt to feel trapped inside of our houses for over a year. As someone with a spouse who has autoimmune deficiencies, my anxiety spiked tremendously during this time and made us closed off from the outside world for almost two years while we awaited some kind of protection against a potentially deadly virus for her. Bo Burnham makes jokes in this movie about his (not so) unique circumstance while filming it, but he also really draws attention to how reliant we have become on the internet for social interaction. He also shows the dangers of living within our social bubbles that echo and amplify potentially fringe political beliefs, leading to further and further radicalization and polarization of both sides of the aisle. If anyone in the future ever asks me what it was like to live through a worldwide pandemic, I can easily point them to this film to give them the full mental and emotional experience of surviving through such a generationally traumatic event.

Honorable Mentions: King Richard; and The Matrix: Resurrections.

Best Comic Book Performance: Margot Robbie (The Suicide Squad)

We already knew that Margot Robbie was perfectly cast as Harley Quinn, but we never really got to see the combined goofiness and maniacal violence of her character until The Suicide Squad. The sequence about her romancing by a prince of sorts was both parts hilarious and heartbreaking, and the scene that this screenshot comes from gave us a look inside of her mind while also being a perfectly choreographed action set piece. Robbie really shines as Harley when she is given screentime in this film, making it well worth watching for even her performance alone.

Honorable Mentions: Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man: No Way Home); and Daniela Melchior (The Suicide Squad).

Best Screenplay: Charise Castro Smith and Jared Bush (Encanto)

To start a story about a magically-gifted family in the way that Encanto does with its main character, Mirabel, was very bold and very unexpected. However, the way that Castro Smith and Bush use that plot twist to drive the emotional underside of the movie results in a thoroughly enjoyable experience, along with an ending that made me cry both in sadness and in happiness. In particular, the moment at the end when Mirabel looks at her reflection and says, "I see me; all of me," truly hit me right in the heart, as someone who recently learned how to accept themself after months of personal therapy. My own statement changed over the course of those months from "I want to be me," to "I need to be me," and finally arriving at "I am me." To see Maribel reach the end of her own similar journey of self acceptance made and makes me feel so incredibly happy in a way that few films ever have. If you need a story that will make you feel warm in a truly personal way, watch Encanto and enjoy the fantastic writing done by Castro Smith and Bush.

Honorable Mentions: Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, and Eric Roth (Dune); and Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)

OSCAR PREDICTION: Writing (Original Screenplay) - Kenneth Branagh (Belfast)

Best Director: Denis Villeneuve (Dune)

To take such a legendary novel as Dune and turn it into a cinematic masterpiece requires the skill and passion that only one such as Denis Villeneuve could ever give. You can tell how much he (and most of the people working on this film) adored the source material, and it results in a truly epic film that will likely start a trilogy worthy of being placed alongside the original Star Wars movies and The Lord of the Rings. Every single shot feels carefully crafted to both look gorgeous and elicit appropriate emotions, whether they be of wonder, terror, or endearment. The fact that Villeneuve was snubbed at the Oscars this year is up there with The Dark Knight not being nominated for Best Picture. In fact, he has only ever received one nomination for Best Director (Arrival) despite having crafted so many fantastic films. My hunch is he will receive the award for Dune: Part II in a similar fashion to Peter Jackson for LOTR: The Return of the King. However, I will continue to laud Villeneuve as one of the best directors of the last 20 years and give him his second award for Best Director (Sicario in 2015; also nearly in 2017 for Arrival)!

Honorable Mentions: Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog); and Bo Burnham (Inside).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)

Best Film: Inside

In a recurring theme, my favorite film of the year was the one that I most connected to on a deeply personal level. I have watched Inside so many times, and listened to its soundtrack at least twice as much. On top of some hilarious comedy and beautiful music, Bo Burnham gives us the most soul-wrenching performance of the entire year. Although I definitely believe that some moments in this quasi-documentary are staged (I very nearly gave this Best Documentary but decided that it was not truly a documentary), a great majority of the quiet moments between the songs struck me as sincere, if at least from an emotional perspective. So many of us felt so alone and lost during the pandemic, and many of us still feel anxious about its ongoing spread and what the future holds (with recent world events contributing even more to that fear). Inside perfectly captures that isolation and takes you on a ride through every emotion that Bo (and millions more) felt during such a tenuous time.

