84: Top 10 Films of 2022

This episode is bones and all. Alex and Nick discuss their favorite films from the wildly diverse movie year that was 2022. Topics include “Deep Water” headlines, Austin Butler’s voice, polarizing takes on “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” blockbusters that rocked, tiny indie movies that hit, and so much more.
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Hey, everyone. Hi. Hello. This is Alex, serving up a solo mea culpa. Before we begin here. Okay. We work really hard to ensure that the audio quality of this podcast meets my insanely high standards. And we usually do meet those. But sometimes technology wins the battle. Does it ever? In the podcast, you're about to hear all of Nick's remarks sound fine and normal, but I did not realize until after we had finished recording the episode that all of my remarks were captured from the subpar speakers on my Mac laptop, not the rather expensive, very well mounted microphone that I normally speak into, the very same one that I'm speaking into right now. That's all I sound like. I've a bit of an echo. Like I recorded it in a tunnel. Kind of maybe the Babylon Tunnel. Perhaps. I was frustrated to say the least. But I appreciate the chance to explain myself before we get going. That's it. Enjoy. Another pod is going to be coming very soon after the Oscar nominations are announced tomorrow, January 24th. Okay. Here we go. Hey, everyone, Welcome to What are you watching? I'm Alex with Throw It. I'm joined by my best man, Nick Doe. So how are you doing there, Pearl? It's disgusting. You're disgusting. You're such a, you know. Oh, you know, whatever. Excited? Yeah, I'm excited. I'm excited. I'm excited. I am. I'm going to be. I'm going to be. I'm going to be excited to be here. 2022. We are in January 2023 at this point, but we always wait a few weeks into the New Year to reveal our top ten of the year. Last year we only revealed five because 2021 not that good of a movie year. That's how we're going to start today. General thoughts on 2022 because I actually think, you know, this was a better year than the past two years for movies like it was 2020 was kind of a, I don't know, like a by year we can more or less write that one author's some good stuff in there. Last year, 2021 was when the business was, you know, finding its footing again, which it still has yet to do. But some directors and studios were still holding back their releases, not letting us see their movies. 2022 There's no more excuses. Tom Cruise You got to let it see Maverick. And well, while 2022, you know, it certainly didn't reach the highs of 2019, which was like a gift from moviegoers for we got wrecked by COVID. But I did like this year more than the past two. I think we are going to talk about a very diverse group of films today, films that have not necessarily appeared on a lot of other top ten lists I've seen. But how you feeling? I agree with your sentiment. I think this was a better year than last year. I think this year has really marked what it is that American audiences want from movies, but the really, really artsy indie stuff, the stuff that's doing big swings, the stuff that's kind of doing some stuff that's weird and avant garde and absurd and I mean, there's a lot of that in here too. Like it didn't get received very well and the blockbuster is here to stay in a way that I it's gigantic. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the year was kind of all over the place. Like, definitely I'm looking over my top ten here and there's there will be a few themes, which is one is going to be, you know, sorry if you didn't see this movie because no one did you know that that's a common thing. Some smaller that's a very big. You weren't like I mean I have some major films by series directors that no one gave a shit about. No one went to the COVID hangover is still among us because I don't that may be still preventing a lot of people from going back to the theaters, which is a huge issue for the year, not for Avatar two, not for Top Gun, Maverick, not for a select few blockbusters, as you mentioned. But, you know, the mid-tier movie, meaning I'm strictly talking in terms of budget. Yeah. People aren't really showing up for these in the theaters too much anymore. You know, like a Banshees did not do well in theaters at all. But then it was released on HBO, Max. And then suddenly everyone in my life was talking about Banshees when no one except you and our friend Dan, I hadn't heard of. And my dad. Those are the only people I talked about banshees with for its entire theatrical run. Then it comes out on HBO, Max So we cannot measure, you know, box office. It's just like one number that we have. Oh, this is how many people have seen it. But then once it hits the streaming service, it can take on a life of its own. But yeah, I mean, I think there was some definitely some weird ass movies this year. A few were embraced, some of which I like, some of which I didn't, but it was kind of all over the place. But I got to say, like, when I'm looking at everything, I'm going to talk about today, I've definitely seen at least twice because I wanted to. Some of them I saw several times in the theater. So I think this year is going to have more of a staying power for me in terms of movies, I just watch more. And to be fair, the some of the emotional rides that I went on with movies this year were way more meaningful and impactful on all levels. Yeah, like in terms of fun entertainment, but then also just hard hitting, like just emotional drama. I had more times in the theater with those levels than I've had in the last two years. Yeah, I can't remember the last time I so I guess it's a very it's that's a very important thing to bring up about 2022. All right. Before we get to our lists and we will get there shortly, I just wanted to talk about some of my personal favorite movie related narratives of 2022. A lot. This is just supposed to be fun. It will go through the quickly. Deep Water brings back the erotic thriller before it goes away immediately. Adrian Lin made his first film in 20 years, his first since the erotic thriller masterpiece that is Unfaithful. What a picture. What a deep water start. A hot couple at the time, Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas. It's a great film. It's a daily film. It's a ridiculous film. I loved it. We loved it. What's not to like? I just, you know, there was like a month or so what people were talking about this a lot, mostly because of the COVID pictures of Affleck and de Armas. But still, like, I watched this thing the second it was available and I was like, Dude, you got to watch this. It's not so good. Yeah. And it's crazy to think that this. Exactly pretty much a year ago it came out in like February. You're like, Yup. And, and it's like, Wow, okay, this is it. It was truly one of one of We'll get into it. Think, well, that's it. That's all I have. I'm going through it really quick. Oh, okay. All right. That's right. You were like, it's a really, really Well, we'll get there. Yeah, because, you know, like, you know, because it's like, what's going on right now, man? What's. What's. It's on my list. It's on my list. Oh, boy. You didn't fucking say that. God, I like that. Water is on your top ten of 20. 22. Yes, You. It's. It's actually kind of high. Okay, okay. We're getting off the rails here. Really? I think this is fantastic Narrative number two, short, one Top Gun maverick is a hit, and it's really good. That's all I have to tell you. So 61, we broke it all down. God damn, I told you, like, couldn't think of a fucking sentence. I'm like, What is going on here, buddy? Yeah, I get it. Oh, So what do you said? We'll get there, okay? And I got ahead of myself. I shouldn't have said that. Deep water makes Nick Goethals top ten of 20. 22. That's the fucking headline right there. The movie related narrative. I love it. How about up? We're fucking run it now. Movie related narrative Number three Barbarian brings horror back. I mean, not like really, but it was a hit and I loved it. And you're in the middle of watching it right now. Episode 76 NC 17 Rated Films. The back half of that episode is dedicated to the best horror films I saw in 2022, and this was certainly one of my favorite. Blond is released to Mass Hysteria Episode 73. We dedicated a whole episode to this very difficult, very misunderstood film. You know, it's been nice to see our de Armas pop up like she got the Golden Globe nomination, the SAG nomination. I don't know about the Oscars, but any you know, we haven't talked about blond in a couple of months. Has it died down or is it still as hated as it was? I think it still is. I think it still is. I just think people just don't want to even talk about it. Yeah, I think they're I think they've just written it and they're like, That was awful. Let's never talk about it ever again. I feel like that's the consensus. Another movie related narrative. We talked about it a lot again on episode 73, The Blond Pod, the Don't worry darling drama. I cannot remember the time that on set antics spilled out. You know, just a year later, right before the film is released. Really bizarre to watch. Also reviewed the movie at the end of episode 73. What a treat. What a treat. I mean, I mentioning it here not to be a jerk, but like the drama behind that was like more entertaining than a lot of movies. I thought 2022 series When was the last time that there was this much drama based around a movie? I can't remember. Not like a movie set. I mean, people occasionally lose their minds. I e blond, like online. But yeah, there's no bad that's from there's no bad stories from the blond set. This was like just a train wreck over and over. I mean that the month of September was just. Have you heard about what happened now with this movie? You didn't even see the movie yet so much about it. Yeah, exactly. And it even got down to the point where is like, did Harry Styles spit at Chris Pine? That was a thing for like a week and a half. Like that's and we're talking about still don't know. I, I look back at that footage. I go, he did something. I don't know him what the context is. And I love when their publicist both came out and we're like, no, that's ridiculous. Harry Styles did not spit at Chris Pine, but then none of them said what he did. I Exactly. And I watched him some, you know, maniac on it slowed it down to like point one speed. So it was like I mean, it was literally slower than a play by play. So, so slow. The best thing that I could give them both credit, the best thing that I could think of is that genuinely a piece of like small gum slipped out of his mouth as he said. Chris Pine probably thought like it was intentional. Like, what the fuck, dude? I don't think Harry Styles had any idea that it had actually happened. And I said, Or maybe it was a mint and something just slipped out. So in Pine, it's like looking at a slap like, okay, in styles is not reacting to it. I don't think he knew it. He did anything. And then I bet after or during the movie, Pine leaned over and he's like, fucking dick or, you know, or something like that or, I don't know, that's a charitable read on it, but it was weird. And then, yes, to your point, no one said what really happened? Like, why not fight for us? Why not like that? You can't leave us in the dark with this. This is stuff that I need to know there or the masses need to know. I like to think that they're like really good friends and developed like a like. Like. Like a bromance. I'm sure. Sure. And then when they were at this thing, they're like, Listen, man, you're not going to know when you're not going to know where, but I'm going to spin my gun. I'm going to fuck with you. Yeah, Yeah. Which is also very charitable. Yeah. And then because you could because if you read it like that, when when Chris Pine, like, looks at it, he's just sort of like son of a bitch. He he looks like it looks like the end of I gotcha. Like it's something brewing. We're talking way too much about this. Let's move on to are to our next narrative of Avatar two is worth the wait and the price of admission spent all of episode 83 talking about it. I mean, it was a big deal. People are still talking about this. Still like selling out theaters. Go big Jim. Go, go. Yeah. Where is it going to go in the all time list? I think right now it's seven. It's crazy. I do this three movies in the top ten films of all time in terms of box office, Avatar, Titanic and Avatar, the way Water, All Hell, Big Jim, Jimmy. See this one? Maybe. What's this? Talk to me about this So you don't know about to. Leslie, knock to Leslie comes out of nowhere. This is a huge narrative. And because you don't know about it, it gives me an opportunity to discuss it. The weekend of January 13th, 2023, Twitter started losing its mind about Andre of Riseborough being left out of the Oscar conversation for her performance in a tiny new indie film called Too Leslie Stars. A-listers were pissed about this, apparently. Edward Norton, Gwyneth Paltrow. There are so many stars over this weekend who were very clearly copy and pasting the exact same tweet praising this performance. It was clearly an agent manager PR coordinated stunt, but it became a huge thing for two days and it motivated me to watch the movie. I rented it last Sunday, watch it will she get an arm? I don't know. It's an alcoholism movie, you know, like really Down on Their Luck costars Marc Maron. While this was like, really crazy and she ends up getting a nomination for this, it'll be like wild. I heard the box office take for this so far was like $60,000. This is small. Small, small. Why so many A-listers are getting behind it? I don't know. It was just really fun to watch. But I am the most curious about what this year's Oscars are going to be like than any year. There'll be some, like, coolness to Wolves. We'll see. But speaking of, yes, my final narratives that we're going to bring up Austen Butler's fake voice, what you think going on? Austin Butler accepting awards and walking around town, still talking like Elvis. He his voice sounds exactly like it does in the movie. And I know you're going to respond and I will give you a chance to respond. I'll yield the rest of my time. What's I've done making my way here. Because we can all admit he didn't talk like this before. He had a somewhat Southern drawl once upon