This was a tougher year than usual to name a top pick as no one film towered above all others. The top three could easily be interchangeable.
- The Banshees of Inisherin – d. Martin McDonagh
- Women Talking – d. Sarah Polley
- Everything Everywhere All at Once – d. The Daniels
- The Fabelmans – d. Steven Spielberg
- A Love Song – d. Max Walker-Silverman
- Nope – d. Jordan Peele
- Causeway – d. Lila Neugebauer
- Turning Red – d. Domee Shi
- The Menu – d. Mark Mylod
- Emily the Criminal – d. John Patton Ford
For the record, I did not care for Tar.
The Schleicher Spin 
Can’t wait to see “the Fabelmans”. It’s out in France next 22 feb.
Good choice for the Banhees. “Armageddon time” was another nice moment.
The Menu and Emily the Criminal were wonderful surprises. Everything Everywhere All At Once is something where I prefer to celebrate its positives (the performances, the effects, the story) rather than some of its glaring negatives (mainly the headache-inducing editing). The Banshees of Inisherin…well, let’s just say it’s cemented the fact that Martin McDonough’s stuff is just not for me. I found it boring and uninteresting. Still have to watch The Fabelmans, Nope, and Turning Red.
My Top Ten would probably include All Quiet on the Western Front (staggering), The Batman (Robert Pattinson is now behind Christian Bale and Michael Keaton as the best to play that role), Top Gun Maverick (a roaring good time), Elvis (for Austin Butler’s performance alone), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (surprisingly emotional and effective), and Avatar: The Way of Water (epic filmmaking at its best).