Thunderbolts*

Despite Thunderbolts* sorely needing a bit of character development, and to be slowed down for a few beats in some critical junctures, this was night and day better than Brave New World in every single category, and you would expect as much from the writing and directing team that made Beef, one of the best shows Netflix has produced this decade. Part of the magic of early MCU movies was that they were just plain fun, and this definitely captured a lot of that essence. This mirrored the first Avengers movies quite literally in parts, and that was a cool touch. Florence Pugh could easily carry an MCU movie on her own, and largely does here, but the ancillary characters they put around her all serve to better the movie. I’d put this in the upper half of all-time MCU movies, and hopefully a step towards righting the ship. And Jord’s wrong about this limping to the finish line. The threat of this film, and the film’s final act is thoughtfully done. But if you’re a longtime reader, you know to take his reviews with a grain of salt by now.

-Z

My faith in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been wavering, and after the low point of Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts has given me some hope! I loved the ensemble of heroes here, definitely making it feel like an Avengers movie. There could have been a bit more character development and story development in spots, but this was fun, well-written, and served a clear purpose. More of this please, Marvel

-E

“We own you now.” -Yelena

An MCU universe where Florence Pugh runs the show? Sign me up! But the question remains, do the Thunderbolts now own the MCU? Fantastic Four most likely has a lot to say about that, but until then we can be happy about Thunderbolts*. I will say, in the beginning I was locked in. As the film progressed, there were some really funny and exciting parts, but I did believe that it lost its charm as it went on. After the film I said to Z and E I felt that it limped to the finish line, and I still believe that. What I believe a lot of people are doing is comparing this to the most recent Marvel films which have been subpar, and when this was above average we are treating it like it was great. Is this a move in the right direction for the MCU, yes! Is the MCU fully back, that is still up in the air. Overall it was a fun movie with some memorable scenes, but overall I sadly felt like it was only good not great. Lastly, if you want an MCU film with some feels from the OG MCU, definitely give Thunderbolts* a watch.

-J

Z 8.5
E 8.75
J 7.75

ZEJ 8.33

The Amateur

"No, I want to kill them myself" -Heller

I am going to steal a line from my brother, “this is a movie and story that if you’ve seen it once, you’ve seen it a hundred times.” Initially, I felt the movie created a world I could get behind, with believable motives. However, as the story progressed, it increasingly faltered. With that being said, I felt like it was a movie with a good cast that they had high expectations for, then as they filmed they realized it was very mid. They then wrapped up quickly and got to the conclusion. While I think a lot of people will enjoy it, the ZEJ team (and I'll speak for Z and E on this) are not among them. Also, I believe Rami is a really good actor, but this film was not it. I felt zero depth from him, and maybe that played into why it was so average. Overall, if you are making assumptions about the plot, I can say you are most likely correct and if that interests you, then it might be worth your time.

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 7.0

~ZEJ 7.0

Drop

"You lost the moment you walked into this restaurant" -Richard

This was one of the mystery movies that Cinemark puts on and is probably the only reason I saw it. This film creates the typical experience with Blumhouse movies. I leave thinking to myself, “Did I really like that film?” The simple answer that comes to mind is overwhelmingly, yes! In no way is it elite, in no way is the twist extremely satisfying, and it was really predictable, but all in all I sit here and think that it was really fun and glad I watched it. I don’t think anyone looking for a thriller and a good time will be disappointed. Also, for what this film is, the reason it is a 7.75 and not a 7.5 is that it does really have some oddly extremely cinematic shots throughout the film. I sat there watching wondering why not just make a better story and film then throw this in there. Overall, very little complaints, and if you know what you're getting into, I'd say give Drop a chance.

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 7.75

~ZEJ 7.75

Jord’s Shrek Watch Through

(See Jord’s review on the first Shrek movie here.)

Shrek is one of my only 10 ranked films and watching it again made me think, “I should watch all of them, because I don’t really remember them all.” Here is what I will say, 1 and 2 are elite, 3 feel free to forget about, and 4 was a great bounce back. Overall, this just made me more excited for Shrek 5 and if you have time, give the first 2 a watch.

