My Final 2024 Oscar Predictions

Well folks, it’s that time of year yet again. The 96th Academy Awards, the biggest and most congratulatory night in Hollywood, are very close now. That means it’s time for the annual tradition of major trades and cinephiles, such as myself, are ready to tell the world which films they think are gonna win one trophy or another on Sunday night. I started doing this tradition 6 years ago and every year since then, it’s been a ton of fun trying to watch as many of the nominated films as I can to get a better opinion on the categories. This past year, due to various personal and professional issues, I was unfortunately not able to watch as many films as I hoped, but I still managed to watch most of the important ones. I also included various films and artists that I felt should’ve been included in the final nominations but didn’t make the cut. Regardless of my feelings of some films or nominees, the Oscars will air on ABC on Sunday night, March 10th, at 6:00 PM CST.

Best Picture

Will Win: Oppenheimer

Could Win: Poor Things

Should Win: Anatomy of a Fall

Should Have Been Nominated: May December

Best Director

Will Win: Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer

Could Win: Yorgos Lanthimos for Poor Things

Should Win: Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer

Should Have Been Nominated: Celine Song for Past Lives

Best Actor

Will Win:

Could Win:

Should Win:

Should Have Been Nominated: Kelvin Harrison Jr. in Chevalier

Best Actress

Will Win: Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon

Could Win: Emma Stone in Poor Things

Should Win: Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon

Should Have Been Nominated: Greta Lee in Past Lives

Best Supporting Actor

Will Win: Robert Downey Jr. in Oppenheimer

Could Win: Ryan Gosling in Barbie

Should Win: Robert Downey Jr. in Oppenheimer

Should Have Been Nominated: Charles Melton in May December

Best Supporting Actress

Will Win: Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers

Could Win: America Ferrera in Barbie

Should Win: Da’Vine Joy Randolph in The Holdovers

Should Have Been Nominated: Rachel McAdams in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

Best Adapted Screenplay

Will Win: American Fiction

Could Win: Barbie

Should Win: Oppenheimer

Should Have Been Nominated: Killers of the Flower Moon

Best Original Screenplay

Will Win: Anatomy of a Fall

Could Win: The Holdovers

Should Win: Past Lives

Should Have Been Nominated: The Boy and the Heron

Best Animated Feature

Will Win: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Could Win: The Boy and the Heron

Should Win: The Boy and the Heron

Should Have Been Nominated: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Best International Feature

Will Win: The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom)

Could Win: Society of the Snow (Spain)

Should Win: The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom)

Should Have Been Nominated: Anatomy of a Fall (France)

Best Documentary Feature

Will Win: 20 Days in Mariupol

Could Win: To Kill a Tiger

Should Win: 20 Days in Mariupol

Should Have Been Nominated: Hidden Letters

Best Documentary – Short Subject

Will Win: The ABCs of Book Banning

Could Win: The Last Repair Shop

Should Win: The ABCS of Book Banning

Should Have Been Nominated: Between Earth and Sky

Best Live-Action Short Film

Will Win: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Could Win: The After

Should Win: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Should Have Been Nominated: Poison

Best Animated Short Film

Will Win: War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko!

Could Win: Our Uniform

Should Win: Our Uniform

Should Have Been Nominated: Boom

Best Original Score

Will Win: Oppenheimer by Ludwig Göransson

Could Win: Killers of the Flower Moon by Robbie Robertson

Should Win: Oppenheimer by Ludwig Göransson

Should Have Been Nominated: The Boy and the Heron by Joe Hisaishi

Best Original Song

Will Win: “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie

Could Win: “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie

Should Win: “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie

Should Have Been Nominated: “Quiet Eyes” from Past Lives

Best Visual Effects

Will Win: Godzilla Minus One

Could Win: The Creator

Should Win: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

Should Have Been Nominated: Wonka

Best Cinematography

Will Win: Oppenheimer

Could Win: Killers of the Flower Moon

Should Win: Oppenheimer

Should Have Been Nominated: The Holdovers

Best Costume Design

Will Win: Poor Things

Could Win: Barbie

Should Win: Barbie

Should Have Been Nominated: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Will Win: Maestro

Could Win: Poor Things

Should Win: Oppenheimer

Should Have Been Nominated:

Best Production Design

Will Win: Barbie

Could Win: Poor Things

Should Win: Barbie

Should Have Been Nominated: Saltburn

Best Film Editing

Will Win: Oppenheimer

Could Win: The Holdovers

Should Win: Oppenheimer

Should Have Been Nominated: Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

Best Sound

Will Win: The Zone of Interest

Could Win: Oppenheimer

Should Win: The Zone of Interest

Should Have Been Nominated: Anatomy of a Fall

Do you agree with my picks? What are your own predictions for the Oscars this year, if you have any? Which films do you believe will, could, or absolutely should win their respective categories? Which ones do you feel should have gotten a nod but got left out? I’d love to know your opinions in a Comment below.

How “Death Stranding” Helped Me Through the COVID-19 Pandemic

Once, there was a pandemic. An event which gave birth to worldwide isolation. Once, there was a pandemic. An event which set a quarantine in motion in that isolation. Once, there was a pandemic. An event which ground to a halt life as we know it. And then, came a new normal. A normal which could hopefully get us to see the errors of our old and current ways.

I started playing Death Stranding on the PlayStation 4 in January 2020. By that point, I had already heard all the discourse about how it was either an artistic masterpiece or a walking simulator. I personally found it to be intriguing but wasn’t sure how far it could go in terms of gameplay and storytelling. Before I could fully get into it, I had to leave home and return to school. However, March 2020 rolled around. An outbreak had been declared a pandemic, the whole world shut down, misinformation and conspiracy theories spread like wildfire, and our immediate future as a species was uncertain. I was forced to come home, where I was fortunate enough to live in a house with five other people and two dogs for several months.

Full disclosure for my readers: This is the first full-length game by Hideo Kojima that I’ve played all the way through. Years ago, I played Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, which was essentially just a single mission prologue. I later got to play the opening segment to its followup, The Phantom Pain, and was extremely impressed by what was shown, but never got to finish it due to a number of complicated circumstances. I had also been well aware of the controversies with his departure from the Metal Gear franchise and internal dispute with publisher Konami. So, for all intents and purposes, his newest game, the first one free from Konami’s restraints, is my first venture into his imagination and frame of mind. And boy, what a way to be introduced.

For the uninitiated who have no idea what I’m talking about: Death Stranding is an open world action-type video game that was released exclusively for the PlayStation 4 in late 2019 before getting ported to Windows PC and the PlayStation 5 later on. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world where a cataclysm known as the “Death Stranding” created a bridge of sorts between our world and “The Beach”, lands unique to each person that are as close to the afterlife as most humans will ever experience. Because of this, ghost-like creatures known as “Beach Things” (BTs) roam the Earth and rain has transformed into “timefall”, which rapidly ages and deteriorates anything it touches. These phenomena have caused most of society to break down and isolate from one another into various colonies.

