It's time once again for No Films Left Behind (NFLB) awards, where unlike the voters for the Academy Awards, I have actually seen all the movies that I'm going to give awards to (at least from what I heard)! 2022 was truly an amazing year for the comeback of the film industry since the Pandemic started. We have continuation of Top Gun and Avatar that reminded everyone why we love to go to the movies, we have Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Menu that makes everyone realize great stories don't cost a hundred million dollars to produce when the creators are inspired. And, to be honest, even though I still don't understand what makes Morbius so popular and earning the title of "The Movie of All Time", it exactly shows how social media could make a movie more impactful to us than it ever should be. With dozens of well-crafted narratives this year in one way or another, it just makes it more difficult for me to decide on the awards for this year, especially the "participation trophies" that make sure they are recognized in some way.
Before I begin, as always, a general review of my awards rules:
- Every movie that I have seen will be received either a "Best" or "Most" category exactly ONCE, it is getting increasingly difficult every year but I managed somehow. There are certainly several overlaps but I have tried my best to give them the awards that they deserve!
- Everyone's opinion of movies, like all other art forms, is really subjective. These are my PERSONAL opinions so of course there will be some agreements and disagreements. Constructive and destructive criticism is always welcome as long as you have a valid point!
- I'm ALWAYS looking for suggestions! Unlike most people, I'm kind of behind on all the streaming services, and not be able to watch some movies in theatres clearly destructs my urge to watch them right away. This also applies to the films that are only given a limited release that I didn't get a chance to catch when they were in (selected) theatres. So even though there are some movies, such as All Quiet at Western Front and The Quiet Girl, that I might check out eventually, those are just not on my list of priorities right now. But if you have any more suggestions, feel free to let me know, and I will "give out" appropriate awards for them once I have watched them!
The "Best" List:
Best Drama – The Fabelmans
Best Comedy – Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Action – Top Gun: Maverick
Best Comic Book Adaptation – Black Adam
Best Animation – Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Best Musical – Elvis
Best Horror – Smile
Best Sequel – Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Best Safe Card – Brahmāstra Part One: Shiva
Best Tribute – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Best Underdog – The Woman King
Best Visual Effects – Avatar: The Way of Water
Best Screenplay – The Menu
Best Remake – Laal Singh Chaddha (Indian remake of Forrest Gump)
Best Rising Star – Madeleine McGraw (The Black Phone)
Best Returning Star – Nicholas Cage (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent)
Best Voice Star – Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson (DC League of Super-Pets)
Best Reunion of Onscreen Duo – George Clooney and Julia Roberts (Ticket to Paradise)
Best Cameo – Brad Pitt (The Lost City)
Best Prologue – Death on the Nile (Can only find partial clip on YouTube now, Full clip coming soon!)
Best Opening Credits – Minions: The Rise of Gru
Best Ending – Babylon (Cannot find a clip on YouTube now, coming soon!)
Best Soundtrack – “The Batman”, “The Bat’s True Calling” and “All’s Well That Ends Farewell” (The Batman)
Best Song – “Fearless Hero” (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish)
Best Line – “You flicked too hard, Dammit!” (Thor: Love and Thunder)
The "Most" List (The "Participation Trophies" award the movies that excel in a nontraditional category):
Most Agitating – Don’t Worry Darling
Most Confusing – Moonfall
Most Impactful – She Said
Most Nostalgic – Turning Red
Most Heartwarming – Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Most Heartbreaking – The Son
Most Emotional – A Man Called Otto
Most Disappointing – Amsterdam (though the third act is sort of a redemption)
Most Tranquilizing – Beast
Most Promising Sequel – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Most Likely to Have a Satisfying Sequel – Uncharted
Most Overexpected (expectation higher than reality) – Jurassic World: Dominion
Most Overlooked (and definitely worth a second look in the future) – Nope
Most Divided (I find it quite decent, but almost everyone else hates it) – Halloween Ends
Most Likely to Appreciate It More If I Know the Source Material: One Piece Film Red
Most Abusive Relationship – Chase Andrews and Kya Clark (Where the Crawdads Sing)
Most Stereotypical Portrayal of a Family Relationship – Strange World
Most Accurate Portrayal of a Star Fallen Under Pressure – Whitley Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody
Most Wasted Talent – Mads Mikkelsen (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore)
Most Charismatic Action Star – David Harbour (Violent Night)
Most Consistent Director – Michael Bay (for delivering another visual spectacle without narrative depth with Ambulance)
Most Predictable Twist – The Bad Guys
Most Emotional Montage – Lightyear
Most Tragic Death – Scream (2022) (SPOILERS!!)
Most Satisfying Fight Scene – Final fight on the train (Bullet Train)
(YouTube split it into two parts, clip on the two links above to watch them both!)
Most Outrageous Fight Scene – Wanda vs. The Illuminati (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)
Most Entertaining Dance Scene – Milo’s Dance (Morbius)
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