Jord’s Ratings:

Shrek: 10.0
Shrek 2: 9.0
Shrek 3: 6.5
Shrek 4: 7.75

-J

Franchise AVG:
Z n/a
E n/a
J 8.31

Franchise AVG
~ZEJ 8.31

Ex Machina

A24 Truther and ZEJ Class Clown Jord was shocked and shocked again when we told him E and I had never seen Ex Machina, and then reminded him shortly thereafter that we had never seen Ex Machina. But after seeing Civil War and Warfare, we figured it was finally time to see Alex Garland’s first feature film. Though, as E mentions, the sci-fi aspects of this are not as fantastical as they would have been upon its release in 2015, and that might have changed its impact on us. I enjoyed this, particularly the electric and MustWatch™ Oscar Isaac, and I didn’t think the plot was as predictable as E though. It has a few issues, one being that it doesn’t rise above a particularly good Black Mirror episode, like its scope and impact is just only 4/5ths of the way to profound. Regardless, would recommend. It’s a fun puzzle, despite its limitations.

-Z

What would it have been like to watch this when it came out ten years ago? I’m guessing that the AI technology would have felt unbelievably futuristic and creepy. Yet today, the conversations with Ava feel quite realistic, which is probably impacting the shock-value of this film for me. I found the story fairly predictable/not very surprising, but it still had a great energy and excellent acting. I still can’t tell if Oscar Isaac’s character was more of a crafty genius or a pompous idiot. A well-deserved Oscar for Visual Effects. Glad to have finally seen this!

-E

Z 8.5
E 8.25
J n/a

~ZEJ 8.38

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

After how surprisingly funny Vengeance Most Fowl was, E & I wanted to explore the rest of this franchise, and we went back to the first feature length film, the Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Though it won Best Animated Feature in 2005, it was decidedly inferior to Most Fowl. The claymation was excellent, as expected, but it wasn’t nearly as funny as I had hoped. Regardless,. this is a very cute franchise, and excellent content for kids & parents, or just animation enjoyers like ZEJ.

-Z

Not nearly as laugh-out-loud funny as Vengeance Most Fowl, but still a very charming, slightly spooky movie with excellent claymation. The additions of Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter were also fun here. The story just felt a little more predictable and kid-focused compared with last year’s edition. I’m excited to follow the future of this franchise!

-E

Z 7.5
E 7.75
J n/a

~ZEJ 7.63

Sinners

Black Bag, Warfare, Sinners… back to back to back bangers Hollywood has treated the ZEJ team with, and each, according to ZEJ, better than the last. While all three are extremely well done on a technical level: directing, writing, acting; Sinners is by far the most creative and original, and you have to give it the edge for that. It’s also a bit more entertaining, as the phenomenally captivating acting of Michael B Jordan and company keep you so enthralled every minute of this film that you’re really on edge when the horror aspects of the film begin to unfold. Another layer of that captivation is the Oscar-worthy original music created by the masterful Ludwig Göransson, which is deliciously intoxicating. Miles Caton makes his acting debut and performs much of Ludwig’s work in the film, and he completely exemplifies this quote from the film: ”There are legends of people with the gift of making music so true it conjure spirits from the past and the future.” The combination of hearing that quote in the movie and then hearing Miles Caton perform in the movie and having him completely deliver on it gave me chills and that was a singular cinematic experience.

-Z

My favorite of the year so far! The plot completely held my attention and the horror aspects all felt deserved, not campy, to me. Michael B. Jordan does such an impressive job of playing twins interacting on the screen, I had to remind myself at the end that he was just one actor when thinking about how they put the movie together. Beautiful cinematography. A wildly long mid-credits scene that really stuck the landing. There are a lot of unexpected layers to this vampire story!

-E

"You keep dancing with the devil... one day he's gonna follow you home." -Jedidiah

If I just had to look at a poster and watch a trailer to decide if I want to watch a movie, there is no chance that I would watch this film. Right when I saw the trailer I thought it looked corny, predictable, and kind of cheap. What we got was a cinematic and extremely unique story with some high level acting. At this point, this is for sure the best film I have seen this year. Michael B Jordan is absolutely electric as both Smoke and Stack, but the real surprise is MIles Caton making his acting debut. Along with great acting is the unique story. I will say, I don’t know if I loved the vampire aspect, but it definitely is what makes this movie have no comparisons. This is what I think is the kind of horror movie that anyone can get behind. You go for long periods of time setting up a world without focusing on scares, so much so that you forget that it is a horror movie at times. Overall, a great film that any cinema lover should see asap.