And in this dangerous world, you play as Sam Porter Bridges, played by Norman Reedus, a freelance courier who travels across the remaining countryside delivering packages to those in need. After a meeting with the last U.S. President – who also happens to be his adoptive mother – on her deathbed, Sam learns that his adoptive sister Amelie has gone missing trying to tie “The United Cities of America” back together. Sam reluctantly agrees to make his way out west to reform and reconnect America through a unique wireless communications network, and hopefully find Amelie on his journey too. So, now you, dubbed “The Great Deliverer”, set out on a highly unusual but important quest.

The game opens with a quote from “Sawa”, a short story by Japanese writer Kobo Abe. The quote details how the rope and the stick were mankind’s earliest inventions. The stick was created to keep the bad away and the rope to pull the good closer; and wherever our species went, there was always the rope and the stick to follow us. When I initially played the game that January, like I said, I took this quote in a little too literal meaning. After all, one of Sam’s tools is a rope whose only real use is to either parry human enemies or take them down in stealth. How can the rope pull the good towards us if, in this instance, it’s used in the function of the stick? But as is the case with nearly every aspect of the game, it’s not that simple.

After the whole world went into the first lockdown in March 2020, I was riddled with anxieties. About the very real possibilities that I would never get to see my friends in person again, about the comically frustrating response to the crisis from our elected officials, about all the raging wildfires going on at the same time. So, I decided to throw myself fully into this game to escape from the madness. And what I discovered in that escape was something deeper, more meaningful, and more poignant than I ever expected. For two straight months, it was my anchor- my “rope”, if you will. I literally could not have chosen a better period to play the game for the first time even if I tried.

I have never played a blockbuster game like this in my life. There are no armies fighting each other on a massive battlefield. No side missions that pop up in the middle of your exploration. No RPG levels of customization and story choice. No first-person shooter segments. How many games can you say you’ve played where your player character regularly takes showers and pees on the ground? Or uses their own excrement as a weapon against enemies, human or otherwise? And that’s if you even decide to confront them. This is the rare game that actively encourages you to avoid conflict as much as possible. After all, this game is all about connecting people after a catastrophe, and conflict drives people apart.

That connection extends to one of the core mechanics of Death Stranding: a continuous, online social feature. Seamlessly blending single with multiplayer, this allows other players from all over the globe to share your virtual world. This mainly involves building structures to make traveling easier, leaving helpful signs, and creating equipment and leaving it in visible spots. Unfortunately, when I first played the game, the internet connection was extremely unreliable. Looking back, I suppose everyone wanted to get online at the onset of the pandemic. So, I ultimately had to rely on myself to push through the experience. As great as it was, it still felt like something was missing.

Throughout the game, Sam is accompanied by a BB, an infant child in a septic tank of sorts who can help him detect when there are BTs or other human enemies around. This BB, whom he affectionately names “Lou”, is the key in both his journey and our journey playing him. At the start of the story, he is deeply scared of physical touch, but he slowly opens up more as the plot progresses. A big reason for that is because he grows attached to Lou, a direct violation of his mandate, and forms friendships with other characters. Each of these people- Fragile, Deadman, Heartman, Mama, Lockne -have their own personal journeys in the story and reveal more about humanity.

Fragile’s relationship with Sam is particularly important as she is arguably the first person, other than Amelie, who made him feel connected to the world. When they first meet in the cave, Sam acts distant while Fragile seems mysterious, but their perception of each other, and really the player’s perception of them, changes greatly. While their dynamic never evolves into romance, they understand and bond with each other in a way that most romances never do. They’re both broken people trying to pick up the pieces of the world and deliver it to those in need. Sam realizes how Fragile is not acting on her own agenda but simply trying to make up for some terrible mistakes she and her father made long ago. She’s Fragile, but not that fragile.

The game takes many twists and turns, many completely unexpected. Characters we initially view as the villains turn out to either be tragically misunderstood or unfortunate victims of circumstances. Take Higgs, a terrorist with seemingly superhuman abilities. He acts all cocky and menacing as he destroys entire cities and ruins Fragile’s reputation by forcing her to make an impossible choice. “I’m the particle of God that permeates all existence” is a line that is perfect for a villain, and Troy Baker’s scenery-chewing performance helps sell this. There’s also Cliff, the ghost soldier who interrupts us several times on our journey. Since the story is told from Sam’s limited perspective, we’re led to believe that he’s a ruthlessly cold bad guy who can bend the Death Stranding to his will. Both Cliff and Higgs have intense encounters with Sam, including two that legitimately feel like a “final boss” fight.

But as the game goes along, their motivations are revealed to be much more complex. The one who actually wields the most danger in the story is also the one we spend the whole game trying to get to: Amelie. She’s the “Extinction Entity”, a force of sheer power that will bring out about the Final Stranding to end all life on Earth for good. Higgs turns out to be just a pawn in her machinations to draw out certain characters to get her plan ready. And Cliff is arguably the most tragic character of the game, a soldier and father whose love for his son brings him back from the dead to find him. Even more heartbreaking is the later revelation that his son is actually Sam himself, and he was never trying to fight us but rather to reconnect with us. Mads Mikkelsen gives one of his greatest performances to show the complexities of this character.

It all ultimately culminates in a surprising series of climaxes that tie everything together. First, Sam gives a beautiful speech about how much he’s learned that human connection is important. As he says, he knows that the world will eventually die, “but we gotta keep it going as long as we can, right? Patch the holes, fix the parts, all that. So we can say we had a good run. That we lived.” And then he goes to The Beach to stop Amelie. Despite being given a pistol, there’s only one way to truly stop the apocalypse: run up and hug Amelie. There’s no big final battle, just a sequence of the main character convincing the antagonist to change their mind, something that is- quite frankly -not seen in enough games. And in the final cutscene of the game, (And there are many, it’s a standard for Kojima) Sam fully accepts Lou as his own adoptive child just as Amelie/Bridget accepted him years ago and walks out into the rain. The timefall has stopped, birds are chirping, and the rainbow is right-side up. The world is healing.

Recently, I picked the game up again. When I originally put it down all the way back in May 2020, I was afraid of playing through it ever again. Part of me was worried that because of the incredibly specific circumstances of my first playthrough, that magic would become lost for me. 3 years later, I graduated college, and whereas the first time I was concerned about the future of humanity, now I was uncertain about my own personal future. I was once again anxious about what was to come, so I ultimately set those fears aside and decided to go through the 40+ hour-long journey at least one more time.

And this time, I had no issues with internet connection, so I was able to play the game as originally intended. This time, I would regularly come across brand new structures and equipment built by random players from around the world, ones that undoubtedly helped me on my journey. I distinctly remember going through a long, seemingly never-ending timefall storm and right when my cargo and supplies were about to become ruined, a shelter appeared. The relief I felt is a feeling I have never been able to replicate in any other game. Even though I’ve never met the person who laid that structure down, I thank them for what they gave me and others. I experienced what I was supposed to the first time around, what Sam was supposed to feel. I finally found “the rope”.

When I first played Death Stranding, I knew it was a pretty good game, but that aforementioned obstacle kept me from truly loving it. Now, having gone through it again with the online social feature fully intact, I have gone from thinking that it’s a great game to a misunderstood masterpiece. Death Stranding is a wholly unique and deeply cinematic gaming experience about the importance of human connection. Odd as it may seem to say, this unapologetically weird, often confusing video game about a post-apocalyptic delivery man with a ghost-sensing baby saved me two times in my life when I needed it most, and I will be forever grateful for it.

