#i had a list of 10 films and then i watched rrr and i was like hmm might have to extend it

[pinktinselmonstrosity]

fifteen favourite films watched for the first time in 2022

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) // Barbarian (2022) // The Card Counter (2021) // Pather Panchali (1955) // In The Mood For Love (2000) // Bound (1996) // The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) // RRR (2022) // Spree (2020) // Nope (2022) // Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) // Train to Busan (2016) //Pearl (2022) // 12 Angry Men (1957) // Prey (2022)

[crowdvscritic]

behind the scenes // ST. LOUIS FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS (2022)

Have you ever wondered how Best of the Year lists are chosen? Each year publications like Entertainment Weekly and The Hollywood Reporter conduct anonymous interviews with Academy members to reveal their Oscar votes, often with article titles like “brutally honest” and “juicy.” I understand not wanting to burn any bridges with friends or colleagues, but I usually finish those pieces annoyed. If you’ve got an opinion, own it! How do know if I can trust your judgment or taste?

In the spirit of transparency, I’m doing my small part to be the change I wish to see in the world. (Exactly the scenario someone had in mind when altering Gandhi’s words to fit on a bumper sticker.) Last year I voted in the St. Louis Film Critics Association Best of the Year for the first time, and I’m sharing my behind-the-scenes look at how we narrowed down the 800+ eligible films of the year to our 23 winners and how I chose my votes. Apologies in advance it's not a "juicy" take—there's not a lot of drama in our group!

These were the key 2022 dates for our decisions:

Saturday, December 10th: Individual nominations due to SLFCA leadership

Sunday, December 11th: Tie-Breaker Meeting to determine final nominees

Saturday, December 17th: Final ballots due

As a reminder, I can’t speak for how every critic in the group prioritizes viewing or votes. Another critic in the group may have completely different strategy even if we end up voting for the same nominee!

How the Ballots Work

Like many awards shows, I’m kicking this explainer off with Best Supporting Actor and Actress. I didn’t have any cuts when I submitted my ballot—I was looking for people to fill my five slots. The real decision-making was about their order. 

In the first round of voting, our ballots are ranked, with our first choice earning five points toward the performer’s total and fifth place earning one point. For example, I contributed five points each to Andre Braugher and Carey Mulligan’s totals for their performances in She Said as well as two points to Angela Basset’s total for her Black Panther role. While those three made the cut for SLFCA’s nominations, not enough of the other critics ranked Adrien Brody, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dolly De Leon, Kate Hudson, Rami Malek, Pedro Pascal, or John David Washington highly enough for them to make the final nominations. Curtis and De Leon were just a few points away from making the cut.

More performers our critics loved: Jessie Buckley, Women Talking; Hong Chau, The Whale; Tom Hanks, Elvis; Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway; Anthony Hopkins, Armageddon Time; Nina Hoss, Tár; Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once; Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin; Keke Palmer, Nope; Eddie Redmayne, The Good Nurse; Mark Rylance, Bones and All; Jeremy Strong, Armageddon Time

Watching as Many Movies as Possible

More than 800 eligible films were released in 2022 . (One of our members compiled them all into a Letterboxd list.) In the 10 days before my nominations were due, I watched She Said, Triangle of Sadness, Vengeance, and White Noise, all of which made my picks for Best Screenplay. I also watched titles I nominated in other categories (Babylon, Emily the Criminal, The Fabelmans, RRR, “Sr.”), plus a few that didn’t make the cut (Armageddon Time, Devotion, The Menu, Something From Tiffany’s, The Wonder). 

But what about the films I hadn't seen that SLFCA nominated? That’s what the week between the Tie-Breaker Meeting and the final ballot due date is for. In those seven days, I checked out The Banshees of Inisherin, Tár, and Women Talking, which were movies I had expected to be nominated regardless of my support. 