If that sounds terrifying to you, I understand. It sounded terrifying to me enough to the point that I put off watching Inside for nearly a month after it released. But the reality is seeing someone go through a nearly identical mental struggle to your own has an odd catharsis to it. I felt seen by this film. I felt a kinship to Bo that I never would have thought was possible. Living in a state that spent the majority of the pandemic doing their best to ignore its existence left me feeling completely on my own to fend for myself; the only sane person in a sea of insanity. But even Bo, living in California, felt that exact same feeling. There were millions of us who felt isolated and surrounded by people who did not give a shit about other people's lives. But we were all there, unaware of each other and only seeing and hearing from the vocal minority of science-deniers and conspiracy theorists. To know that I was not truly alone, and that there are still many, many people who care just as I do, was oddly reassuring. The world may still feel like a terrible place right now, but there are still many good people in it that we just need to reach out and connect with again instead of burrowing down into our individual foxholes while we pray that the storm passes.

Finally, on a technical note, the fact that Bo wrote, directed, and conceptualized this entire film on his own is truly a mark of a creative genius. The lighting and cinematography of this film, given his limitations, are incredible and excellently done. That such a deeply personal experience could connect with as many people as it has while also being a fantastic visual and aural treat makes this film truly in its own class far above any other film this year. Which, of course, makes Inside my Best Film of 2021.

Honorable Mentions: Dune; and Encanto.

OSCAR PREDICTION: The Power of the Dog

TL;DR

1. Inside (Best Film, Best Cinematic Song, Best Music, Best Time Capsule of Reality)
2. Dune (Best Director, Best Supporting Performance, Best Technical Achievement, Best Legendary Character)
3. Encanto (Best Animated Film, Best Screenplay)
4. The Suicide Squad (Best Ensemble Cast, Best Comic Book Performance)
5. The Power of the Dog (Best Leading Performance)
6. No Time to Die (Best Heroic Sendoff)
7. Spider-Man: No Way Home (Best Comic Book Film)
8. The Matrix: Resurrections (Best Emotional Return of Characters)

Thank you for reading through my awards this year, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! Here's to another great year of films (I am very excited to see The Batman this weekend!) and please leave comments with your own opinions!

The Best Movies of 2020

These past few months have been pretty hectic for me in my personal life, so I kept delaying writing this for a long time and now I have run out of time! So forgive me if it seems like I have much less to say than in my past best movie blogs. As always, a TL;DR ranking my favorite films from the last cinematic year will be at the end of the blog.

DISCLAIMER: I did not see every movie from 2020 (including the extended awards season going into 2021), so there will be some potentially good or great films that will not make it onto my list. I did, however see every Best Picture nominee except one, so I should have pretty decent Oscar predictions for each category. But first, honorable mentions are due.

Honorable Mentions

Bad Education
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Color Out of Space
Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train (still in theaters and absolutely beautiful; my first theater movie in over 14 months!)
Driveways (worth watching for a memorable final performance from Brian Dennehy)
First Cow
The Forty-Year-Old Version
Greyhound
La Llorona (fantastic Guatemalan horror dealing with the genocide that happened there)
Let Them All Talk
The Mole Agent
Onward
Over the Moon
Palm Springs
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Soul
Tenet (very enjoyable Nolan flick but it just did not strike me as a favorite)
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (this film did not do anything for me beyond the snappy dialogue)
Two of Us
The Way Back

Movies That I Did Not Get to See

All In: The Fight for Democracy
The Assistant
Collective
The Father
Hillbilly Elegy
The Life Ahead
The Mauritanian
The Midnight Sky
Miss Juneteenth
On the Rocks
Pieces of a Woman
Time
The Truffle Hunters
The United States vs. Billie Holiday

And now we continue with the Best Movies of 2020 according to Robert!

Oscar Predictions for Unincluded Categories

• Costume Design - Emma.
• Documentary (Short Subject) - I am unsure as I was unable to see any of the nominees.
• Film Editing - Sound of Metal
• Makeup & Hairstyling - Pinocchio
• Production Design - Mank
• Short Film (Animated) - See Documentary (Short Subject).
• Short Film (Live Action) - See above.

