**Ants Top Films of 2022 (Due: March 10th)**

[clayj41]

It’s time for our 14th annual film poll!

Like always, the deadline for submissions is delayed until the weekend of the Academy Awards to give everyone much needed time to catch up on all of the stuff they’ve been meaning to watch.

In the meantime, feel free to use this thread to discuss what you liked, what you didn’t like, what you’re most looking forward to seeing, etc.

1) Final submissions are due by midnight PST on Friday, March 10, 2023. Results will be announced before the Academy Awards broadcast on Sunday, March 12, 2023.

2) Votes should be PMed to me here on Ants. Please remember to number your lists in order to simplify things.

3) Lists are capped at 100, with a minimum of 10 entries necessary to be scored.

4) As a general rule of thumb, a theatrical release is eligible if it was designated as a limited release in the United States in 2022. Films that only had festival screenings and no accompanying theatrical/widely-available streaming release are not similarly eligible. Documentary features are eligible, as are television movies. Miniseries are not.

I’m also not inclined to deem standalone, episodic entries like Werewolf by Night and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special to be eligible considering they’re not really feature length.

If there are any other questions regarding eligibility, please feel free to ask.

5) Since final submissions are not due for over two months, a “secret ballot” rule is almost unenforceable. I love the spirit behind it though and would ask that as the deadline gets closer, people use their best judgment and stop posting preliminary lists. We don’t want to needlessly ruin the suspense of the final results. I won’t bring this up again unless I see it being a problem in the weeks leading up to the deadline.

I've hyperlinked all of our previous top 10 lists:
2009 – WINNER: Moon
2010 – WINNER: Black Swan
2011 – WINNER: Drive
2012 – WINNER: Silver Linings Playbook
2013 – WINNER: 12 Years a Slave
2014 – WINNER: Gone Girl
2015 – WINNER: Room
2016 – WINNER: La La Land
2017 – WINNER: Logan
2018 – WINNER: BlacKkKlansman
2019 – WINNER: Parasite
2020 – WINNER: Sound of Metal
2021 – WINNER: Licorice Pizza

[clayj41]

We'll also be polling Favorite Male Performance (Lead AND Supporting), Favorite Female Performance (Lead AND Supporting), Favorite Director, and Favorite Screenplay (Adapted OR Original).

Anyone interested should submit a list of their top 3 to 5 in each category.

[BotheLaneFan]

Just as an aside, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2019 stand out as the best four years for us - by far. And that’s with 2011 having an order that I think would likely change a lot if we were to re-do it.

[BotheLaneFan]

Originally Posted by clayj41

We'll also be polling Favorite Male Performance (Lead AND Supporting), Favorite Female Performance (Lead AND Supporting), Favorite Director, and Favorite Screenplay (Adapted OR Original).

Anyone interested should submit a list of their top 3 to 5 in each category.

Is it acceptable to just do winners for this, and not a top 3-5?

[clayj41]

Originally Posted by BotheLaneFan

Is it acceptable to just do winners for this, and not a top 3-5?

You always do.

[wvufan2010]

While I hated Licorice Pizza, the top 10 last year was excellent overall. Excited to see where everyone lands this year.


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[AlpineValley804]

I agree that Licorice Pizza is a really weak winner. Can’t wait for EEAAO to knock it off my least favorite winner throne this year.

[BotheLaneFan]

Originally Posted by clayj41

You always do.

Doesn’t mean my vote got counted. lol.

[BotheLaneFan]

Licorice Pizza and Black Swan stick out like sore thumbs.

[clayj41]

Originally Posted by wvufan2010

While I hated Licorice Pizza, the top 10 last year was excellent overall. Excited to see where everyone lands this year.


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Originally Posted by AlpineValley804

I agree that Licorice Pizza is a really weak winner. Can’t wait for EEAAO to knock it off my least favorite winner throne this year.

Originally Posted by BotheLaneFan

Licorice Pizza and Black Swan stick out like sore thumbs.

Counterpoint: They're all great

Originally Posted by BotheLaneFan

Doesn’t mean my vote got counted. lol.

It does. Your winners get scored 5 points. There's just no one to give 4 points, 3 points, etc.

[BotheLaneFan]

Originally Posted by clayj41

Counterpoint: They're all great



It does. Your winners get scored 5 points. There's just no one to give 4 points, 3 points, etc.

I was just goofin with ya baby.

[thebestauntie]

I will try and watch some movies in the next month and a half so I can submit a list this year. I've hardly seen anything so far this year.

[JimBeam41]

Originally Posted by thebestauntie

I will try and watch some movies in the next month and a half so I can submit a list this year. I've hardly seen anything so far this year.

Same, though I usually wait for the Oscar’s best picture nominations and I’ll watch all of them. That’ll help me make my list.

[BotheLaneFan]

Are we counting Captain Ahab, the fucking awesome YouTube doc about Dave Stieb?

