Hoppers

While Hoppers is a bit flawed, I think mainly pacing issues, the amount of unhinged fun it contains pretty much wipes it’s downsides from your memory, and you’re left with a rollercoaster of a movie that is the best Pixar production since Soul. Pixar subverted a lot of expectations in this film, and I really like how they didn’t draw out their typical sad death of a loved one trope. Must watch for animation fans and fully expect this to get an animation nom, if not win it.

-Z

I’m sure Z and J will have mentioned something about this as well, but the chaotic viewing experience we had while watching this (along with several very loud children) probably means I missed a few things in this film, but I can still confidently say this will be one of the best, if not the best, animated films of 2026. It was clever, very funny, and was just the right amount of unhinged (trying to avoid any spoilers, but the apex predator reveal was really something else). The beginning of the movie with Mabel as a kid felt really rushed - this is a bit of a nitpick, but there could have been a little more time given there.

-E

What I don't get is why this isn't being talked about more. I found myself laughing a lot, and it carries a pretty solid message. We need to make sure good Pixar movies like this continue to find success so that we get more of them, rather than endlessly sequelizing things like Monsters, Inc or Toy Story. The joy in this film comes from its genuine humor, despite the ending getting a bit scary for younger kids. I will be recommending this to everyone, and it could be the first Oscar-nominated film of 2026.

-J

Z 8.5
E 8.5
J 9.0

ZEJ 8.67

Project Hail Mary

I docked my score a bit because the ending felt so rushed/condensed to the point where it soured my watch just a tinge, but otherwise Project Hail Mary is an absolute blast. I had a smile on my face the entire time. Ryan Gosling is so perfect for his role here, at least from someone who hasn’t read the book, but my book-reader friends tell me the same. I don’t know if this will be nominated for anything besides the technical categories, but it’s a must watch for the young 2026 year.

-Z

The ZEJ team was pretty disappointed when we saw a preview for this movie that seemed to give away the entire plot, but despite all odds, that was NOT the case. There is a lot to the plot of this movie, and I’m excited to try to read the book this summer. I personally love a space travel plot, but this one still felt new and very fun. Ryan Gosling is perfect for the leading role and the effects/production design were spot on - I’m sure this will earn a few Oscar nominations come next year. There were a few moments that felt a little cliche/typical Blockbuster-y, and a couple of plot points that felt rushed to the point that I missed a few things, but I was thoroughly impressed overall and would highly recommend it!

-E

I do not know what The Academy will do with this, if anything, but I believe I may have watched one of my more enjoyable theater experiences of 2026. I know that is a big claim, but I really enjoyed this film top to bottom. It was funny, well-acted, and delivered some genuinely heartfelt moments. It leaned more blockbuster than art, but in the best ways. Ryan Gosling is a treat and I will watch anything he is in. It wasn't perfect — there were some pacing issues and a few questions that could probably be answered by reading the book — but I think this is a must-watch for all movie lovers, even casual ones.

-J

Z 8.5
E 8.75
J 9.25

ZEJ 8.83

The Devil Wears Prada

I watched this with E maybe 15 years ago, and I don’t remember it being as bad as it is. But it actually felt like Hallmark movie quality poor. The acting/actors are great, but that’s really the only redeeming factor in an otherwise deeply problematic movie.

-Z

Did. Not. Age. Well. This was one of my favorite movies in late middle/early high school, and with the upcoming sequel, I was really excited to revisit it. My 32 year old brain is noticing a lot more of the plot holes and poor writing though, not to mention the uncomfortable obsession this movie has with Anne Hathaway’s weight. I’m not sure what the message or takeaway is supposed to be - not every story has to have a moral, but it feels like this one thinks it does. Meryl Streep is undeniably an icon here though and I love her physical acting! Interested to see where the sequel takes these characters (and if the reviews are high enough for the ZEJ team to see it in theaters).

