Weekend Watch - December 2022 Recap

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. Since last week was the Year-End Watch, this week, we are looking back at the films that released specifically in the month of December, focusing on the films that have a chance to make it onto this blog’s list of the Greatest Films of All Time. As always with these recaps, the films will be organized into three categories: Sure Things, Possible Things, and Long Shots. December brought a slew of holiday movies, awards bait films, and a few not-so-surprise hit blockbusters to close out the year and tie a nice bow on it all. Let’s get into it.

Long Shots:

Empire of Light: Apparently Sam Mendes’s film starring Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, and Colin Firth doesn’t do quite enough with its premise of romance at the movies to make it a film worth watching, according to both critics and fans. Its awards chances for Olivia Colman and perhaps for its cinematography leave it here as a long shot.

Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths: Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s semi-autobiographical film about a Mexican journalist/filmmaker hit Netflix this month to the tune of critical and fan-based mediocrity. Its length combined with its frenetic pacing and story structure don’t seem to be hitting the notes that his past couple of films (Birdman and The Revenant) were able to, and so it looks like this’ll be left off of the list barring a crazy miracle.

Babylon: Damien Chazelle told audiences exactly what this film was going to be about and still critics and fans are taken aback by the film’s aggressive debauchery. Like Bardo, Babylon suffers from issues of length and overstuffing, and, unfortunately, excellent performances from Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, and Deigo Calva don’t seem to be doing enough to raise this film to the ranks of its director’s previous three films.

Corsage: This under-the-radar film fictionalizing the year that Empress Elisabeth of Austria turned forty has gotten a lot of love from the few people who have seen it, with plenty of praise specifically for Vicky Krieps’s leading performance. In a lot of ways, this feels like a film that is good but doesn’t quite have enough going to be truly great, but it sounds like it’s worth checking out.

Emancipation: Apple TV+’s film about a runaway slave, starring Will Smith, seems to have run into an unfortunate combination of factors that will most likely keep it from being considered “Great”. Will Smith is unfortunately not an overly marketable face in Hollywood at the moment, and the film industry seems to finally be moving past its desire to see slave films and the brutality of slavery depicted on-screen (trauma porn doesn’t make a film great).

White Noise: Noah Baumbach’s science fiction/comedy/mystery seems to be suffering from the classic “The book was better” criticism, not quite escaping the shadow of its critically acclaimed source material. Adam Driver’s performance looks to be the film’s saving grace and what keeps it as a long shot.

I Wanna Dance with Somebody: The Whitney Houston biopic starring Naomi Ackie has released to okay box office numbers and ratings. Ackie’s performance is phenomenal, but the film does very little innovation to its story or its genre, and as a result, it feels like an even less impactful rehashing of Bohemian Rhapsody. Don’t get me wrong, the film is entertaining and fun and informative, just not overly deep.

Possible Things:

Women Talking: Even though its wider release technically comes this weekend, Sarah Polley’s film about women living in an oppressive religious system started its awards campaign in December. The film was initially a frontrunner in many awards categories and looked to be a legitimate contender for best film of 2022. Now that people are seeing it, that no longer seems to be the case. It missed out on most nominations from both the Critics Choice and Golden Globes and is receiving reviews that are only just above average. We’ll see how it does once more people give it a shot.

Sr.: Netflix’s documentary about the life of Robert Downey, Sr., is another hit for the streaming service who seems to have found a new niche in documentary filmmaking. I don’t know that this translates into any wider love, but my mom really liked it, and it’s receiving generally positive reviews, so it could do something and make its way even higher.

Avatar: The Way of Water: I toyed with putting this as a sure thing, especially with its passing Top Gun: Maverick at the box office last weekend, but its average critic reviews leave it just as a possibility, in need of the awards love that it will no doubt be receiving to make its way solidly onto “the list”.

One Fine Morning: Mia Hansen-Løve started her film’s awards campaign in December as well. Léa Seydoux’s performance is receiving a lot of praise, and the director’s other films have a tendency to flirt with making their way onto the list as well. I’m curious to see just how far One Fine Morning will rise.

The Whale: Once a frontrunner in the best actor categories, Brendan Fraser’s campaign seems to be losing a bit of steam now that people are seeing his film. Its borderline nihilistic take on reconciliation and obesity and the end of life seems to be a bit much for many critics. Fraser’s performance and positive audience reactions are keeping this film as a legitimate contender for now.

