The Oscars are one of the most prestigious awards in the film industry, with its nominees often seen as the epitome of excellence in cinema. Yet, year after year, several powerful and creative films are not awarded a nomination. The 95th Oscars was no exception, because the nominations failed to include some of the best movies that came out in 2022.
This article explores those movies that, despite gifting us incredible and engaging cinematic visions, were not selected for any nominations, and it describes their points of strength. Encompassing a vast array of movies coming from all over the world, this list wants to recognize their artistic potency and outstanding impact, while at the same time highlighting the necessity for including more entries in all the Academy Awards categories.
10 Kimi
Written by David Koepp and directed by Steven Soderbergh, Kimi sees Zoë Kravitz in the role of Angela Childs, a remote worker who suffer from social anxiety due to past trauma and heightened by the COVID lockdown experience. Angela works for Amygdala, a tech company that has just launched their version of smart speaker, called Kimi. Everything changes when Angela receives a recording taken from a costumer's Kimi capturing a possible case of rape.
Kimi is a showcase of Soderbergh's typical style: fluent and flawless directing, low-budget production, and a tight and ultra-compact screenplay. Not only the American director is in great shape: a special mention goes to Zoë Kravitz, who basically puts the movie on her shoulders and delivers a fantastic performance. Kimi is a great movie that perfectly captures the mental health crisis that followed the lockdown period and explores its effect on the human experience.
9 Decision to Leave
Decision to Leave was co-written, produced, and directed by Park Chan-wook and sees Park Hae-il interpreting Jang Hae-jun, a detective tasked with investigating the mysterious death of a man. Everything gets complicated when the detective starts to suspect Song Seo-raethe (Tang Wei), the wife of the dead man, while at the same time feeling attracted to her. Decision to Leave earned Park Chan-wook a well-deserved prize for Best Director at the 75th Festival de Cannes.
Decision to Leave highlights, first and foremost, the meticulous and developed directing style of the South-Korean filmmaker, leaving no doubt about his visual and technical brilliance. At the same time, the movie is amazingly written and features lots of tension mixed with calibrated plot twists that will blow your mind. Decision to Leave is another successful movie by Park Chan-wook and a must-see 2022 release.
8 Vortex
Written and directed by Gaspar Noé and starring Dario Argento, Françoise Lebrun, and Alex Lutz, Vortex tells the story of a couple of elder people struggling with dementia and helped by their adult son. The movie is an important piece in Noé's filmography, because it is a departure from his past bloody accomplishments while simultaneously remaining true to his trademark cinematic vision.
Vortex's raw and heartfelt depiction of aging and, particularly, dementia is impressive and deeply emotional. In fact, the Argentinian director took inspiration from real life events that he experienced and brought them on screen. At the same time, the filmmaker does not miss a bit when it comes to visually beautiful shots, this time made even more gorgeous by the creative use of the slit-screen technique. Vortex will be hailed as one of the best Noé movies in the future.
7 The Northman
The Northman was co-written, co-produced and directed by Robert Eggers and stars Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Willem Dafoe, Ethan Hawke, Anya Taylor-Joy and Björk. The movie takes place in Viking Iceland and tells the story of prince Amleth (Skarsgård) who is seeking revenge against a group of Vikings who killed his father, King Aurvandill (Hawke). The movie was a box office disappointment, despite its many points of strength.
The Northman is characterized by a visually stunning cinematography by Jarin Blaschke, breathtaking Nordic landscapes and elaborate traditional costumes, transporting the audience back to the Viking era. The film also shines for its attention to detail and historical accuracy in the reconstruction of the Viking society, adding to its overall impact. Lastly, The Northman is sapiently written, and its slow pace makes possible the absorption of the audience in its world.
6 The Menu
Written by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy and directed by Mark Mylod, The Menu stars an impressive ensemble cast comprising Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Judith Light, Janet McTeer, Reed Birney, and John Leguizamo. A diverse and small number of costumers travel to a private island to eat at the famous and revered restaurant owned by master chef Julian Slowik (Fiennes). Featuring black comedy and horror characteristics, The Menu is highly thought-provocking and amazingly written.