More screenplays on my long list: Amsterdam, The Menu, See How They Run

More screenplays our critics loved: After Yang, Aftersun, All Quiet on the Western Front, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Elvis, Empire of Light, Happening, Nope, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Till, The Whale

Choosing Nominees

In the Cinematography, Editing, and Visual Effects categories, I focused on an advocacy strategy. Before I met most of my fellow St. Louis Film Critics Association members, I was regularly updated with their film recommendations in a private Facebook group. As early as September, members shared headlines about the Awards Season, and based on chatter I’d seen in the group and in the film world at large, I figured support would be strong for films like Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, She Said, and Top Gun: Maverick. I was less sure about sentiment for Amsterdam, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, See How They Run, Triangle of Sadness, and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, so I prioritized them on my ballot.

More films on my long list: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (VFX), RRR (Editing), She Said (Editing), The Woman King (VFX)

A few more films our critics loved: All Quiet on the Western Front (Cinematography), Avatar: The Way of Water (Cinematography, Editing), The Batman (VFX), Decision to Leave (Editing), Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (VFX), Empire of Light (Cinematography), Three Thousand Years of Longing (VFX), Women Talking (Editing)

Breaking Ties

After we submitted our ballots, we met as a group at a restaurant to hash out ties. The longest and most passionate debate broke out over the Best Scene category because there was a six-way (!) tie for third place. We ultimately decided to keep four of those six scenes and nominate six films total. We typically only include five nominees, but exceptions can be made in the case of a tie.

A few more scenes our critics loved: Scarlet Witch vs. the Illuminati in Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, the Home Alone-inspired sequence in Violent Night

Prioritizing Nominees

After nominations were finalized at our our Tie-Breaker Meeting, I counted 20 nominated films I had not seen, 14 of which were only nominated in 1 category each. (I did not join the group till the summer, so I was not watching for most of the year knowing about this deadline!) I knew I would not have the time to watch them all, so I prioritized by asking these questions:

How many nominations did each film have? The Banshees of Inisherin, Women Talking, and Tár each earned between 4 and 11 noms, so they were highest priority

Could I watch every nominee in a category? All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Apollo 10½, Jackass Forever, and Wendell & Wild each only earned one nom, but I prioritized them so I could complete the Animated, Comedy, and Documentary categories

Had I watched enough noms to vote in a category? To vote in a category, I had to watch at least three nominees. I prioritized the twice-nominated in Decision to Leave so I could vote in Best International Feature, but I decided to skip voting in the Horror category because I would’ve needed to watch four films to vote (and because this horror-averse viewer probably would have found all four of them quite upsetting!)

More films on my long list: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Action), The Lost City (Comedy), Marry Me (Comedy), Minions: The Rise of Gru (Comedy), See How They Run (Comedy), The Woman King (Action)

A few more films our critics loved: Bad Axe (Documentary), The Bad Guys (Animated), The Banshees of Inisherin (Comedy), Barbarian (Horror), The Batman (Action), Broker (International), Bros (Comedy), Clerks III (Comedy), Corsage (International), EO (International), Lightyear (Animated), Navalny (Documentary), The Sea Beast (Animated), Smile (Horror)

Announcing the Winners

For me, the final round of voting is a combination of picking clear favorites in a category and trying to get your favorite films represented somewhere on the ballot. Winners are announced in a press release and shared on the SLFCA website. And in just a few weeks the process starts all over again with the new year! 

You can see the full list of winners and nominees for 2022 at STLFilmCritics.org, and here are how my nominations shook out in the categories not featured above:

[letamthoughts]

RRR (2022)

10 out of fucking 10 holy fucking shit balls did i fucking love this movie? 🤔 fuck it; don't care shit was great a-freaking-mazing, even holy fuck balls i need more of this now put it in my fucking veins

so yeah shit was pretty fucking good a bloody rollercoaster of an experience, let's say thank-fucking-you Jacob Geller for having that void of a beard in the first video i saw of yours led to the timeline where I actually watched a Tollywood/Bollywood film (finally) is this what missa been missin'? my whole life? or is this simply one of the greats? mah ass gon' find out, i know that 👍🏿

played the (thank god it's stereotypically so) dance scenes a second time each time just to read the lyrics watching the last one for a 3rd time while i type this >.>

y'all, this some pumped up shit o'mah'god wanted to fucking dance, this shit go so hard glad i played Raji: An Ancient Epic already wouldn't have understood the matter with the bow well, i guess i only barely understand it; let's be honest [i'm now watching the Desi Naach (nacho) dance for the 3rd time]