a time in Hollywood. Go look at press videos from Once Upon a Time. In Hollywood. He talks like a kid from Anaheim, which is where he's from. His story is that it was isolation and I had to lock myself down and master this voice for two years. And because I did that and then went and filmed the movie, I have now remodeled my vocal cords. So this is how I permanently talk now, the reason why I'm bringing it up is because I've been saying for months that he is the frontrunner to win the Best Actor Oscar for the first time. It was because of his Golden Globes speech when Twitter just eviscerated him online. The narrative has not stopped. He is being openly mocked by everyone. His ex girlfriend of several years went on Instagram and mocked him. And her name is Vanessa Hudgens. It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen. All right. All right. My, I'm having a little fun. I'm not really this worked up about it. I'm just having a little fight now to add to the degree of this voice change is where I find there to be like that, the gray area. Because I can empathize with changing your voice for that long of a time to where there may be some permanent effects. Now, the degree of which he is going with it is where I question the PR aspect of this, but I don't think it's ridiculous this to believe that he is leaning into something like this for this whole entire thing. I'm not defending and I'm not embracing. I'm just looking at it for what it is and being like, Yeah, you're not riled up like I am about it. I get it. Yes, fine. I mean, no one needs to be as riled up as I am. I just think it's hilarious. And I do think it's funny. I've been a movie fan for my entire life. I've been watching the Oscars and studying them to a ridiculous, unnecessary degree for decades. I have never seen a thing like this in my life. I swear to God, this movie is on your top ten shit on, you know, pro actors, veteran actors looking at this and laughing at him. There's validity to everything you're saying. Actors are crazy. Basically. I think that sums up everything I really need to say about this. All right, That's fair. That's. I mean, it's true. Yeah, they're. They're crazy people. And and to whatever degree of truth or persona or, you know, intentional PR method is going on here, it all boils down to the fact that actors are crazy. I wish him all the best. I think he's a very talented actor. I loved him. Oh, yeah. At a time in Hollywood, like you and I knew his name. We didn't learn his name from Elvis. And I know a lot of people didn't like I've liked this guy for a while. I'm not hating on him. I just. I want him to be a little aware what he's doing because this is going to follow him around for ever. You know, the kids got the stuff. Yeah. And I'll be damned if any man can pull off a V neck better than him. Like, he goes down those deep views and it survive, as they say to me. Tell me, does Timmy show me? Oh, he just doesn't work. Yeah. Timmy just doesn't wear shirts and, you know, I mean, and he can do whatever he wants. He's a he's a he's an icon. All right. We're going to get to our top ten here. But I have a surprise for you before we even get to our top ten of 2022. I don't know if this is spoiled for you, but we did have a write in. I am going to make it a thing where anytime we have a guest on the show, I'm going to allow them at the end of the year to email or send us a voice memo or even come on the show and tell us their top ten or top five favorite films of the year. We had one Don't send unofficial guest, Don't do it at 2022 Dead break. See how the Bad Blood podcast. So he wrote it and I am allowing him to list his top five films of the year and move on to this asshole's picks. This is unbelievable. This is Dan Brace, his email to me. Hello, sir, This is for you to read. So I'm not sure if you know this. Not many people do, but my memory sucks like, really bad. So I'm going to do my best to recall five movies I've seen this year. And then there's just some not nice words about you. Just, well, a few paragraphs really just keeps going. Okay, Number five, ambulance. Just a wild ride in and of itself. This movie might have made my top five simply because it was the first movie I saw in 2022 with my dad, and it exceeded both of our expectations. 2 hours in an ambulance. There's no way this works. Well, Michael Bay fucking made it work. Number four I wanted to say Bullet train or the bad cheese of ignition. But when I wrote this, I wasn't feeling it. I wanted to like Banshee so much more than I did. And everything I said for ambulance, I literally could have copy and pasted for bullet train. Except one takes place on a train and the other an ambulance. Huh? So my number four is Marcel the shell with shoes on. It's adorable. It's short. It's to the point. I needed it in my life. When I saw it, I left the theater in a fantastic mood. Simple as that. Look, it's in number three. All quiet on the Western front, simply captivated by the cinematography. It's amazing what drones can do now. That very first scene when the movie score scoops you up and tells you, the viewer, This is some heavy shit, you're fucked. Get ready. We won't be kind to you. And it is not. It's relentless right up until the last frame, but it's beautiful. Number two. Weird, though. Weird Al Yankovic story comedy is my bread and butter, Peanut butter and jelly. This movie is a trip just pure over the top. Hilarious insanity. What you'd expect from Mr. Weird Al Yankovic and Radcliffe dominates the role, and he's cut from marble, The Mad Jack, one of the best comedies I've seen in a long time. Number one Babylon. The only movies in 2022 I have seen twice in theaters, the first 45 minutes now three times because of a failed first viewing. This movie has everything the score, the camera styles and tricks. I loved it all. It takes risks. It isn't safe and I love it for that. The acting by everyone is superb and will probably go unnoticed come Oscar nomination time. But that's okay. They're acting just for me. It doesn't feel like 3 hours. The thing flies. It just resonated with me. And I guess that's all that really matters with a movie when it comes down to it. This is my favorite movie of the year. I just wish Glen Powell was in it. Go fuck yourself. That's how you know, it's a good list. It's a good list. And I feel like from this point on out, every time that we he is referenced, I'm only going to just let out audible noises to express my sentiment fare. And I really like that list. I like that list. And I and I really like a lot what he said. I liked that he took it seriously. A rare thing from him. Okay, so let's move on top ten of 2022. You're going to go first. It was number ten. We already know one of yours. Yeah, well, yeah. Oh, man. Oh, that was so well-played. I'm going to start this list with a movie that I hate with all of my heart hate. I never want to watch this. Yes, I know everyone. I know we're going. I hate this movie with every fiber in my being. I never want to see this again. It was the hardest movie I've ever had to sit through. I am still fucked up from it. I don't want to talk about it. Yeah, that is the truth. Lynch. Really well done. Impressive feat of filmmaking. That is Gas fart noise vortex. Yep. I knew where that was going, right when you set it up. This movie is. I don't know where I know this is on your list, so I don't want to. I feel like we're all talking about those. We can't. We have to. We have to. I'll hijack it forever over its head in years. I can't even going back to our gas budget episode, everyone is going to take his movies in every movie, really, but particularly with his style. They're all going to hit you in different ways for whatever is your shit and that and that's that's what's going to come up for me. This happens to be it. But it was undeniably one of the most unique, original and well-done pieces of filmmaking I've ever seen. The biggest component to this movie is that for the most part, it's all split screen. Yeah, yeah. There's a whole entire idea of like, Oh my God, how is this going to work? Is this going to work? Not only does it work, you couldn't tell the story any other way, or you could, but it wouldn't be as impactful as it is. And like and it's every scene is a little different for those reasons. But there's one in particular that just depicts in a very, very simple fashion, life and death. And it was one of the most effective things I've ever seen on film. And that's just the truth. It's this is the power of film. This is what it can do. Yeah. And when you're really starting to play and experiment with certain things, you're like, Oh, wow, It doesn't just need to be this shot. It can be this shot and this shot. But then what this shot ends up doing, in contrast, or my favorite word, juxtapose what it juxtaposes with the other and what that means in the realm of our existence. And it's this movie fucking nails that shit. So yes, I will never watch this movie again, but I appreciate it. And that opening scene, we're not opening scene, but that black and white song. Yeah, this beautiful. It's just one of the most beautiful things. So it doesn't set the tone. It just you need to appreciate, like, Hey, you're getting into a a world of hurt here, so here's a little bit of love before we do that. I mean, yeah, I guess Far and Away is very specific type of filmmaker. One of my favorite podcasts we've done was we actually did Tubes. We did this whole career up, up in to Vortex, and then we did It Looks a turn a Vortex episode. But I did think Vortex is by far as most mature film is, most adults are. And the fact that he decided to film the whole thing in split screen, well one it is just oh so gas far and yeah you do think it's going to be distracting even when it starts you're like, Oh shit, I got to do yeah, 2 hours of this. But it's not because after no moments it when you embrace it, you just fall into two concurrent worlds. Sometimes those worlds are engaging with each other in the exact same room. Sometimes they are most terrifyingly split apart by just a couple of blocks. And you know, it's a massively experimental film, but made by an unapologetic master. And I will see. I will be there opening weekend for anything this man makes. I just wish, yes, more movies. But Vortex is certainly not the most rewatchable movie of the year, as you've indicated, but I will always cherish it. And well, I had an amazing cry in the car after I saw all this. Oh great, great. Had a good cry. I liked it a lot. I saw I saw it with a with a dear friend and and we were both supremely fucked up afterwards and we needed to go out into the. I think I said this in the pod. Yeah, we need it. We needed to go out. We had to. We had to shake this. It's that good. And it's worth having people see it here. Hear my number ten already been mentioned. All quiet on the Western Front, directed by Edward Berger. I did talk about this a little bit on episode 79 because I said I was pissed that more people weren't talking about this. I was lucky enough to see it in the theater, and I put it on a few days ago to see if it was going to hold up at home. I mean, I literally, like I had a few circling my ten spot. And then, I mean, as Dan said, like 4 minutes into this, I was like, Jesus Christ, this thing is so visceral, no matter where you are. And a theater would have been preferred, but it's on Netflix for free. So, yes, 2 hours and 5 minutes. But you can watch it with the English dub on if you want. And you know, these battle scenes echo Saving Private Ryan. It's it's an unflinching World War One movie made with modern technique. So, I mean, you watch something like this and you're like, where does the war film go from here? Like, how much more brutal is are we going to be even allowed to see on screen? So it's a it's a grueling film, but it's just really, really damn good. And it's war movies like Are Your Thing. If you like them, then hopefully the selling point of you can watch it in English. Dub will help some people because two and a half hour German movie, some people just, you know, they're like, not a chance. But that's the only reason why I mentioned it. I wouldn't prefer that people watch dub stuff, but I don't care if it gets you to watch it, watch it. But I mean, it's a great war film, truly. I think this might be one of the movies that does better as it approaches the Oscars because it didn't get any notice. Notice when it came out, it was in theaters in L.A. for like two weeks. And it's actually getting played again, though. It's popping up. That's what I'm saying. So I think you're right. And I think it's going to creep up and get in. I think we might see the you know, they usually like to nominate at least one foreign movie for picture. And keep in mind, they usually nominate a foreign direct. Yeah. Remember another round Cold War like it happens. And people are often like, what the hell? Where'd that come from? This could be a director's branch are full of non-Americans, and you know, the director's nominated director, so we could see Berger get in there. Maybe for a director, maybe, you know, So, yeah, I think you're right. I think it crushed the BAFTAs. It got, like, 50. Yeah. And so they really embrace it. It'll be. It'll be interesting to see if this pops up, but I could I think we're going to see a lot of noms for this. Honestly. It's going to get a bunch of technical nominations. What went into you? That's. Yeah, it's up against you. But yeah, I think so too. I think this has got some legs Number nine from you. This is a movie that I, I'm sure I would have seen at some point, but it was because of your enthusiasm that made me see it. And that is a little indie that is on Netflix that again, no one's really watching. Emily the Criminal. Yes, this is my number eight. I'll just spoil it now. I love it. I didn't even know you. Watch this, dude. I love this movie. I watch. I mean, every movie on my list, if it's available. I've watched in the past week just to familiarize myself. Watch this last night. And I was like, Yep, it absolutely deserves to be on the list. Yes, I love it. It's it's just a I mean, you've you phrased it as like a throwback to a 1970s heist movie, but also a little bit of Cassavetes in there. And that's exactly what this is. It very much feels like that. Aubrey Plaza. My God, I love her. She is just I think sky's the limit for her in terms