-E

It's funny — when you tell someone you haven't seen The Devil Wears Prada, there's a real shock value to it as a "movie guy." With the sequel coming out soon and my girlfriend being a fan, I thought I'd give it a try. After it finished, I don't think I hated it, but I don't really understand how this movie earned its "must-see" reputation. It didn't really go anywhere, and the conclusion didn't make me feel much of anything. Anne Hathaway does something wrong, makes up for it, does something wrong, makes up for it, is good at her job, and then decides she hates it. To me, there isn't anything iconic about it — but maybe I just watched it at the wrong point in my life.

-J

Z 6.5
E 6.5
J 6.0

ZEJ 6.33

Eternity

As I say at the start of many of these reviews, this is a movie made for me. Actors like Miles Teller and Elizabeth Olsen in a rom-com-esque film? Sign me up every day. I actually forgot it was A24 until it started, and I do think that gives it a bit of an edge over a traditional rom-com. The problem is, as with so many films nowadays, the trailer gives away too much. I am not going to tell you it is a different movie than what you expect, because it largely is what you think — but it does throw a few curveballs. I really liked where it went, and unlike an early-2000s rom-com, it hit me with some genuine revelations. With all that said, I know Z and E won’t watch, and if they do they won't like it as much as I did — but if you enjoy rom-coms, give it a watch.

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 8.0

~ZEJ 8.0

Boogie Nights

Heard a lot of good about Boogie Nights, but I was underwhelmed. Not only does it feel dated, but it feels more like a 40 year old movie, rather than a nearly 30 year old movie. Can definitely see Paul Thomas Anderson working some things out, and perhaps trying to emulate Tarantino a bit too much here. I really enjoyed Burt Reynolds in this, though, and it was really cool to see a young Don Cheadle, John C Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman and William H Macy have some fun with their parts.

-Z

In an attempt to get more familiar with Paul Thomas Anderson’s work, Z & I started here, and I can’t say I get the hype for this movie. Many of the side characters are interesting and very well-acted, but I wasn’t really drawn in to Mark Wahlberg’s character’s story, which made this pretty difficult to get through. There is a lot of strange editing and scenes that feel very disjointed - I’m sure this is intentional in some way, but it made the movie feel a little cheap and very dated. I was waiting for some moment where the plot would click into place for me, but that just never came. I’m definitely interested in watching more of his work though, and maybe I’ll appreciate this more once I do.

-E

Z 7.25
E 7.0
J n/a

~ZEJ 7.13

The Immortal Man

Give me this three or four years ago and I am all in. I found myself trying to remember different storylines throughout the watch-through, even though I watched a full series recap beforehand. It is a slow burn and a fitting way to end the series, but just like the final season, it is really missing its spark without Helen McCrory (RIP). I don't think it went the way I — or many other fans — would have wanted, but it went where it needed to, and I applaud the series for that. If you have seen the show, give it a watch. It reminded me how much I loved this show, and I will probably be doing a full rewatch soon.

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 7.75

~ZEJ 7.75

Die My Love

Anxiety in film. If you can't handle that, do not watch. If you can handle a masterclass of acting from Lawrence and Pattinson, then find the time. It is unnerving and hard to get through, but it is impossible not to recognize that you are watching great actors putting on a show. I can't believe Lawrence wasn't nominated. I do think I liked it more than If I Had Legs I'd Kick You, but any cinephile should find time to give this a watch.

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 8.0

~ZEJ 8.0

Movie Fantasy League 2025 - End of Season Update

Another movie fantasy league in the books and another Jord victory is upon us! At least this year, we closed the gap a bit. Jord picked two of the three highest scoring movies available in One Battle After Another and Hamnet, and that combination alone would have been good enough to net 4th place! The only other pickers that stood a chance were the other two that also pick Paul Thomas Anderson’s Best Picture winner OBAA, and while Max had Zootopia 2 and Big Brett had Frankenstein to go with their thoroughbred, they couldn’t keep pace with Jord’s 3-7 picks either, as Jord’s It Was Just an Accident and the Secret Agent both landed in the top 15 as well. Hats off to E, who got the closest of any of us without picking OBAA! To everyone else, better luck next year! Thanks so much for playing. I don’t know that I’ve pointed this out in prior updates, but of the 56 movies selected, the #2 scoring movie of the year, Sinners wasn’t one of them! Even the best have room to improve for next year, it seems.