The Quiet Girl: A film almost entirely in Irish Gaelic is relatively unheard of up until now, but this film about a foster daughter in Ireland has hit some solid chords with critics and fans. Ireland’s official submission for best international feature film might climb even higher if it plays its cards right.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish: Perhaps the biggest surprise of the month is this sequel to the Shrek spin-off Puss in Boots. Fans and critics alike are raving about this animated film that now looks to be the biggest contender looking to upset Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio for Best Animated Film this year.

Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical: Netflix’s film adaptation of the stage show is a heartwarming hit that also hit meme status on TikTok thanks to some fancy footwork from its young cast. I don’t necessarily expect it to receive any major awards love to elevate it beyond its place here, but it’s received better reviews than the long shots, so it’ll sit here as a possibility.

Sure Things:

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio: I already did an entire Weekend Watch review of this film but suffice it to say that its combination of horror, wonderment, and stylizations has made it an instant hit with both critics and fans. It looks to be one of the most solid locks, come awards night, to win for Best Animated Film.

2022 Year-End Watch

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where this week, we have a special year-end edition, recapping my personal favorite films of 2022 and looking forward to the films coming out in 2023. In the future, the last week of the year for the blog will be like this one. There won’t be any new reviews in the days surrounding Christmas and New Year’s while I take a break to spend time with family and prep for the next year. The Year-End Watch will be the annual post recapping the prior year and looking forward to the next, released either on the final weekend of the old year or the first of the new. This recap will provide a brief explanation of my personal top-5 films of 2022 and a look at the thirteen films I am most looking forward to releasing in 2023 (one for each month and one that doesn’t yet have a set release date). Let’s get into it.

Watch This Film’s Top 5 Films of 2022 (Subjective)

• NUMBER 5: Hustle – directed by Jeremiah Zagar, starring Adam Sandler, Queen Latifah, and Juancho Hernangomez.

  • Why it’s in my top 5: This film is more of a personal love than a true “Great Film”. Adam Sandler gives a quality performance, and the story gives a nuanced (if a bit inaccurate) picture of the lives of aspiring professional athletes that touches on some excellent emotional chords, but its true greatness lies in the fact that it feels like a film that everyone involved had a great time making. Feel-good NBA movie starring Adam Sandler and actual NBA players – that’s a film that is right up my hidden gems alley.

• Number 4: RRR – directed by S.S. Rajamouli, starring N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan Teja, and Alia Bhatt.

  • Why it’s in my top 5: This film represents a lot of what makes global film so great. It is unabashed in its drama and action, embracing its use of CGI to produce some of the most insanely thrilling action sequences ever brought to screen. The story of friendship, passion, romance, and revolution also feels so rich compared to some of the other action films (even good ones) in recent history. To cap it all off, the film’s musical numbers – “Naatu Naatu”, “Komuram Bheemudo”, and “Etthara Jenda” specifically – put a final finishing touch on the film that push it over the top for me.

• Number 3: The Batman – directed by Matt Reeves, starring Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, and Jeffrey Wright.

  • Why it’s in my top 5: This film executes a film about Batman better than maybe any other adaptation, in my opinion. It embraces the hero’s detective background, critiques his darker tendencies, and gives both Bruce Wayne and Batman decently satisfying story arcs. Combine that with great visuals, an excellent score, and an ensemble of performers delivering great performances and you get an all-time classic comic book film that hopefully helps launch a new era of stories from Batman and his associated properties.

• Number 2: The Fabelmans – directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, and Paul Dano.

  • Why it’s in my top 5: As a fan of many of Spielberg’s films, this one feels like the culmination of the director’s storied career (not just because of its semi-autobiographical nature). His love of filmmaking is on full display in a way that not only explains his passion but also transmits it to the audience. This is one of those films that continues to stick with me – his explorations of family dynamics, filmmaking, hobbies vs. passion, and artistic expression continue to keep me engaged now nearly a month and a half after the film released.

• Number 1: Everything Everywhere All at Once – directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, starring Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Stephanie Hsu.