of her range and talent. Yet she's revealed a completely different side. Yes. Acting capability. This is to me, easily her best role. And I just I was having so much fun. Watch her play this Jersey girl with a chip on their shoulder last night, just like kick it ass and seedy parts of L.A.. I mean, she I mean, she is she she carries the weight of this movie every I mean, Theo Rossi is great in it all The supporting actors are all fantastic. And the the movement, the tightness of the movie, everything, everything's accounted for in terms of the way it presents its story. There is nothing that this movie doesn't kind of track. And there's no fat at all. No at all. Yeah. And it moves. It's very well executed. But it's her. She's the one whose emotional arc we're carrying and we feel every step of the way we know exactly what she's feeling at all times. And that is just really incredible to watch. Yeah, I love watching her be able to hold her own. She gets herself in some very dangerous situations and she fights. She's she's a fighter. And I really love that. I also love that the movie, you know, she's able, Emily, to fall very quickly and organically into this dark world of credit card fraud. And it's so believable, the film in terms of process, like they really make you understand how this type of fraud works. And then Plaza and Costar Theo Rossi, who I understand you have a relationship with because of Sons of Anarchy. I never seen that show. So I don't really know this guy that well. And I just I mean, he was so impressive when you told me he's one of the stars that I was like, Oh, yeah, he he's an actor. Like, he was doing a lot with his face and, like, kind of looks and shifty looks like very good. I mean, they're just so in it from the jump. It's a $2 million movie and all of that is on screen. It's I don't want to like, oversell and say it's like some game changer. But yeah, I definitely get like on the ground crime thriller cast of Yes vibes from it That's just a really well-made on the ground thriller. Here's another selling point everyone in including yourself every single person I've recommended this to, has enjoyed it. Yes, all ages doesn't matter. No one's like Favorite of the year love. Yeah. A-plus masterpiece. That's not how we're selling it. It's just like a really tight, good movie. Hour 45. You're in with a great ending. Oh, it's a really good ending. It reminds me of. Yeah, I think I brought this up to you. Like, you know, if you. If you're going back to, like, the 2000s and, you know, there were always, like, the big movies that were going to be the nominated ones. And then, yes, those was like Focus features before Focus became the Academy Award winner, like movies, right? They were always these indies that just like, be peppered throughout the year. And you were like, Man, this is the good shit. Like, this is like even though it's never going to be an Academy Award winner and it's not necessarily the best movie of the year, but they're like, but this is like the best. These are the best movies being made today. That's how this feels. Yeah. I mean, this is what Matt Damon's talking about in that clip when, Yes, like this movie doesn't really exist anymore. And occasionally, you know, I'm sure John Peyton Ford had to scrape and hustle with that $2 million. But we just we don't really see$2 million movies are made. I don't we just don't have a chance to, like see many of them because they're not getting distributed a lot. Yeah, I didn't see this in the theater. I don't even know if this came out in a theater. I don't know if they did. A few months ago, I was looking up what are some really high rated movies that I just haven't gotten to know have heard of this one? So I had to rent it on YouTube for like six bucks before it was on Netflix and loved it, knew what it was on Netflix. I started going crazy texts. People like, You don't have an excuse to free watch it. Watch it. Yeah. So glad you made your list. So you're number nine. I doubt we have much crossover with Anthony Jeselnik, the comedian. I'm bringing this up for a reason. I promise. He's one of my favorite comedians. He has a podcast. Ever since he saw the movie in November, he has been using the title as a way to equate it to like, awesome. So if something is awesome, it's blank the title. Okay, so four months and you know, he's a comedian, so it's kind of a bit he really liked the movie, but if he's like, Oh, so if you tell me, so tell me your number. You're number nine again. Emily The criminal. Nick That's Bones enough. Oh, Oh, Bones in all, baby. Bones, No. Oh, my God. So, again, it's. It's such a specific thing. But honestly, this movie by Luca Guadagnino, which I loved, Suspiria, was my number two of 2018. What does that say about me? I've really, really enjoyed Bones and all, but now that, like one of my favorite comedians has just run a gag about it, Just any time someone says something, it sounds good. He's like, this Bones. No bones at all. Yeah, Yeah. That's so hilarious. Especially considering, like, you know, this is really, honestly such an honest love story, but set in such extreme circumstances. Taylor Russell is a god and love her. Mark Rylance Wow. Oof! Michael Stuhlbarg Wow. Trent Reznor Atticus Ross with an incredible score, great cinematography. You was shot on film. The cannibal storyline is the thing. We've talked about this in a few episodes, but I've never seen it expressed as we have discussed, with the qualities of addiction. Really trippy movie, really good movie, completely uncompromising and vision loved it. And it's even more more than addiction. It's almost like it's like they're afflicted. Like they're like they were born with this. Like this. Yeah, It's almost. It's like a disease. Yeah, It's almost like not. It's like a step up from addicts. Addiction. Yeah, that's what you said on the podcast. That's right. It's like a disease. Like, it's just part of them. They cannot help it. Yeah, Like, we got to figure out a way to live the rest of our lives with this, and that's such a much more interesting way into something like that. And, you know, I'm so fucking upset that this isn't in my top ten. Oh, it didn't make it. I wondered. I wonder if there's two that are bummers. Yeah, I have. I have a few that I think will be on yours that just didn't make mine. But I mean, this one did barely sneak in there, but when I rewatched it, I was like, No, I mean, I, I just remember being so impressed with how it looked, even though the think about it's flashy, it's just so like the the film stock was so grainy and, oh, it just looks so, so beautiful. Good movie. This is why I know it was a better movie year for me than the last two, because this is the first year in years that I've struggled to make a top ten because of what I had to exclude. The past two years I've been fighting to include ten. Yeah, but so I think it's a good problem to have. But takes us to your number eight. Number eight for all the what do you watchers out there what you can't see is that and you and you said this earlier but you wrote in one of our narratives. But I love the way you actually wrote it and our outline as you said, this movie is released and mass mental breakdowns occur. And I think that I think just the phrasing of that sentence is perfect. And that movie I'm referring to is none other than Andrew Dominik's blond. Nice. I'm glad it made your list. I'm very glad. Actually. It was absolutely always going to be my top ten. I knew when I was watching it because like, I mean, again, this is such a specific movie to this. People like you and me, this is as high art as you can get with movie making. Like this is abstract as it comes in, but taking a real person and a biopic genre type thing, I mean, now that I think about it, it's a recipe for disaster. Like, like, like the way you want to go about making a movie like this is not going to be received well, and it just wasn't. And it's a shame because this movie has so much to offer on an artistic level that I think people just didn't want to see or did didn't see. Yeah, this is my number six, okay. Andrew. Dominic Yeah, I mean we on episode 73, I in particular was on one and came to the very passionate defense of this movie, mostly by saying that it's rated NC 17 and there's never been an easy NC 17 film. I'm not saying that this is the only version of Marilyn Monroe's life, but I am saying that it is a version like I Do firmly believe that everything depicted in this film more or less happened. I don't know. I don't know if she was abused by famous producers and an acting president in exactly that same manner, but I'm convinced that she was. By all accounts, she was. The more I dig into her life, the more accurate this movie feels. Which which sounds terrible to say. But, you know, clearly, Dominic and author Joyce Carol Oates, just they made a version that people were not ready for and maybe they never will be. You. This is is a very impressionistic take on a tragic life. So be it. Ana de Armas, I mean, just forget the haters. I thought this was completely fearless work, totally uncompromising, totally gave herself to the material. One of the best performances I've ever seen, let alone in the past few years. Loved it. Colin Farrell spent the first 30 seconds of his Golden Globes speech praising her performance. Damn right. And I mean, you people arguing with me about her accent in this movie. Some of you are the same people that are okay with Austin Butler accepting awards, sounding like a jackass. My number eight was Emily the Criminal, which we already said. So we're going to move on. Hey, your number seven, Would you like, Oh, allow you to retort. I actually think that is a brilliant, brilliant analogy you just made to the way. Oh, I thought you gave me. No. Yes. No, no. Because, you know, what are some bottlers doing? I don't know. I can't speculate. I don't like whatever's going on there that we don't we just don't know. You're right. What we know and people have their opinions on Ana de Armas accent in that movie. Whether they like it, it doesn't matter. But the analogy that you made that that you're basically doing the exact same thing. Yeah. Is actually like right on the nose. Brilliant. Like that. Like that. That argument is that that that stops anyone in their tracks. That's great. It's just trying to make a point, that's all. Put some respect on Ana de Armas. My number eight was Emily the Criminal, which I said, So we're going to go to your numbers. So talking about Ana de Armas, we talked about this earlier. It's showing up right here, baby. This is where it is. The number seven oh, God. Number seven is water. I love this movie. This was you got to tell me when I knew you liked it and loved it. I didn't know you responded to it like this. I wanted to cover this and do my top ten erotic thrillers of all time. Well, that was the reason I didn't know enough to know mine. You're just o yours. And I'm just like, Oh, yeah, No one no one. No one has seen the erotic thriller. Really? Like, like V, you know? I mean, I know it sounds weird. It's not even anything weird. It's just like, I love how bad some of them are. I love these movies. I watch them a lot. And this was a great throwback for so that that podcast is still on the table. Remember, that was a running bit that I was to have to do that many. So by myself, that would be the last episode of What are you watching to? If anyone ever sees me do a solo erotic thrillers podcast or a solo Shane commentary, then like Call for Help, because like it's done some tap into some this house over, I don't care anymore. So yeah, we got to watch it but if you want to join me on those, then it's fine. No, but seriously, I'm really glad you liked this movie. I loved just the absurd nature of it. I just. Yeah, I loved it. It was fun to laugh at it was. I mean, what were they? Slugs. What was it? Oh, yeah, a snail. Snail sale. Yeah. Collected a lot of sales loss sales. And he's, like, intimidating all these people. He's like, bringing them in there is like, you know, the thing about saying you don't eat them. Yeah, I forget about Tracy Letts, like, we're weird. Oh, my God, I love him. Like, yeah, you got to realize with this movie is like, this is is it in the same arena as, like, one of those like, Lifetime movies? Like, I was just going to say when Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig and yes, that Lifetime movie, which I didn't watch, it apparently wasn't that good. But like, they were clearly doing an exercise. Everyone involved with deep water knew what they were doing. That's what I like about it. And they did it well. That's thing. Yeah. Like, yeah, like that's the thing. Like you watch this movie and you're not supposed to take it that seriously because the actors and everyone involved know what it is. They lean into it and it is one of the most entertaining 2 hours you'll have of the whole year. And you know, it's compelling to like you're actually like, I'm doing the thing that I make fun of people for doing like, Oh my God, are they going to find out what happened? Like, right, I'm the ride for it. Huge. And I honestly think this is one of my favorite Ben Affleck performances. I thought he was great. It's just like smug and smart like I really like. Yes, I love like, he's very subtle, but the air of mystery that needs to happen around him. Yeah. Like, I don't want to say too much about the movie, but, like, the whole like you know, it's kind of got a bit of gone girl vibes in terms of. Yeah, yeah. Is he like, he plays that part very, very well and this is a way more leaning into like, I'm having fun with this and that harness is fantastic in it. I mean, yeah, like this is just a really, really fun movie for exactly everything we're talking about. And it's that good that it made my list number seven. Number seven for me. Simply put, don't have a lot of thoughts. It was the most entertaining film of the year. Top Gun Maverick, directed by Joseph Kosinski is loved it thought was great. What number seven. Yeah why Oh, okay. All right. You have it higher. We got it different. Yeah. Hugely popular movie. So you sound like you want to reserve. That's interesting. So it sounds like it's going to be up there for you. I mean, we did a whole episode about it, and it was just I saw this in the theater three times and I've watched it since. It's been released on streaming. It's