J (Jord) — 4637 points (162 box office pts, 4020 awards pts, 455 critical performance pts)

• One Battle After Another — $30 = 2477 points (117 box office pts, 2260 awards pts, 100 critical performance pts)

• The Smashing Machine — $20 = 96 points (11 box office pts, 60 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• Hamnet — $20 = 1059 points (24 box office pts, 985 awards pts, 50 critical performance pts)

• It Was Just an Accident — $15 = 371 points (1 box office pts, 270 awards pts, 100 critical performance pts)

• The Secret Agent — $5 = 484 points (4 box office pts, 380 awards pts, 100 critical performance pts)

• Sisu 2 — $3 = 44 points (4 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• Arco — $3 = 106 points (1 box office pts, 65 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• The Man with the Bag — $3 = 0 points (0 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 0 critical performance pts)

Max — 3828 points (783 box office pts, 2735 awards pts, 310 critical performance pts)

• One Battle After Another — $30 = 2477 points (117 box office pts, 2260 awards pts, 100 critical performance pts)

• Zootopia 2 — $25 = 752 points (597 box office pts, 115 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• Nuremberg — $10 = 69 points (14 box office pts, 30 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• Die My Love — $8 = 90 points (5 box office pts, 45 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• If I Had Legs I'd Kick You — $8 = 321 points (1 box office pts, 280 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• The Running Man — $8 = 67 points (47 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

• A Private Life — $5 = 31 points (1 box office pts, 5 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• Anemone — $5 = 21 points (1 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

BigBrett — 3801 points (281 box office pts, 3225 awards pts, 295 critical performance pts)

• One Battle After Another — $30 = 2477 points (117 box office pts, 2260 awards pts, 100 critical performance pts)

• Frankenstein — $25 = 940 points (0 box office pts, 900 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• The Smashing Machine — $20 = 96 points (11 box office pts, 60 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• Predator: Badlands — $10 = 191 points (151 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• Anemone — $5 = 21 points (1 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

• A Private Life — $5 = 31 points (1 box office pts, 5 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• Caught Stealing — $3 = 25 points (0 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• Trap House — $2 = 20 points (0 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

E (ecrhodes) — 3500 points (204 box office pts, 2890 awards pts, 406 critical performance pts)

• Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere — $25 = 97 points (22 box office pts, 55 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

• Frankenstein — $25 = 940 points (0 box office pts, 900 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• Hamnet — $20 = 1059 points (24 box office pts, 985 awards pts, 50 critical performance pts)

• F1 — $8 = 365 points (0 box office pts, 340 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• K-Pop: Demon Hunters — $8 = 390 points (0 box office pts, 350 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• Black Phone 2 — $5 = 182 points (157 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• The Testament of Ann Lee — $5 = 122 points (2 box office pts, 80 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• Weapons — $3 = 345 points (0 box office pts, 295 awards pts, 50 critical performance pts)

Zach (runningwolf) — 3142 points (175 box office pts, 2545 awards pts, 422 critical performance pts)

• Hamnet — $20 = 1059 points (24 box office pts, 985 awards pts, 50 critical performance pts)

• Marty Supreme — $20 = 895 points (135 box office pts, 710 awards pts, 50 critical performance pts)

• The Smashing Machine — $20 = 96 points (11 box office pts, 60 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• It Was Just an Accident — $15 = 371 points (1 box office pts, 270 awards pts, 100 critical performance pts)