Best Cinematic Song: My Shot (Hamilton)

No, Hamilton, I will NOT throw away your shot at this award just because you are technically a stage play that was filmed and not a "real movie". I am bending the rules here and including Hamilton in my favorite films of 2020 because this is my list and I absolutely loved it. I could not honestly find a song in another movie that I enjoyed anywhere near as much as about 5 songs from Hamilton, which are worth mentioning briefly: "Wait for It", "Guns and Ships", "Yorktown", and "It's Quiet Uptown". But ultimately, I picked the most iconic song from this movie as the definitive best cinematic song from 2020. Hop on Disney+ and enjoy this amazing musical if you have not yet done so.

Honorable Mentions: This Is 40 (The Forty-Year-Old Version); and A Change Is Coming... (One Night in Miami...).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Io sì (The Life Ahead)

Best Horror Performance: Elisabeth Moss (The Invisible Man)

Until very recently, The Invisible Man was the last film that I had seen in theaters. Armed with my two vaccine shots and two weeks of time, I was able to go see Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train in IMAX this last week, and it did NOT disappoint. However, The Invisible Man still holds a very special place in my heart since it was my last theater experience for the longest time, and along with that comes Elisabeth Moss' incredible performance in it. She is anxious, terrified, furious, feral, and every kind of emotion in between in this role as a woman being stalked by her abusive ex. Moss elevates this film out of a pulp fiction thriller into a truly harrowing look into gaslighting and abusive relationships, and that makes her definitively worthy of this award.

Honorable Mentions: María Mercedes Coroy (La Llorona); and Nicolas Cage (Color Out of Space).

Best Animated Film: Wolfwalkers

I recently read an article aimed at the Academy that told them that they did not have to give the Best Animated Feature Oscar to Pixar every single year that they release a movie, and I have to say, I agree. Wolfwalkers is a GORGEOUS film filled with some of the best hand animation style and techniques that I have ever seen; in terms of pure animated beauty, I would have to put it up there with Bambi, Akira, Kubo and the Two Strings, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The story is also phenomenal with great characters and themes, but so few people saw this movie because of its exclusivity to Apple TV+. However, once it is available to own, I would highly recommend buying this or borrowing it from a friend because it is, without a doubt, the Best Animated Film of 2020.

Honorable Mentions: Onward; and Soul.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Soul

Best Music: Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor (Mank)

I very well could have just handed this award to Hamilton and no one would have been able to disagree, but after already bending the rules once for that movie, I had to go with another one in this category. I absolutely LOVE how Trent Reznor has developed over the past two decades into a phenomenal film composer during his partnership with Atticus Ross, starting with their Oscar win for The Social Network. Reznor's scores still have some Nine Inch Nails-esque sound to them for the most part, but his and Ross' work in Mank blew me away with how different it was from their previous outputs and how perfectly it captured the style of cinematic music during the era of Citizen Kane. Their collaboration with Jon Batiste on Soul was equally incredible, but I am giving this award to Mank because I guess I have been tainted a bit with the Golden Era nostalgia that Oscar-bait films all seem to have. Give it a shot on Netflix if you have access to it.

Honorable Mentions: Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) [like I said, this would have easily won if I bent the rules AGAIN for Hamilton]; and Ludwig Göransson (Tenet).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Jon Batiste, Atticus Ross, and Trent Reznor (Soul)

Best Supporting Performance: Youn Yuh-jung (Minari)

Youn Yuh-jung is the heart and soul of Minari as the elderly grandmother who immigrates from South Korea to help her daughter raise her two grandchildren. She also has the most complex character in a film filled with them, ranging from mischief to tenderness. Believe me when I say that she steals every scene that she is in, as I just do not have the time necessary to do her performance full justice here. Her growing relationship with her grandson, David (adorably played by Alan S. Kim), is something truly beautiful to watch and provides most of the best scenes in the film, especially during a conversation about death. If you have not yet seen Minari (which was filmed in Oklahoma), do so as soon as you can.