immensely entertaining. What else can you say? Should we should we say my part of it now or should I save it or No, we'll come back to it. We'll we'll come back to it. We'll come back to it. All right. I like this. I like this. And give me your number six. Number six, This is this is I'm excited about this one triangle of sadness. Yes. Nice. Yes. I'm so glad you watch this. I got another one I really wanted to do like a mini showed or a whole episode about. But I love this movie. It took me a while to get around to it. You had been praising it since it came out and you're like, Nick, you got to see this. You got to see this, you got to see this. And you definitely know my taste very well. You know what? I'll really like in what? Like what's not necessarily like, I don't need to go in Russian. Tell Nick to go see this. Yeah, the movie is basically three different movies. Each one offers something very unique and very special. And when I was done with it, I remember when we got to the third act of that movie, I as an audience member watching it, I saw what we were about to get into and everything in me didn't want to do it. Yes, I was very skeptical. I went, Yeah, do we've done this before? Like, do you really have something new to say that to me Did Holy shit, it does. Yeah. Yeah. Like about, like 5 to 10 minutes into what the third act does. I left my reservations at the door and I saw what it was doing, and I go, This is fantastic. And not only each one of these acts, you want to say it's reflective of the way we are as a society in all three of them and the way it harkens back to the message of the first act, which is actually my favorite act of the movie, is just fucking great. Like it's a really, really well-done that has something to say. It speaks to us as a society in this time. And man, is it absurd, but it really is very, very it's an original, original voice right here. Yeah. I mean, Ruben ÖSTLUND, he's won the Palme, Colin Palme d'Or twice in a row, which is a very, very rare thing. I did talk about triangles. Said this on a previous episode. This is the funniest film I've seen in years. I did take my glasses off while watching it because I couldn't see anything. I could not catch my breath. I almost had to leave about 40 of us in that theater. Ten of us were all in that same path with it, and everyone was looking at it like we were staring. And I just couldn't help myself. Like I was. I was just dying laughing. This is going to be released on Criterion. I can't wait. I wish it had more special features, but. Oh well. But yeah, really happy you watch this one. Checked it out, loved the soundtrack, love the end. So we're going to move to my number six, which was blond. Okay. All right. That's I'm really happy that was on your TV already spoiled. That was my number six. Now we go to your wide open number five. All right, baby. Top five. Here it comes. Here it comes. I just saw it within this last week. And that is Darren Aronofsky's the Whale. Nice. Very nice. I'm going to tell you now, this was the one that circled the edge for me. Didn't make it then. I was it was tough to let go of this one, like tough. But I was rewatching everything. I saw this twice in the theater and just went, Yeah, I mean, it's just if we were rating it based on performances, if that's making our list, this would probably be my number one or two. But I just don't I don't want to take anything away from it all. But yeah, I had a because I recommended this as my What are you watching recommendation a few episodes ago. Yeah, you did. And you definitely undersold it to me because I think you might have known that I would. I would. I would take this movie a certain way. I can't remember the last time I was moved this much by a dream. Dramatic story. Mm hmm. This was profoundly moving, like you said, that when you're in your synopsis of it and that's exactly what it is, it's devastating. Brendan Fraser This is one of the best acting performances I've seen in years. It I know, you know, if we're talking about the Oscars, you know, I will save that commercial. Yeah, we'll say it for the Oscars part, which will be coming very, very soon because you're doing this on Saturday and they're just a few days away. So our audience is going to get to back to back 20, 22 related episodes. The acting in this movie, particularly on Brendan Fraser, is just I mean, this man is literally tearing open his heart and just pouring it all out. And you feel that you feel every little bit of the layer of this character. You get to know this guy on such a level and truly beautiful. It's truly heartbreaking. There's certain aspects of the film itself that don't quite land. I think that the the biggest takeaways, the performances. Yeah, but that being said, I didn't care I them the movie got me it it got me in such a way. I also think that knowing that this was an adaptation from a play, this is one of the better adaptations I've ever seen from play to screen. This movie does not feel it's about a little under 2 hours. We're in the same apartment. It doesn't feel like that. Yeah, I can't say enough. I when the movie was over, I was just laying back in my seat, just move. And I said, a big fuck you. Darren Aronofsky Yeah, and my in my rec, I said, It's definitely an Aronofsky film, but you know, it's not like mother, but it definitely has his. No, Yeah, just his sentiment all over. Yeah. From, from how it begins to how it ends. You're like, Yep, I know a movie. I know what director I'm watching right now. Yeah, I feel like this is actually in some ways this is his this movie has the most levity of any of his work. Yeah, Yeah. Potentially, though. Potentially. Yeah. Like there's a level of love and hope that exists in this movie that I think he very much steers away from in the rest of his movies. Know for sure. Like he was Brendan, Dwayne, a little Pro-tip that I've learned from this Oscar campaign, it is definitively Fraser. Brendan Fraser That's how it's pronounced. According to him. Didn't know that. No, no, I think it's a phrase that I've always yeah, I've always pronounced like Joe Frazier, which had a Z and it's not, it's Fraser. But anyway, Yeah, not to that. My apologies to Brendan Fraser because I love that man. I always it should matter if his name is read on Oscar night which God I hope it is, that would be great. But yeah, percent he's incredible. Yeah Hong Chow is just she's, she had a good year she was in the menu I've liked her since trim May She had a role in the HBO show trauma that I really loved her and she was in Downsizing the Alexander Payne movie. I mean, I've always liked her and this was the best work I've seen from her yet. Just But what I was going to say before I corrected the name thing, that's one of his most Aronofsky's most optimistic characters and just positive characters. He was a I did not expect that I expected him to be like this mean like pissed at life because of look what's happened to me and yeah, all this shame in it. But it wasn't like that. It was just it's a movie about a guy, a man trying to reconnect with his daughter. Similar, you know, a theme not unknown to Aronofsky with The Wrestler, things like that. But I saw pockets of his work in this and I liked that. But then I also think I ended my little what are you watching recommendation saying that we had done an episode that would fit in the conversation. That was our favorite movies based someplace because, you know, that's that's always a tricky thing. Is it going to be always too stagy or is it because I don't mind a little bit of somewhat stage genius and he chose his angles to kind of set it up like, yes, black box theaters. And I got what he was doing. But then with the help of the great DP, Matty Libatique, he would just move and it would go around and I was like, Man, this is really cool. And it's really cool. So cool. I mean, yo, good. What you would do with music and sound? Yeah, and it's very cool to see Aronofsky contained like this because like his movies always, even The Wrestler, it's got a scope to it. It's something it's certainly nothing like The Fountain or Requiem for a Dream where there's like a lot of very crazy stuff going on, dream like abstract imagery and cuts and things like that. This is this is his most contains his most restrained. And I think he works I think it works very, very well. Yeah. Because mother was contained into one place for that movie fucking nuts. But then it goes off. Not great. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That was great. The whale number five from you. Number five for me. I made a promise to myself to put this film in my top five of the year, which meant that if it was close to being knocked out of the top five, I had to go and rewatch it, which I have a few times. So here is the key moment. Yes. Celine Sciamma. If you like Portrait of a Lady on Fire, you have to see the Teen Mama hit festivals in 2021. I don't care. It was made available to us in 2022, so I'm counting it here. Simple, profound. 72 minutes made for $2 million, set largely in one location with five actors. You actually saw this first and recommended it to me. It was your What are you watching? Recommendation Episode six That's right. Yep. So then I went and saw it and it had a really big emotional impact on me. I mean, you know, I will be sparse, but the movie is about a young girl trying to connect with her mother through the help of another young girl. That's it. It's it's easy. It's yeah, it's rated PG. I watch this. I've actually it's on Hulu, so it's just I just like putting it on. It's 72 minutes, like it's easy. And the final scene, the final word of this movie. I mean, the first time I saw it, I, I sat through the credits just leaving. I thought it was so simple and so beautiful. And yeah, again, if you I know a lot of people like Portrait of a Lady on Fire. It made the sight and sound poll. That's pretty crazy. I mean, you just you got to go check out Petite Mama. It's on Hulu. It's so easy. It's so beautiful, so simple. I loved it. So we're talking about it. I'm just going to we'll keep this conversation going. This is my number three. Oh, love it. I knew it was on your list. I didn't know where. All that's so good. Yeah, this is it. And I think, you know. Yeah, because I love Portrait of a Lady on Fire and what I love about this movie is. And I think if you're going to go watch this like it is only 72 minutes, it is very, very slow. But I mean that in like a beautiful way like you do kind of got to give yourself the attention to it because the payoff that it's going to give you is in its simplicity. And it's very, very intentionally paced movement. The way this movie like hits you is unlike like, I don't know how you achieve that. Like, because I don't want to say you have to see the movie to know what we're talking about. It's just not an American sentiment because it's not paying attention. The whole time I was watching this, the main thing I had in my head is, okay, it's only 72 minutes because I didn't. I'm like, what they're talking about. The scenes are showing. It's not difficult to understand. I just don't have any idea where we're going. Is this just going to be. Yeah, 72 minutes of two little girls meeting and becoming friends, like, Oh, okay, I guess. And I didn't know where it was going until the final 60 seconds. And she just ends it. And I was like, Oh my God, it's like a before sunset. And like, could it keep going? Yes, I would love Yeah, but it's perfect where it cuts, it's like it's perfect cut out. Oh, and it's definitely like an artist using the medium of film to express. Like, I've really felt like this was her love letter to her. Mom had, like, it very much felt like that. And so it was personal, but it wasn't indulgent. My number three. Your number five. Loved it. Give us your number four. We talked about it earlier. My top gun, baby. Top. Oh, there you go. Okay, number three. So it did broke in the top five. I like that. I like that. Yeah. Four, seven. I don't know. You know, two, two, 22, 21. It's not that big of a deal. Like there's still all close. This is the reason we go to the movies this movie has. Well every single thing. I'll say it. This is it. This is why they're made. This is like I don't have anything else to say other than this is movie making at an entertainment level that's just top notch. What's interesting about it is that it's a war movie, but there are no it doesn't care about it's enemy. No, I mean, it really is crafted like a mission war movie. It's just so damn fun. I loved it. I loved it. Very few movies get me to leap off of my chair. Oh, yeah. And I. This is your savior speaking. Oh, my God. I like it is a year. Oh, it was just so great. I wonder if they're going to go for a sequel. I have no idea why they wouldn't at this point. If they do it the same way, the same style. I will see. I don't know. I don't know if they'll keep going. I just can't believe he pulled it off like this is. Does anyone who doesn't have like a really close Daljit connection to the first one? Aside from that, everyone admits this better movie, right? Like, oh, you just I mean, so we have another one that goes in the column of like a sequel. That's better. Yeah, it's kind of rare that we definitively get a bigger, a bigger, better sequel. And Top Gun is a massively popular movie in this. I don't know. They did it and cruise. I've always loved the guy. So if you the way he flexed as a producer on this by not releasing it and going, Nope, it's not coming to streaming. Nope, nope. I'm holding on to it. It just worked. Good for him. He's going to get nominated for an Oscar because he'll be nominated as a producer of the film. I don't think I'll get in there for actor, but I just loved it. I don't know. Tommy will be up there in the Oscar conversation no matter how. One day, one day, one day, one day, I'll get it. So that was your number four. So I can see your number three. I just know I got to do my number four. Oh, okay. Damn. I just put it together. I'm a little heartbroken. Not of what I'm about to say. I'm heartbroken at what was left off your list, but that's okay. This my number four is Babylon movie. I love movie. You love after the Easter motherfucker. Type it, type it. I, I never say stuff like this, but you know, the critics, I just, with respect, got this wrong. This has an insanely low Rotten Tomatoes score. It's absurd. It's a