We are so excited about all the films that are nominated for the 2023 Academy Awards. However, so many amazing films from 2022 didn’t receive any recognition from the Oscars. We wanted to honor these films, many of which were also nominated in our own Oscars Central End of Year Awards.
Cha Cha Real Smooth (Dir. Cooper Raiff)
I remember a time when Cha Cha Real Smooth was seen as a contender in both Original Screenplay and Supporting Actress. It was the talk of the town after last year’s Sundance and when purchased by AppleTV+, the CODA comparisons started rolling in. Sadly, between this film’s early release date and Apple’s lack of campaigning, deciding to push Emancipation at the last second, it just never really happened for Cooper Raiff and Dakota Johnson. This film touched me in so many ways; it was a look into where my life is now and reminded me that the best thing you can do is live while you still can. Johnson’s beautiful performance, which is easily her best, has stuck with me all year. It looked bleak early in the season for this film, and the outcome isn’t surprising, but it will never change how much I adore this film, and I cannot wait to see where Cooper Raiff goes in the future; hopefully, it’ll one day be to the Oscars. – Jacob
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (Dir. Tom Gormican)
While I had no expectations for any nominations for The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, I still have to deem it one of my most favorite non-Oscar nominated films. The screenplay is just so clever, if not a little cheeky, led by two knock out performances from Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal. I laughed more while watching this film in the theater than I had in a long time, and found myself getting genuinely stressed during the third act. The scenery and production design are also beautiful. While The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is certainly not anything Oscar-worthy, it surely deserves recognition for being a delightful film from 2022. – Lex
Devotion (Dir. JD Dillard)
It’s unfortunate that we had two excellent movies about pilots released this year and that Devotion got lost in the shuffle – both because of the success of Top Gun: Maverick and because Amazon quietly dropped it on Prime recently without much fanfare. Devotion tells the true story of Jesse Brown, the first African American naval pilot, and his wingman Tom Hudner. Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell give fantastic performances as Brown and Hudner, and the same flight team that worked on Top Gun: Maverick brought these men to the sky – but in 1950s period planes. From the solid adapted screenplay to great leading performance to beautiful cinematography, there is so much in this film that should have received recognition from critics and awards bodies alike. – Nicole
Pearl (Dir. Ti West)
At the end of Ti West’s X, the audience was given the surprise treat of finding out there would be a follow up to the 2022 slasher film. I never expected for the follow up, Pearl, to be one of the best films of the same year. Pearl is a cautionary tale about suppressing desires and lost dreams. Pearl is a technical feat with stunning, technicolor cinematography, sharp editing, and one of the single best performances from an actor in 2022 with Mia Goth’s performance as Pearl.
Pearl is full of style as it honors Hollywood’s Golden Age with its technicolor cinematography from Eliot Rockett. The transporative score from Tyler Bates and Tim Williams keeps audiences transfixed in the Hollywood era but also filled with suspense of what is to come. The shut out of Goth by almost all critics groups is unforgivable. Not only does Goth give an intense monologue but she keeps a glimmer in her eye that you can’t help but root for Pearl despite the sinister vibes she’s giving off the entire film. Horror films are almost never given their due at the Oscars but Pearl deserved better.
– Kenzie
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. (Dir. Adamma Ebo)
Mega churches have been around for a long time, but only in recent times have they begun to be exposed not just in real life, but in TV and film. We’ve seen it with Righteous Gemstones, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and now with Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul—the powerful feature film directorial debut by Adamma Ebo. The film explores a mega-church bouncing back after Pastor Childs had an affair. Ebo’s script never shies away from criticizing the church, but one thing she did do was show how a wife is “supposed to” stand by her man.
Regina Hall played alongside Sterling K. Brown and delivered the performance of her career in a balanced comedic, yet dramatic role of Trinite Childs. Hall should not only be nominated, but she should also be in the conversation for winning Best Actress. It didn’t shock me not hearing Ebo or Hall’s name mentioned on Oscar nomination morning, but that doesn’t make it any less wrong. – Ricky
The Wonder (Dir. Sebastián Lelio)
The fact that The Wonder didn’t make more of a splash when it contains some of the best acting, writing, production design, and costuming of the year might just be my villain origin story. The psychological period drama from Sebastián Lelio is an adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s 2016 novel, with Donoghue herself co-writing the screenplay. Kíla Lord Cassidy gives one of the most impressive youth performances of the year as a young girl in 1862 rural Ireland who has become regarded as a miracle due to her ability to survive without eating. Florence Pugh plays the nurse brought from England to observe her, who sets out to discover the real reason behind the girl’s fasting. It’s one of Pugh’s best performances in a career that already boasts a handful that could compete for the title.