-J

Z 8.75
E 9.0
J 9.25

ZEJ 8.83

Warfare

The best part of Civil War was the military sequences, and that made me really intrigued that Alex Garland was going to turn around a military movie a year later, and wow, the man did not disappoint. Warfare depicts the true story of Garland’s co-director Ray Mendoza’s Iraq unit during one particular assault on them in 2006. One particular member of the unit, Elliott Miller, had no memory of the incident, due to injuries sustained from the event, and that was the impetus for Mendoza creating the movie in the first place, so as to give his fellow soldier a feel for the events of that day. And I think that’s really important context for the movie. As Jord says, it’s not propaganda. Nor is it trying to say anything explicitly. It’s just a memory. And it’s a harrowing, intense, and emotional one. I won’t watch it again, but if you can stomach some gore, I think it’s an important watch, and will definitely be one of the best movies produced this year.

-Z

I did not expect this film to be so closely focused on one true event, which helps this stand out from other war movies. The most impressive piece for me was the film’s ability to demonstrate the logistics of battle in real-time without any of the characters overexplaining their actions. It all felt incredibly real! Devoid of any score, but excellent sound design. I hope this sees some award nominations come next Oscars season.

-E

I had no intention of a 9. Even after the film, I thought it may be close but it won't be a 9. Now that I am sitting here having to put my thoughts down, we got 9. I have not stopped thinking about this film, and I traditionally really dislike war movies. Something about this is very different and is leaving a lasting impression on me. This has no propaganda feel towards war and the military, which I kind of thought was impossible to do for a film like this. It is just an intense realtime story that had me fully engaged. How they did this with the only back story being a group of guys watching a workout film for 3 minutes to start the movie and ended with me having actual feelings for the characters is just crazy to me. As Z said to me, that he will never watch it again andmost likely I won't either, but it did really leave a stamp on me. Hopefully this is in the Oscar run for audio and I hope anyone who can handle a grim and intense story gets a chance to watch it themselves. (also, I could watch a show of force 100 times and still love it)

-J

Z 8.75
E 8.75
J 9.0

ZEJ 8.83

The Conversation

The Varsity Cinema, one of ZEJ’s favorite local Des Moines theaters, played this recently after Gene Hackman’s death, and E added it to our list as a result, but I would have been okay if she hadn’t. We tried to watch this twice, and both times I fell asleep. Amazingly, it was nominated for Best Picture in 1974, and it’s a wonder people could make it through this one, but I guess I chalk it up to this was pre-internet and boredom drove people to more tedious forms of the cinema medium. If despite all that, the Gene Hackman / Francis Ford Coppola still intrigues you, this movie does have a good premise, and the ending is amazing. But hats off to you if you can get there.

-Z

This score might be somewhat impacted by the fact that Z and I had to split this up over two viewings due to the movie putting us to sleep, but I truly do not understand how The Conversation is so well regarded. I found much of the movie incredibly slow - and that is not a complaint I often make! The intensity of the last few scenes save it a little, but not nearly enough to warrant its critical acclaim I’d say.

-E

Z 6.5
E 6.0
J n/a

~ZEJ 6.25

Movie Fantasy League 2024 - End of Season Update

With the Oscars officially over, our inaugural season of the Movie Fantasy League has come to an end.

Here’s the final standings:

The rank on the left is globally and score on the right is final points.

Jord already had a big lead, but he dominated at the Oscars, racking up 9 wins, including Best Picture with Anora.

Not that it did much for me , but I (Z) had next most, with 3 Oscar wins, followed by E and Austin R with 2.

It’s pretty clear Jord got super lucky and I don’t think the ZEJ Reviews Movie Fantasy League will ever let something like this happen again.