The Menu is strongly directed by Myold, who is effective and creative at all moments. At the same time, the screenplay is perfectly crafted to emphasize all the different characters present at the restaurant and their emotional development. To crown and elevate the movie there is also a piercing and uncompromising social commentary that becomes more and more explicit as the movie progresses. Revelation.
5 Nope
Co-produced, written and directed by Jordan Peele, Nope is an engaging mix of many genres and features Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer respectively as Otis "OJ" Haywood Jr and Emerald "Em" Haywood. The siblings own a ranch in Agua Dolce, California, where they train horses to be used in film and TV productions. Everything changes for them when they spot an unidentified flying object in the sky near their residence.
Nope would satisfy a diverse array of cinema appreciators. The movie can be eerie and scary in its horror moments, while at the same time making you laugh in its comedic parts; at the same time, Peele's directing is top-notch and evolving towards true craftsmanship. Moreover, Nope is not only beautifully lighted by cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, but features fitting-like-gloves performances by the all cast. Another great accomplishment for Jordan Peele.
4 Men
Men was written and directed by Alex Garland and stars Jessie Buckley as Harper Marlowe, a woman who decides to spend some time alone and relax after the suicide of her husband. She goes to Cotson, Herefordshire, where she previously rented a cottage house. Her vacation takes a sinister tone when she encounters a variety of men living in the village, all portrayed by an amazing Rory Kinnear. After two amazing sci-fi movies, Alex Garland opts for a folk horror that punches hard.
Men is a well-crafted mix of absurd and fear, featuring gory scenes that couldn't be more surreal and thrilling sequences full of tension. Moreover, Garland's movies are always technically refined to the smallest detail: the cinematography, the editing, the soundtrack, and the directing are spotless. Lastly, the actors are perfect in their parts and essential in delivering this folk horror screenplay.
3 Neptune Frost
Neptune Frost is the amazing achievement of Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman, polyhedral like few in this Afrofuturist masterpiece. In fact, Williams wrote, co-produced, designed the music and co-directed with Uzeyman, who is also behind the gorgeous cinematography. Neptune Frost is amazing in mixing creatively sci-fi settings and musical attitudes. The movie stars Kaya Free, Elvis Ngabo, and Cheryl Isheja, and it is set in a dystopian Burundi, in a village where people are exploited as coltan miners.
Neptune Frost is impressive in its world-building and very creative in terms of atmosphere. At the same time, what stands out the most on a first vision is its flawless cinematography, designed with detail and superb taste. The screenplay is dense with amazing lines, and its queer and anti-colonial undertones are powerfully expressed. Neptune Frost testifies cinema’s indestructible potential as a megaphone for change.
2 Athena
Co-written and directed by Romain Gavras, Athena features Sami Slimane and Dali Benssalah respectively as Karim and Abdel, two French-Algerian men who come from the Athena banlieue. After the police murders their little brother, Abdel, who is a soldier for the French army, asks for calmness and peace while Sami and other young inhabitants of the banlieue decide to violently protest the brutality of the killing. Athena fuses form and substance perfectly, gifting us stunning shots and burning political undertones.
Romain Gavras has an impressive technique and is extremely capable of conveying both the frenetic action moments and the more dramatic sequences. A special mention has to be made for the final part of the movie, epic and visually impeccable. At the same time, Athena convincingly depicts the harsh realities of the banlieue and their proud inhabitants. From France with rage.
1 Crimes of the Future
Crimes of the Future was written and directed by David Cronenberg and stars Viggo Mortensen as Saul Tenser, a man who can develop extra organs in his body and use them for experimental artistic performances in collaboration with his partner Caprice (Léa Seydoux). Tenser is not the only individual with biological mutations; in fact, in this dystopian setting, the whole population has lost the ability to feel pain, while certain humans have developed more profound alterations.
Crimes of the Future is one of the best movies released in 2022 and a shining comeback for Cronenberg after 8 years since his last film. The Athene settings and flawless cinematography by Douglas Koch are essential in capturing the dystopian environment and in constructing a futuristic and bleak atmosphere. At the same time, Cronenberg is as powerful as always behind the camera. Future masterpiece.