It started on Saturday, when I had an email exchange with a NYC-based film critic about how weak this year’s crop of films have been. He sent me his ten best list, I sent him mine. That was the first list I compiled, and it inspired me to conduct a flash poll of the year’s best films, so far.
I asked critics on social media and via email to send me their lists. It was a quick poll just to find what the state of things were. The results are a good indicator as to what to expect this awards season when it comes to, at the very least, critics awards. It’s pretty obvious McDonagh and Field will be battling it out for most critically-acclaimed film of 2022.
“TÁR” (32 votes)
“The Banshees of Inisherin” (24 votes)
“Everything Everywhere All At Once” (23 votes)
“Aftersun” (19 votes)
“Top Gun: Maverick” (15 votes)
“Happening” (14 votes)
“The Fabelmans” (12 votes)
“Decision to Leave” (10 votes)
“Glass Onion” (9 votes)
“Women Talking” (8 votes)
There was also some love for “The Northman,” “Till,” “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” “Nope,” “Crimes of the Future,” “Triangle of Sadness,” “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” “Saint Omer,” “After Yang,” “Resurrection,” and “Elvis.”
Most of these will be Oscar contending for Best Picture. I’m not entirely sure “Aftersun,” “Decision to Leave” and “Happening” will be there though as they will have to be seen by enough adventurous Academy voters to even stand a fighting chance.
The highest ranked documentary was “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” (6 votes), followed by “Fire of Love” and “Navalny.” Meanwhile, the highest ranked animated film was “Marcel the Shell With the Shoes On” (6 votes) followed by “Apollo 10 1/2” and “Turning Red.”
A total of 50 lists were gathered. Take note, many of the critics polled had not yet seen Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans,” Luca Guadagnino’s “Bones and All” and Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio”. Obviously, as-of-now unscreened films such as “Babylon,” “Emancipation,” and “Avatar: The Way of the Water” did not get a single vote.