  • Why it’s in my top 5: EEAAO remains this year’s singularly most pleasant surprise. It manages to give you romance, action, sci-fi, family drama, and most other things in between in a package that (for me) never feels too overwhelming and that lands consistently from start to finish. If you are familiar with Letterboxd, of the fifty-one films that I have seen that released in 2022, this is the only film that has a five-star rating. I can think of nothing bad to say about it. Its creativity and freshness have helped renew my hope in modern filmmaking.

Watch This Film’s Most Anticipated Films of 2023:

• January – Plane: Look, January is usually a weak month for film, and 2023 doesn’t look like it’s gonna prove any different. Gerard Butler and Mike Colter in a bad action movie might be enough fun to help me ignore the other mediocre films releasing (unless M3GAN turns out to be a sleeper hit).

• February – Magic Mike’s Last Dance: Are we getting a Marvel movie in February? Yes, and excited as I am to see Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, I’m currently more excited to see Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek dance together. It’s probably not an overly groundbreaking film, but I could’ve said 80 for Brady or Cocaine Bear instead, and I didn’t, so there’s that.

• March – Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves: In a month full of potential blockbusters that have me excited, the D&D film sticks out as the only one that isn’t technically a sequel. Its cast and the marketing that I’ve seen so far have me optimistic that even if it isn’t the greatest film ever made, I’m still going to have a great time.

• April – The Super Mario Bros. Movie: As great as the Sonic the Hedgehog films have been, I feel like the Mario movie has a chance to elevate video game adaptations to critical greatness as well. Much of its marketing is giving me LEGO Movie vibes, and that’s one of my favorite films of all time, so I feel like this one should be a solid entry next year.

• May – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: This film has all the makings of a classic superhero send-off film (think Logan but with jokes), and that has me incredibly excited for it. The Guardians films continue to be highlights of the MCU, and I don’t expect this one to be any different – color me excited.

• June – Asteroid City: Should I have put the Spider-Verse sequel here? Maybe, but that first weekend of June has a track record of producing stinkers, particularly when they’re sequels, so I’m instead going with Wes Anderson’s latest flick – a film about a nerdy kid convention that stars Anderson’s usual cast of characters and a few new faces as well. I am very optimistic about this one.

• July – Barbie – Honestly, I could put all four films currently slated for release in July at this place and not really be lying. What makes Barbie stand out for me right now is its amazing teaser that dropped last month, spoofing the 2001 trailer. I can’t wait to see what Greta Gerwig cooks up in this one.

• August – Haunted Mansion – August doesn’t have a whole lot going for it right now, and the remake of Eddie Murphy’s flop based on the iconic Disney ride doesn’t have me overly optimistic, but I’m waiting until I see a little bit more from DC before I give any credence to Blue Beetle, and The Last Voyage of the Demeter is giving me more cult classic vibes than truly great film. I don’t know. The month is a toss-up.

• September – Next Goal Wins – Since I found out about this film’s existence, I have been stoked. Michael Fassbender directed by Taika Waititi in a film about New Zealand’s soccer team that lost a match 31-0. This has all the makings of another hit from Waititi, and I hope it brings Fassbender back to top form as well.

• October – Kraven the Hunter – Sony’s track record in comic book films outside of the MCU hasn’t been the most inspiring, but I’m optimistic that Aaron Taylor-Johnson has what it takes to make the character and the film enjoyable. I’m not a big horror guy, so that’s why Saw X isn’t here.

• November – Dune: Part Two: The first installment of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel was one of my favorite films of 2021, and, considering everything that’s coming in the story for this second half, I can’t help but be out of my mind excited for the sequel.

• December – Wonka – That’s right, Timmy gets two spots on the most anticipated films list. He keeps picking good properties, and I don’t expect Wonka to be any different. I have no idea what to expect from the story, but the set photos and promotional details have me optimistic on it.

• Unlisted – Killers of the Flower Moon: A lot of people thought this film would be dropping this year and were disappointed that we didn’t get the Scorsese-Spielberg Best Director matchup we all wanted, but it got pushed to 2023, and I’m excited to see what the prolific director turns out with this one.