Naaacho nacho nacho nacho nacho nacho vidi naaacho!~ mofos did a great job with these dance scenes and i appreciate seeing that one thick lady during the Desi Naach so much plot happening in that scene; fo'real love it shit's like a spiritual/religious/praise scene in a Madea play... but fuckin' LIT! they totally had a stand, btw part of me is thinking we did something similar to the Nacho dance-off when we were kids, but the other part is like "nah, you wish, homie"

real talk, y'all, don't let nobody spoil the shit that happens in this beautiful experience

back to the bros, though that was some heartfelt shit portrayed throughout don't remember the last time i saw something like it tbh 🤔 Akhtar reminded me of Angry Joe in a few scenes, which was interesting

watched Hindi dub with English subtitles need to see it in Telugu, though >.> zee5.com, here i come (subs or not)  

ah, should talk about the cartoonishly evil Euros 💀 well done they played those roles well and that's all I'm gonna say about that :3

starting to wonder the significance of some of the actors, especially the Euros like, surely some are really famous and fill seats by being on the poster oh shit, and Malli can act; gawd damn

love how the ladies were getting their dresses dirty and not giving a fuck shit looks too fun

Just remembered (upon the umpteenth replay of Desi Naach), the drumming gave me Turn Down for What vibes, so I'm wondering if India inspired the video at all 🤔 Could've been vice versa actually

yeah, i'm pretty sure i fucking love it The Favorites List The Intimate List The Blind List (1/5) The Get Off Your Couch List The Romance List (bromance)

Ram has some serious Jason Momoa vibes going on at a certain point this whole movie: Dude wanna bro; Ladies wanna have fun it's a good thing nobody was wearing heals at that part o.o

Seriously, I need to stop playing Desi Naacho on repeat so I can go to sleep. (found it on YouTube; don't you dare!) :x

Holy shit, nobody gets sexualized at all except for the Ram (Raju) & Akhtar (Bheem) sweet

y'all, i just realized that 3 hours flew by like 2 while watching this

went in knowing nothing btw; highly recommend knowing very little

(Moderate Spoilers)

love the portrayal of real life superheros (basically) like, what if Superman was Indian and just had an unreasonable amount of super-strength that's these two mofos (with the combat skills of Batman and Green Arrow) glad i didn't realize while watching that there wouldn't be a third guy; Ram played his villain role well, so the reveal was a nice twist for me

oh shit, Akhan pours liquid as bait twice in the movie trust; nice shit, the scratches on the back again... huh 🤔 i'mma need somebody to CinemaWins this with cultural and religious explanations

(Major Spoilers)

thank Radha both these beautiful fuckers lived 🥺 i like dark endings, but fuck dat noise damnit so many bloody fakeouts; i hated it in the moment, but i loved it after real talk, though; Ram is handsomer, but Akhtar looks better with his shirt off

[stardustfoundations]

So since watching rrr, I’ve been diving into Indian movies. This is just a helpful list for me to keep track of what I’ve watched so far. What I watch is just based upon what I can get my hands on and whatever comes up first. I also have a few movies I’ve started but not finished for various reasons that I plan to go back to. I also try to watch films in their original languages.

RRR (first Indian film. Amazing movie 10/10)

Baahubali: The Beginning (the first 30 minutes to 1 hr of this is so very confusing, but after that i enjoyed every second of both movies. Was a very good time)

Baahubali 2: The Conclusion

Article 15 (crime drama. First major run in with the caste system in Indian movies i encountered.)

Acharya ( it sure was a film. Subtitles weren't great, and it was very slow. Enjoyed it tho)

Rangasthalam (I liked this one pretty good, fav of Ram Charan I’ve see rn. Only three rn tho. His films are hard to find for some reason :( )

Aravinda Sametha (This was pretty good, but very slow at points, JR NTR film. About factions and trying to end the cycle of violence. LI was good, but so dumb in places. She’s studying factions, but seems to be so ignorant about them??? July 1: Just learned the version I watched cut like 20 minutes from the film lmao. Like at least the funeral scene got cut. I think a few songs got cut. I wonder how many different bits of films I’ve missed 💀 Might explain some of the pacing issues I’d come across.)

