Every year, Film Committee sends out an Oscars Google form to allow students to vote for which movies and actors they think are going to win the awards this year. These past two years, I have lost. Miserably. This is mainly because I vote for the movies and actors I loved the most, not the ones that have the highest probability to win. This school year, I thought too many amazing movies and performances were snubbed at the Oscars, especially ones that created conversation throughout Parker’s halls because of how incredible they were, the movies that made half of the student body tell you, “Run to the movie theater now!” So, here are three of my favorite films and performances from this school year based on, of course, my personal opinion.
Sinners – 5 out of 5
In May of 2025, I, along with a handful of other Black students from the sophomore class, went to see “Sinners” in the theater. Technically, “Sinners” isn’t a movie from this school year, but I’ve watched it four times this year, and it was nominated for a 2026 Oscar, so it counts. At first watch, you might just see this movie as an intense vampire horror movie, but this movie is so much more. This movie celebrates the history of African Americans, their music, and community. From the costumes, to the music, cinematography, and acting, this movie is truly a masterpiece and definitely deserved the Best Picture Oscar, but it was unfortunately snubbed. Ryan Coogler, the director, is known for other incredibly well known movies such as “Black Panther”, the “Creed” trilogy, and the “Space Jam” sequel. Knowing he directed these movies as well, I went into “Sinners” with high expectations and he exceeded them. This movie included amazingly talented actors and actresses such as Micheal B. Jordan, Miles Caton, Hailee Steinfield, Wunmi Mosaku, and Delroy Lindo. I encourage everyone to see this movie at least once (preferably twice so you can really understand it all). This movie did such a great job at celebrating and exploring Black culture while being a captivating horror that kept me at the edge of my seat every time.
Bugonia – 4.5 out of 5
In short, and without spoiling, this movie is about aliens. This is all I heard going into this movie, and it was way more crazy and mind-bending than I ever expected. Not only is it about aliens, but it also explores the idea of society and how we see ourselves. The plot includes a mind-bending number of plot twists, and when you finish, you will still be questioning the whole movie. Emma Stone plays one of the main characters, Michelle Fuller, and her performance is incredible. If it was up to me, she would’ve won the Oscar for best actress. The movie as a whole was completely snubbed at the Oscars. There were so many awards that the movie was nominated for, but it went home with none. For such an amazing movie, it was very underrepresented. Even though it didn’t win anything, I believe that the acting, score, and plot were 100% Oscar-worthy. The movie is visually appealing and will keep you at the very edge of your seat (or couch). I highly recommend this movie if you want to leave speechless when the credits roll.
Weapons – 4 out of 5
This is the perfect horror movie for a person who doesn’t like horror movies. It mixes the perfect amount of thriller and humor and makes the movie creepy but also hilarious. Even though I love “Sinners” and Wunmi Mosaku, Amy Madigan, the main antagonist, did an incredible job and definitely deserved the Oscar for Actress in a Supporting Role. Her character was so interesting to learn about in the movie and was so iconic. She was the perfect comedy relief in the movie, especially in the end. This movie starts off by following a teacher whose entire class of kids goes missing. Throughout the movie, the perspective gets switched around from the different main characters which is my favorite part of the movie. Being able to see each character’s point-of-view of what happened was so interesting and better than just seeing the perspective of the teacher the whole time. It was unique for a horror movie and as somebody who watches a lot of horror movies, I liked the different approach. The plot of the movie was also really interesting and fun to learn about as the movie progresses. You start with knowing absolutely nothing about the case or the characters and put all the moving pieces together by the end. If you like mysteries, horror, and a little bit of humor, this movie is perfect for you and I have no doubt that you’ll enjoy it.
This school year there have definitely been more than three movies that were absolutely incredible like “One Battle After Another,” “Marty Supreme,” and “Frankenstein.” Even though I didn’t write reviews on every movie from this year, there have been many movies I have heard about through the halls of the Upper School. Now that the film committee is officially gone from student government, see this article as a way to remember the committee. After reading this, I encourage you to watch at least one movie, preferably “Sinners” or one I have previously talked about. If you do, I would love to hear your opinions on it. Cinematography is one of my favorite forms of art, and I hope I was able to recommend some movies that you will enjoy.