• Is This Thing On? — $15 = 66 points (6 box office pts, 20 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• The Secret Agent — $5 = 484 points (4 box office pts, 380 awards pts, 100 critical performance pts)

• Sound of Falling — $3 = 130 points (0 box office pts, 30 awards pts, 100 critical performance pts)

• Eternity — $2 = 41 points (16 box office pts, 5 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

Austo — 2602 points (1349 box office pts, 1185 awards pts, 68 critical performance pts)

• Wicked: For Good — $45 = 737 points (492 box office pts, 225 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

• Avatar: Fire and Ash — $30 = 853 points (633 box office pts, 195 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 — $10 = 222 points (222 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 0 critical performance pts)

• K-Pop Demon Hunters — $8 = 390 points (0 box office pts, 350 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• Weapons — $3 = 345 points (0 box office pts, 295 awards pts, 50 critical performance pts)

• Shelby Oaks — $2 = 14 points (4 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 10 critical performance pts)

• The Conjuring: Last Rites — $1 = 20 points (0 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

• Silent Night, Deadly Night — $1 = 21 points (1 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

Daddy — 2202 points (1147 box office pts, 475 awards pts, 80 critical performance pts)

• Wicked: For Good — $45 = 737 points (492 box office pts, 225 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

• Avatar: Fire and Ash — $30 = 853 points (633 box office pts, 195 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• KPop Demon Hunters — $8 = 390 points (0 box office pts, 350 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie — $5 = 52 points (42 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 10 critical performance pts)

• 28 Years Later — $5 = 55 points (0 box office pts, 15 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• The Long Walk — $3 = 60 points (0 box office pts, 20 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• Steve — $3 = 35 points (0 box office pts, 10 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• Atropia — $1 = 20 points (0 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

St Shuffles — 1964 points (658 box office pts, 1235 awards pts, 71 critical performance pts)

• Wicked: For Good — $45 = 737 points (492 box office pts, 225 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

• Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere — $25 = 97 points (22 box office pts, 55 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

• Predator: Badlands — $10 = 191 points (151 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• K-Pop: Demon Hunters — $8 = 390 points (0 box office pts, 350 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• Superman — $5 = 40 points (0 box office pts, 15 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• Weapons — $3 = 345 points (0 box office pts, 295 awards pts, 50 critical performance pts)

• The Perfect Neighbor — $2 = 150 points (0 box office pts, 100 awards pts, 50 critical performance pts)

• Shelby Oaks — $2 = 14 points (4 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 10 critical performance pts)

Jetty — 1946 points (732 box office pts, 1005 awards pts, 209 critical performance pts)

• Wicked: For Good — $45 = 737 points (492 box office pts, 225 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

• Bugonia — $25 = 447 points (17 box office pts, 390 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 — $10 = 222 points (222 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 0 critical performance pts)

• Goodbye June — $8 = 25 points (0 box office pts, 5 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

• K-Pop: Demon Hunters — $8 = 390 points (0 box office pts, 350 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• One of Them Days — $2 = 80 points (0 box office pts, 40 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• The Conjuring: Last Rites — $1 = 20 points (0 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

• All of You — $1 = 25 points (0 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

Katie Late to the Party Picks — 1712 points (1257 box office pts, 610 awards pts, 0 critical performance pts)

• Zootopia 2 — $25 = 752 points (597 box office pts, 115 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere — $25 = 97 points (22 box office pts, 55 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

• Wake Up, Dead Man — $10 = 76 points (1 box office pts, 25 awards pts, 50 critical performance pts)

• Five Nights at Freddy’s — $10 = 222 points (222 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 0 critical performance pts)

• Predator: Badlands — $10 = 191 points (151 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• Die My Love — $8 = 90 points (5 box office pts, 45 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• The Housemaid — $5 = 226 points (201 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• Regretting You — $3 = 58 points (58 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 0 critical performance pts)