[thebridge15]

gone girl
black swan
parasite
12 years a slave
sound of metal
licorice pizza
logan
drive
la la land
silver linings playbook
blackkklansman
moon
room

[Ascf33]

Originally Posted by BotheLaneFan

Are we counting Captain Ahab, the fucking awesome YouTube doc about Dave Stieb?

Yeah, I always include those Dorktown docs (Mariners, Falcons) in my rankings but they never make Clay's list anyway.

[neumdogg]

Licorice Pizza won last year? Yikes.

[thebridge15]

wow 2015 was room, the revenant, ex machina as the top 3. yikes almighty

a revote on that probably gives us a top three of fury road, steve jobs, and the martian instead

[BotheLaneFan]

Originally Posted by Ascf33

Yeah, I always include those Dorktown docs (Mariners, Falcons) in my rankings but they never make Clay's list anyway.

That one honestly is my favorite of all the ones they’ve done. I’m still hoping they do a Kurt Warner one, but my expectations are low. Lol

[Thesongilike]

I think 2022 is the most new releases I’ve seen in a year. I’m at 155. There’s still some foreign films I’m waiting to be available. I might get to 170 before the deadline


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[clayj41]

Originally Posted by BotheLaneFan

Are we counting Captain Ahab, the fucking awesome YouTube doc about Dave Stieb?

It counts.

Originally Posted by thebridge15

gone girl
black swan
parasite
12 years a slave
sound of metal
licorice pizza
logan
drive
la la land
silver linings playbook
blackkklansman
moon
room

Originally Posted by thebridge15

wow 2015 was room, the revenant, ex machina as the top 3. yikes almighty

a revote on that probably gives us a top three of fury road, steve jobs, and the martian instead

I still love Room.

[clayj41]

Originally Posted by Thesongilike

I think 2022 is the most new releases I’ve seen in a year. I’m at 155. There’s still some foreign films I’m waiting to be available. I might get to 170 before the deadline


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I'm at 158. I'd like to see the following before submitting:

Women Talking
Living
Broker
Close
EO
Holy Spider
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

I might check out Empire of Light and The Son too, but I won't prioritize them given that they've failed to leave any meaningful footprint on awards season.

[AlpineValley804]

Originally Posted by clayj41

It counts.





I still love Room.

Same. Almost certainly would still take my top spot.

[wvufan2010]

Women Talking is a movie that exists in name only for me right now. I normally can hit most everything because I live exactly in between two fairly big cities (Huntsville and Birmingham) that if something is released semi-widely I can catch it. It’s easier for me to see Broker and The Son right now than it would be for me to try and get somewhere and see Woman Talking. I don’t get the reasoning for some of these release schedules at all.


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[clayj41]

Originally Posted by wvufan2010

Women Talking is a movie that exists in name only for me right now. I normally can hit most everything because I live exactly in between two fairly big cities (Huntsville and Birmingham) that if something is released semi-widely I can catch it. It’s easier for me to see Broker and The Son right now than it would be for me to try and get somewhere and see Woman Talking. I don’t get the reasoning for some of these release schedules at all.


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It goes wide this weekend, which means it’s still 2 hours away from me. Tough to justify that drive without getting to see Living as well. I’m prioritizing it over Broker because of the likely Bill Nighy nomination.

[AlpineValley804]

Originally Posted by wvufan2010

Women Talking is a movie that exists in name only for me right now. I normally can hit most everything because I live exactly in between two fairly big cities (Huntsville and Birmingham) that if something is released semi-widely I can catch it. It’s easier for me to see Broker and The Son right now than it would be for me to try and get somewhere and see Woman Talking. I don’t get the reasoning for some of these release schedules at all.


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In case you were considering it, I would tell you Women Talking is not worth making the 2-hour drive to Nashville to see it at the Belcourt. It’s a fine movie, but definitely not 2-hour drive good. Unless you were to do a full weekend in the city, and you just made it a part of your general itinerary.

[clayj41]

I’ve driven further for worse. I guarantee it.

[wvufan2010]

Originally Posted by AlpineValley804

In case you were considering it, I would tell you Women Talking is not worth making the 2-hour drive to Nashville to see it at the Belcourt. It’s a fine movie, but definitely not 2-hour drive good. Unless you were to do a full weekend in the city, and you just made it a part of your general itinerary.

I appreciate that! I looked at the Belcourt and saw that, but it’s hard to justify a full Saturday for a movie that based on mine and my wife’s movie tastes would range from “meh” to “pretty good”, although we do go to Nashville quite a bit. We’ve got 10 movies to burn through next week as part of the virtual Sundance screenings, so I imagine that’ll take up all of our free time trying to get all of those in.


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[AlpineValley804]

Originally Posted by clayj41

I’ve driven further for worse. I guarantee it.

That doesn't surprise me in the least.

[Thesongilike]

Originally Posted by clayj41

I'm at 158. I'd like to see the following before submitting:

Women Talking
Living
Broker
Close
EO
Holy Spider
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

I might check out Empire of Light and The Son too, but I won't prioritize them given that they've failed to leave any meaningful footprint on awards season.

Those are all pretty much on my list as well! I’m really interested in Holy Spider.


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