Janatha Garage (Subtitles were so so bad, but fav of JR NTR’s so far.)

K.G.F Chapter 1 (1 and 2 are really really good. the love story is pure Stockholm syndrome tho rip.)

K.G.F Chapter 2

Jana Gana Mana (really good movie. Courtroom drama. Feels pro cop at the beginning then becomes a critique of media culture and corrupt systems i think?)

Adhurs (double NTR’s! It was okay, not the best but a fun time. One i watched was like a third hand rip and would pause to load in a lot of places, so dramatic moments were lost)

Kaithi (fav movie rn. Going through the single night was aces. Seeing the sun come up at the end was very satisfying. Getting to know Gilli over the course of the movie was a+)

Master (good move. The scene in the middle where he shaves the kids heads was a little :/ cause invasion of body autonomy like that always makes me sour on stuff a little bit.)

Pushpa: The Rise (love the body language of the main actor. really good. Can’t wait for the second part)

Bruce Lee: The Fighter (Had fun watching it. Tw suicide attempt tho. The Chiranjeevi cameo was fun. )

Govindudu Andarivadele (Ram Charan film. Weird edits. Why did the character get over his friend deceiving him with the wrong picture. Feeling weird about the cousin love thing, but otherwise pretty good! Cried at the end of this. I think my version was cut weird cause I like cut out Abhi getting shot and then like his dad reacting? Music cues were also all weird?)

Beast (fun movie I think. MC was interesting. Felt like it would fit in with usa war films tho)

Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (liked this film. Laughed a lot during a good fun time with some feels)

Mersal (???? Doctor/magician in the way of Kaito Kid and in that i mean out of left field amazing tricks??? Got to like a fight scene and had to stop cause life. Just pulled a staff out of a bag??? I've seen song videos on youtube and it is very much not this??? So confused. I have since watched more and loving it. Verti(SP?) is very sim to Kaito Kid, but he kills people instead of stealing gems lmao. Loved the ending. Def cried while watching. Leaving prev notes cause they a little live blog of thoughts.)

Brindavanam (the edits in this are wack as shit. Makes no sense rn, but it compels me NTR JR. Love triangle??? induced by original LI??? Into the back half. They are now trying to get out of the problems the fake dating has caused lol. Edits have def calmed down. fun ending. They didn’t present a solution to the love triangle lol which I think is for the best)

Sarkar (interesting so far. My dad started watching it with me, it almost made him late for work cause he got pulled in lol, so I can’t continue without him :(. Finished it! Really liked this movie. Soundtrack was really good)

Secret Superstar (feels filled movie. I liked this one)

Vikram Vedha (I was rooting for Vedha through out the whole movie lol. They said Vikram was a honorable cop, but he straight up shot a man who had surrendered and engineered multiple encounters)

Petta (It was okay. Not really my favorite, and kinda felt disconnected. Was not a big fan of the end either. It felt like a twist for a twist sake. :/)

Jai Bhim (Really liked this movie. It was really well done. Every moment really gripped you. Sangani's story was heartbreaking 10/10) 

Etharkkum Thunindvavan (a heavy movie inregarding sexual violence, but good. Feels a little heavy handed in it's message at times, but that just may be me. Seems like it might have a sequal in the future based upon the ending? I'll be looking out for it.)

Pada (about a 1996 protest for the rights of the adivasi people. Very well done and thought provoking movie. Unfortunately the subtitles just. didn't translate some lines???? Like important ending the movie lines. Rip the amazon prime and their subtitle contractor. I swear every movie is subtitled/translated horribly)

Forensic (really interesting movie. The story it wove was very dramatic. Little of the rails at times tho)

Thimmarsu (fun movie with some action and drama. What a twist at the end)

Maharshi (interesting movie. A nice story with a good? message. Main actor wasn’t my fav tho)

Uyare (a good movie. Loved Pallavi)

Anjaan (The reveal bits were some of the funnest parts of the movie. It was fun to watch. idk what else to say about it. Was hoping for a double roll but it was not to be rip.)