Mr Richards (J) - 4676 pts

• Anora ($25) - 6 noms, 5 wins

• Emilia Perez ($25) - 13 noms, 2 wins

• Wicked ($20) - 10 noms, 2 wins

• The Room Next Door ($8)

• Here ($8)

• Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl ($5) - 1 nom

• Juror #2 ($5)

• Piece by Piece ($3)

ecrhodes (E) - 3319 pts

• Wicked ($20) - 10 noms, 2 wins

• Joker: Folie a Deux ($20)

• A Complete Unknown ($15) - 8 noms

• The Wild Robot ($15) - 3 noms

• September 5 ($10) - 1 noms

• Babygirl ($10)

• Will & Harper ($5)

• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga ($5)

Austo (Austin R) - 3102 pts

• Sing Sing ($25) - 3 noms

• Joker: Folie a Deux ($20)

• Wicked ($20) - 10 noms, 2 wins

• Sonic the Hedgehog 3 ($10)

• Saturday Night ($8)

• Smile 2 ($5)

• The Apprentice ($5) - 2 noms

• Longlegs ($3)

runningwolf (Z) - 2493 pts

• Dune: Part Two ($35) - 5 noms, 2 wins

• Sing Sing ($25) - 3 noms

• Blitz ($20)

• A Real Pain ($10)

• Oh Canada ($3)

• Love Lies Bleeding ($3)

• No Other Land ($3) - 1 noms, 1 win

• Kneecap ($1)

MaxC (Max) - 2198 pts

• Gladiator II ($40) - 1 noms

• The Wild Robot ($15) - 3 noms

• We Live in Time ($15)

• Challengers ($10)

• A Real Pain ($10)

• Nosferatu ($8) - 4 noms

• The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim ($5)

• Transformers One ($2)

TheFearedDoctor (Tony) - 1736 pts

• Gladiator II ($40) - 1 noms

• Moana 2 ($30)

• Nightbitch ($10)

• Nosferatu ($8) - 4 noms

• Deadpool & Wolverine ($5)

• Joy ($3)

• In the Summers ($2)

• Exhibiting Forgiveness ($2)

StShuffles (Austin T) - 1625 pts

• Gladiator II ($40) - 1 noms

• Moana 2 ($30)

• Nightbitch ($10)

• Nosferatu ($8) - 4 noms

• Saturday Night ($8)

• Speak No Evil ($2)

• Lisa Frankenstein ($1)

• Ultraman: Rising ($1)

The Monkey

“Everybody dies. Some of us peacefully and in our sleep, and some of us... horribly. And that's life.” -Lois

I rarely like to say that I know more than others in movies, but I truly believe that I do know more seeing the reviews. The number one thing that needs to be understood is that this is a comedy, not a horror film. I know it is marketed as such and if you go into it wanting to watch a horror film, specifically like Oz Perkins’ last film Longlegs, you will be disappointed. If you go in with the right attitude, you are in for a hoot. It's not a traditionally great film with deep themes and fantastic acting that would make an 8, but it all worked so well for me. I just had a lot of fun and if you can deal with gore I think you need to watch it.

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 8.0

~ZEJ 8.0

The Gorge

“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth.” -Levi

Snipers. Action. Love. Anya Taylor-Joy. Miles Teller. Add to the quote, the fact this is a bad movie also cannot be long hidden. A movie that has almost no redeeming qualities and would have got the rare turn off early if I didn’t watch it with friends. The concept is really interesting. It was marketed as a great movie for all movie lovers. A true action thriller with a true love story behind it. If done well, I think that could make a fun movie for all, but this just did each part forgettably. If I had to say something nice about it, I would say there are a few cool action shots with some decent CGI. Beyond all that, you do not need to find time to watch it and I would recommend you don’t.

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 5.0

~ZEJ 5.0

Paddington in Peru

“Embrace the risk” -Henry

As a Paddington truther, this is one that I had to get in right away. The Paddington series is going for a perfect trifecta so there is a lot on the line. Did it hit it perfectly like Paddington 2? Sadly it fell a little flat to that, but you shoot for the moon, you may hit some stars. It was still a great film, that most won't believe, but had arguably too much Antonio Banderas. The charm was still there and is a must watch for all lovers of the series! Paddington 2, followed by Paddington in Peru, and then Paddington.

