In my recap of 2021, I said “of the 25+ years that I’ve religiously been watching and covering movies, I don’t think I’ve experienced a worse one than this.”
This also means that we’re likely going to have a Best Picture lineup with much lesser quality than usual. In a final Hail Mary attempt, I am now totally onboard the “Spider-Man: No Way Home” train for one very specific reason: it represents hope for movies.
Whether you believe ‘No Way Home’ is a good or bad movie doesn’t quite matter right now. Quality seems an afterthought, especially with the current state moviegoing is in right now. With the exception of “The Power of the Dog,” and “Licorice Pizza,” there is absolutely no way that Oscar voters will reward the more deserving films of 2021 (“Red Rocket,” “Drive My Car,” Memoria,” “Titane,” “Pig” “The Card Counter” etc.)
We all know streamers have been slowly taking over film distribution in the US. With Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV and HBO Max all set be rewarded with a Best Picture nomination, this year’s lineup of nominees might have as many as seven of its ten slots occupied by streamer films. Historic.
None of the 10 likely nominees will be box-office successes, unless “Spider-Man: No Way Home” gets in. Right now, it’s made $623 million domestically and ranks 8th all-time. By this Sunday, it may surpass both “Titanic,” and “Avengers: Infinity War” this entering the all-time top 5.
Yes, it’s a superhero movie, but its success is happening during a pandemic and at a time when many are skeptical about the future of the theatrical experience. What “Spider-Man: No Way Home” has done, with its striking box-office and stellar reviews, is give cinema, yes, cinema, a much-needed extra lifeline going into 2022.
If that doesn’t merit a Best Picture nomination in the age of COVID, then I don’t know what will.
Right now, we have seven films that will likely be nominated: West Side Story, The Power of the Dog, Belfast, King Richard, Dune, Licorice Pizza and CODA. I actually think there’s eight — Don’t Look Up is clearly striking a chord with voters and audiences, but there are still some people who believe the terrible reviews will sink its chances. I disagree.
That leaves us with two open spots.
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” could take one of them, but so could five other movies, “Nightmare Alley”, “The Lost Daughter”, “The Tragedy of Macbeth”, “The Last Duel”, and “Tick, Tick … Boom!”
Right now, Gold Derby’s “experts” peculiarly have “Nightmare Alley,” “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” and “Tick, Tick … Boom!” in, respectively, 8th, 9th, and 10th. ‘No Way Home’ is 14th …
I briefly mentioned Ben Affleck's "Animals" yesterday, but I need to get more into it, because this thing, now streaming on Netflix, is one of the most baffling efforts I've seen from a serious director in a long time.