Final 2023 Oscar Predictions

Friends, it’s almost that very special time of year again. The 95th Academy Awards are nearly here, which means every single trade and cinephile is throwing out their two cents for who their think is going to win what prizes Sunday night. Some of the nominees are ones that I honestly never expected to break through but am happy to see the recognition for. And as with the previous years, I managed to watch a majority of the nominees this year and as such, have decided to put down my final predictions for each category. I’ll also be including films and artists that I felt were unjustly left out of the race this year, despite qualifying for their respective categories. And whatever we think of the state of the race, the Oscars will air on ABC on Sunday March 12th at 7:00 PM CST.

Best Picture

Will Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Could Win: The Fabelmans

Should Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should Have Been Nominated: Babylon

Best Director

Will Win: Daniels for Everything Everywhere All At Once

Could Win: Steven Spielberg for The Fabelmans

Should Win: Daniels for Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should Have Been Nominated: Sarah Polley for Women Talking

Best Actor

Will Win: Austin Butler in Elvis

Could Win: Brendan Fraser in The Whale

Should Win: Colin Farrell in The Banshees of Inisherin

Should Have Been Nominated: Diego Calva in Babylon

Best Actress

Will Win: Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All At Once

Could Win: Cate Blanchett in TÁR

Should Win: Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should Have Been Nominated: Keke Palmer in Nope

Best Supporting Actor

Will Win: Ke Huy Quan in Everything Everywhere All At Once

Could Win: Brendan Gleeson in The Banshees of Inisherin

Should Win: Ke Huy Quan in Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should Have Been Nominated: Ben Whishaw in Women Talking

Best Supporting Actress

Will Win: Kerry Condon in The Banshees of Inisherin

Could Win: Angela Bassett in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Should Win: Stephanie Hsu in Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should Have Been Nominated: Jessie Buckley in Women Talking

Best Adapted Screenplay

Will Win: Women Talking

Could Win: Glass Onion

Should Win: Women Talking

Should Have Been Nominated: Guilermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Best Original Screenplay

Will Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Could Win: The Banshees of Inisherin

Should Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should Have Been Nominated: Nope

Best Animated Feature

Will Win: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Could Win: Turning Red

Should Win: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Should Have Been Nominated: Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood

Best International Feature

Will Win: All Quiet on the Western Front

Could Win: EO

Should Win: All Quieton the Western Front

Should Have Been Nominated: RRR

Best Documentary Feature

Will Win: Navalny

Could Win: Fire of Love

Should Win: Navalny

Should Have Been Nominated: Descendant

Best Documentary – Short Subject

Will Win: The Elephant Whisperers

Could Win: Haulout

Should Win: The Elephant Whisperers

Should Have Been Nominated: The Head of Joaquin Murietta

Best Live-Action Short

Will Win: Le Pupille

Could Win: An Irish Goodbye

Should Win: Le Pupille

Should Have Been Nominated: Magna Cum Laude

Best Animated Short

Will Win: The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse

Could Win: Ice Merchants

Should Win: The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse

Should Have Been Nominated: Zen – Grogu and Dust Bunnies

Best Original Score

Will Win: Babylon by Justin Hurwitz

Could Win: The Fabelmans by John Williams

Should Win: Babylon by Justin Hurwitz

Should Have Been Nominated: The Batman by Michael Giacchino

Best Original Song

Wil Win: “Naatu Naatu” from RRR

Could Win: “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick

Should Win: “Naatu Naatu” from RRR

Should Have Been Nominated: “Sunny Sideup Summer” from The Bob’s Burgers Movie

Best Visual Effects

Will Win: Avatar: The Way of Water

Could Win: Top Gun: Maverick

Should Win: Avatar: The Way of Water

Should Have Been Nominated: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Best Cinematography

Will Win: Elvis

Could Win: All Quiet on the Western Front

Should Win: All Quiet on the Western Front

Should Have Been Nominated: Top Gun: Maverick

Best Costume Design

Will Win: Elvis

Could Win: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Should Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should Have Been Nominated: The Northman

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Will Win: Elvis

Could Win: The Whale

Should Win: The Batman

Should Have Been Nominated: The Woman King

Best Production Design

Will Win: Babylon

Could Win: Elvis

Should Win: Babylon

Should Have Been Nominated: The Northman

Best Film Editing

Will Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Could Win: Top Gun: Maverick

Should Win: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Should Have Been Nominated: Babylon

Best Sound

Wil Win: Top Gun: Maverick

Could Win: All Quiet on the Western Front

Should Win: Avatar: The Way of Water

Should Have Been Nominated: Nope

How say you? Do you have any hard or soft predictions of your own for Sunday night? What films do you believe could, should, and absolutely will win the top prize? Which ones do you think were snubbed this year? I’d love to hear your thoughts about in a Comment down below, and if you like what you see here, be sure to Like this post and Follow my blog for more awesome movie content like this.

“Everything Everywhere All At Once” Movie Review

“When I choose to see the good side of things, I’m not being naive. It is strategic and necessary. It’s how I’ve learned to survive through everything. I know you see yourself as a fighter. Well, I see myself as one too. This is how I fight.”

If I see a better film released in 2022, I will be genuinely shocked. Hell, I’d be surprised if there’s a better film released later this decade.

On the one hand, I really want to watch all of the making-of featurettes for this film to learn how they pulled it off with just an 8th of the budget for the newest Doctor Strange movie. On the other hand, I never want to see those featurettes because I want to preserve the mysterious magic of what I witnessed. Learning that only 5 (FIVE) people total worked on the VFX is both mind-blowing and intimidating from a filmmaking perspective.

What surprised me the most was the huge emotional range that Daniels (directing duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) tapped into. I thought it was just going to be an absurdist comedy but by the second act, it morphed into something much deeper and more resonant than I ever imagined. The film deals with things like nihilism, depression, existentialism, and generational trauma. It’s not afraid to go full bore into the abyss (Or in this case, the multiverse) to tackle these issues, but never forgets to be compassionate and empathetic. It might honestly be the perfect movie for Millennials and Gen Z kids.

A huge reason for that here is newcomer Stephanie Hsu, who carries her role like a huge weight with a delicate balance. In hindsight, it can’t be an accident that her character’s name is Joy. She is desperate to find meaning and belonging in a scenario where every possibility just becomes a statistical inevitability. And because of this, she ultimately becomes a threat to the multiverse itself, meaning she has to pull double duty both as the antagonist of the picture and the key to its emotional core. She comes away, in my eyes as the film’s true MVP.

That’s, of course, not to discredit her amazing co-stars. Michelle Yeoh gives her career-best performance in an extremely diverse and complex role that demands so much from her. She’s in nearly every scene of the film, often as completely different versions of herself. But she is more than up to the challenge by tapping into both her incredible capability as a stunt performer and her much more rarely seen abilities as a dramatic actor. In some ways, this is a meta-performance for her, bringing together nearly every role she’s ever played into one complex, deeply satisfying package.