great film, completely outrageous on purpose, overwhelming set pieces that I can't wait to watch again. What? I absolutely buy this on 4K. You know, the movie set in the 1920s and people did not speak or act in the same manner as they do now. And we're in this kind of weird phase when a lot of people are completely unwilling to accept that people in the past spoke with foul language. They were debaucherous, they were drug addled beings. This world existed. And Chazelle I just thought he put that all on display beautifully. God, what a love letter to the art form Cinema. This was it. Yes, it was evident so clearly in the final breathtaking sequence of this movie, which was to me worth the price of admission. I mean, my jaw was just hanging open. As we watch this final scene together, I yeah, I've never seen anything like it. Like, genuinely, I can't I've since we saw this in the theater, almost every movie I've been through in the theater since I just make it a point to sneak in to the last 15 minutes of Babylon or so. I've done it, like, five times still, you know, it's fine. I just stand there and sit down and watch it like, Oh, this is great. It's just great. I love it. What a swing. And it worked. So this is this is my number two high now. God damn it, Wood, What's wrong? What's wrong with this? My number two. No, I'm glad it's a number two. I'm glad we'll get there. I'm glad. I'm very glad. Babylon is your number two. I really am. I just thought something else would be on your list that isn't. And that's okay. Deepwater. You set your deepwater flag down. It's very way more important you than other movie is. Is there a movie that like I. That's not like that. I'm like, completely, like forgetting like flipping it like, oh, we'll get there. Oh, man. Okay. I can't believe that's all right. It's all right. I understand. No, because this might this is like, Oh, they're just going to read. All right, all right, all right, all right, all right, all right. Seriously? No, no, no. Okay. I'm not. I'm not mad at all that Babylon your number two. I'm actually ecstatic about that. I'm just be throwing a little hissy fit off of something that I think has been excluded. But that's okay. They are our list for a reason. No, because I want to hear, like, Babylon. I mean, we did a whole episode about it, but we did a whole episode. Honestly, I'll just kind of like mirror everything you just said. I think it was. It was the outrageousness, but it was also just like the execution of it. Like there's just so much going on in that movie that's just done so well. And I think the biggest thing that I'll say and I said it on our episode, that I think the biggest thing about this movie, like the credit I would give, is Damien Chazelle for, oh yeah, having the absolute balls to make this and make it his way. And if he's even dealing with everything, he's dealing with this. I mean, this thing just bombed completely. Nobody wants to see it. And you know, he still made the movie he wanted to make. Yeah. And that is and it's good. It's just so fucking good. And and Margot, Robbie should absolutely be nominated. I'm so glad it ranked so highly on your list. I really am. And he went for it. I do think this will have, I think 20 years from now, people are going to be remembering this in a different light than they do now. I do not think that will be the case of blond. I don't know how if that reputation's going to have like a reappraisal. I do think Babylon will live on and I think it's going to there's a hive out there. People like people are seeing this movie like it and there's some unexpected people kind of seeing it. But it's just not a lot of people are going, you know, but the people who like it, we're really, really here for it, you know? All right. Moving on, because I can't shake this this level of disappointment that something's been excluded is killing me because I'm wondering if there's something that I truly forgot. And no, let's not revise. Okay. But because I only have my number one left. I know. Yeah, because you did your for Top Gun Maverick. And then we already said your number three petite mamma. My number three is triangle of sadness. I didn't think you mentioned earlier that was your number three, but just, I mean a hilariously lacerating takedown of like the 1% of the 1% told, as you said, in three distinct chapters. Woody Harrelson, I thought was so hysterical in that second chapter. I want to I wanted to highlight the cast a little bit. Harris Dickinson, Charlie Dean, Zlatko Burak, who's currently who's currently in Copenhagen. Cowboys on Netflix, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. I had so much fun watching him pop up again, and then especially Dolly DeLeon, who just totally deserves an Oscar nomination for coming out of nowhere and owning that third section. And then, you know, just not to bring it down, but terribly. Dean passed away very shortly after this movie was released after it had won the Palme d'Or. And it was a rare blood condition that is fucking terrible. Like, he's so good in this movie and so young. And I did not that when I saw the movie that made for a completely like I thought it was being messed with like Google search after and I went whoa what how 29 Like what a brutal but aside from all quiet on the Western front I would love if this one snuck in as like the outsider foreign nominee for director for picture I don't know I would love this is this is your number two is my number three. Oh okay. Triangle of sadness. My number three. And then we go to your number two, which is Babylon. My number? Yeah, I've been saving vortexes. Oh, Jesus. You better believe it, brother. In our vortex pod. Yeah. Oh, I mean, come on. Who you talk to here in episode 60, Our luck to turn this last vortex pod. I said I called my shot early, and I was like, This is going to be my favorite movie of the year. Or at least I won't see a more emotionally impactful movie this year. And I've made some small adjustments to that. But yeah, this is an insanely intensely real and therefore disturbing look at two people at the end of their lives. One has dementia, one is struggling to deal and yeah, not an easy movie, but so now we go right to your number one. What was your number two? My number two was vortex. Thank you for paying attention. And what's your number one? You're going first. You've been oh for the whole time. That's great. That's fine. That's fine. I because now I'm like truly wondering what the hell your number one is. Here we go. Nick Toast. Oh, Favorite film of 2022. What is right? Well, okay, I know. Okay, first you say your piece, you say setting the stage and setting this up because. Because I don't want to. You do. To all of you. What are. What are you, watchers or. I still love my mad movie buffs. This has been an ongoing theme for the year between Alex and I that we have not brought up too much on the pod, So this is the time to do it. This is. Yeah, this has never happened. And I didn't know how. I've been trying to find how to speak about it. And I just told you yesterday, I'm just going to speak my truth. And most of our times I'm going to be as respectful as I can. But, you know. No, no, See, that's the thing. This is. This is this. This is great fucking shit. Because this is the movie that I love a lot. And Alex does not. And so I don't think there's ever come a movie that we have talked about on the pod that polarizes us because we pretty much live in the same arena when it comes to everything For the movie to be our favorite of the year, for us to have such a complete this is I think this is amazing, but my favorite movie of the year is Without a Doubt, and it has been since I saw it, everything everywhere all at once. I have now seen this movie twice because I needed to confirm it, because my moviegoing experience with this movie was I honestly I can't remember the last time that I and I love Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. I've seen it so many times in theaters. This is not this this is not some movie that's not cracked my top ten of all time. But the ride I went on with this movie was unlike anything I can explain. I was completely involved in the philosophical, existential action filled like mind expanding, like poetic. All of this shit that I really like was dumped into this movie and you're just kind of being grounded in just a family that doesn't know how to communicate with each other and where this movie goes and the directions that it takes. I was laughing out loud. I was crying, I was angry. I went through everything that one could possibly go through and then being moved by the idea of thinking about life in a different way and and seeing thinking about my life in certain ways. And because of the the way this movie is done through the universe thing, it just really opened up so many different feelings and ideas and forms of expression that were going on in me that I was watching done. And then while I was thinking about those things and emotion done to me through the movie, that just and I know I know how you feel about and that's okay. I don't, I don't, I don't disrespect at all what you have to say when I walked of the movie, I saw with two really good friends, we both, all three of us felt the same way. I've never walked out of the movie feeling like I feel like in a strange, absurd science fiction, weird way that I understood life in a different way. And for that reason, I can't deny what that movie did. But what different way though it if a movie really made you view life in a different way, like hell. I'm just asking. I genuinely it's all existential. So that's why it's hard to talk about because, well, you know very well, like I love existential thoughts. I love thinking about why we're here and what we mean to each other in our time here. It's something that none of us as humans are ever going to figure out. Like we can't. We only have what we have. Time is a huge fucking crazy ass thing to me and how we spend it and how it goes away. So all of these things are things that are always living inside of me. So seeing a movie like this where thinking about different choices that I could have made in my life and didn't because this movie does it so many times, it never forces us to go down one path. And some of them are funny, some of them are interesting, some of them are like, For what? Michelle Yeoh's character goes through their snippets. It just started making me think about people and decisions and choices that I've made. What if I made all of them a little bit differently? And or what if I had done something else and without judgment? Because The movie is fun, for lack of a better term, so I didn't have to do well. And what I would usually do in like, my God, what if I had just done this? I started thinking about things in a little bit more of a of with some levity, but then also still with the emotional weight of all of that. So I don't think I've ever given myself that type of permission to think about everything that I have done with my life and not think about the opposite. This may not make any sense at all. I if it doesn't meet, maybe I actually can't speak to it, but I understood it. And maybe that's what other people can't speak to either, because I don't I, I can't give you a full on like sentence as to why this movie. I look at life a little bit differently at the end of it. I think it's just because it I don't know this is I can only know by ordeal. Yeah this is my ongoing thing is that I will never in the history of my life be mad at someone or think less of someone or belittle someone for liking a film. That's not how I roll. I'm trying to bring positivity into it. But the only. Yeah, I mean, I just again, I'm going to get to my my thoughts. I just I keep seeing crazy this movie everywhere. I'm going to get to this my remarks the the hype behind this movie online is really, really toxic and really, really dangerous. Like, they're basically like if you even tweet out like a modest, a moderately disparaging remark there, like attacking you, fuck. Well, and that's ridiculous. It's all this. Yes. Yeah. That I keep looking like but okay but I mean moving on from that. You like it as much as the second time. Yes, I did. But I liked it better in the theater because it was an overall better movie experience. But even watching it the second time, I was on the ride for it and, you know, like I. Man, that rock scene like that. Yeah, like I like that. That to me is just. That's just fucking brilliant. Yeah, that's a perfect place for me to start. I genuinely have nothing written down in front of me about this because I just want to speak from the heart. Yeah. Here's the thing. So this movie came out in March. I see. I saw 158 movies in 2022. That's just I keep a list. It's a lot of movies. I see a lot every year. Most of those movies, genuinely, if I sent you my notes app, if I invited you to it, you could see it. Most of them are just like, I give b c grades just and I do not really remember them that well. I try to remember every movie I've seen, but it's just like, Oh, okay, that's a movie that's out there. Like, there are so many movies. I see so many movies from 2020 that I've seen that I've never talked about on this podcast, because I just I don't feel like they deserve any, you know, It's like, okay, that's a good movie. I just saw fucking playing with Gerard Butler, which is a 2023 movie, and we're going to talk about playing. It was like it was an action movie. It's like, okay, there it is, man. From Auto with Tom Hanks. I would normally never talk about that. This is one of those movies where it's like, Oh, it's a two star, it's a B minus, whatever you want to call it. It just it was there. I watched it. Okay. Everything everywhere is one of those movies to me that when I saw it, I assumed there was going to be some hive behind it. And I acknowledge by April that I started calling this the best picture frontrunner. I was calling my shot early. The best way I can describe it is it was one of those movies. To me, it was a completely just nothing burger movie that did not stay in my head. I would never, ever have a reason to think about this again if it wasn't being talked about for awards. When it wins Oscars, I don't know which Oscars it's going to win. It's definitely going to win. Supporting ACTOR But when it wins Oscars, I am never going to have a reason to think about this movie