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 7.75

~ZEJ 7.75

Black Bag

Well, last Tuesday, the ZEJ team saw the best movie of 2025 so far, and it’s not even close. I’m a sucker for spy thrillers, but Black Bag is objectively amazing. Steven Soderbergh is a legend, and you can see all the cleverness of the Ocean’s films in this. Fassbender and Blanchett are perfect, as always, but the supporting cast really make this movie work. Tom Burke is particularly compelling, and between this and his emergence to me in Furiosa, he’s definitely somebody to watch out for in the future. He has one of those faces that just screams cinematic, like an Adrien Brody or Cillian Murphy. Don’t want to spoil anything for you, so I’ll leave it at that, but this is a must watch.

-Z

Ocean’s Eleven is my favorite movie, and I was not surprised to hear afterward that this film had the same director. I loved the intense, dialogue-driven plot, which, similar to Ocean’s Eleven, packs so much information into each conversation, your attention is commanded. You are rewarded for paying close attention by being able to piece everything together, making you feel like you are part of the heist.

-E

“When you can lie about everything, when you can deny everything, how do you tell the truth about anything?” -Clarissa

Mr. and Mrs. Smith, am I right?? You watch the trailer or describe it to anyone that's what you hear them say, and in perfect spy fashion it is completely different. A movie I was not really excited to see and convinced to go based on Z and E giving me a push, and I thank them for it. It has been a long time since I have seen a true spy movie that I loved. This wasn’t action focused, but truly spy focused. A lot to pay attention to and a lot of faith put on the audience to follow along. I have tried to explain it to others and I still give it that Mr. and Mrs. Smith tie, but it is so much more in my opinion. If you enjoy spy movies with twists and strong dialogue, this is a must watch. I don’t foresee any awards, but I wouldn’t be mad if it wins some!

-J

Z 8.75
E 8.75
J 8.75

ZEJ 8.75

Thelma

Thelma is a sneaky good movie, that as it turns out, is also the most clever Mission Impossible satire you could imagine. June Squibb, who at 95 years old, carries this movies effortlessly, with the grace that only a nonagenarian could. The relationship her and her grandson Fred Hechinger have in this is really sweet. June reminds me a lot of my great grandmother, and her daughter, my grandmother Sandy, and that added a special layer of poignancy for me. Definitely recommend this for a good time, a a laugh and maybe a cry?

-Z

Quite funny, but also quite introspective. Thelma has the mindset and attitude I hope to have at 93! The Mission: Impossible themes were hilariously enjoyable. I don’t have any grandparents left, and I was never very close with any of them, so that relationship dynamic probably didn’t hit as close to home for me as Z and J, but I still loved this one.

-E

“I didn't expect to get so old.” - Thelma

I also didn’t expect to like this movie as much as I did. This is one that I saw a trailer for and decided that it wasn’t for me. Then through movie articles and podcasts, I was convinced to give it a try. This was a much more heartfelt movie than I was expecting with a ton of subtle humor throughout. It definitely isn’t a perfect film and it never had a chance to win any awards, but if you are looking for a nice feel good comedy, definitely give it a chance!

-J

Z 8.75
E 8.5
J 8.0

ZEJ 8.42

8 Mile

E had never seen this cornerstone of my childhood, so we gave it watch, and it’s impressive how it’s largely held up. Of course, as was the case then, the magic of this movie is Eminem. I didn’t realize until Ellen read the trivia afterward, but Eminem is in every single scene, and it takes a special performance to make you forget that. I wasn’t old enough to be aware of the Oscars at the time, but it’s somewhat shocking now he wasn’t nominated. The film certainly has some bizarre pacing, scenes, and directorial choices, none bigger than why they just didn’t make this a full-on biopic instead of semi-biopic, but if you’re a fan of acting, and/or Eminem, then this is must watch.

-Z

After Z’s constant disappointment with musician biopics, I realized that this is a movie that (kind of) fits that genre I had never seen, and Z confirmed that I probably needed to see it. The acting and dialogue felt a bit over the top for most of the film, but I definitely enjoyed the fact that Eminem played (basically) himself - this is something I knew, but didn’t fully appreciate until watching it happen. Not being a huge Eminem fan myself though, this was just okay.