And then there’s Ke Huy Quan, in his first major film role in decades. He easily shows why he deserves as much recognition as other stars with not just his physicality but also his emotional complexity. At first, you dismiss him as being sort of weak and passive compared to everyone else around him. But at a certain point, it becomes clear that not only is his patience and kindness a weapon, but that he is in fact the strongest and most resilient character of the whole film. He becomes a reminder of how we can view the universe at large when given the right tools. It actually made me angry watching this knowing that we missed out on nearly 20 years of Quan in movies, but I’m glad that he has returned in such full force with this film.

Everything Everywhere All At Once is a wholly original kaleidoscope of ideas, emotions, and characters. The fact that it’s doing so well in theaters from word-of-mouth alone gives me hope both for the future of the theatrical experience and the prospect of original films. I cannot wait to see what Daniels cooks up next and look forward to whatever Stephanie Hsu has planned down the line.

I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I dropped my jaw. You name an emotional reaction, this movie brought it out of me. I really can’t think of a single thing that disliked here. I’ve seen a lot of great movies recently, but this is the first one in a long while where I feel absolutely confident to say this: Everything Everywhere All At Once is one of the greatest films I have ever seen in my entire life.

“Cha Cha Real Smooth” Movie Review

After Cha Cha Real Smooth screened at the SXSW film festival this past March I was one of the first people at the Q&A. I asked writer/director/star Cooper Raiff if the character of Lola, played by newcomer Vanessa Burghardt, was written exactly as she was in the final film or if he made any changes for her. As it turns out, he essentially threw out the original screenplay and rewrote it to accommodate Vanessa and what she was comfortable with doing.

As an autistic person myself that is practically unheard of for me. Most of the time, when autistic characters are written and cast in movies or TV shows, the production team almost never works with the actor or the community to make sure it is authentic. And that’s even if they bother casting an autistic actor to begin with, because much of the film industry is, for some reason, under the impression that autism is something that can easily be mimicked. But here, not only did Raiff do the bare minimum with genuine casting, but he went the extra mile to make sure the actress in question was okay with what she was saying and doing.

There are a few moments where this truly shows. The first is when we first meet Lola and her mother Domino, played marvelously by Dakota Johnson. Raiff’s protagonist Andrew asks if raising her autistic daughter is hard and Domino responds casually, “Sometimes, but not because of her.” Even though Lola is not the main character of the story, the film still respects her enough to not make her a burden to the parent, as is so often a stereotype.

The second moment comes later, when Lola is lying on her bed alone after spending an evening hanging out with Andrew, to whom she explained how draining social interactions can be. While lying on the bed, she flaps her hands, a common stim among autistic people to regulate their bodies and emotions. The fact that such a small detail was included in the script from Burghardt’s input is a testament to Raiff’s empathy as a person and a filmmaker. This might honestly be the first time I’ve ever seen an autistic character flap their hands on-screen.

That’s why, even though Cooper Raiff and Dakota Johnson are absolutely wonderful in the lead roles, Vanessa Burghardt is the true breakout performance here. It’s easy to see how much of herself she brings to the character of Lola. She’s very straightforward about what she likes and doesn’t like and even though she cares about other people, it’s expressed differently. Never once is she used as the punchline or as a plot tool to prop up the main character’s own arc. I sincerely hope this isn’t the last we see of her.

I haven’t seen Raiff’s debut feature Shithouse just yet, but it’s clear from this movie that Cooper Raiff has a very distinctive voice as a filmmaker. It’s so well-shot and well-lit, particularly during the bar/bat mitzvah party scenes when the characters are just enjoying the moment. And the editing by Henry Hayes is not only perfectly paced for its relatively short runtime, but it also boosts the comedic timing. Some of the funniest jokes or lines are bolstered by sudden cuts to the next scene. Learning that Raiff is only 24 years old and is already this well-defined as a filmmaker is exciting because he still has his whole career ahead of him.

This film reminds me of a famous quote by Roger Ebert: “For me, the movies are like a machine that generates empathy.” The greatest compliment I can give this film is that it creates and asks for so much empathy for its characters without being judgmental. I really wish I could express to people reading this how it felt to see a movie with an autistic character played by an actually autistic actress in a big theater with a crowd when it premiered. Even watching it again at home on Apple TV+, it hasn’t lost its power.

Cha Cha Real Smooth is an incredibly funny and heartfelt tale of adults growing up. Avoiding the worst tropes of most so- called “Sundance indies”, Cooper Raiff is able bring a fresh perspective on the coming-of-age genre. He has an enthralling career ahead of him, just as Vanessa Burghardt is destined to become a star in her own right.

Even if you don’t have Apple TV+, try and see this one through whatever resources are available to you. This is, for me, as an autistic person, an absolute landmark depiction of autism in film and TV. Thank you for the character of Lola and thank you for this gift of a film.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” Movie Review

“I know one thing. Wherever we go… this family is our fortress.”

When James Cameron’s Avatar first came out in theaters in 2009, I was 10 years old. I saw it in IMAX with my whole family. I don’t remember the screening itself very well. What I do remember is 10-year-old me getting absolutely sucked into that fictional world known as Pandora. It was one of the first times in my memory that a film completely immersed me in its storytelling and worldbuilding and made me forget about my problems. And as the years went on by and there was the inevitable snobbery of people on the Internet, I continued to defend it. Yes, the story is not particularly original, and some of its themes haven’t held up greatly, but much like the moon of Pandora, its gravitational pull was hard to grasp.

There was a part of me that always doubted we would actually get a sequel, let alone four of them. Cameron had talked about it for years and years and years, but it just never seemed like it was going to happen, whether it was the constant delays or shifts in production priorities. Even as I was riding to my screening today, deep down I couldn’t believe it was real. Could it be? Has something that seemed like a fantasy finally come to fruition? And after 3 hours and 12 minutes back in Pandora, I can confidently say that Avatar: The Way of Water is superior to the first film in almost every category imaginable.

Picking up over a decade after the original wrapped up, Sam Worthington returns as Jake Sully, a former paraplegic soldier who has permanently joined the Na’vi of Pandora. Along with his mate Neytiri, played by Zoe Saldana, they have raised 3 of their own children (Neyteyam, Lo’ak, and Tuk) as well as adopted a human boy named Spider and Kiri, the Na’vi daughter of Dr. Grace Augustine. Their happiness is broken when the humans of RDA return in force, devastating the forest and forcing the family into a guerilla war of sorts. With a new General and a resurrected Colonel Miles Quaritch, played by Edie Falco and Stehpen Lang, respectively, on their tail, Jake and Sully must come to terms with what they’re willing to sacrifice in order to keep their people and their family safe.

Much like the original, the story here isn’t particularly complicated. Nor are the characters and their arcs. The story itself here is actually less derivative than the first one, as the stakes have changed slightly, and the setting has been shifted. However, the key for the film isn’t in how complex the narrative is, but rather how economic it is with pacing and execution. James Cameron has such a keen understanding of the Hero’s Journey inside and out and makes every step of it fit his world perfectly. We spend so much of the second act in the new reef clan Metkayina, but it never felt boring to me. Once again, the film excels at making the audience feel immersed in this unique and beautiful world. What’s more, there are genuine consequences for the characters and their actions, making their arcs more engrossing and interesting than you might think.

A good chunk of the original cast returns for the sequel. Worthington and Saldana are still amazing as Jake and Neytiri, both on their own and together as a couple. The film continues their love story from the first film in a really affecting way by bringing children into the picture. The fact that they have become parents hasn’t dampened any of their passion. On the contrary, it has fueled them to become more dedicated to each other and the film is wise enough to let them make mistakes but also make amends.

