It’s that time of year when critics revisit the films they have watched over the past 11 months and determine what is worthy and what isn’t. Of the prominent critics’ groups, the New York Film Critics Circle is up first this time around and they have anointed Todd Field’s “TAR” as the Best Film of 2022. They also selected its star, Cate Blanchett, as Best Actress. She previously won in 2013 for “Blue Jasmine.”
READ MORE: “Everything Everywhere All At Once” tops 2022 Gotham Awards [Complete List]
In something of an upset, S. S. Rajamouli took Best Director for his celebrated action epic musical “RRR.”
Martin McDonaugh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin” took two awards including Best Screenplay and Best Actor for Colin Farrell (an honor shared with “After Yang”). Keke Palmer was an inspired choice for Best Supporting Actress for “Nope” while Ke Huy Quan continued what may be a long road of wins for Supporting Actor in “Everything Everywhere All At Once.”
Laura Poitras’ celebrated documentary “All The Beauty and All The Bloodshed” took Non-Fiction Film, “EO” won Best International Film, and “Marcel With The Shoes On” took Animated Feature. With “Aftersun’s” win for Best First Film, distributor A24 took four wins overall.
The organization also announced three special awards. The first goes to Jake Perlin, curator, distributor, and publisher, “in recognition of his indispensable contributions to film culture.” The second to dGenerate Films, “for their invaluable work bringing independent films from China.” The last honor is awarded to Jafar Panahi, “for his dogged bravery as an artist, and for the humanity and beauty of a body of work created under the most oppressive circumstances.” Panahi is currently in prison for speaking out and supporting the demonstrations for civil liberties in Iran.
Here is a complete list of this year’s winners.
BEST FILM: TAR
BEST DIRECTOR: S. S. Rajamouli, RRR
BEST ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, TÁR
BEST ACTOR: Colin Farrell, After Yang and The Banshees of Inisherin
BEST SCREENPLAY: Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM: EO
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Claudio Miranda, Top Gun: Maverick
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Keke Palmer, Nope
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All At Once
BEST NON-FICTION FILM: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
BEST FIRST FILM: Aftersun