-E

Z 7.75
E 7.0
J n/a

~ZEJ 7.38

Mickey 17

As a Bong Joon Ho truther on the basis that I’ve seen two of his movies, and Parasite is in my top 5 best movies of all time, I was really looking forward to Mickey 17. Robert Pattison is must watch, and he does his best to carry this film, but unfortunately Bong Joon Ho was just all over the place with this one. He had a really interesting premise to work with from the book, but he tried to stretch this in about 10 different directions, and it glossed over the more interesting avenues this was taking. Good film to watch on a plane perhaps? Or something to fall asleep to? Certainly don’t go out of your way to watch this, lest you enjoy disappointment.

-Z

While there are definitely a few plot issues here, this movie was very fun and kept me engaged throughout! There were definitely some Don’t Look Up vibes with some of the exaggerated characters, but overall this was really entertaining. My take on The Batman is highly disputed I know, but it’s undeniable: Robert Pattinson is a gem.

-E

“One time in fourth grade, I messed around with a lab frog. I figure this is my punishment.” -Mickey

And the fact that I didn’t finish the book before watching the film may be mine (or a blessing in disguise). What feels like the first important movie of 2025 carries some weight, and I regret to inform you it is a bit flat. I think describing this movie as flat is the best way to go about it. I wanted it to be great and it did have a lot of potential, but I feel it went silly over serious, which was disappointing to me. The next issue is that most movies have a lack of plot issues, but this one runs into too many plots issue. WIth that being said, its biggest issue is that I wanted it to be great but it was just good. The acting was great and the themes were successful, so it’s not bad, but felt more like a straight to stream than a blockbuster. My biggest advice to you is to do just that, wait to stream and see if it’s not your cup of tea. Overall good, but sadly waiting for that first big film of 2025.

-J

Z 7.0
E 7.75
J 7.75

ZEJ 7.5

ZEJ Oscars Votes

It’s Oscars weekend, and it’s time to unveil the ZEJ team’s Oscars vote results! Check out each category below, ordered by ranked choice voting. First place votes are in parenthesis with the initial of that voter for each category.

Interestingly, there is just a single unanimous first place choice among the 21 categories this year - the Substance for Best Makeup and Hairstyling; whereas last year the ZEJ team agreed on 9 of the 21 categories. Live action shorts is missing below, as the ZEJ team is going to see those tonight, we’ll update this post tomorrow morning.

The ZEJ team had the most love for Dune: Part Two with 4 wins (Best Picture, Visuals, Sound, & Production Design), followed by Anora with 3 wins (Best Actress, Film Editing, Original Screenplay), and several movies had 2 wins, including The Brutalist, The Substance, and Nosferatu.

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Best Picture

1. Dune: Part Two (Z,E)

2. Anora (J)

3. Conclave

4. The Brutalist

5. The Substance

6. Wicked

7. Nickel Boys

8. I'm Still Here

9. Emilia Pérez

10. A Complete Unknown

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Best Actor

1. Adrien Brody, The Brutalist (Z,E)

2. Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice (J)

3. Colman Domingo, Sing Sing

4. Ralph Fiennes, Conclave

5. Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown

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Best Actress

1. Mikey Madison, Anora (Z,J)

2. Demi Moore, The Substance (E)

3. Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here

4. Cynthia Erivo, Wicked

5. Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez

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Supporting Actor

1. Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice (E)

2. Yura Borisov, Anora (Z)

3. Guy Pearce, The Brutalist

4. Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain (J)

5. Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown

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Supporting Actress

1. Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez (E,J)

2. Ariana Grande, Wicked (Z)

3. Felicity Jones, The Brutalist

4. Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown

5. Isabella Rossellini, Conclave

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Best Animated Feature Film

1. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (E)

2. The Wild Robot (Z)

3. Memoir of a Snail (J)

4. Flow

5. Inside Out 2

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Best Cinematography

1. Nosferatu (Z,J)

2. The Brutalist (E)

3. Dune: Part Two

4. Emilia Pérez

5. Maria

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Best Costume Design

1. Nosferatu (Z,J)

2. Wicked (E)

3. Conclave

4. A Complete Unknown

5. Gladiator II

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Best Directing

1. Coralie Fargeat, The Substance (Z,E)

2. Sean Baker, Anora (J)

3. Brady Corbet, The Brutalist

4. Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez

5. James Mangold, A Complete Unknown

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Best Film Editing

1. Anora (Z)

2. Conclave (E)

3. The Brutalist (J)

4. Emilia Pérez

5. Wicked

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Best International Feature Film - (Jord barred from this category, for only seeing 3/5 films)

