Every year, ten movies are chosen to be nominated for the highest award of the evening, and every year, my goal is to watch all of the nominees. This is the first year I actually achieved my goal. While the ten nominated films are Frankenstein, F1, Bugonia, One Battle After Another, Marty Supreme, Hamnet, Sinners, Train Dreams, Sentimental Vlaue, and The Secret Agent, I am only going to explain my top five ranking. Let’s get started!
1. One battle after another
This is not only my favorite on this list, it is also what I think will take home the trophy. With its star-studded cast, topics of injustice, and simply already taking home wins this award season, it’s the one I can see being put in the conversation with past best picture winners. I loved this movie for its ability to bring back famous actors while also introducing new ones who are just starting. It follows Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he and his daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti) have their controversial past catch up to them. In this action-filled thriller, there are a mix of happy and emotional moments that make it so enjoyable. I LOVED the acting choices, especially the chemistry between Leonardo DiCaprio and Benicio del Toro.
2. MARTY SURPEMe
Okay, yeah.. it is a filmbro movie I will admit, BUT the thrill I got when watching it for the first time was insane. It is two and a half hours filled with nonstop chaos. While I am not the biggest fan of TimothĂ©e Chalamet, I think his portrayal of Marty Supreme in this is incredible. The story follows Marty Supreme and his journey to becoming a world champion in ping pong. In the film, there are several incredible performances from Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, and Tyler Okonma, which, for me, takes the cake for the best ensemble of the last year. I also think that the writing in ‘Marty Supreme’ is some of the best I’ve seen in my life. Writer and Director Josh Safdie is one of the best working directors in the game right now. Give me 50 Chalamet and Safdie movies STAT!
3. Hamnet
WOW, don’t watch this film unless you are ready to bawl your eyes out. ChloĂ© Zhao (only female director nominated btw), tells the story of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his wife Agnes (Jessie Buckley), as they explore love and grief. What I love about this film is just how raw it feels; it’s super easy to fall in love with Agnes as we follow her journey through motherhood. Per Zhao’s style, the film moves very slowly, and we focus a lot on the scenery around the characters, sometimes more than the characters themselves. While I personally don’t see this movie winning ‘Best Picture’ I absolutely think it’s one of the best recent Shakespeare adaptations.
4. Sentimental Value
Sentimental Value follows Gustav (Stellan SkarsgĂĄrd) as he connects with his daughters after the death of his ex-wife, so again another emotional ride. This film hits so deep in the feels; the sibling love between the sisters is so raw and real. The whole film is quiet and slow, as it dives into grief and figuring out the next steps after someone you love dies. It’s so clear how thoughtful this story is, like you can see all the love put into the film as you’re watching.
5. SInners
Now don’t hate me, Sinners is absolutely incredible, and I would not be shocked if it won ‘Best Picture’. BUT I just think these other films are stronger. While that is not to say this movie is not ahead of its time, because it is, especially after getting the most nominations on a single film, passing movies like Titanic, All About Eve, and La La Land, I just didn’t click with this. I love Ryan Coogler (director) so much, but I don’t think this was his best work. I wish it leaned more into the horror aspect and it overall just felt like a little bit of a mess. I almost feel like it was rushing the fun and important scenes, and then slowing down during the boring and unimportant moments, making it hard to keep up at times.