ever again, nor will I. And that's the majority of movies I see every I could say that about. We choose to talk about the ones that really had an impact on us and that we really love. So that's all that's like where I started when I saw it, the what I would call drastically hyperbolic praise that has been thrown to this. I don't mean by critics, I don't mean from people like yourself. I mean the people who like this movie online are not they're not behaving nicely and it is actively. And that's neat. I know. And that's not the movie's fault. And I'll get to that. But that is actively week after week, harming this film's Oscar chances to the point where both Daniels have gone on Twitter and said, Hey, y'all like King, you chill like we're so like our movie. But you got like, people are dumb for not liking the movie. Like, it's fine. Yeah, it's all good. Like I, I guess the long and short of it is in general, like existentialism things. I don't really respond to it, but I mean, 2001 is existential and I respond to that. Yeah, that's not like a blanket statement, but I don't find I personally find no value in thinking like, are we living? Is there another universe going on? Like, is there, is there another version of me as someone who has struggled with issues of depression, it I don't find value in going back a lot and looking back on the mistakes I've made, which I have poor decisions I made, which I had, you can't change those. And yet to see someone like futilely do it over and over, I got I got what the movie was doing very early on. And what I gathered from about minute 25 is I went, Oh my God, the entire movie is going to be like this. And I saw this like hot dog fingers, rocks. I get it all. I totally get what you're doing. I get it. I thought it was profoundly dumb and then I didn't. I think the ending worked at all. I was like, that's that's your emotional payoff. I just again, I will not use the word hate for it. I will not call people dumb who like it, even though the people some people who like it think that people don't like it are dumb. I will not do that at all. Oh, I know a lot of people have responded to this. I've also noticed something because I have been saying it's Oscar chances I think are very high. And I know you told me you do know a few people, but I have found I have not found a single older person who has responded to this movie. Yeah. A lot of people have found this one on their own. Younger people seem to be responding to it. I've heard a lot that it's like it's like a two hour and 15 music video, which is just like to use that praise like hurt my head. But that's okay. And then I've what I've heard from every single person older than me who has seen it is that what was it that was just a stupid like, okay. Huh. And that that was just kind of my thoughts. Again, this isn't like a hard sell anti recommendation. I would never tell someone to not watch this. I want anyone to watch any movie because I want to see if you get something out of it. I am not seeing, nor did I see what all of you saw. Yo yo lover. Jamie Lee Curtis, lover. It's all good. It's fine. I'm just I guess I'm going to close my remarks by saying I'd be very excited when this Oscar season is done because I wanted to talk about this movie anymore. And that's it. The movie is the movie. I saw this thing in March, but I didn't use the word hate to you in a text message. Not about the movie, but I hate the way this narrative is turn that this is apparently the best ever made, and if you don't like it, you can go fuck yourself. I hate that type of reaction toward a film is not what we should be doing. We should be like. And if you like a movie and someone else doesn't, hey, guess what? It's okay. You don't have to use such harsh language about it. Like it's cool. You can still love your movie. It doesn't mean we all have to. And I'm not alone here. I used to think I was alone. Dan has never liked this movie either, so we've been talking about it a lot for the year. But yeah, I mean, that's it. I don't have anything like, big or sweeping or profound or Here's my take down of everything everywhere. I don't have a takedown. No, but you know, you're right, though, because we're having exactly what you're talking about right now. Like is the type of conversation that people don't seem to have. That's what I'm saying. Yes. It's it's like a political conversation. People are just getting you down. If you don't like everything everywhere. I'm just trying to get some insight like, why did your folks hear me now? I still am a little on the edge a little bit, but I still think this is going to win. Best picture right now as of this recording, I do. And any movie that's going to win best picture or if it's not, it's definitely number two. It's definitely in the running. It's number one or number two. I, I have the right to scrutinize it a little more and I have a right to call out the jerks who like to say, well, yeah, you're not one of them, but who liked this movie, who are treating people who don't like it, like they're Satanists or something like. And that's do call them the cats. Calm down. Yeah. At the end of the day, now it's a movie and. And that's the thing too is like I never I remember when you even said, like way back when that this movie is going to be up for Oscars. I don't want to get out of here. No, it's not. I just know little. This is a strange, weird little explosion of a movie that I'm like, this isn't going to be Oscars. Like this isn't going to be. And I even still, when I think about my favorite movie of the year, I think it is very also interesting that I can't speak to it. I have tried. This is a very surreal situation to be in to explain why I feel so strongly emotionally about a movie that made me took me on this ride that it did. And yet I can't give a reason. Right. And I have thought about this since I've seen it. Even when we walked out of the theater, we were just like and I'm like, I loved. We couldn't articulate. I mean, hey, maybe that's maybe that's speaking well to the movie. I wasn't trying to put you on the spot either. I'm not I'm not like, No, I think struggling. I fear of how it sounded. Well, it's because you and I know each other well. It's a big audience is going to be like, Jesus Christ, Alex, calm down. I was just Oh, for sure. They're going to think that the nation and they probably always do my go to like The New York Times. A.O. Scott, I'm sure, is written like a wonderfully articulate, you know, very eloquent piece about why he likes this movie or someone has, I'm sure, like and I wasn't trying to put you on the spot and be like or if Nick does still can't explain it in the movie sucks the sound of saying, No, no, your friend. I'm just really curious, you know? Mean, first time I watched 2001, I couldn't really describe why I like it a lot. So maybe it's just going to need a little more time with you, but it's just not something I'm going to. It's not the movie. I'm going to go back to. I'm not going go back to coach. Yeah. Or Nomadland either. It's okay. I mean, I don't really think there's many people that are sitting in middle ground with this movie. I think it's either people feel like how I feel about it, where it did something, it struck something and opened up a lot of people because my two friends, we all cried. We were all like really profoundly moved to the point that we didn't have words. So I think there's that. And then there's like people that just didn't get it, and I don't even know what there is to get. That's why I can't even like when you say, like, whatever this movie did to all of you, like, I just don't get I can't, like, fault you because, like, if I can't explain what that is, then, like, how am I even supposed to form, like, an argument? All I can really say is that whatever it did I got and I very much appreciated. But no one should talk to anyone like this about movies because it is. It's just a fucking movie. Yeah. And that's not that again, that it's not the director's thought, it's not A24 or the movie's fault. It's just a shame that that's, that's what's happening. They clearly were I mean, everyone is trying to combat this, like even Jamie Lee Curtis going on social media like, hey, hey, folks like it. So it's all good. It's just it's going to be I hope it calms down a little bit because, you know, it doesn't deserve to have a reputation like that. And it won't. It's just like a current thing. But no, it's just he's going to win supporting actor and he's going to give an incredible speech it's going to be very heartfelt and very just, you know, heartwarming. It really will. It will be. But, you know, also to like like is someone who was like number one, I wouldn't give this movie to any actors. Like, personally, we can we can save that for yeah, let's say Oscar. But you did tell me that while this is your number of the year, you did not anticipate it being like a big Oscar movie and you're not kind of like, oh, like, okay, this is yeah, potentially writing or potentially production design that that's the that that those are the two. Another reason I can't get on my high horse about people liking movies that weren't really for me or that I don't understand because my number one film of the year Bardo chronicle of a handful of Truth, we did a whole episode about it. Episode 80 I noticed this is neglected from your list, but Bardo not an easy movie. Did you should you added on your list or did you just forget it or what? Where's your head out right now? No, I. I remember I was thinking a lot about this when it came to deep water. Yeah, deep water. A better film because Bardo and Vortex and Emily the criminal. That's okay. According to Nicole, I think I wanted. I wanted to represent deep water and. I also think I also thought that Bart, I knew Bardo was going to be on yours. Yeah. And and I knew we were going to talk about it, and. But I honestly, as this list was going on, I was scrambling my head and I didn't I did not think that it was going be your number one. I thought that would have been like closer to like, I know how much you loved it. I thought it would have been in your top five, but as we were going through it, I was like, What am I missing? So yeah, I oh, that's now it makes so much sense. Yeah. You have like a whole army of everything, everywhere island. I'm just alone on Bardo. No, you know, I know I'm with you, but obviously nine made my top ten. Yes, Yes. So, Bardo false chronicle The handful of truths. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu We covered this on episode 80. I love, this movie that is an absurdist work of art that I had no idea where it was going. I was on the journey, but I did not know how to anticipate the destination. And because of this, when there's about 2530 minutes left in the movie, we find the central family of the film standing together on a beach and I was so profoundly moved that I sobbed like a child. I was alone in the theater, thank God. But when I realized what he was doing with that beach scene because I didn't even know what while it was going on, it took like toward the end of the scene. The tricky thing about Bardo is that the proper way to discuss it is by discussing the entire thing, including the end, which I do not want to do here, because I actually still want people, anyone, someone like Netflix, to discover this for yourself. This is not the easiest film, but it lands with such emotional honesty. I get a little honest about something here because was like, Man, this thing, it really did like grab on to me. Like it. It did. And it did. It did. Yeah. I can't talk about one of the central conflicts in BARDA, what is resolved on that beach, in fact, without giving it away. So I'm going to be a little cagey. But the thing that is revealed on that beach, the central conflict in Bardo, this is something that a lot of people go through and that no one talks about. It's very scary, it's very uncomfortable. But I have many wonderfully kind people in my life who have endured such a circumstance, sometimes more than once. And I mean, I have I have a close friend in my life who's gone through this a few times, actually, in the past few years. And it's it's just devastating. And I can't I acknowledge that I'm bringing that emotional weight to Bardo. But I do think that is what film is intended to do. I think its main cause is to stir and provoke emotion and of things we have lived through, where things we empathize with help inform our opinion of a movie, then so be it. And you know, and you read to make stuff movies. And I really respond to them. And as best I can track it, I'm just speaking for me personally. I'm someone who's been through a lot of pain in my life. I'm sure a lot of people have, and I like to think I've come out on the other side of that. And, you know, most normal people don't want to be reminded of such pain in their life, but an inner appreciation can come from dealing with such pain and then becoming a functional member society again. I think a lot of Inarritu's movies are about this. I think 21 Grams is about this. I think part was about this. I'll never forget this movie. It moved me in my core. I've seen it seven times. I will cherish it forever and I know I'm alone and I've gotten to people. Dan went to the theater. It's all I couldn't it. I've got two other people to watch this. And they were like, you know, they No one. I don't know anyone who's responded to it how I have. And that's that's why I'm not I can't be mad at anyone whose favorite film of the years. Everything everywhere. I mean, we're both talking about big swing films, which is, you know, speaks for something. So that's good. But yeah, Bardo Inarritu, I know you like them. Yeah, that's crazy. But that's why I was just being a little like, you know, just solidify the island. Exactly. Exactly. All right, There they are. Those are our top ten. Let's go through. There was good conversation about everything everywhere in this pro. The longest one we have ever because, you know, it'll it'll just be brought up on about in Oscar time. But All right. Let's go through our top ten real quick. There was a lot of back and forth of. Oh, you already said that. Okay, I'll do mine. Ten All quiet on the Western front. Nine bones in all eight. Emily the Criminal seven, Top Gun, Maverick six, Blond, five, Petite Mama four Babylon, three Triangles, Sadness two Vortex one