One Battle After Another vs. Sinners. That’s what this race comes down to. Despite recent signals pointing to Sinners having a real chance to win, I have to stick with my gut here. One Battle was the best movie I saw this year, last year, and maybe the year before. Sinners was spectacular and a thrill ride, and while also deserving, this is One Battle’s year.
Order
10. F1
A pretty fun time at the movies. Good for F1.
9. Begonia
I need to watch this again. Once you know the twist, I’m sure the movie hits very differently.
8. Frankenstein
I want to see Jacob Elordi in a real role.
7. Hamnet
The ending sequence was incredible, while the rest was a mix of sadness, sleepiness, and trees.
6. The Secret Agent
Wagner Moura is cooking in this one. Maybe not the payoff people wanted, but well done nonetheless.
5. Train Dreams
Makes me miss my time out west. As Conan says, there’s not much to say about this movie.
4. Sentimental Value
Like the name suggests, this movie tugs on sentimentality, nostalgia, and family/self reckoning. If it wasn’t for the top of this field, this ensemble would have had the best collective performance of the year.
3. Marty Supreme
Timmy doing his thang.
2. Sinners
Coogles and Michael B. Jordan don’t miss, and this one was the biggest (original IP) yet.
1. One Battle After Another
C’mon. From the moment you see Leo watching Battle of Algiers, the next 30 minutes is some of the best stuff you’ll see in a movie. That doesn’t even count the climatic car chase through the hills. Saw this twice in theaters and still didn’t have enough of it.