Honorable Mentions: Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night in Miami...); and Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm)

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actress in a Supporting Role - Youn Yuh-jung (Minari)

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actor in a Supporting Role - Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)

Best Western Film: News of the World

There are two unspoken rules when it comes to my movie lists: there is always a Western film on it, and there is always a science fiction film on it. This year, the latter could have been Tenet (if it was better) but ended up being The Invisible Man. As for the Western, it goes without saying that News of the World was the best of the bunch in 2020 and it was not particularly close. Tom Hanks is fantastic (as always) as a traveling speaker who reads newspapers to small towns in the West, and his chemistry with young actress Helena Zengel carries the film as they develop a bond with each other. There are some intense and creative shootouts that get your heart racing, but the true strength of this film lies in how it handles emotional trauma and grief. I love this movie and could not have made this list without giving it an award somewhere.

Honorable Mentions: First Cow; and Nomadland (it is a sort of modern Western in a way).

Best Screenplay: Kemp Powers (One Night in Miami...)

Although this is considered an adapted screenplay, Kemp Powers wrote the original stage play as well, so I have no qualms with saying that it easily has the best dialogue of ANY film released in 2020. The back and forth between every character carries so much weight in a way that reminded me very strongly of the great August Wilson, whose recent cinematic adaptations (Fences and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) deserve far more praise than they have received. Powers has a, um, powerful voice here that resonates through his characters and discusses the responsibility that black people in positions of influence have towards leading the fight for their community. There is not a single dull moment in this film that relies heavily on heated arguments, similarly to many of my favorite films (12 Angry Men, the aforementioned August Wilson adaptations, etc.), which makes it fairly easy to give Best Screenplay to Powers and One Night in Miami... If, like me, you have Amazon Prime for those easy deliveries (although I wish there was a similar company that actually treated its employees like human beings), you can watch this for free on there.

Honorable Mentions: Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman); and Christopher Nolan (Tenet).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Adapted Screenplay - Chloé Zhao (Nomadland)

OSCAR PREDICTION: Original Screenplay - Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7)

Best Ensemble Cast: Da 5 Bloods

It is a shame that this movie got almost no recognition from the Academy, receiving just one nomination (Best Original Score). Spike Lee has crafted another gem with Da 5 Bloods that not only has a lot to say about race and war, but has many intense moments, making it one of the most entertaining films that he has made. On top of that, every actor brings their A game to this film, with some great scenes featuring the late Chadwick Boseman and wonderful interactions between Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, and especially Isiah Whitlock Jr. However, the true star of this movie is Delroy Lindo, who I mainly knew as an actor who always played in supporting roles (namely Gone in 60 Seconds). He gives an incredible performance here as a Vietnam vet and devoted Trump supporter who struggles with guilt, PTSD, and strong racism. I will sing his praises here and anywhere else because he did NOT get the recognition that he deserved for such a great role. If Da 5 Bloods was criminally underrated by moviegoers, Lindo was doubly so. Watch this on Netflix if you have not already.

Honorable Mentions: Minari; and One Night in Miami...

Best Documentary: Dick Johnson Is Dead

What starts out as a fun documentary with its fair share of gallows humor descends into the sadness that comes with watching an elderly parent slowly wither away mentally. There are so many themes in this very personal production from Kirsten Johnson about her father that hit me square in the chest, pushing me to remain deeply connected with my own parents before they reach this state as well. I watched my grandfather go through this same change before his death, but I did not truly understand how much it must have impacted my mother and her siblings until I saw this film. It is a heartfelt and slow goodbye to a wonderful man (who is still alive today, by the way) that celebrates who he was as a person and who he is now. Since this is on Netflix, you have no excuse for not watching this beautiful documentary.

Honorable Mentions: The Mole Agent; and The Way I See It.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Documentary (Feature) - Collective

Best Cinematography: Lachlan Milne (Minari)

For a film that resides in the emptiness of the Ozark countryside before the internet and focuses primarily on family interactions, you might be surprised with just how wonderful its cinematography is. Milne, alongside director Lee Isaac Chung, has captured the beauty that can be found in everyday life with such care and artistry in Minari. One scene in particular stands out to me because they had only one shot to get the perfect take when they burned down a building in real life at night time with little to no background lighting. This moment and many others like it help escalate this film from a great movie to one of the best movies made in 2020.

