2022 Best Picture Nominees Ranked

2022 Best Picture Nominees Ranked

Tonight is the 2022 Oscars and we will finally get to see which movie will win Best Picture. So today I wanted to rank the 10 Best Picture Nominations. Let’s get started!

10. Licorice Pizza: A movie that I found to be a bit to weird and awkward for my liking. I hadn’t seen a Paul Thomas Anderson movie prior to this one, so I don’t have a point of reference as to how this movie compares to another one of his movie. Now the involvement of Paul Thomas Anderson in this movie is really quite good, both the directing and writing here are top notch. And since Paul Thomas Anderson is a master at both, he brings all of his talents to the big screen here. The cast is also very good here, all of them are giving great performances in this movie. But I think the biggest issue with this movie is that the concept here is just really weird and makes for an uncomfortable viewing experience. Where a 25 year old girl hooks up with a 15 year old boy, that is illgeal that is something you shouldn’t be doing. And if there was a gender swap in this movie…it would have been a very different movie. Plus, the movie really does drag in the middle act leading into the finale of the movie. And even the finale here does drag a good bit for me. 

9. Drive My Car: Now this is a movie that I found to be way to long, and the last movie on this list that I watched. But I found the story here to be very interesting and something unique. It’s a movie that I can understand why it got a Best Picture nominee, but as for me I didn’t really care for it. I don’t get why this movie was 3 hours long, it didn’t need to be three hours long at all. And just in general, I was really bored with this movie and didn’t find it all that engaging to me. Now there are some good moments here and there with the cast, it is a good set of actors in this movie. But this is one of the best picture nominees, out of several on this list that I wouldn’t want to watch again. This being one of them for me. I can respect the talent that went into infront of and behind the camera but this just isn’t a movie for me, and I’m glad I watched it. But I can’t imagine myself ever watching it again. 

8. The Power of the Dog: This is an interesting one…because this seems to be the frontrunner to win Best Picture but it’s on the lower half of my list. And I still liked the movie it’s a very well made western some great performance by everybody in the cast. Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemmons, and Kodi-Smit McPhee all received Oscar nominations for their work in this movie. And I can see why, they are give great performances. And the movie does take you back this time period really well with the production and costume designs. But this is a movie that is very much a slow burn. It’s only 2 hours and 7 minutes long but it feels like 2 hours and 37 minutes long. It’s very slow and not a whole lot of bursts of action happening in this movie. So I still liked it I thought it was very well made. But it’s a not a movie that I would want to rewatch, glad I saw it one time though. 

7. King Richard: This might be the most frustrating one on this entire list. Because I really do like a lot of things about this movie, but also have a number of frustrations with this movie. On the positive, the cast all around is just great. Everybody is giving it their all in this movie. And it’s easy to forget that Will Smith is a great actor because he’s so much known for being a big movie star with a big personality. But he's such a world class actor that you can really see him as this father. Jon Bernthal is a very solid actor in these types of movies. Also, I appreciated that the movie did something just a little bit different with the template for this movie. It tells this story from the perspective of the father, not the kids. But the big issue with this movie is I found it hard to connect with the father because of the way he’s written. I know they based him off of the real life person, but it still doesn’t change the fact that I found he felt hard to connect with. Also, I do think the movie had way too much set-up to get the center of the story. 

6. Nightmare Alley: This is one of the most unique, creative, and interesting movies that I’ve seen in a while. And I mean that as a positive, the way it is directed by Guillermo del Toro is great, crisp, and unique. The production and costume design all around is top notch and great. It makes you feel like you went back to the 1940s with the way it is all done. And the story here is very intriguing with a bunch of twists and turns. So much so that I wasn’t sure where the story was going to end up by the end of the movie. The cast all around is very good, Willem DaFoe and Cate Blanchett being the two standouts for me. And both of them are interesting characters and both of them are great actors playing interesting and cleverly written characters. So all in all, this is a good movie with a bunch of great things about it. But overall, this is a movie that I can respect what Guillermo del Toro was going for much more than I enjoyed it as a whole. So this is a one time watch for me that I thought was very interesting. 