Ruthless — 1701 points (86 box office pts, 1335 awards pts, 280 critical performance pts)

• Jay Kelly — $30 = 180 points (0 box office pts, 155 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere — $25 = 97 points (22 box office pts, 55 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

• Hamnet — $20 = 1059 points (24 box office pts, 985 awards pts, 50 critical performance pts)

• Song Sung Blue — $10 = 174 points (49 box office pts, 100 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• The History of Sound — $5 = 25 points (0 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• Jurassic World Rebirth — $3 = 40 points (0 box office pts, 20 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

• Arco — $3 = 106 points (1 box office pts, 65 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• The Roses — $3 = 20 points (0 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

Heather Huffs Great Picks — 1257 points (827 box office pts, 345 awards pts, 85 critical performance pts)

• Wicked: For Good — $45 = 737 points (492 box office pts, 225 awards pts, 20 critical performance pts)

• Nuremberg — $10 = 69 points (14 box office pts, 30 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• 28 Years Later — $5 = 55 points (0 box office pts, 15 awards pts, 40 critical performance pts)

• Black Bag — $5 = 60 points (0 box office pts, 10 awards pts, 50 critical performance pts)

• The Housemaid — $5 = 226 points (201 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• A Minecraft Movie — $5 = 10 points (0 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 10 critical performance pts)

• Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning — $5 = 90 points (0 box office pts, 65 awards pts, 25 critical performance pts)

• The Woman in Cabin 10 — $1 = 10 points (0 box office pts, 0 awards pts, 10 critical performance pts)

Undertone

Wow. This felt like a student film? And not a passing grade. Not much to say about it. This is a skip even for horror fanatics. Interesting to see Jord sour on A24 films in real time…

-Z

While the plot sounds really interesting, I did not take the reviews seriously before we headed to the theater on a Friday the 13th, and that was a mistake. My expectations were perhaps a bit high, but this was a major let down. The concept of keeping us contained in the house is interesting, but for one actor to do that much heavy lifting, the acting needs to be far better than it was here. Many of the podcast conversations felt and sounded like voice conversations with ChatGPT - so incredibly unnatural. And there was some potential for this to be scary, but it just really was not.

-E

This movie was extremely boring, and has very little redeeming qualities. A movie full of gimmicks: One setting, two actors on screen, audio driven and to me not one of them work. Not only did they not work, but they were just badly executed. Having one actress run the show and have her not be great, that's a tough look. Lastly the story was boring and not scary at all in my opinion. Maybe A24 is truly falling off, because if this is something they are hanging their hat on, we have an issue.

-J

Z 4.25
E 5.0
J 4.0

ZEJ 4.42

Wuthering Heights

I know that this is probably a ‘bad take’ if you ask most people, but I really enjoyed the film. When reading a lot of the issues that watchers had, I did not have much issue. The biggest issue I saw was the soundtrack, but in a weird way I think it fit really well. Also, I thought the acting was really good and the story intriguing (I never read the book, so maybe thats why I am okay with it). Overall, I thought it was a good movie and I do think it is going to be a movie we look back on and it has a strong cult following of lovers, and I will be one of them.

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 8.0

~ZEJ 8.0

Code 3

“Can you find a movie to put on while we do a puzzle?” That was the original question that led me to Code 3, and it turned into no puzzle for me. I thought this is a movie with a lot of star power and no one is talking about it. It is talked about so little there isn't a meta score on it! I thought it was a fun and interesting look into paramedics. I am also currently watching ‘The Pitt’ and this reminded me a lot of it with a comedy and 4th wall aspect. I think it is well worth a watch if you are looking for something to throw on!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 7.5

~ZEJ 7.5

Oh, Hi!