Weekend Watch - November 2022 Recap

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where each week we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review and recommendation. This week, we have come to the end of November, with plenty of new potential films for the list having come out. We’ll take a look at the best ones from the past month, look at why they could make the list and what people are saying about them. Like always, the films have been categorized into three groups: Long Shots, which probably won’t make their way onto the list, but that have been getting enough buzz to warrant mentioning; Possible Things, which could potentially make the list if they make enough at the box office and/or get enough love from awards season; and Sure Things, which are almost certainly going to get full on reviews on the blog, and find their place onto our countdown. This past month saw the continuation of awards season rollouts combined with the big hitters of the Thanksgiving weekend, giving us a few films that might be all-timers, a few surprise flops, and plenty of films in-between. Let’s get into it.

Long Shots:

Armageddon Time: One of a couple of semi-autobiographical films released this past month, James Gray’s contribution is well-acted but hasn’t wowed audiences to the extent that it probably needs to if it wants to earn a spot on “the list”. The story about airing out racist family history, while impactful, seems to be too heavy-handed to be truly impactful rather than preachy, but Jeremy Strong and Anthony Hopkins bring some solid performances to keep it afloat.

My Father’s Dragon: From the production company that brought us hits like Wolfwalkers and The Breadwinner, this animated film has again come to Netflix with plenty of heart and culturally relevant messaging. Unfortunately, critics and fans alike haven’t been nearly as high on this one as with its predecessors, and Netflix’s push for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio as its primary animated film in awards season is inevitably going to leave this one out of the spotlight. It’s certainly worth considering though.

The Wonder: Sebastián Lelio’s adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s novel seems to be true to the book and decently acted, though Florence Pugh’s aggressive frowning has begun to wear on some reviewers that I’ve seen talking about this one. For this particular film, its niche subject matter and release on Netflix will probably leave it out of any major conversations and understandably so.

Causeway: A24’s and Apple TV+’s character study of a struggling Afghanistan veteran and her relationship with a pool cleaner after she returns home has received rave reviews for both Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry. However, their acting hasn’t been enough to salvage its apparently disjointed and less-than-relatable story, keeping it fairly far away from becoming an instant classic.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story: Daniel Radcliffe’s exaggerated Weird Al biopic has been one of the pleasant surprises of the month, leaving everyone who’s seen it with a sense of surprised enjoyment. It’s nothing incredibly groundbreaking, just well-made and true to its subject matter. More people should see this one, even if it doesn’t break any kind of records. This one has the potential to make cult classic status sooner rather than later.

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me: This documentary about Selena Gomez’s rise to stardom and her struggles with mental health in the process has been a pleasant surprise for Apple TV+. Her current popularity in Hollywood and the relevant messaging about mental health will keep it in contention, but the critics don’t necessarily love it like that, so don’t expect to hear too much else about it.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: Marvel’s bookend to Phase 4 is undoubtedly their best outing of 2022, but even the well-crafted tribute to Chadwick Boseman hasn’t been fully able to overcome its excessive storylines or the general sense of superhero burnout in the culture right now. Its four straight (barring a crazy upset by Violent Night this weekend) number one box office run haven’t gotten it up to its predecessor’s $1 billion gross, but potential awards season love keep this one higher up in the running than some of the others in this section.

The Menu: Mark Mylod’s satirical thriller is phenomenal but not overly groundbreaking. Again, this is a better film than many of the other long shots this month, but I just don’t see this one making a big enough splash at either the box office or the major film awards to make its way among the ranks of the classics on “the list”.

Strange World: Disney animation’s latest release has been a bit of a surprise flop, projected to lose millions of dollars at the box office and struggling with review bombing from certain “fans” upset over the gay teen character. Unfortunately, its marketing strategy seems to have kept people from seeing this one in droves, and it looks to become more of a nostalgic classic like Treasure Planet, Atlantis, or Lilo and Stitch than an all-time great like Frozen, Big Hero 6, or Zootopia.

Devotion: This war plane movie featuring Glen Powell has not received the love that Top Gun: Maverick did. Its story and Jonathan Majors’s performance sound like the right pieces to build a great film around. Critics and fans seem to be indicating that this one is just okay, carried very much so by Majors, so don’t expect this one to dethrone Tom Cruise any time soon.

Mickey: The Story of a Mouse: Disney’s documentary about the impact and development of Mickey Mouse throughout history has received decently positive reviews and is readily available on Disney+. With all the other great documentaries releasing this year, I don’t see the Mickey Mouse one rising to the top though.

