HLS Movie Awards: Best Picture Nominees
Welcome back to the 4th annual HLS Movie Awards, in this piece we are going to be discussing the 15 nominees for best picture of 2022. To be eligible to be considered the film must have been released to the public IN 2022, not at some film festival. I love doing these rankings and I hope you use them to help decide what to watch for your next movie night.
Real quick, like always with every movie I am going to be putting what I personally think is the safest grading scale there is, the IMDB user rating score. Here is a simple breakdown of what their 0.0-10 grading scale means:
Babylon
IMDb Score: 7.3
This movie is just an insane cocaine ride of a film that just keeps coming at you with wilder scenes and sequences over and over. Across the board it was extremely well acted but Margot Robbie steals the show, but Diego Calva and Brad Pitt both shine in this film as well. This movie is bound to be very divisive based not only on its content but also the almost manic filming style at times. I loved it but I am not sure how much rewatch value it has sitting at a 3 hour and 9 minute runtime.
Black Panther Wakanda Forever
IMDb Score: 6.8
^6.8 is laughable and shows more of the hatred Marvel products have undeservingly gotten recently. This legitimately might be the MCU's best solo film, and it certainly has an argument for the best acted across the board. Angela Bassett is rightfully getting her roses for her performance in this but Danai Gurira and Letitia Wright both put on awards worthy performances as well. I don't think there was a better way to end their entire phase 4 that was about grief and moving on than with this film.
Drive My Car (HBOMax)
IMDb Score: 7.6
Continuing a theme of grief and moving on, Drive My Car was about highly regarded stage actor/director whose wife suddenly passes and he finds out more about what he thought was true might not be so. I have sung Hideotoshi's praises a few times already so let this be one more time, I was truly impressed by him in the lead role.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
IMDb Score: 8.0
I do not think there is anything more I could say about this film that has not been said a thousand times at this point. Entire cast did incredible, so many easter eggs and seed planting throughout the film done by the Daniels and the production units I applaud them for their work making this film very rewatchable to catch new details every time.
See How They Run
IMDb Score: 6.5
One of my favorite comedies of 2022, this dry humor murder mystery is a highly enjoyable rewatch with an incredible cast of characters. Just a classic whodunit that pays tribute to Agatha Christie and all the stories she inspired.
Tar
IMDb Score: 7.5
Just a beautifully done film that starts with the credits and goes through the fall of a world renown composer-conductor. About how power corrupts, and about reinvention of oneself. This movie is about watching an insight of someone at the very top of their field and if that can shatter a person as they are pulled in so many different directions. I could not put it any better so here is an article from THR by Somtow Sucharitkul describing the film and its meaning click here, I loved this.
The Banshees of Inisherin
IMDb Score: 7.8
What happens when half a life long best friendship decides to suddenly end it for seemingly no good reason? Set with the background of the Irish civil war that led into the Troubles is a beautiful(/horrific) analogy.
The Batman
IMDb Score: 7.8
Maybe the best Batman flick of all time? It doesn't have the Heath Ledger performance to hang its hat on but it absolutely nails the detective almost zodiac vibe perfectly, something that has been missing from Batman films. Paul Dano is incredible as the Riddler, as well as Colin Ferrell who was transformed into the Penguin. Robert Pattinson was the perfect bruce wayne, now I hope the sequel shows us Bruce Wayne.
The Fabelmans
IMDb Score: 7.6
The Steven Spielberg origin story written and directed by Steven Spielberg. It is insane how only Steven Spielberg could get away with something that could easily be called extreme hubris, but as you watch it just clearly does not come off that way, and instead inspires you to pick up a camera and to make films yourself.
The Menu
IMDb Score: 7.2
This thriller satire film about the insanity of the foodie world immediately became a favorite of mine from first viewing and I highly recommend it. Praising too much of the story is too revealing, so I will focus on how incredibly tight the writing is and how much I loved all the characters and the design of sets and costumes, they really brought this place to life. I am not sure if this movie made me hungrier or made me lose my appetite more.
The Northman
IMDb Score: 7.1
It is MADDENING that this film just seemed to be "forgotten" this awards season. It is very obviously a top film of 2022 in every single way possible but because it did not receive a studio push, award season voters left it off their lists. Our next on this list might be the best versus of a retelling of a Shakespearean tale but this might be the best adaptation of one.
The Tragedy of Macbeth (AppleTV)
IMDb Score: 7.1
Shakespeare's lines have never sounded as good as they do coming from Denzel Washington. I don't know if there is praise higher than that when it comes to this sort of film. Love the minimalist set looks, with peaks of how they clearly are not making this such a visually striking film.
The Whale
IMDb Score: 7.8
All of it taking place in one apartment makes this movie feel more than contained, more trapped which perfectly fits the films narrative. Brendan Fraser put on a performance of a lifetime, and Hong Chau just kept going toe to toe with him and I need her to get more praise for this role it was incredible. This heartbreaking film is hard to watch at times but is just so well done.
The Woman King
IMDb Score: 6.8
I have already talked about this cast over and over, so I want to highlight director Gina Prince-Bythewood who was robbed of a best director nomination from the academy. She pulls such great performances from these actors and this movie is just incredibly put together; she tackled such emotional sequences alongside vast battle scenes I was so impressed.
Top Gun: Maverick
IMDb Score: 8.3
There isn't much more to say about a film that nearly everyone has seen at this point so I will say this, if you somehow haven't seen this movie yet WAIT. After the Oscars this movie will more than likely be re-released into theaters in the following week, try to have you first time seeing it in IMAX, it is absolutely incredible.