I don’t know if this deserves an 8 in a film sense, but I am telling everyone about it! It has stuck with me since it finished with making me laugh and just a somewhat insane idea for the film. I think it's a great fun date night movie that you can just throw on, eat some popcorn, and just have a good time. I will never stop recommending this film to people and if you don’t think its an 8 sorry, but not sorry!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 8.0

~ZEJ 8.0

Sorry, Baby

A24 film that popped up on HBO and needing to fill up a Sunday, so I gave it a watch. I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this one, and emotionally took me out of the rest of the day. An extremely heavy film with a lot of dark humor that is filmed beautifully and scored great. Anyone who is trying to watch the best films of the year, this needs to be on there!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 9.25

~ZEJ 9.25

Black Phone 2

Honestly, I hated the first film, so why I chose to watch this I can’t really answer. Overall, I do think it is better than the first and the story is far enough away from ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ than I thought it would be, but I am not looking forward to the 10 more of these films that are inevitably coming. The only reason I would watch them is if it could be filmed the same way as this! Cinematography - 9.5 and story - 4.5 and there is your 7!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 7.0

~ZEJ 7.0

Sew Torn

Sometimes when you are scrolling through your phone, you run into some interesting things. I found this movie and was really intrigued, and glad I gave it a chance. A really fun and interesting way to tell a story. I really have nothing to compare it too with both its uniqueness, story telling, and really high tier action with just thread and a sewing machine. I really wish more people would watch this so it can get the credit it deserves!

-J

Z n/a
E n/a
J 8.25

~ZEJ 8.25

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.

Whereas last year we had just a single unanimous vote, this year, the ZEJ team is more in sync, with 10 of the 22 categories being unanimous, and there may have been a couple more, but with Jord’s girl’s high school basketball team winning the state tournament this year, he did miss a few movies as a result, so wasn’t able to vote on those movies. Price of being a champion, I suppose!

The ZEJ team had the most love for Hamnet with 4 wins (Best Picture, Best Actress, Directing, and Adapted Screenplay), and Sinners with 4 wins (Best Cinematography, Original Score, Original Screenplay, and Casting), followed by Frankenstein with 3 wins (Production Design, Makeup and Hairstyle, and Costume Design) and One Battle After Another with 2 wins (Supporting Actor and Film Editing).

---

Best Picture

1. Hamnet (Z, E)

2. One Battle After Another (J)

3. Sinners

4. Bugonia

5. Train Dreams

6. Marty Supreme

7. Sentimental Value

8. Frankenstein

9. The Secret Agent

10. F1

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Best Actor

1. Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme (Z, J)

2. Michael B. Jordan, Sinners (E)

3. Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another

4. Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

5. Ethan Hawke, Blue Moon

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Best Actress

1. Jessie Buckley, Hamnet (Z, E, J)

2. Emma Stone, Bugonia

3. Renate Reinsve, Sentimental Value

4. Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

5. Kate Hudson, Song Sung Blue

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Supporting Actor

1. Sean Penn, One Battle After Another (Z, E, J)

2. Benicio Del Toro, One Battle After Another

3. Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value

4. Jacob Elordi, Frankenstein

5. Delroy Lindo, Sinners

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Supporting Actress

1. Amy Madigan, Weapons (Z, E)

2. Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another (J)

3. Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners

4. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Sentimental Value

5. Elle Fanning, Sentimental Value

---

Best Animated Feature Film

1. Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (Z, E)

2. KPop Demon Hunters (J)

3. Elio

4. Arco

5. Zootopia 2

---

Best Cinematography

1. Sinners (E, J)

2. One Battle after Another (Z)

3. Train Dreams

4. Frankenstein

5. Marty Supreme

---

Best Costume Design

1. Frankenstein (E, J)

2. Hamnet (Z)

3. Sinners

4. Marty Supreme

5. Avatar: Fire and Ash

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Best Directing

1. Chloé Zhao, Hamnet (Z, E)

2. Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle after Another

3. Ryan Coogler, Sinners (J)

4. Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme

5. Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value

---

Best Film Editing

1. One Battle after Another (Z, E, J)

2. Sinners

3. Marty Supreme

4. Train Dreams

5. F1

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

1. It Was Just an Accident (Z, E)

2. Sentimental Value (J)

3. Sirāt

4. The Secret Agent

5. The Voice of Hind Rajab

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Best Makeup and Hairstyling

1. Frankenstein (E, J)

2. The Ugly Stepsister

3. Kokuho (Z)

4. The Smashing Machine

5. Sinners

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Best Music (Original Score)