My favorite additions to the cast, however, were all of the children. James Flatters, Brittain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, and Jack Champion all play members of Jake and Neytiri’s family. Even Sigourney Weaver comes back as the adoptive teen Na’vi daughter of her character from the first film, Dr. Grace Augustine. All of these performers are excellent in their own right and while some have more of an arc than others, their collective dynamic together is so watchable and relatable, even to those without kids or siblings of their own. The film made the right choice of giving an enormous amount of screentime to develop them and I’m interested to see where their stories go in the future.

Champion and Weaver were my favorites of them all. Champion plays Spider, a young man who carries the struggle of being born a human but only ever at home with the natural world of Pandora. There’s an element of tragedy to his character because while he feels comfortable with the others, he will never truly be one species or the other. Weaver, meanwhile, does stunning work as Kiri, a young Na’vi with no real sense of belonging. There’s one scene in particular where she plays both Kiri and Grace, which is particularly impressive and left me wondering how it was done.

Stephen Lang is also back as Colonel Miles Quaritch, this time reincarnated as an avatar with all the characters memories and personality. His new appearance actually added more dimensions to the character and made him more than just a military grunt for the RDA. Fueled by vengeance and a longing resentment for Jake and the rest of the Na’vi, when Quaritch comes face to face with another connection from the past, he starts to reveal himself more. You can actually see him wavering in his mission as someone he refuses to admit he cares about joins the other side of the conflict. All of this makes him a much more interesting villain than before, one who may be softening to the world he’s been hired to conquer.

Speaking of world, this sequel makes Pandora feel more alive and more fully realized than ever before. This is the part where Cameron’s direction and the magical work of Weta Digital is beautifully married to one another. Moving the story from the forest to the ocean was a brilliant choice not just from a thematic standpoint but a visual one too. The art direction is absolute perfection. From the flora and fauna to the Hallelujah Mountains to the islands and the creatures that inhabit them, this world looks and feels so amazing. I rewatched Avatar last night in preparation for this one, and the difference between the two is almost like night and day.

Motion capture performance in big-budget epics is practically expected by this point. What makes these films so unique among them is the same thing as The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is done completely in service to the story and could not be told otherwise. Weta invented brand new technology for these films just so the actors could perform motion capture underwater. The second the characters jumped into the water and submerged themselves, my jaw dropped. The level of detail is astonishing, whether it’s little droplets on their faces or tiny muscles on their hands or small movements of their hair. This might be one of the most seamless combinations of live-action and CGI work I’ve ever seen.

It truly is a shame that composer James Horner passed away in 2015 because we never got to hear what his work on the sequel would have been. Replacing him for a project of this size was always going to be a daunting task, but thankfully, record producer Simon Franglen is more than willing to take it up. The score continues the tone of the original with a wide-ranging yet cohesive tone brought to life by a variety of instruments. Merging bombastic percussion with vocals and defiant strings and horns, the tracks can match any emotion the scene calls for. Ethereal wonder, emotional, intense action. Every note feels sincere and never once manipulative.

Also like the original Avatar, we are gifted with an original song in the end credits. This time around, it comes from Abel Tesfaye, AKA The Weeknd, performing the track “Nothing is Lost (You Give Me Strength)”. Less of a ballad and more of an anthem, the lyrics of the song perfectly fit the overall theme of the bond of family. And the instrumentation is excellent as well, somehow managing to blend the musical sound of this film with The Weeknd’s own style. It really is a great song to cap off this film.

Finally delivering on 13 years of hype and promises, Avatar: The Way of Water is a satisfying and mesmerizing continuation, and everything that a true blockbuster should be. James Cameron has delivered a truly spectacular film here and proves once again why betting against him is a fool’s errand. It’s a testament to the film and Cameron himself that despite its enormous runtime, I never felt it drag nor felt the urge to go to the restroom even once. And now, I’m chomping at the bit to see the next installment of this franchise in two years’ time.

Improving on the first film in nearly every regard, The Way of Water is one of the definitive theatrical experiences of my lifetime. The wait was long, but every single delay that this film suffered was worth it in the end.

“The Northman” Movie Review

“You must choose between kindness for your kin and hate for your enemies.”

As far as I can tell, I have never seen a true Viking movie in my life. I’ve seen films WITH Vikings, for sure, where they are a small factor of a larger setting. But anything where this time period or lifestyle are the main focus of a feature film has either been nonexistent or so obscure I can’t find it anywhere. I also have not seen the Vikings TV series, although I understand that it’s supposed to be very popular.

In any event, when Robert Eggers announced that his next film would be a film set in the world of Vikings, I became so ecstatic. Eggers’ previous two films, The Lighthouse and The Witch (Or The VVitch, if you prefer that), were so well-crafted and masterful that it’s almost infuriating. He has such an eye for period-accurate detail and ensuring that everything shown on-screen feels authentic, from the costumes to the dialects to the labor and ritualistic customs of the time. So seeing him apply that for a pre-Medieval setting was wildly exciting. And having seen The Northman, it’s clear that Eggers should be considered one of the greatest and most singular auteurs of his generation. It’s easily his most ambitious and sprawling movie to date.

Beginning in 895 AD, Alexander Skarsgård stars as Amleth, the warrior prince of a kingdom on the island of Hrafnsey. As a child, he idolized his father King Aurvandill War-Raven and his mother Queen Gudrún, played by Ethan Hawke and Nicole Kidman, respectively. However, after being officially made the heir to the kingdom, his uncle Fjölnir the Brotherless, played by Claes Bang, murders the king and takes both the throne and the Queen for himself, forcing Amleth into exile. Years later, Amleth, an experienced berserker, learns that Fjölnir has fatally weakened his position and is now living in relative seclusion. Seeing the opportunity, Amleth teams up with a Slavic sorceress named Olga, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, and sets out to avenge his father and fulfill his destiny.

Like his previous works, Eggers has a keen understanding of what the human condition entails. Primal instincts such as rage and violence are seen here not as “inhumane” but as a fundamental part of man’s nature, which is exacerbated by the time period in which it is set. This is an extremely brutal and unflinching story about a man who’s determined to get what he believes he’s fated to have. His actions are harsh and jaw-droppingly violent, and the film is smart enough to ask audience members the difficult question of whether what he does is ever justified. Especially since the film makes it clear just how much collateral damage and innocent blood is left in his wake on his path for vengeance. It’s perhaps not entirely surprising to learn that the legend of Amleth was a key inspiration for William Shakespeare to write his play Hamlet.

The Northman also does an astounding job of making the world of Vikings feel real and palpable. The film highlights not only the old rituals and traditions the citizens would often partake in, but it also shows the more fantastical elements of this angle. The Norse Gods are worshipped and referenced many times throughout and the way these characters talk about them make them sound almost like real people that they vigorously follow their lives by. One example is singer Björk, in her first narrative role in nearly 20 years, who plays a mysterious witch who gives Amleth his prophecy. Because of this, and the occasionally stilted dialogue that sounds meant for prose, those hoping for a more grounded, wholly realistic approach to this era may be disappointed. But the surprises help give a slight horror element to the story and are part of what makes it such a special and captivating experience.