Honorable Mentions: Joshua James Richards (Nomadland); and Nicolás Wong (La Llorona).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Joshua James Richards (Nomadland)

Best Femme Fatale: Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman)

One of the aspects that I love most about Promising Young Woman is how it takes the femme fatale trope and flips it on its head. The traditional stereotypes of being a point of view from the male gaze, being a villain, being a supporting role, and being judged as promiscuous that are associated with femme fatales are transformed into being from the point of view from the character, being the protagonist, being the leading role, and using the appearance of promiscuity against male predators. None of this would be possible without Carey Mulligan's incredible performance as Cassandra, who seeks to punish would-be rapists that think having sex with inebriated women is consensual and consider themselves "good guys". Mulligan has moments where the pure rage inside her will make the hairs stand on the back of your neck, but also moments where the suppressed grief of losing a loved one will make your eyes tear up. Add in a twisting and wholly original plot (crafted expertly by writer-director Emerald Fennell) and you have one of my favorite films from 2020 along with a wonderful performance from Mulligan.

Honorable Mentions: María Mercedes Coroy (La Llorona); and Taylour Paige (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom).

Best Sound Effects: Sound of Metal

There was no universe that existed where any movie other than Sound of Metal took home this award. In a film that deals with deafness and how it affects one's life, the team behind the sound design of Sound of Metal has done a phenomenal job at putting us into the experience of what the loss of hearing feels like. The tinnitus that starts in the early stages drives dread into you along with Ruben, who is played fantastically by Riz Ahmed (very deserving of his Best Actor nomination). The confusion and frustration of not being able to understand others anymore can be felt during the moments of pure silence only interrupted by the occasional muffled voice. Finally, the sharp static of using a prosthetic to hear again gives us the sadness over what has been lost forever when a beautiful duet between a father and daughter gives way to the garbled mess that Ruben now has to decipher in order to hear. I absolutely loved this film, and so I also want to mention that Paul Raci is wonderful in his role as the head of an outreach for people with hearing loss. This one is also on Amazon Prime, so go enjoy this great film if you have not.

Honorable Mentions: The Invisible Man; and Color Out of Space.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Sound of Metal

Best Historical Performance: Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)

I already loved Daniel Kaluuya as an actor for his memorable role in Get Out, but he delivers a performance here that is like no other as Fred Hampton. His replication of Hampton's charisma and skill as an orator blew me away, which reminded me of David Oyelow's terrific portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma (2014). Kaluuya has a strong presence in every scene that he is in and carries this film as its soul, showing us Hampton's great socialist and unifying message that is often buried beneath the propaganda touting the Black Panther party as just militant extremists (similarly to el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, a.k.a. Malcolm X). One of the magical things that this film does is show WHY the Black Panther party armed themselves: it was not to start an armed revolution; it was to protect themselves against a police force that was all too eager to gun them down in the streets (how the times have not changed). The tragic massacre and execution of Fred Hampton hits you like a hammer in this film, especially because Kaluuya spends a lot of time showing us who Hampton was as a person before his death. I highly recommend that everyone watch this film in order to educate ourselves on the United States' past and to see Kaluuya's portrayal of Hampton.

Honorable Mentions: Viola Davis (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom); and LaKeith Stanfield (Judas and the Black Messiah).

Best Crime Thriller: I'm Your Woman

Mark this down as the biggest surprise of 2020 for me. Rachel Brosnahan gives her best performance in this film as Jean, a newly-made mother who must deal with the aftermath of her husband's acts in the crime world. I found this very reminiscent of Reservoir Dogs in that what would traditionally be the central focus of a crime story happens completely offscreen. The helpless wife of the male criminal that is usually relegated to a supporting role in films like this one instead becomes the protagonist and gives us a great, original story that also is not afraid to touch on issues of race and class. Arinze Kene and Marsha Stephanie Blake also deserve praise for their strong performances, and director Julia Hart (who cowrote this with her husband Jordan Horowitz, of La La Land fame) needs to be credited with creating one of my favorite crime films in recent memory (probably since Baby Driver). I wish more people had seen this film, but I am very excited to see what Hart gives us in the future. This is currently on Amazon Prime so check it out on there!

Honorable Mentions: Da 5 Bloods; and Promising Young Woman.