1. Ludwig Göransson, Sinners (Z, E)

2. Jerskin Fendrix, Bugonia (J)

3. Max Richter, Hamnet

4. Alexandre Desplat, Frankenstein

5. Jonny Greenwood, One Battle after Another

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Best Music (Original Song)

1. “Golden”, KPop Demon Hunters (Z, E, J)

2. “I Lied To You”, Sinners

3. “Train Dreams”, Train Dreams

4. “Dear Me”, Diane Warren: Relentless

5. “Sweet Dreams Of Joy”, Viva Verdi!

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Best Production Design

1. Frankenstein (Z, E, J)

2. Hamnet

3. Sinners

4. Marty Supreme

5. Avatar: Fire and Ash

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Best Animated Short Film

1. Retirement Plan (Z, E)

2. Butterfly

3. The Girl Who Cried Pearls

4. The Three Sisters

5. Forevergreen

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Best Live Action Short Film

1. Two People Exchanging Saliva (Z, E, J)

2. Jane Austen's Period Drama

3. A Friend of Dorothy

4. The Singers

5. Butcher's Stain

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Best Sound

1. Sirāt (Z)

2. F1 (E)

3. Sinners (J)

4. One Battle after Another

5. Frankenstein

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Best Visual Effects

1. F1 (Z, E)

2. Avatar: Fire and Ash

3. Sinners (J)

4. Jurassic World Rebirth

5. The Lost Bus

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Best Adapted Screenplays

1. Hamnet (Z, E, J)

2. One Battle after Another

3. Bugonia

4. Train Dreams

5. Frankenstein

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Best Original Screenplays

1. Sinners (Z, E, J)

2. It Was Just an Accident

3. Marty Supreme

4. Blue Moon

5. Sentimental Value

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Best Casting

1. Sinners (Z, E, J)

2. One Battle after Another

3. Hamnet

4. Marty Supreme

5. The Secret Agent

If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Google lists this as as a Comedy/Drama, which is doing the viewer such a disservice, as there’s hardly a laugh to be found in this film, and so extremely stress inducing that by the end of it you feel like maybe Google is playing a prank on you? But in their defense the producers submitted it to the Golden Globes as a comedy as well, so maybe its on them. Conan O’Brien as the anti-comedic relief role is a stroke of genius casting choice though. Anyway, yes, Rose Byrne is fantastic in this, but I really can’t recommend this movie in any way, as it’s just so bleak, unless you’re nervous about having kids and want to be talked out of it, then this is exactly the movie you should watch.

-Z

In some ways, this is definitely a horror movie, which I was not expecting after Rose Byrne won the Golden Globe for actress in a comedy or musical… Her acting was excellent though, a well-deserved best actor Oscar nomination. The anxiety-inducing pacing and noise was very challenging here - I did not enjoy the experience of watching this movie and felt a lot of dread as it kept going. If this is a representation of what being a parent is like, despite the fact that there is clearly some exaggeration, the message is quite bleak. I loved the challenged expectations of having Conan O’Brien in a serious role. For what it is trying to do, I think it works really well, but the challenge of it all leaves me hesitant to recommend it widely.

-E

Added to the list of "Never Watch Again" films — not because it is bad, but because I don't know if I can handle another watch-through of this, especially since I decided to watch it right after Die My Love. It is awesome to see Rose Byrne get some recognition as a high-level actress, since I do love her in things like Neighbors and Bridesmaids, but I will warn you that it is a tough watch. Give it a shot if you can, and if you can't stand anxiety-inducing movies, I would probably skip it.