I’ve seen Alexander Skarsgård in many projects over the years, but this is easily his best work as an actor. As Amleth, there is so much unkempt fury and brutality, and before he officially begins his quest against Fjölnir, he has an incredibly difficult time finding a right way to put it. There’s also a hint of sadness to him. He was robbed of a childhood and parental figures and has resented the world for it ever since. This mission is all he has thought about since he was forced to flee his home. It’s clear that until he comes across Olga, he has never opened up to anyone about his internal demons and is thoroughly convinced the gods have prepared a great destiny for him.

Speaking of Olga, Anya Taylor-Joy is an absolute showstopper in her second collaboration with Robert Eggers. A Slavic sorceress in the same slave troupe as Amleth, she is extremely intelligent and calculating in her decision-making. “Your strength breaks men’s bones. I have the cunning to break their minds,” she says to him after seeing a display of his brutish power. In many ways, her character is more justified and deserving of justice than Amleth is, as we see the hardships she faces as a slave of Fjölnir. Although their relationship initially starts as completely platonic and functionary, a genuine connection soon grows, and the mission becomes all the more personal.

Together, they are rounded out by an impressive ensemble of actors in parts large and small. This includes Nicole Kidman as the mysterious and ruthlessly cunning Queen Gudrún, Claes Bang as Amleth’s uncle Fjölnir who’s desperate to hold onto his power for as long as possible, Willem Dafoe as the unseemly and legitimately creepy jester of King Aurvandill’s court, Gustav Lindh as Fjölnir’s prideful and arrogant son, and Ethan Hawke as Amleth’s late royal father. Each one of them adds something unique to this story and makes it feel much richer. Bang is particularly attention-grabbing as Fjölnir, the antagonist who’s always on Amleth’s mind throughout the movie. What’s so compelling about him is that he’s not the moustache-twirling villain these types of stories usually call for. He’s legitimately tired and willing to do whatever it takes so that his line can continue long after he passes.

From a technical standpoint, The Northman shows that Eggers still has a firm grip on his voice even on a larger scale. His regular cinematographer Jarin Blaschke returns for their third collaboration and holy moly, it’s a doozy. While it trades in the boxed-in, black-and-white photography of The Lighthouse for more colorful fare, it’s no less intense or gruesome. Many moments are lit purely by firelight, which shows off the dirty, sweaty griminess of these characters. The film is filled with lengthy long takes, both of intense action scenes and more dramatic moments. The blocking within these shots is always clear and easy to follow, making it all the more riveting to watch. And of course, this being a historical epic, there are a number of impressive swooping establishing shots of the landscape.

This goes hand-in-hand with the editing job by Louise Ford, yet another of Eggers’ regular collaborators that makes a return. If there are cuts within any of the aforementioned long takes, they were hidden really, really well because they were all perfectly paced. But during moments where there are more frequent cuts, it’s handled beautifully and manages to keep you focused on what’s important in the scene. Even with a running time of 2 hours and 17 minutes, there’s very little fat on this picture. Every moment is edited with purpose and class.

The instrumental film score is a joint effort handled by Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough and boy. do they deserve more recognition for their work here. Much like the film itself, it’s intense. Most of the tracks consist of deeply percussive elements such as drums and rattles, while also making room for strings. Although there’s not really a singular theme or leitmotif, it’s still easily identifiable in the war-like rhythms it creates for battle sequences. The strings also do a tremendous job at capturing not just the moments that feel closer in proximity to horror, but also in more somber, emotional moments. It’s a surprisingly diverse soundtrack that perfectly fits the era that it fits.

With a clear sense of personality, a daunting scope, and an unbelievably detailed world, The Northman is an authentically brutal and amazingly well-realized story of revenge. Robert Eggers has done it yet again and conquered one of the least-seen time periods in cinema with his own definite stamp on it. Armed with an incredibly committed cast and a phalanx of behind-the-scenes artists who are just as passionate as him, he has crafted a piece of epic filmmaking that both feels personal and mainstream at the same time, in the best way possible. This might easily be the greatest movie about Vikings ever made, as every single facet of what’s on-screen comes to life in such an organic and meaningful way. I can’t wait to see it again.

Final 2022 Oscar Predictions

Another spring, another year of cinema set to be celebrated by Hollywood. The 94th Academy Awards are upon us, which means every single trade and cinephile is throwing out their two cents for who their think is going to win what prizes Sunday night. Due to the pandemic, several highly anticipated films that were meant to be released in 2020 finally made a splash this past year, albeit with varying degrees of success. As with the previous years, I managed to watch a majority of the nominees this year and as such, have decided to put down my final predictions for each category. I’ll also be including films and artists that I felt were unjustly left out of the race this year, despite qualifying for their respective categories.

And remember, no matter what any of us think of the nominees themselves or the films that got snubbed, we’ll all find out the results when the hybrid ceremony airs on ABC on Sunday, March 27th.

Best Picture

Will Win: The Power of the Dog

Could Win: CODA

Should Win: Dune

Should Have Been Nominated: The Tragedy of Macbeth

Best Director

Will Win: Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog

Could Win: Kenneth Branagh for Belfast

Should Win: Steven Spielberg for West Side Story

Should Have Been Nominated: Denis Villeneuve for Dune

Best Actor

Will Win: Will Smith in King Richard

Could Win: Benedict Cumberbatch in The Power of the Dog

Should Win: Andrew Garfield in Tick, Tick, BOOM!

Should Have Been Nominated: Nicolas Cage in Pig

Best Actress

Will Win: Olivia Colman in The Lost Daughter

Could Win: Nicole Kidman in Being the Ricardos

Should Win: Kristen Stewart in Spencer

Should Have Been Nominated: Jodie Comer in The Last Duel

Best Supporting Actor

Will Win: Kodi Smit-McPhee in The Power of the Dog

Could Win: Troy Kotsur in CODA

Should Win: Kodi Smit-McPhee in The Power of the Dog

Should Have Been Nominated: Colman Domingo in Zola

Best Supporting Actress

Will Win: Ariana DeBose in West Side Story

Could Win: Kirsten Dunst in The Power of the Dog

Should Win: Ariana DeBose in West Side Story

Should Have Been Nominated: Olga Merediz in In The Heights

Best Adapted Screenplay

Will Win: The Power of the Dog

Could Win: Dune

Should Win: The Power of the Dog

Should Have Been Nominated: Zola

Best Original Screenplay

Will Win: Belfast

Could Win: Don’t Look Up

Should Win: Licorice Pizza

Should Have Been Nominated: Shiva Baby

Best Animated Feature

Will Win: Encanto

Could Win: Flee

Should Win: The Mitchells vs The Machines

Should Have Been Nominated: Belle

Best International Feature

Will Win: Drive My Car (Japan)

Could Win: The Worst Person in the World (Norway)

Should Win: Drive My Car (Japan)

Should Have Been Nominated: A Hero (Iran)