Bardo. Wow, You ten Vortex nine Emily the Criminal eight Blond seven Deep Water six Triangle of Sadness five The Whale four. Top Gun Maverick three Petite Mama two Babylon one. Everything Everywhere All at once. We had seven in common. That's gorgeous three missing. And honestly, like the whale was again close to making Bardo was mine and deep water. Just like a deep water, just a great pool. I love it. Honorable mentions I like to just put these here. I put a very clear distinction that this is not this is not my 11 through 15. Some are just really fun. But, you know, if you do you have any. Oh, yeah, I've got a few. Okay. Okay, cool. So. Okay, Yeah. So let's go back and forth. Well, let me do my one that you've already mentioned was the whale. Darren Aronofsky. I said Brendan Fraser is my favorite performance of the year. No question. Tough movie to quote unquote love. But what in just what an honest hearted head it really did. So because that was on your list. I wanted to mention that one. But yeah, I want to hear a honorable mention from you two. I think number one, and I need to rewatch it is Banshees. Oh, cool. I mean, because I did like that movie, I had my own tonal issues with it just being a McDonagh fan and, maybe just being confused. It he was doing something different, but it wasn't. So the conversation with your dad? Mm hmm. He liked it a lot. A lot? Yeah, he liked it a lot. And then a friend of mine told me the same argument that this is a war movie. It is, And it is? Yes. And I tell an allegory. Yeah. And then it's going on in the background. I got that part of it. But you actually think about it as like two countries at war. I mean, the thing is now, okay, this is a great perspective. It's a great take. It will probably actually make the second time I watch this, I'll look at it through a whole different lens and maybe appreciate some even more. Yeah, but here's the thing. Not having that perspective the first time in an end and like being like built in sort of like you need to treat this a certain way. Going in like that was not in my head at all. So because someone else had to tell me to look at it this way, does that make it that good of a movie? Like, there you go. You know, like, like, like, I don't know. I don't know. I can already see with thinking of it like that how much I like it better because it makes more sense. It'll probably make my tonal issues make a lot more sense because where I would think normally he would go with either, like, funnier or more disturbing what you're left with and what he gives you a little bit more confusion. It may actually make things more layered. It may actually make the stakes higher for me than I thought that they were the first time around. I agree with everything you just said. You and I responded pretty much exactly the same to this. I got it. I was like, Oh, okay. I, I didn't. I was left with a little bit of, Oh, that's it. And then I think I don't want to speak for you, but we're both kind of pleasantly baffled by all the Oscar love that this is potentially going to receive. It's like, Oh, I mean, I cannot tell you all again, I don't want to step on the Oscar up. So but it is incredibly rare for one movie to get four acting nominations. And two movies are likely going to do that this year with. Banshees and everything everywhere. And that's like, I don't know if everything everywhere will banshees out. Will Ferrell to supporting and then Carrie count Oh supporting actress Like that's that's just crazy. It's good. It's good. It is It wins at least one Well I don't know like like I don't know. I'll give it to all the acting like for sure and then even the script. But everything else for the movie, like I personally, I probably wouldn't, but that's how I was thinking about it. Yeah, well, that's what I mean. Going to get a it's going to get a lot of above the line nominations picture, maybe director, probably directing the screenplay for acting that's already like eight nominations. Crazy, seven nominations, all big ones. But anyway, another one for me, Tar Todd Field. I mentioned it. I rented it for $7. Weekend was my second watch. I took my time with it. I rewound it when I needed to. It is better now. After my first viewing, this movie is still got as cold as arctic ice. But you know all hail. Kate. I hope she wins the Oscar. Right. She's giving Michelle Yeoh a run for her money. Well, we'll see. She's just you don't see bad Kate in this is Kate at her absolute best. Oh, my gosh. It's like she is on one. Is on one. I Really? Like this movie. I really, really liked it. I, I saw it last. Oh, you saw it? Yeah. Yes. I go, Oh, I didn't know that. Oh, okay. Okay. Because this is one of the ones. Oh, well, tell about it. I didn't know. I didn't know you liked it. Yeah, I. Well, one man, I'll tell you if you want if you want a direct line to starting a movie off right for me, you start the credits. Like what a fucking sway. I don't I. That's what I said when I was reviewing that. I was. Hey, man, there were people in my theater not into. Yeah, and Todd Beale takes this up. Yes. I mean, these are fast credits. He takes time, black screen, and they are not a lot of music playing my crowd. It clearly lost like I saw with an older crowd in D.C. It lost them and they did not get on board. There's still 2 hours and 40 minutes, you know, so and yeah, so I mean, and I hope that's something that I can see that becoming a trend because I know there's a few movies that have done that fairly recently. Like I remember Vox Lux did that and I loved it. Yeah, but at least in Vox Lux, we had like some cool. Yeah, that's true. There was like faces go towards a blush, like it's just like the credits. You're like, but whoa, what a swing that, that for right now that will always be. I'll be like, oh yeah, like what you're doing. But we'll see how that plays out as more movies will, I guarantee. You start to do that. But and I loved that the first basically like 20 to 30 minutes was this interview like eight like yeah and yeah and and what I thought worked about that so well was like we were really getting a history lesson on composers. And I thought that was a very, very interesting way to start off exposition for a movie by basically laying out a history lesson for everyone who is uneducated in the world of composing. And we don't we don't have any frame of reference to who these people are, but the writing of it and the and the direction of it, we don't need to. We get the idea and then we see someone who clearly knows what they're talking about. We feel the world of this and we don't need any more than that. But I was actually like, captivated. I felt like I was watching a television interview about a topic that I did not know and I was learning a lot. And I felt something about the people that were having this conversation. I've never really seen a movie pull that off for that long and have it work that well. Yeah, because I don't need to understand everything that's going on in the movie or everything that everyone's talking about. I don't know shit about classical music. I know I like certain aspects of classical. I just need to believe that the characters believe it. Yeah. And while she believes it, like when I watch, when we watch a medical TV show or a doctor show, we don't know what the hell the doctors are doing in surgery. They're using words we don't understand. I just have to believe that they believe it. Yeah, that's all. That's it. And she did. I'm always a fan of a big stars playing wildly unlikable characters, and I loved it. I thought she was great. I had no idea this was a I can say this now. I didn't see it when I first reviewed it a meteor movie. Like, I just I had no idea that's where it was going to go. A cancer called Cancel Culture Movie. I was like, Oh, wow, Good. I'm so glad you watched it. Yeah, I did my best to get all of them in. Yeah, I really, really, really like this movie again. Like. Like these were the three. It was Bardo Banshees and Tara that were the ones where I was like, Fuck. Like, I don't think these are going to get in there. Yeah. Do you have another one? Any other? Yeah. Honorable mention. Yeah. Do it knit Ram. Yeah. Nice one. Yeah. Yeah. We've texted about this. I recommend this one on not NC 17 episode in that horror movie list. Before you go I think I said Caleb Landry Jones has never been better including in the final scene of the outpost even though him in the outpost and then kind of like Anthony LaPaglia like oh my God he was that scene with him on the couch between the two of them. But yeah, how would you respond to this? This is a stark this is a dark place. Yeah, this is this is this is a dark one. It's not one that I can even really recommend it. Yeah. It's not like I love this movie. Go see it. It's like I appreciate how hard that was. Like, Yeah, this is the type of recommendation where someone's like, Okay, I really want to watch something that's got like a like a very, very strange lead performance in a really dark movie. Like, I guess no one asks for that, Right? Right, exactly. I mean, damn, if this is not like one of the best performances of the year. Yeah, that he's doing different stuff, man. He's everything I've seen him in. He's a weird guy. Like, you can tell, like, just like all his performances. There's a level of awfulness to him, and I think it works so favorably, his performances. And I'm going to get out when he gets a bit of fucking choke hold the dinner table. It's like, Why didn't you leave, dude? The second I'm a potential brother in law puts me in a choke hold is the dinner table. I sit up and I go, Hey, I'm about to see you guys anyway. Yeah, like, so crazy. Get out is crazy and everything and even, like, leave even three billboards. Is that weird? I mean, I mean, it's definitely a type, but, I mean, the way that he embodies people, they're truly. Each one is very distinct from another one. If I look at his filmography, like the kind of guy he is in The Outpost is very different than the guy in Get Out, very different from this guy. Yet we all feel for them. Like even even the get out guy, you're like, I don't know what it is, but I, I there's something about this guy that like, I know people like him or I've met weirdos like him. I can tell you crazy movie from him you likely I don't know if you've seen have you seen this after years Heaven knows what. Oh no. He's such a movie they made before. Good time. Oh, really? Oh, my God. He's in. Yeah, they cast like they. Yeah, they met like a heroin junkie on the streets. Like young woman. They're like, what? To make a story. Like a movie about your life. And it's cast her as herself. And she is. He is her boyfriend. And it is a tough it's tough. Heaven knows what. Go check that out, folks. But I bring that up because that's a they made that for no money. No money. And this is a guy who's clearly I don't know if he's being offered roles in huge movies, but it seems to me that he's choosing his career very carefully and everything he's putting up is brilliant. Yeah. Whether or not you've seen it, because the movie's too small, like Mitchum, that's one thing. But it's there. I don't know. He has every right to blow up. I wonder if he doesn't to blow it because he doesn't want to blow up. I wonder if he just wants to stay in the lane he's in, which I really respect. So and he is this performance really here solidified it. I mean, I knew it already, but this was the one where I was like, okay, I'll watch anything this guy does because oh, yeah, he he's, he's truly on another level. Two more for me, honorable mentions. And these are very hard. Put them all in here. Scream five. There you go. Directed by the team known as Radio Silence. I just I love that they pulled this off every all the reservations I had about Scream five and I had a lot these are the same reservations I have for part six coming out in March on Oscar weekend which I'll be parting about with Dan just in. So I have no choice but to give it to the filmmakers again. You got it. You got to watch Part five so that we could see the three of us going to the theater to see Scream six and then plotting about it right after. It'll be so fucking fun. It'll be so false. See, Scream five. I'm saying reserve our 45 minutes. Draw your phone. Put it in the bathroom, you know, and then sit and watch it. If the only way your you're left. I only watch movies for the pod. That's the only way I watch movies. So. So if we're going to make a Scream six podcast, then I know I have to see Scream five. Well, scream six Look out for that. Would folks give be a lot of fun? Kimmy, directed by Steven Soderbergh, came out way back when Tough not to include a Soderbergh film in my top ten after Let Them All Talk in No Sudden Move have made my They made like 20, 20 and 2021 list. But you know, I did in Minnesota on Kimmy back in March of 2022. Do you know what Steven Soderbergh's next movie? Haas I feel like I do. It's called Magic Mike Last Dance, right? Part three. Oh, I can't wait. We got to do an episode on that one to look so good. It's going to be I love. And we saw the trailer for it from Babylon. Yeah. And the trailer means like, Yeah, it was perfect because, folks, the trailer makes it look like it's the type of movie that we would never want to see. And Alex and I know go back and watch the Magic Mike trailer. It is so glad they have a reality song in it. It's so like glossy. And I watched this and I went, What I what is this? And I just to put my trust in Soderbergh that I would do it. I'm like, This ain't some stripper movie. This is a Soderbergh movie. Yeah, because he's because he's magic. Mike XXL is the stripper that that's what that is. And Sjoberg did it, and Silver didn't direct that either. He was surprised He shot and edited it. Yeah. So this is coming back to the original and I like XXL too, because that is what gave everyone what they wanted. And now there's leading it. And and I cannot wait this February, right? Yes. Yeah. Valentine's Day, January 10th. I think it's right around about I'd say yeah we got to watch that that I've. I told you I think it'd be a lot of fun to go see it in the theater that weekend and then just part about it right after and just, you know, lay it all out there. Well, I didn't know. You see? Watch the shit. You don't tell me you didn't tell me. So. XXL Yes. Well, fucking text me, man. I want to know that you're watching