Bigil (I really liked this film even the sport parts which I don’t always go for. Loved the combo of action film with sport film.)

Bairavaa  (I liked it. A good Vijay film. The plan that was spun was cool) 

Bloody Mary (Loved this movie. Was a good fun time. Loved the soundtrack, but I can’t find it anywhere rip)

Theri (loved the relationship between Vijay and his daughter. Made me miss Ice and Talapathy from Mersal tho 😔. The bits were he pretended to be a ghost were really good)

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (cried like a baby while watching this movie. It was really good.)

 DJ Duvvade Jagammadham (DJ was an interesting character. A fun movie, but also hate how it leaves DJ still going around killing people lmao)

Veetla Vishesham (Was a good time. Wish it focused a little more on the brothers, but would recommend it.)

 Lucifer (Really loved this one. It was so good. Cannot wait for the squeal and the Chiranjeevi remake)

Dangal (Really Really good. Loved this movie a lot)

Kilometers and Kilometers (A good movie. Moved me to tears at times and was a really good watch)

Raame Aandalum Raavane Aandalum (lovely movie. I liked it a lot. The old man’s plight being thrust forward was really good)

3 idiots (really liked this film. The romance did nothing for me though. Loved the relationship between the core three. big tw for suicide tho)

Kaththi (It was pretty good. Really liked it)

Jai Lava Kusa (NTR in a triple role was really really good. Liked this one a lot)

Taare Zameen Par (really good movie. Ishaan was the best. Loved it so much)

Maaran (interesting movie. I liked it the relationship between the Maaran and his sister was really good)

Om Shanti Om  (sad fun film. It was good, but not my favorite)

Dasvi (interesting and fun film. Loved the MC’s quest to complete his education)

Godse (no idea how to feel about this film. It was good and I liked it. Watching Godse’s story unwind was def a one punch to the gut after another)

 Kapoor and Sons (another really good movie. the last like 45 minutes just like rips out your heart and hands it to you on a platter. Would have loved to see the brother hug at the end tho)

Thaana Serndha Koottam (A fun movie loved all the biplay and plans in this movie. Really good)

Imaikkaa Nodigal (interesting film. The slow discovery of what was going on was really fun.)

Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui (It was a good movie and I liked it. Hard to get through on account of everything Maanvi goes through. Would have loved to see Manu apologize like straight out)

Started But Not Finished (plan to finish them tho) (given up on keeping track of this lmao)

Badhaai DO (Queer movie. Like what I've watched so far. need to finish it)

Gangubai Kathiawadi (stars sita’s actress, barely started it, but looks good)

Radhe Shyam (idk what to make of this movie?? Watched cause Prabhas but rom coms aren't my thing all that much)

Don (sure is something? love story comedy thing. Clicked cause i saw it trending on some chart and I'm not really vibing with it)

Lagaan (really good. Has a CW actor in it which i did not expect to see in any shape or form. Gotta watch the actual match now. Really long)

Mirchi (Prabhas movie. MC seeks to change LI factionist family I think?? Subtitles are not helping me)

Super Deluxe (mixed feeling on  this one. On one hand Trans woman whose identity is treated seriously, but on the other hand she’s hate crimed almost every second she’s on screen and is played by a cis man. The other two storylines are fun, except for the fatphobia which is :/)

Yevadu (sure is an experience. fun revenge plot Ram Charan film)

Magadheera (the film is really dragging for me right now rip)

Rang De Basanti (interesting film. Liking this one. sad and thought provoking with some fun times. Hitting the end rn) 

Night Drive (almost half way through. Liking it so far. Interesting setup for the plot)

Tughlaq Durbar (about a third of the way through. Split personality thing is throwing me off, so idk if I'll finish it)

Khaidi No. 150 (it’s a fun movie. The fact that LI is played by the same actress that’s the same age as Ram Charan and was also the LI in one of his movies is majorly throwing me off)

Thalaivaa (Not really doing anything for me :/)