5. Dune: Now this is a movie that I really enjoyed when I watched it. But I didn’t love the way other people do. I can understand why some people would love this movie but that wasn’t the case for me. But on a technical level, this movie is a true cinematic masterpiece. The sound, visual effects, score, costumes, and production are all top notch in this movie. It’s also a sci-fi movie that is aimed for adults. It's not this big sci-fi action blockbuster that is trying to be the next Star Wars. But a sci-fi adventure for adults. Also, the cast all around in this movie is really great. Jason Momoa being the big stand-out for me, he’s likable and fun like he always is. But also gets to show more of his dramatic acting chops. But where I think this movie gets held back is the story. I know that the book of Dune is way too big to only tell in 1 movie, it needed two parts. I heard somebody describe Dune: Part 1 this way. It’s like a big budget season premiere of a Dune tv show…that we have to wait 2 years to see the next episode. And with where the movie ended left me more frustrated than overall excited for Dune: Part 2. But in general, this is a very good movie with some issues here and there. 

4. Belfast: A movie that in light of what is going on in the real world, has even more emotional weight to it. And that’s one of the many things this movie gets right is it does evoke plenty of emotions from you. And like I said, with what is happening with Ukraine and Russia in the real world it does change your perspective on this movie a good bit. Also, all of the cast and the characters are very good. A number of the actors were nominated and I can really see why, there isn’t the weak link in this movie. Jamie Dornan and Judi Dench were two of the stand outs for me. But the real star here is Jude Hill, the young little boy who is the star of the movie. And he gives one of the best child actor performances of all time. And so in general, this is a very good movie that does have emotions and great characters so it’s easily a top tier Best Picture nominee for the year. And one of the more unique movies on this list because of it being in black and white. 

3. West Side Story: The remake of the 1961 classic that is brought to live by the legendary Steven Spielberg. And this is one of the best looking and best produced of 2021. The way that Spielberg directs both the musical numbers and dramatic scenes is just great and it’s done with lots and lots of talent. Both the musical numbers and songs here are top notch and great. And something about each of them stands out and is exciting to watch and you remember something about each of them. And similar to Dune, but on a technical level it’s a cinematic masterpiece with how Spielberg uses lighting and the way he shoots scenes is just incredible. I do think the movie is a bit confusing at times with how much is going on in this movie. And some of the emotional beats didn’t hit all that high for me. But all in all this was a great musical and a great remake of the 1961 movie with 21st century technology and a world class director in Steven Spielberg. 

2. Don’t Look Up: This is a movie that before I watched it I heard so many thoughts and opinions on this movie. And so I watched it and I can see why. The subject matter here is a bit too close to home for some people. Some people aren’t going to like Meryl Streep’s presidential character in this movie, some people are going to. But as for me, I really dug this movie I thought it was very funny and while it is political it’s not in your face. And then of course you just have this all star cast of world class talent as these characters. Of course, Meryl Streep is a hollywood legend that always gives a great performance. She plays this Trump esc president very well. Obviously, Leonardo DiCaprio is a great actor and he’s been doing this for 25+ years so he’s a pro that these types of movies. And as a comedy the movie did make me laugh there are a number of very solid jokes. So I know this is a movie that isn’t for everybody, not everybody is going to connect with this movie. But I really dug it and think that people should watch it and give it a chance. 

1. CODA: This is a movie that I didn’t know much about going in, I didn’t even know that “CODA” stood for anything. I figured it was a character’s name, so I went into this movie with no knowledge and didn’t know what to expect. And what I got was possibly the most heartwarming and most emotional movie on this entire list. Each of the arcs that the family goes on in this movie is emotional and it changes them as a person. All leading up to a bit of a tear jerker of a finale. You like and care about all of the characters present in this movie, and care about the arcs that they are in this movie. It’s also a very funny movie, maybe the funniest movie on this entire list. Every couple of minutes there is some joke that makes you laugh and it breaks the tension at just the right moments. And surprisingly, the movie has a great and catchy soundtrack. So all in all, this was a great movie that I thoroughly enjoyed. So it was my favorite of the best picture nominees this year.