those men. And those men. We've ran long. This has been fun, though. We had. We had really good conversations. I wanted to have the everything everywhere conversation. And, you know, look at that. It's like, I don't know if this has ever happened. If you and I did top ten list starting now and went backwards for every year, that that became our new thing. And that's all we're going to do. I do not think we would ever have a circumstance where your number one and my number one are not are not on the other person's list. That's wild. I mean, it's cool, though. It's cool. It is. And so vastly not on each other's favorite moviegoing experiences in the theater in 2022. We can go through a quickly. You didn't know if you had any to call out. I promise. I'm going to go through this quickly. Top Gun Maverick. As he said, I am. I can't remember the last time I saw people literally stand up and cheer, which they literally did. Nope. Which is the movie I haven't mentioned yet. I liked it the first time I saw it. I loved the way it looked when I saw it a second time in IMAX just completely changed my opinion of it and still still do like that movie. I like it way more than I did the first time I watch it, and I still think it's Jordan Peele's best film, so I'm excited to see what he does next. Triangle of Sadness. I can't. I if I've laughed harder in the movie theater, I do not remember when I almost vomited because I was laughing so hard. Bardo Extremely profound. And then Babylon with you, while it was a very lame crowd, was just fun to get to see that with you and have that movie be so good. So those are a few I wanted to mention. And then I have another list and let me hear from some of yours. Babylon To start. Yep. Being with you that I think that made it that much better. Top Gun. Yeah. I mean that's, that's, that's the top gun in an avatar to just two of the most fun I've ever had watching a movie in the theater like that. It's just that just, just truly incredible stuff. Petite mamma I because because I was I was double feature inadvertently because I saw that Nicolas Cage movie. I forgot what it was called movie. He plays himself The unbearable weight of massive talent. Yeah, I didn't look it up. I just leave it on the table. Who's iron? I love you, Nicolas Cage. And so I had to see something else to wash it out of my throat. And. And then I walked into these tiny, little petite my mom movie, and it had like, just a beautiful experience. My favorite movie of the year. Everything everywhere, all at once. I've never walked out of a movie like that. And but I'm also saving this. I started the way and I have never had the experience in the movie theater that I did, having watch Vortex, and I don't ever want to do that again. So let's just I'll give it its due. And moving on, one of the coolest things about going to the movie theater post-COVID is that a lot of theaters are very keen showing old movies now. Oh, I like that. Five. I want to mention that I got to see in the big screen that I really love. Oh yeah, The Godfather. They rerelease that. I saw that twice in one week and like I've seen The Godfather so many times. But the second time I went and I was like, You're going to study this fucker, Go and study it. And I did. And just actively paid attention. And Godfather, one of the best movies ever made. Yes. Surprise, surprise. Even more effective on the big screen. The Terminator, seeing that was at the New Beverly Cinema was an absolute delight going to the theater and having the opportunity to see the Three Colors trilogy. Yes, I know he's going to say this one. Yeah, that was incredible. Highlight was just we'll speak speak your part on to because I have a few more but yeah it was just so fun. I mean fun. It was it was really it was so emotional and like, I never thought I'd get the chance to see those on the big screen. I just never did. And being someone who hasn't seen them, that was I got to see him one week apart from each other on an every Wednesday. And it was I went three in a row in a row for that month. It was August. I remember that month like was just one of the most inspiring, artistically inspirational months because I would have to a week to digest what I had just seen over and over again. Man, there's so much that with this movie then you move on to the next one, and I'm thinking about that for a week and I move on to the last one. I'm thinking about that one for. I mean, it was just the great that may have been my favorite thing I did this year in the movie theater was seeing those three. Yeah, I got to see I got to do a double feature of Heat and Reservoir Dogs on the big screen. First time for both. Never, ever had heard. I mean, the sound and heat was great, but I never knew. I mean, when you're obsessed with a movie like Reservoir Dogs, like I am, and you've only ever seen it on and you can't hear that 5.1 surround sound mix. I was just hearing new things that I never heard before. Crazy. And then hang to this one, folks. But I did get to see a place in the sun with my dad in the theater and that was great. But hang on to that little tidbit of information. Let's go to what are you watching? We've we've gone long spent a lot of fun to catch up on all these movies. You first. Me first. I don't care. I'll do it. You know me first because I'm sick of you. I'm sick of you taking all of these you're always going for. Yeah, so I'm going. And then I always turn the corner. I only do it and I'll do mine. And then I have to do a little housekeeping to end here, which is going to be fun. Go. You sent me a text few days ago of a picture of a of upcoming Criterion release that yes, I, I have doubled down on. What are you watching? Several times. Wait a minute. Wait. You did this in our top five of 2021? Yeah, and I'm doing it again. This I'm recommending it for 2016. Of all the fucking movies, you have to go back to something. Not only that you've already recommended, but something that we've talked about so much on the podcast because I feel like no one is listening. People are always doing both. Just start watching. So I'm hammering at home. I adore where you're going. Go. Yes, Thank you. Thank you. She says in 2020, the only good thing to come out of that year, No, it's not true. But it certainly was the best thing to come out of that year was a five movie anthology by the great Steve called Small AX. You have heard Alex and I speak about this ad nauseum, and I am doing it again because in the favorite of 2022 is got to be this because the Criterion is releasing it, which is awesome, which is fucking awesome. So in, in, in, in preparation for that, go see any one of those movies any five. I don't care which one. Lovers Rock is our favorite. That is the second movie in, the anthology. Just watch any of them. Any of them. One, two, three, four, five. Any of them. I like it. I agree with your recommendation. I see. I see what's happening in time. You can think of something. You're just going to go small. Next. It's going to be the default small actually watching. It's a great I mean, it's cool that they're releasing on Criterion, even though these are all available on Amazon, That's definitely a criterion I'm going to own. It's just going to feel good to like have it and I really good recommendation. Yes thank you recommend that as thank you That was your why what are you watching recommendation for 20 top ten of 2021 as it came out in 2020. Thank you. What are you watching for me? You actually might be a little mad at me for this one. Sorry. Because I kind of. You asked me on the phone. All right, I got a few more to catch up with. What should I do? But it didn't make my list. Watch it this morning. Decision to leave by Park Chan walk. I watch this at 5 a.m. this morning because I spent my time with it. It's a murder mystery of sorts, but it moves fast, fast, fast. And it has some very daring and quick editing. And on my first watch in the theater, I missed a lot, so and I knew I did. And even though capsule review of episode 79 that I was going to need to go back and rewatch it. So I paid the $8 this morning, it was absolutely worth it. This is not as physically shocking as some of ten works. Other films like The Handmaiden, Snowpiercer, Oldboy, but it is. It's a really twisty thriller with a remarkable lead performance from Tang Wei. As the wife of a man who has died in a shocking rock climbing accident. Did he die by suicide Was he murdered decision to leave? It's definitely worth your time and I'm really, really glad I rewatch this 2022 movie. That's all good South Korean movie to check out. I wonder if it'll get nominated. I hope so. For Best International feature. We'll see. I want to tease a few things w a y W underscore podcast. You can find us there on Twitter, which we are on on Instagram, which we are on and on Letterboxd. I've had the Letterboxd account going for a while. I haven't been that good about it. I have embarked on an insane venture to log every single movie I watch on letterbox in 2023. I'm logging. I've already been doing it, so if you want to go in there, if you have no idea what letterbox is, that's okay. Neither does Nick. Oh, if you have a letter box account and you want to go on it and follow w aiw underscore podcast, I'm giving kind of mini reviews for 2020 free movies and the star grade. But then I'm also logging just every single movie I watch. So you're going to get a little insight into my brain to be like, Oh, he watched airplane and 21 grams back to back. That's interesting. But it's just the way I roll. So another cool reason if you're all letterbox to follow, is that if you are seeing the movies on logging, you might be like, Oh, they may have a blank, blank episode coming up. They may like if you went on there. Now you see Emily, the criminal, all quiet on the Western front. So, you know, it's got to be a little insight into what we could be talking about. But you'll also see that I just watch a lot of crazy stuff that has nothing to do with the podcast. It's just for me. Yes. Can I do it too? Whatever. We'll figure it out. So you're saying no? You're saying no. I hear no. Just say another housekeeping. Our next episode will come very quickly as the Oscar nominations are on Tuesday, January 24th. We will record that night, try to get that up on Wednesday. Hopefully this episode you're listening to now, I mean, these things are going to come out back to back. So enjoy that extra, extra bit of content. Then we are going to do a podcast on A Place in the Sun, starring Montgomery Clift, directed by George Stevens. Most notably, we are going to have our first official podcast in-studio guest. My dad Mark is going to join us. We were all here together. We all recorded it. I've already finished editing, yet he did so well. I'm so proud of him. So I'm so, so excited where I'm going to aim to release that one right in the beginning of February. But oh my God, it was so fun just to talk with both of you about that. So I just wanted to tease those out, just to stay tuned, really. I mean, a podcast with my dad, it's like it's just one of my favorite things I've done blogging, podcasting, like period. It was it was really, really cool and a lot of fun. It was awesome. And then be on the lookout because after that we're going to go to the grave and we are going to talk to my dad about his favorite movie. He made MASH. I thought it was One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. No, he he he preferred MASH, but one flu was right next. Oh, yeah. Oh, well, then going to go to the beach where I shared my mom's ashes. And we'll watch her favorite film, Psycho. Wow, This got dark at the end No. One. No one's listening. No one's here. No Three Colors podcast did very well with the numbers. Thank you, everyone. I was very surprised by that. I sometimes I wonder if I should announce the ones that didn't do that well so that people go check them out. There's one that didn't do well. It took me so long. So to do. That's okay. Same Ryan commentary. Oh, that was struggling. That was great. I've been struggling. That was I love the same Private Ryan commentary because you and I, like we had such good banter in that we get so far off track in the movie. But yeah that has not that has not picked up the swell of numbers that I envision because our first two commentaries did like crazy they did really, really well. I didn't expect The Departed and particularly 25th Hour to take off, and people really liked that. But most interestingly, Saving Private Ryan, we just sort of thing just listen, just put it on. He won't put Yeah, just put it on the movie could start here. Our next chapter is a it's the movie that people talk about a little bit more. Stay tuned for that one that's going to come out directly after our Place in the Sun. Episode two right in time for Valentine's Day. It's going to be our next commentary. I don't want to reveal what it is, but it is perfect. So appropriate for Valentine's Day is the most appropriate. What are you watching? Movie for Valentine's Day Commentary Released. Stay tuned. That's it. This is a lot of fun. I'm glad. I'm honestly, really glad had that everything everywhere conversation go like the movies that you like just be kind to people if they like or don't like something that's all talked about. A lot of good movies here. I'm happy with the year and how it turned out. I'm very excited for 2023. We got names like Scorsese, Wes Anderson, David Fincher, Denis Villeneuve, Ridley Scott, Greta Gerwig. I don't think Sophie is going to have heard of Cronenberg, but that's okay. Cronenberg Yeah, which comes out like next week. I'm so excited for it. So expect it's going to be it's going to be cool, but that's it. Anything else? Be kind, Rewind there. Always. That's it. Thanks, everyone. We really appreciate this. W it again w aiw w underscore podcast on Twitter, Instagram or come find us will engage. Thanks so much for listening and happy watching. Hey everyone thanks again for listening. You can watch my films, read my movie blog at Alex Withrow dot com Nicholas Dose Dotcom is where you can find all of Nick's film work. Send us mailbag questions at what are watching podcast at gmail.com or find us on Twitter at w aiw underscore podcast. The Oscar nominations are on Tuesday, January 24th. So next time we're going to hop on Mike shortly after they're announced and give our live reactions. Stay tuned tuned.