1. The Girl With the Needle (Z)

2. I’m Still Here (E)

3. Flow

4. Emilia Pérez

5. The Seed of the Sacred Fig

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Best Makeup and Hairstyling

1. The Substance (Z,E,J)

2. A Different Man

3. Wicked

4. Nosferatu

5. Emilia Pérez

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Best Music (Original Score)

1. The Brutalist (E)

2. Conclave

3. Wicked (J)

4. The Wild Robot (Z)

5. Emilia Pérez

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Best Music (Original Song)

1. “Like a Bird,” Sing Sing (Z,E)

2. “Mi Camino,” Emilia Pérez

3. “El Mal,” Emilia Pérez (J)

4. “Never Too Late,” Elton John: Never Too Late

5. “The Journey,” The Six Triple Eight

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Best Production Design

1. Dune: Part Two (Z,J)

2. Nosferatu

3. Conclave (E)

4. The Brutalist

5. Wicked

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Best Animated Short Film

1. Yuck! (J)

2. Wander to Wonder (Z)

3. In the Shadow of the Cypress (E)

4. Magic Candies

5. Beautiful Men

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Best Live Action Short Film

1. I’m Not a Robot (Z,E,J)

2. A Lien

3. Anuja

4. The Last Ranger

5. The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent

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Best Sound

1. Dune: Part Two (Z,E)

2. Wicked (J)

3. Emilia Pérez

4. The Wild Robot

5. A Complete Unknown

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Best Visual Effects

1. Dune: Part Two (Z,E)

2. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (J)

3. Alien: Romulus

4. Better Man

5. Wicked

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Best Adapted Screenplays

1. Conclave (E)

2. Sing Sing (Z)

3. Nickel Boys (J)

4. Emilia Pérez

5. A Complete Unknown

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Best Original Screenplays

1. Anora (Z,J)

2. The Substance

3. September 5 (E)

4. The Brutalist

5. A Real Pain

Maria

Alas, an Oscar nominated film so boring I fell asleep. I didn’t miss much according to E, and that’s my loss, as I would have gladly traded in more naptime for less of my life having been given to watching Maria. Moving forward, when people want an example of a film that exists purely as a vehicle to give an acting nomination, this is the one. Wrap it up, Hollywood, you did it, nothing can top this. Jolie’s performance is GREAT, no doubt, but that’s it, and sadly, she was NOT nominated for an Oscar. Bizarrely, this was given a cinematography nomination, which it’s not that the cinematography isn’t good, but there are far more deserving films in my opinion.

-Z

Just an incredibly boring movie. And after seeing all of the other Oscar nominated movies, I do not think it deserved its cinematography nomination. I'm sure if you were a big fan of opera music, this would do more for you, and it's always at least somewhat interesting to learn about a real person's life, but I felt let down on several levels and can't say I'd recommend this one.

-E

Z 6.25
E 5.75
J n/a

~ZEJ 6.0

The Girl with the Needle

Google doesn’t label the Girl with the Needle as a horror film, but it absolutely is one. Some mild spoilers ahead... This has a very similar vibe to the masterpiece that is the Witch, with out the supernatural elements, of course. In the Girl with the Needle, the evil is all of human doing. This was nominated for Best International Film, but it SHOULD have been nominated for cinematography over Maria, and could have easily grabbed Best Actress and Actress in supporting role noms, nay SHOULD have grabbed those noms. Trine Dyrhom, who is apparently the Danish Meryl Streep, absolutely COOKS in this, and makes the weak nomination of Isabella Rossellini for Conclave particularly glaring. If you love cinema, dark films, or psychological horror, then this is a must watch and borderline masterpiece.

-Z

While I always expect the international picture nominees to be depressing, this one felt downright macabre, but I couldn't look away. Something about the style of this film is very inviting and alluring. While it is inspired by true events, I'm still trying to wrap my head around the timelessness (or, maybe, timeliness) of the root of this story. I think I'll leave it at that to avoid any spoilers. This film definitely deserves more attention than it is getting!

-E

Z 8.75
E 8.5
J n/a

~ZEJ 8.63