Best Documentary Feature

Will Win: Flee

Could Win: Summer of Soul

Should Win: Summer of Soul

Should Have Been Nominated: The Rescue

Best Documentary – Short Subject

Will Win: Lead Me Home

Could Win: The Queen of Basketball

Should Win: Audible

Should Have Been Nominated: Snowy

Best Live-Action Short

Will Win: The Long Goodbye

Could Win: On My Mind

Should Win: Ala Kachuu – Take and Run

Should Have Been Nominated: All Too Well

Best Animated Short

Will Win: Robin Robin

Could Win: The Windshield Wiper

Should Win: Robin Robin

Should Have Been Nominated: Us Again

Best Original Score

Will Win: Dune by Hans Zimmer

Could Win: The Power of the Dog by Johnny Greenwood

Should Win: Dune by Hans Zimmer

Should Have Been Nominated: Nightmare Alley by Nathan Johnson

Best Original Song

Will Win: “No Time to Die” from No Time to Die

Could Win: “Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto

Should Win: “No Time to Die” from No Time to Die

Should Have Been Nominated: “So May We Start” from Annette

Best Visual Effects

Will Win: Dune

Could Win: Spider-Man: No Way Home

Should Win: Dune

Should Have Been Nominated: The Matrix Resurrections

Best Cinematography

Will Win: Dune

Could Win: The Power of the Dog

Should Win: West Side Story

Should Have Been Nominated: The Green Knight

Best Costume Design

Will Win: Cruella

Could Win: West Side Story

Should Win: Dune

Should Have Been Nominated: The Harder They Fall

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Will Win: House of Gucci

Could Win: The Eyes of Tammy Faye

Should Win: Dune

Should Have Been Nominated: The Green Knight

Best Production Design

Will Win: Dune

Could Win: West Side Story

Should Win: Dune

Should Have Been Nominated: The Last Duel

Best Film Editing

Will Win: Dune

Could Win: Don’t Look Up

Should Win: Dune

Should Have Been Nominated: Nightmare Alley

Best Sound

Will Win: Dune

Could Win: West Side Story

Should Win: Dune

Should Have Been Nominated: A Quiet Place Part II

How say you? Do you have any hard or soft predictions of your own for Sunday night? What films do you believe could, should, and absolutely will win the top prize? Which ones do you think were snubbed this year? I’d love to hear your thoughts about in a Comment down below, and if you like what you see here, be sure to Like this post and Follow my blog for more awesome movie content like this.

“The Batman” Movie Review

In my lifetime, there have been no less than 4 theatrically released versions of Batman. I was just old enough to see The Dark Knight Rises when it first came out, followed a few years later by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League. That’s even including the dozens of video games, cartoons, and straight-to-video animated films starring or featuring the Caped Crusader. I’ve been to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Los Angeles where they have every generation of Batman on display, so it’s not surprising that he’s such an iconic and important character to the studio.

When the initial announcement was made that Ben Affleck was walking away from the role and director Matt Reeves would instead cast a younger actor for the part, two primary thoughts rolled through my brain. First, I was bummed out that we only got two movies of Batfleck; I really liked his more aggressive, scarred up take on the Dark Knight and was hoping to see him develop into the hero we all know. Second, I rolled my eyes because that meant that WB would be rebooting the franchise yet again instead of putting faith into more obscure, less-used characters in its DC arm. Don’t get me wrong: I love Batman. But surely, they must realize there are other characters in that universe than Bruce Wayne, right?

As a huge fan of Matt Reeves’ previous films, I was, at the very least, curious to see his sensibilities in a comic book superhero movie. Each addition to the cast and crew over time made me more and more optimistic to what the possibilities could be. $100 million+ superhero epics are absolutely nothing new (If anything, they’re oversaturated in our market), but there’s still room for some innovation, especially if more auteur-driven directors are given the freedom to do what they want. And that’s exactly what The Batman ends up being. It feels completely distinct from its predecessors in the franchise and the genre as a whole.

Set during Batman’s second year fighting crime, Robert Pattinson stars as Bruce Wayne, a reclusive billionaire and masked vigilante. On Halloween Night, the controversial mayor of Gotham City is murdered by a mysterious serial killer calling himself The Riddler, played by Paul Dano. Arriving at the crime scene, Batman and GCPD Lieutenant James Gordon, played by Jeffrey Wright, discover some clues and a cipher hinting at what’s to come. As his journey takes him through Gotham’s underworld and allies him with cat burglar Selina Kyle, played by Zoë Kravitz, Batman discovers a vast conspiracy implicating the city’s wealthy elite and sets out to expose The Riddler’s plans before it’s too late.

Out of the 10+ “Batman” movies released in theaters; this feels like the first one that really leans into the “World’s Greatest Detective” aspect of the character. Comparisons to films like Zodiac, Seven, and Chinatown are not unearned here. The opening scene legitimately feels like it’s pulled straight from a horror film, as it establishes the bleak tone right out of the gate. I was surprised at how complex and genuinely intriguing the riddles were and how they fit into a larger puzzle. Throughout the movie, you’re guessing as to where these clues are going, much like the main characters are. And when everything comes together in the final act, all of the different threads make perfect sense in the grand scheme of things.

Since 1966, there have been 9 actors who have portrayed the Caped Crusader on the big screen, two of whom were in animated form (Those being Mask of the Phantasm and The Lego Batman Movie). Each actor has managed to put their own personal stamp on the iconic character. I was one of the lucky ones, because I got to see Robert Pattinson in his other roles long before I watched the “Twilight” movies. Seeing him work with directors like The Safdie Brothers, Christopher Nolan, Claire Denis, Robert Eggers, David Cronenberg, and Antonio Campos made me easily see how great of an actor he is. So choosing him for arguably the most recognizable comic book character in America is an unexpected but wildly exciting decision.

And that’s paid off, because he’s nothing short of stunning in this movie. He’s not the Bruce Wayne we’re used to seeing. He’s not a playboy socialite buying hotels and feigning social ignorance. In fact, trying to tell where Batman ends and where Bruce Wayne begins is an extremely difficult task. He’s so reclusive that the mere act of going out in public as a civilian becomes a huge news story. This is also the first movie in the franchise that forces Bruce to question just his own legacy, but the legacy of his family. Thomas and Martha Wayne are not the perfect, benevolent angels he thought they were, and it was a refreshing spin on a well-known backstory.

He’s flanked by a great cast of actors in supporting roles. There’s Jeffrey Wright and Andy Serkis as allies James Gordon and the ever-wise Alfred Pennyworth, Zoë Kravitz as the unpredictably sly Catwoman, Colin Farrell as the Penguin mobster who chews the scenery as if it were a delicious meal, Jayme Lawson as a mayoral candidate who might actually bring hope and guidance to the city, and finally Paul Dano as the elusive killer The Riddler. Dano, even though he’s not on-screen very often, is a menacing presence throughout. His introduction is a genuinely creepy scene and every scene with him afterwards is riveting. The Riddler has always been one of my favorite villains of the comics, and this movie finally did the character justice.

And from a technical standpoint, The Batman is, of course, a visually and audibly stunning picture. Greig Fraser’s cinematography is sleek and slick, mixing dark hues of various different colors such as orange and green. This specific palette highlights the griminess of the city and feels accurate to the stylized artwork from the best comics, particularly Jeph Loeb’s “The Long Halloween.” While the movie primarily takes place during the nighttime, the action on-screen is still clearly visible and beautifully framed. Most fight scenes are depicted in anamorphic wide shots that capture both the complex blocking of scenes and the scope of it all.