Not only would either of these performances have been worth recognizing (perhaps it’s too early for Pugh to get a second Oscar nomination, but I would have preferred her to several of the Lead Actress nominees), but the film is impeccably adapted and crafted. The costuming and hair and makeup are both period appropriate, while also aiding in creating the rural Irish world and the production design takes on a character of its own thanks to the film’s unconventional beginning and end. Furthermore, there are several beautiful moments of cinematography from an otherworldly opium sequence to the shots of the Irish countryside. The Wonder could have been rewarded in many categories and could have used the boost to viewership (on Netflix) that comes along with a nomination. – Nicole
Don’t Worry Darling (Dir. Olivia Wilde)
While I understand that Olivia Wilde’s film was not a Best Picture or Best Director contender, the technical aspects of Don’t Worry Darling were truly some of the best of 2022. The beautiful Production Design by Katie Byron with the vivid Art Direction from Erika Toth and Set Decoration by Rachael Ferrara, Palm Springs was stunningly turned into the Victory Project and transported the audience into a new world. Arianne Phillips’ Costume Design work is some of the best of 2022 with dresses, suits, kidnapping get-ups, and ballerina outfits to fawn over.
The hair and make-up teams outdid themselves with not only Florence Pugh’s stunning curtain bangs but all of the looks truly standing out. I understand the Makeup and Hairstyling Oscars typically go for prosthetics (3 of 5 this year), but the work in Don’t Worry Darling is some of the most unique of 2022. One of the most unique scores of the year comes from Wilde’s film. John Powell’s score is so distinctive and its own character in Don’t Worry Darling. Matthew Libatique’s cinematography is always great but his work in this film is some of his career best. Don’t Worry Darling has some rough aspects but the technical components of the film should have been Oscar contenders. – Kenzie
Nanny (Dir. Nikyatu Jusu)
Nikyatu Jusu’s Nanny was a major standout at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival with one of the most inventive horror scripts of the year that should’ve made it a frontrunner in the Best Original Screenplay conversation. Jusu revamps the American Dream trope by blending African Folklore to turn it into a slow-burn horror with mythical visuals. While she utilizes spirituality, the story of Aisha feels grounded as she makes sacrifices in order to bring her son to the United States. Jusu has a novelistic approach to her writing that accounts for soundscapes and visuals to enhance the forces challenging the young, single mother. – Jillian
Do Revenge (Dir. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson)
While Do Revenge isn’t your typical Oscars fare, it’s one of the best high school films to be released in this century. This revenge flick pays homage to films from Clueless to Cruel Intentions while offering something fresh and unseen. The screenplay by Celeste Ballard and director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson is clever and keys into Gen Z culture, without seeming hokey or try-hard. Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes have excellent chemistry as the leads, while Sophie Turner’s cameo role is one of the funniest appearances in any film this year.
With a killer soundtrack that includes Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish, stunning and outlandish fashion, and LGBTQ+ representation, it truly has everything that anyone could want from a modern teen comedy. It taps into the current generation so well that it might be one of the films that has a shelf life longer than some of the actual Best Picture nominees. – Nicole
The Eternal Daughter (Dir. Joanna Hogg)
Joanna Hogg’s latest film was never going to be an Oscar contender, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t deserve any nominations! I’m used to my favorite films of the year never receiving Oscar nominations, but The Eternal Daughter stings a bit more as most of my favorite women directed films blanked at the Oscars. The Original Score in Hogg’s film is so hauntingly beautiful as it ominously guides the audience throughout the hotel property. Ed Rutherford’s cinematography is some of the best of the year; it is stunning, atmospheric, and perfectly fits the mood of the film.