The Swimmers: Netflix’s biopic about the incredible story of Olympic swimmers Sara and Yusra Mardini and their journey from Syria to the Olympics has all the makings of a heartwarming sports movie. That’s not necessarily the makings of one of the Greatest Films of All Time, but the film’s commitment to representation and telling a new story is certainly worth checking out.

Possible Things:

Good Night Oppy: Amazon Prime’s documentary about the fifteen-year work of Mars rover Oppy has stormed onto the scene with a surprisingly heartfelt story about the work of NASA and this little rover on Mars. It currently sits as one of the favorites to win best documentary at awards shows this year, which might be enough to classify it as one of the classic documentaries and best ever made.

Is That Black Enough for You?!?: Elvis Mitchell’s documentary about the history of black cinema, centered on its evolution in the 1970s, has received rave reviews since its release on Netflix. I don’t know that it’ll make a big enough splash to achieve that classic documentary status, but it’s certainly a solid watch for fans of film history.

She Said: The film about the two reporters who finally broke the Harvey Weinstein story hasn’t necessarily been a huge box office hit, but people who have seen it have been pleasantly surprised with its tactful handling of its subject matter and with Carey Mulligan’s performance as Megan Twohey. She alone keeps this as a possible thing, as the Supporting Actress category feels relatively wide open still since Michelle Williams has moved her hat to the Lead Actress ring.

The Inspection: Elegance Bratton’s film about a gay, black marine has been slowly rising in hype since its festival run earlier this year. In particular, the story’s marked relevance in the current environment and Jeremy Pope’s moving performance seem to be edging this film toward a dark-horse awards run. I’m excited to see how it does as more and more people get to see it.

Bones and All: A cannibal romantic drama shouldn’t work, but for whatever reason, Luca Guadagnino’s newest film is defying all odds. Its visceral nature has kept plenty of moviegoers away, but those who have seen it praise Chalamet’s performance and the undeniable chemistry between him and Taylor Russell. If you can get past some squeamishness, this’ll probably be worth a watch.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery: The sequel to Rian Johnson’s wildly successful whodunnit received a fairly wide limited release this past month. In the process, fans and critics alike seem to be agreeing that this film is even better than the first, which received multiple awards nominations in its run. Janelle Monáe is this film’s scene-stealer, and when it releases on Netflix this month, expect to hear even more about it.

Stutz: This documentary, chronicling conversations between Jonah Hill and his therapist Phil Stutz, looks to be one of the most poignant conversations on mental health in the world of Hollywood in recent history, featuring Hill at his most raw, diving into what makes the movie industry tick. It’ll be interesting to see how the awards shows respond, but their love for things about movies and moviemaking lends itself to this film’s potential for success.

EO: Poland’s submission for the Best International Feature Film this year follows a donkey as he experiences many different situations around Europe – good, bad, and indifferent – without ever really changing expressions. Its an experimental film, reminiscent of Au Hasard Balthazar, that could easily become an all-time classic with the right run and more views.

Sure Things:

The Fabelmans: Still this year’s best picture frontrunner, Spielberg’s heartfelt homage to his family and his love for filmmaking looks to be yet another instant classic from the prolific director. Its reviews from both audiences and critics remain overwhelmingly positive, and I highly recommend giving this one a watch, as I said in last week’s Weekend Watch.

Weekend Watch - October 2022 Recap

                Welcome back to the Weekend Watch where, each week, we take a look at a new piece of film or television media and give it a rating, review, and recommendation. This week, we’re looking back at the month of October and its many film releases. In these recaps, we highlight the films that have some chance at making it onto this blog’s list of Greatest Films of All Time in three different categories – long shots, possible things, and sure things. This past month, we started easing back into the awards season, getting a few films that will go down as truly great alongside some streaming sleeper hits and the classic October offerings of new horror releases. Let’s get into it.

Long Shots:

Wendell and Wild: Netflix’s stop-motion film from Henry Selick and Key and Peele had a lot of people excited going into October. Reviews since its release have been a bit underwhelming and its ratings are continuing to decline, but it’s worth keeping an eye on as a long shot if nothing else.

Terrifier 2: This horror sequel has kept fans of the first film happy and has elicited some legendary audience reactions already. Its nature as a horror film and a sequel will undoubtedly keep it out of any major conversation in the coming months of awards season, but this one merits mentioning simply for its shock factor and faithful follow-up to the original.