This is not to say that the editing job by William Hoy and Tyler Nelson isn’t worthy of praise. Quite the opposite, actually. The cuts flow between scenes beautifully as the characters move from location to location around Gotham. The transitions between shots during action sequences, particularly one set during a funeral, are exquisite. It’s also a testament to the editors that the pacing feels just right. The movie has a runtime of 2 hours and 56 minutes, the longest for a Batman movie. How they managed to make a nearly 3 hour-long film feel like just 2 and still keep the slow-burn of the mystery intact is incredible.

The ever versatile and prolific Michael Giacchino provides the instrumental film score. Continuing the long tradition of Batman not having a bad theme song, the main motif here is a repetitive riff of two notes that gradually crescendos and explodes into an orchestral flurry. But he doesn’t just stop there. Utilizing an arsenal of diverse instruments, from saxophones to strings to the glockenspiel, he creates several leitmotifs for many of the characters, each of which perfectly fits the horror-noir tone the film is going for. Sans the film’s title, you’d be forgiven for thinking that these tracks belong in other films of completely different genres.

The song “Something in the Way” by Nirvana is featured to bookend the film. It’s a perfect mood-setter for the story, a musical glimpse into Bruce Wayne’s headspace as he heads out into the night. It also serves a deeper indication of the themes, as this iteration of Batman is much more akin to Kurt Cobain than to someone like Elon Musk. It may as well serve as the theme song for most of the characters. However Reeves came up with the idea of using it in the film, it worked like gangbusters.

The delays this movie suffered due to the pandemic were upsetting to say the least. The first teaser trailer released all the way back in 2020 was a phenomenal piece of marketing, even more impressive when you consider it was cobbled together when only a quarter of the movie was shot at the time. And now that it’s out in the world, it feels even more like a gift.

With just as much dedication to its cast as to its craft, The Batman is a rivetingly modern yet faithful update on an overdone character. Matt Reeves has crafted not just one of the better depictions of the Caped Crusader but also outdone most other superhero movies of the last few years. Featuring an amazing lead performance from Robert Pattinson along with his co-stars, a fantastic musical score, and one of the scariest villains the genre has seen in quite some time, this is truly a thrilling ride, one best experienced in a theater. There is so much meticulous care and passion that has gone into the making of this film, and the best part is that it all looks so easy.

My Thoughts on “Zack Snyder’s Justice League”

“Make your own future. Make your own past. It’s all right now.”

I never actually saw Justice League when it originally came out in theaters. I instead saw it for the first time on an overnight plane ride months later. It was colorful, chaotic, and felt like the complete opposite of what had previously been shown in the trailers. Instead of being an epic crossover event on par with what Marvel was putting out, it was a frustratingly rote affair and felt far too safe for its own good. Since it came out, it was believed that Joss Whedon and the studio took advantage of Zack Snyder’s tragic exit and cut his original vision to ribbons. That is extremely apparent in the version we got. It was way too quippy and aloof for its own good, and almost none of the exciting material that had been teased to us ended up in the final product.

When the so-called “Snyder Cut” started trending on social media, I’ll admit that I was really skeptical. I thought it was just another example of entitled fans demanding something that didn’t even exist to begin with. But as I saw more and more members of the film’s cast and crew supporting the movement (And blasting Joss Whedon’s on-set behavior as an added bonus), it became apparent that there WAS something more after all. And before the official announcement last year, I never thought it would actually happen. Even after it was released, it still boggles my mind that Warner Bros. and DC willing agreed to give Snyder $70 million to finish what’s essentially a director’s cut of a movie that technically already exists.

The differences between the two versions of the film couldn’t be more obvious. It genuinely feels like a completely different movie. The new, longer cut is similar to Joss Whedon’s theatrical version in basic construction only. Everything else- composition, direction, context, tone, pacing, performance -feels much more deliberate, thought-out, and comprehensive. Just compare the opening scene in both versions and it becomes very apparent that Snyder had something darker and more emotional in mind. Whether it’s the fight in the tunnel or Superman’s resurrection, there’s a weight to every scene and it keeps you fully engaged. Despite that, it’s not the grim movie people believed it would be; it has a much more natural sense of humor and even a beam of hope by the end.

Steppenwolf goes from being a forgettable villain with an awful costume to a very interesting antagonist with an actual arc. The Flash is no longer cracking wise but is a young and confident man wanting to do right by the world. Superman becomes the classic embodiment of the hero he is meant to be (And this time, there’s no struggle to hide a moustache). And then there’s Cyborg. The beating heart of the film, the one whose arc is the one we follow the closest. Ray Fisher gives an incredible performance, and the fact that Whedon pushed him to the background and Fisher is being punished for speaking out about it is nothing short of a tragedy.

Say what you will about the quality of his films, very few filmmakers understand how to translate comic book moments into the medium like Zack Snyder. There are so many deliberate framing choices throughout the picture that feel like it was ripped from an actual comic. Especially ones with The Flash. Snyder does love slow-motion in his films and he finds a way to actually make us feel like we’re following the Fastest Man Alive in real time. His Speed Force scene near the end of the film might be one of the greatest superhero moments I’ve ever witnessed. As a lifelong comic book reader, I never thought a scene like that would be properly captured on film. But it was, and it was accompanied by Tom Holkenborg’s epic score to boot.

This does not mean, however, that it’s a perfect film. Far from it. Snyder draws his scenes out and takes his time setting up every sequence. This is one instance where shaving the runtime would be perfectly acceptable. And the added scenes at the end with The Joker and Martian Manhunter are wholly unnecessary. Although Jared Leto and Ben Affleck trade some pretty great and mature dialogue, the whole sequence just feels cruel. Like Snyder giving us a teaser for something that will most likely never see a payoff. The same thing goes for Martian Manhunter’s cameo at the very end. He’s one of my favorite DC characters and while I hope we get to see him in live-action again soon, his appearance here was forced and contrived. The film did not need one week of additional footage shot; it felt more like Snyder being unable to find a place to stop.

I can’t even begin to imagine the amount of grief and pain that Snyder went through regarding his daughter Autumn. No parent should ever have to bury their own child. And from what I understand, he’s spent a considerable amount of time the last few years raising awareness for mental health and suicide prevention. It’s apparent in almost every frame of this film that he dedicated it to her, as she was evidently a highly creative person. Finally getting to complete this film on his own terms must have been the biggest emotional catharsis he’s ever experienced.

Despite its flaws, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is probably the most ambitious superhero movies of our time, and its existence almost didn’t happen. Simply writing about this film feels surreal to me, like a dream that was never meant to come true. Did it need to be just over four hours long? No it did not. But it is a vast improvement on the Frankensteined mess that arrived in theaters almost four years ago, in nearly every single department. It gives the titular team the epic treatment they deserve, one where it somehow balances them all very well and gives each member a moment or two to shine. And it makes me want to see the DC Extended Universe become an interconnected story again.

Perhaps the upcoming The Flash will spark this possibility once more. Create a roadmap for these characters to join together on-screen again. But for now, I am simply grateful that DC, Warner Bros., and HBO Max allowed Zack Snyder to finish this project his way after everything he went through.