Best Leading Performance: Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom)

Although Viola Davis is technically the leading role in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Chadwick Boseman has so many incredible moments throughout the film that made both myself and most of Hollywood consider him to be a co-lead. Boseman displays incredible emotional depth as Levee Green, a tortured man who has been ridden down by society in a Jim Crow world. He has two separate scenes where he describes past experiences in the Deep South that will tear your heart open, making you fully understand his character and his ambitions. It gives me so much joy that August Wilson is finally getting the film adaptations that he always deserved before his death, and Boseman brings Wilson's beautiful words to life in such a way that will move you. This is also on Netflix, so take the time to give Boseman's final performance the honor that it deserves.

Rest in peace to the playwright of Deep Azure; the embodiment of Jackie Robinson, James Brown, and Thurgood Marshall; the soul of Levee Green; the legend of King T'Challa; the Black Panther himself: Chadwick Boseman. You will live on in the hearts of countless children across the world who got to see an African superhero on the big screen representing them and inspiring them to be great.

Honorable Mentions: Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal); and Frances McDormand (Nomadland).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actress in a Leading Role - Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman)

OSCAR PREDICTION: Actor in a Leading Role - Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom)

Best Director: Chloé Zhao (Nomadland)

In what will come as a surprise to literally no one, Chloé Zhao easily takes home this award for her masterpiece that is Nomadland. Although it is not MY favorite film of 2020, it did resonate with me (and many others) with its portrayal of a woman who has nowhere that she wants to go and has no roots holding her down. In many ways, I find this to be a modern update on Easy Rider, which also struck a chord with the young generation of boomers way back in 1970. Classify that statement as praise, not criticism, as Zhao brings us into the lives of these nomads in a way that feels incredibly real. It helps that Frances McDormand (who deserves all of the praise that she has been given) is one of just two actual actors in the film, which lives on the line between documentary and fiction. This hyper-realism is intensified by Zhao's perfect direction, and I am certain that she will be the second woman to win Best Director (after Kathryn Bigelow for the harrowing film The Hurt Locker) and the first woman of color to win the award. If you have access to Hulu, do yourself a favor and go enjoy this wonderful film about grief and living on the road.

Honorable Mentions: David Fincher (Mank); and Julia Hart (I'm Your Woman).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Chloé Zhao (Nomadland)

Best International Film: Another Round (Denmark)

Mads Mikkelsen has become one of my favorite actors in the world between my introduction to him as the creepy Le Chiffre in Casino Royale and his heartwrenching role in The Hunt. He delivers once again in Another Round, a Danish film about alcoholism and dissatisfaction with life. This film struck home for me in a personal way that I cannot describe, and its final stance on alcohol and self fulfillment is one of the most thoughtful and complex messages that I have ever heard or seen. This film pulls no punches and will make you question many things about your own absolute convictions. It should have won Best Picture - Foreign Language at the Golden Globes but that whole category was scuffed as soon as they slotted Minari into it despite it being an American film. At least Thomas Vinterberg got nominated for Best Director at the Oscars, so there is some retribution for Another Round. This movie is also on Hulu so go absorb this masterpiece at your leisure.

Honorable Mentions: La Llorona (Guatemala); and Two of Us (France).

OSCAR PREDICTION: Another Round (Denmark)

Best Charismatic Performance: Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami...)

I thought that no one would ever be able to top Denzel Washington's portrayal of el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (Malcolm X), and I was very wrong. Kingsley Ben-Adir has been acting for a while, but I had never heard of or seen him before this film, and he is absolutely electrifying as Shabazz in One Night in Miami... Very few people around me growing up knew much about Shabazz beyond being the "violent version of MLKJ", and I am not proud of that. But if I could show this film to them, they would see the passionate and compassionate side of Shabazz that made him so beloved during his lifetime. Ben-Adir fully immerses himself into the role of Shabazz, not only looking like him but speaking like him as well, matching speech patterns and the fire in his voice. I already spoke about how incredible the script for this film is, but everyone acting in this movie is phenomenal as well (shoutout to Leslie Odom Jr. in particular as Sam Cooke). But Ben-Adir truly brings Shabazz back to life in full form, which makes him well worthy of this award and many, many more. I cannot wait to see what director Regina King (primarily known for her acting but showing great potential in her directorial debut) helms next and what future films Ben-Adir will be in.