-J

Z 8.0
E 7.75
J 8.0

ZEJ 7.92

Sentimental Value

Sentimental Value is a very sound movie in all categories - directing, acting, cinematography, writing, etc. It’s creative and unique. But the movie arched in such a way that it seemed to be headed towards more catharses than we got, and that felt like somewhat of a letdown. Subversive, but also disappointing. E said to this point that maybe that’s more true to life, and that’s probably true, but that knowledge still doesn’t help my enjoyment of this movie. Stellan Skarsgard is amazing as always, but I thought Renate Reinsve was the standout. While I have higher rated movies this year that didn’t receive Best Picture noms, this is definitely more worthy than F1, The Secret Agent or Frankenstein. Definitely worth a watch.

-Z

A very solid film that definitely feels deserving of its best picture nomination. The acting is exceptional. The story was much more complex than what the trailer seemed to depict. I really enjoyed the family home acting as a character of sorts throughout the movie. There were several peeks back through time scattered throughout, and I honestly think there could have been more of that to really help us understand the characters. While I don’t think it overly wowed any of the ZEJ team, I’m glad we were able to see this in theaters and would recommend it!

-E

This is a weird movie to review. It is objectively good but not a lot happens either. Then I look back on it and try to decide what I didn’t like about it and I have nothing. The acting was really good, the cinematography was really good, and you realize there is a reason it is nominated for quite a bit of Oscars. I think my biggest issue is that it is a bit slow and just not a story that I really liked. I would guess this is going to win the foreign film Oscar, meaning you need to watch it.

-J

Z 8.5
E 8.5
J 8.75

~ZEJ 8.5

Sirât

I’d never heard of the concept of Islamic concept of Sirāt (the bridge over which every person must cross in order to enter heaven) prior to this movie, and the little explainer for it at the beginning of the film I kind of ignored until the end of the movie, but the movie can’t be understood without viewing it through that lens. If you’re of any form of faith, that lens will probably improve your appreciation of this film. If you’re not, that lens will probably decrease your appreciation of it. Regardless, when this movie began to go into the metaphorical phase, it became a worse movie, but did become a lot more tense. The soundtrack and sound design is absolutely peak though, and my vote for best sound, for which it was nominated.

-Z

The word that comes to mind here is “visceral.” What an experience! Incredible soundtrack. Otherworldly visuals. But such a bleak, gut punch of a plot that left me feeling pretty down afterwards. I know there are some layers to the plot here and certainly it is meant to be more metaphorical, but I’m just not sure I fully get it. The nomination for sound though, absolutely deserved!

-E

Z 8.5
E 8.25
J n/a

~ZEJ 8.38

The Ugly Stepsister

I told our friend Austin T, after we watched The Ugly Stepsister that I had no notes, and a few days removed, I still have very little. That isn’t to say it’s a masterpiece, because one could say some elements are derivative, the scope is limited, and the ending did feel a little haphazard. But there are many more good things to say about it than bad. The modern synthy soundtrack was amazing, the creative fairy-tale revamping was really clever, and the body horror was truly gut-wrenching at points. Had the Academy not nominated it for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, we probably would never watched this, so very glad they did, and for recognizing horror the horror genre in back-to-back years. As E says, if you’re not queasy, big recommend.

-Z

Similar to The Substance in its fun-yet-gory body horror aspects, I really enjoyed this! A creative, fresh take on the Cinderella story with strong acting and such a cool spooky vibe. My main gripe is the ending - it felt like a bit of an incomplete thought and I was needing a bit more closure to feel satisfied. If you can steel your stomach through a few brutal scenes, this is a great watch that left me thinking about it for days afterward. I wish it had gotten more of a theatrical release in the US so it could have gotten more attention here!

-E

Z 8.5
E 8.5
J n/a

~ZEJ 8.5