Tilda Swinton is back in double duty playing two characters in The Eternal Daughter and gives two beautiful performances. Swinton is one of my favorite actors for her willingness to go big but also subtle. She plays a mother-daughter duo with such conviction, vulnerability and love for each woman. Swinton’s performances in this film are easily some of the best performances of 2022. Hogg’s direction is outstanding. The Eternal Daughter is truly a mother-daughter, mind of the artist film but is also a true ghost story. While spoilers aside, this ghost story has nothing to do with paranormal, but the real ghosts that stay with us all. – Kenzie
My Father’s Dragon (Dir. Nora Twomey)
This year, director Nora Twomey returned with a gorgeous adaptation of the 1948 children’s novel My Father’s Dragon. Twomey previously worked on the Academy Award-nominated films The Secret of Kells (as co-director) and The Breadwinner (as director). This movie features the same gorgeous 2-D animation that we’ve come to expect from Cartoon Saloon, whose animation seems to harken back to an older, more storybook style while also advancing what it is able to portray.
It’s a sweet tale of a boy and a dragon attempting to save an island and help the boy’s mother, who has fallen upon hard times. It features two of the best voice performances of the year from Jacob Tremblay and Gaten Matarazzo, along with cameos from Rita Moreno, Alan Cumming, Whoopi Goldberg, and more. Between the gorgeous performances and animation and the sweet story, it’s almost mind-boggling that it didn’t score a nomination for Best Animated Film at the Oscars but at least it’s easily available to watch on Netflix. – Nicole
After Yang (Dir. Kogonada)
After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021, After Yang was officially released in March 2022. It instantly became my number one film of the year and actually remained in my Top Ten by end of year. While the film is truly a smaller fare than some of the Oscar contenders, After Yang is a highly praised film that should have been a contender in numerous categories.
The performances in Kogonada’s film are incredible and truly stay with the audience long after watching the film. Colin Farrell truly delivers his best performance of 2022 in After Yang. Justin H. Min as Yang should have been honored in some Supporting Actor lineups for his achingly beautiful performance. The adapted screenplay and direction from Kogonada deserved any kind of recognition as the film is a perfect blend of stunning visuals, a perfect script, and tying it all together to deliver a perfect film about mortality, family, and memories. – Kenzie
She Said (Dir. Maria Schrader)
Perhaps it shouldn’t surprise me that a film willing to take on the negative sides of Hollywood would come up empty-handed at the Academy Awards. That’s exactly the fate that met Maria Schrader’s She Said, which adapted the book of the same name written by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. Kantor and Twohey (excellently portrayed by Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan in the film) are the reporters who researched and wrote the New York Times article about Harvey Weinstein’s history of abuse and sexual assault.
The film is candid about Weinstein’s transgressions and the way that Hollywood overlooked or even hid them, and it lifts up the women who lost their careers due to his behavior. It would be a worthy winner, not to mention a nominee, for Best Adapted Screenplay or for either female acting award. Nicholas Britell’s score is also one of the best of the year and Schrader’s direction is excellent; she knows exactly how to show just enough to get her point across without traumatizing the audience or ever seeming exploitative of Weinstein’s victims. She Said is one of the best journalism films ever made and an unfortunately necessary film to remind people of the evils in Hollywood and the brave women who have taken a stand against them. – Nicole
Bones and All (Dir. Luca Guadagnino)
Once again, horror films are never paid their due at the Oscars but Bones and All felt different. The film received an impressive recognition from the Venice Film Festival honoring Luca Guadagnino for his director and Taylor Russell for her performance. Russell delivers a Lead Actress performance for the ages with such vulnerability, bits of violence and such empathy as Maren. Mark Rylance and Michael Stuhlbarg deliver some of the best supporting performances of the year. Timothée Chalamet delivers one of his most heart wrenching performances of his career.
The Original Score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is an all timer for the composing duo. Arseni Khachaturan’s cinematography is truly extraordinary as it makes the Midwest look dreamy as we follow our cannibals throughout their adventure. Horror films always have truly incredible Film Editing and Marco Costa’s editing is no different; truly wonderful editing work keeping the pace and making the audience understand how violent the characters can feel. Even if you are not able to watch the film due to its graphic scenes, there’s no denying the technical aspects of the film were worth honoring at the Oscars. – Kenzie
Oscars Central 