Honorable Mentions: Radha Blank (The Forty-Year-Old Version); and Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods).

Best Visual Effects: Wolfwalkers

Sure, this is technically an animated film, but I have never let that stop me before from awarding Best Visual Effects to the rightful winner (see Kubo and the Two Strings). Wolfwalkers was easily the most beautiful film made in 2020, and I already sung its praises earlier in this list. But I want to specifically laud the animation techniques that they used in creating this film. They would use 3D models to visualize what each shot would look like and how each scene would move, then use charcoal and pencil to draw the actual movie by hand. This results in a very fluid animation style that retains those hand-drawn qualities that make it so dazzling. In addition, the story follows an Irish girl during Puritan occupation who becomes able to shapeshift into a wolf, and using this framework, sets out to make some great commentary on religion and class. This was my favorite film of 2020 for a very long time before I saw the eventual winner. Speaking of which...

Honorable Mentions: Tenet; and Color Out of Space.

OSCAR PREDICTION: Tenet

Best Film: Minari

Family. A very heavy and complicated word. But Lee Isaac Chung was unafraid to bare his heart when he wrote and directed this film. Minari follows a Korean-American family as they move to Arkansas from California in order to build their own farm while raising two children, and it is unflinching in its depiction of every struggle that they have while doing so. Chung was raised in similar circumstances, so this movie is very much biopic and coming from a place of truth. This verisimilitude shines throughout the film and gives it that hyper-realistic quality that I pointed out in Nomadland. I mentioned how beautiful Youn Yuh-jung's performance is, but every actor is wonderful in this film. We see a father (played by Steven Yeun of The Walking Dead fame) struggle with his perceived self worth and distorted priorities. We see a mother (played by Han Ye-ri) who no longer trusts her husband and is straining to raise her children amidst her marital turmoil. We see a grandson (the aforementioned Alan S. Kim) who wants nothing to do with his atypical grandmother (Yuh-jung) but lives in fear of imminent death due to his heart murmur - a character based on Chung, of course. I will say that the daughter (played by Noel Cho) has a diminished role, but she is perfect as the strict older sibling to David.

All of these very difficult issues that every young family must deal with are navigated with such care by Chung and the cast. As a father in a young family myself, I connected strongly to this film in a deeply personal way that both moved me and inspired me. My favorite films of each decade often have that intimate bond to me that elevates them beyond all other films, such as Room and Roma. Other times, it is the depiction of a world viewpoint that immerses me in someone else's shoes that makes a film a masterpiece in my mind, teaching me things that I would never have understood on my own. Films like this include Schindler's List, 12 Years a Slave, Moonlight, and Wind River. Still others are simply cinematic masterpieces that push forward the medium in brilliant new ways, such as Birdman and The Lighthouse. In this case, Minari is all of the above; it connects to me personally, it shows me the viewpoint of an immigrant family during Reagan's America, and it is directed with beauty and perfection.

Minari is, without a doubt, the Best Film of 2020 to me, and I will be rooting for it during the Oscars just as I did with Moonlight during the 2017 ceremony. Minari is a film about family, and my family is where my heart lies.

Honorable Mentions: Wolfwalkers; and One Night in Miami...

OSCAR PREDICTION: Nomadland

TL;DR

1. Minari - (Best Film, Best Supporting Performance, Best Cinematography)
2. Wolfwalkers - (Best Animated Film, Best Visual Effects)
3. One Night in Miami... - (Best Screenplay, Best Charismatic Performance)
4. Another Round - (Best International Film)
5. Promising Young Woman - (Best Femme Fatale)
6. The Invisible Man - (Best Horror Performance)
7. Nomadland - (Best Director)
8. Sound of Metal - (Best Sound Effects)
9. Hamilton - (Best Cinematic Song)
10. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - (Best Leading Performance)
11. Judas and the Black Messiah - (Best Historical Performance)
12. I'm Your Woman - (Best Crime Thriller)
13. Da 5 Bloods - (Best Ensemble Cast)
14. Dick Johnson Is Dead - (Best Documentary)
15. News of the World - (Best Western Film)
16. Mank - (Best Music)

Thanks again for reading through my miniature reviews and awards list! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, and I look forward to doing this again next year. Leave a comment with your opinions, by all means!