To Leslie: This indie drama about a former lottery starring Allison Janney and Andrea Risborough is based on a true story and has done well among critics in its limited release. It will most likely fly under most people’s radars and remain as a cult hit only, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Catherine Called Birdy: Amazon Prime Video’s genre-breaking period film from Lena Dunham starring Bella Ramsey of Game of Thrones and The Last of Us fame has done decently with critics and has audiences giving mixed responses (mostly due to its feminist message and Dunham’s questionably problematic nature). It’s worth checking out and remains a long shot for now.

Stars at Noon: Claire Denis’s latest work hasn’t wowed audiences or critics like some of her past works, but the romantic thriller starring Margaret Qualley and Joe Alwyn remains a long shot simply for its name recognition and star power.

The Good Nurse: Netflix’s chilling based-on-a-true-story film starring Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne is very much a vehicle for strong performances from both actors. Its mixed reviews will probably keep it from rising much beyond a bubble awards film, but on the off chance that it makes a solid push, we’ll mention it here.

Call Jane: Yet another film this year on the topic of abortion throws its hat into the ring. This one is set in the U.S. before Roe and stars Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver in a film based on the true story of an underground group of women who sought to provide safe abortions in the late 1960s. It hasn’t gotten the most solid reviews, but its topical nature keeps it in the conversation.

Possible Things:

Triangle of Sadness: The Palme d’Or winner from Cannes this year finally got its theatrical release in the U.S. this past month. So far, its reviews have been tracking with those it received at festivals, keeping fans happy with Reuben Östlund’s work and critics mixed on the over-the-top nature of the film’s absurdities. Past success at festivals indicates this one will be worth keeping an eye on as award season ramps up in the coming months.

All Quiet on the Western Front: Edward Berger’s remake of the classic film has already been announced World War I film’s overwhelmingly positive reviews seem to indicate that it will be a frontrunner in that category and even a fringe possibility for Best Picture votes – definitely worth checking out on Netflix if you haven’t already.

The Redeem Team: The Netflix documentary about the 2008 U.S. Men’s Olympic basketball team has found success with both fans and critics. It exists in a fairly safe space among documentaries, focusing on well-known celebrities and a popular sport and could get the awards buzz needed to elevate it to a more permanent place among those docs.

Emily: Frances O’Connor’s Emily Brontë biopic/romance has kept its small audiences happy since its release in the middle of this past month. Emma Mackey has received praise for her portrayal of the titular character, and it’s definitely a film worth finding if you can in the coming months.

Till: The film portrayal of the tragic story of Emmett Till and his mother’s quest to get justice for her son has quickly risen to prominence as a vehicle for a career-defining performance from Danielle Deadwyler. Its historical depictions and modern relevance keeps it very much in the conversation going into awards season and beyond.

Decision to Leave: Park Chan-wook’s mystery/romance that released in the U.S. this past month was at one point the frontrunner in the Best International Film race but has slowed in momentum somewhat. Nevertheless, the film continues to wow audiences, consistent with Park’s other works and the films of South Korea from the past few years. Even if it gets no awards love, this will still be worth catching if you can.

All That Breathes: This documentary about two brothers seeking to ensure the survival of the Black Kite amidst the environmental struggles of Delhi has quickly risen to prominence among critics and some fans as well. The film’s very relevant messages about pollution and environmentalism make it a prime option for awards going into the season. This’ll be worth checking out when it hits streaming for sure.

Sure Things:

Tár: Todd Field’s film about the prolific composer-conductor Lydia Tár has audiences and critics alike thrilled with its filmmaking and acting. Cate Blanchett’s leading performance has her sitting at the top of most people’s best actress lists this year, and the film’s high-quality editing and unique pacing leave it as an unquestionably great film that will no doubt be discussed for years to come.

The Banshees of Inisherin: Martin McDonagh is back at it with the dynamic duo of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in this dark comedy about two friends who have fallen out of friendship on a small Irish island. The film’s beautiful location shooting, excellent acting, and well-balanced script have all been praised by fans and critics alike. Most of McDonagh’s works shouldn’t be skipped, but this has the potential to be his greatest film to date, potentially securing first-time Oscar nominations for all four of its leading performers.