It’s once again awards season for the film industry, and the Oscars are right around the corner. This year has drawn in some big attention for the nominees, with indie critical darlings such as “Tár”, directed by Todd Field ,being nominated for Best Picture alongside box office giants like “Avatar: The Way of Water”, directed by James Cameron. With 2022 being such a big year for cinema, it’s likely that a few movies flew under the radar for some filmgoers. Here are some notable films across the categories to check out this year before watching the ceremony:

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”

Directed by Joel Crawford

One of the most unexpected hits of the year, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” made quite an impact at the tail end of 2022, becoming one of the highest grossing animated films in theaters of the past few years. A sequel to 2011’s “Puss in Boots,” the film follows the titular Puss grappling with the revelation that he has spent eight of his nine lives. With the literal personification of death hunting after him, Puss must work with a dog named Perrito and a former lover named Kitty to find a fallen star and wish himself a new set of lives. 

With gorgeous animation and a surprisingly mature message about death and legacy, this film was a smash hit with critics and audiences alike. It is certainly a film for members of all ages to watch before the awards.
 

“Everything Everywhere All At Once”

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

This film garnered the most nominations out of all the movies up for awards this year at a grand total of 11, and it is the second film to come from directing duo Daniels. It managed to gross over $100 million at the box office, becoming the highest grossing movie to come out of the acclaimed indie production company A24. The film follows Evelyn, an aging and overstressed laundromat owner who gets sucked into a surreal multi-dimensional conflict and is tasked with saving the universe while trying to save both her business and her relationship with her family. 

Upon release, it was flooded with praise from critics and audiences, with most admiring the film for its off-the-wall humor and touching performances delivered by the cast. For a film viewing experience unlike any other, check out “Everything Everywhere All At Once” before it inevitably wins big.
 

“RRR”

Directed by S. S. Rajamouli

Make no mistake: Despite being only nominated for Best Original Song, there’s plenty more to enjoy about “RRR.” After becoming one of the highest grossing films ever in India, the film went on to become nominated for categories at both the Golden Globes and Critic’s Choice Awards. Based very loosely on real revolutionaries in Indian history, the movie follows two best friends—Bheem and Raju—across a 3 hour long epic as they fight against the British Raj. 

An unapologetically over-the-top spectacle, the film managed to draw plenty of praise worldwide. 

If you want a film that’ll give you and a group of friends plenty of those “stand up and cheer” moments, along with some stellar performances from the two leads and, of course, a knockout dance number to the nominated song “Naatu Naatu”, then “RRR” is the film to see.
 

“All Quiet on the Western Front”

Directed by Edward Berger

This adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s classic anti-war novel arrived on Netflix last fall after a limited run in theaters and has become another one of the most present nominees this year with nine total nominations. The film follows Paul Bäumer and his friends from school, who are fighting on the frontlines of World War One’s trenches, as he and his comrades slowly begin to buckle under the pressures and horrors of war. This famously powerful and effective story managed to gain the attention of critics once again with this adaptation helping to breathe new life into it once again. 

With effectively raw performances, stunning production design and some of the most intense and horrifying battle sequences to ever come out of a war film, “All Quiet on the Western Front” is another potent reminder of the brutality and pointlessness of war that is sure to take home a number of awards.