bold indicates my prediction for the winner; * indicates films I've already seen.
Best Picture
BlacKkKlansman* The Favourite First Man* Green Book If Beale Street Could Talk Roma A Star is Born* Widows
At this point in time it seems like the latest remake of A Star is Born may well be the film to beat, given that the previous versions have all been fairly successful with the Academy, it's received critical acclaim and mounds of box-office success, and is directed by an Academy darling. It also seems like the very type of film that's primed for a backlash of sorts in the near future. It's been awhile since Spike Lee's come back into the awards fray and his latest, BlacKkKLansman, looks like it could just about make the cut. Chazelle v.s. Jenkins seems to be in play with First Man receiving strong reviews, albeit not quite on La La Land levels, and If Beale Street Could Talk getting raves, that should propel both films to something of a lock on a nomination (though anything could happen). For the more 'unconventional' choices that Academy seem to be increasingly open towards in recent years, the heist thriller Widows and arthouse darling Yorgos Lanthimos's take on period drama The Favourite seem like strong contenders based on initial response, while on the more classic side of things the crowd-pleasing Green Book looks like it could end up as a strong contender. Finally, with the Mexican Foreign Language film entry Roma Netflix may finally make it into the big dog category with the help of awards success, and almost universal raves.
Thoughts on what I've seen thus far:
I liked BlacKkKlansman and definitely wouldn't mind seeing it get some awards love, and really liked A Star is Born which hit me in all the right sweet spots, so to speak, as a very much 'my type' sort of film. First Man is easily my favourite of the top contenders I've seen so far, and it's a shame that Chazelle's low-key approach, which I found even more compelling than his established sort of style with Whiplash (which I quite love) and La La Land (which I liked but have issues with), has not resulted in box-office dividends and doesn't seem to be gaining quite the amount of traction I'd expected. Dark Horse: The Mule
Never overlook a Clint Eastwood motion picture. Regardless of quality, and this looks like it could potentially be a real gem.
Watch out for: Vice; Can You Ever Forgive Me?; Leave No Trace; The Hate U Give; Eighth Grade
Best Director
Damien Chazelle, First Man*
Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born* Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite
Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
I'd say that Cuaron is pretty much a lock at this point, and if he hadn't previously won for Gravity I'd almost consider him a lock to win, given that almost all of the universal praise for Roma has been centered on his work. Instead I'm predicting Jenkins to go all the way to the win, in a sense 'rewarding' him as director after awarding Moonlight Best Picture back in 2016. Though by all accounts his direction is great in itself. Chazelle seems like a lock unless the backlash really becomes that severe, Lanthimos looks to be their 'out-of-the-box' choice this year given that his films have also gained quite a bit of awards traction over the years, and Cooper's directorial debut is sure to garner him some love in this category, if the film continues to steam ahead.
Thoughts on what I've seen thus far:
Chazelle's work is a career-best and easily my win for Direction this year so far, and Cooper makes a very strong impression for a first-time director. Both would be deserving, though of course I still have many of the auteurs in contention to see.
Dark Horse: Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman*
Lee's no stranger to antagonizing people on the awards circuit but who knows. The timely nature of his film and the 'comeback' narrative could work well in his favour. Watch out for: Steve McQueen, Widows; Adam McKay, Vice; Marielle Heller, Can You Ever Forgive Me?; Debra Granik, Leave No Trace; Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade; Clint Eastwood, The Mule
Best Actor
Christian Bale, Vice Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born*
Ryan Gosling, First Man*
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book
The very nature of Gosling's performance, even more low-key and understated than usual, means that while he's pretty much a lock for a nomination, there's virtually no chance of him winning despite ticking the boxes of playing a real-life figure, Neil Armstrong, and having a very emotionally potent role (though not in the typical sense). Cooper, on the other hand, is playing a very Oscar-y character, alcoholic and musician, and with the acclaim he's garnered seems like the closest we have to a prospective winner. Looking to possibly upset is Rami Malek's portrayal of Freddie Mercury and Viggo Mortensen's meaty role as an Italian American bouncer in a beloved film that's looking to make quite a splash, both looking to make quite a big impression on the circuit. Then there's Bale, something of an unknown quantity, but given he's playing a real-life figure, and based on the trailer giving quite the transformation, BIG sort of performance, seems like he'll be a shoo-in if the reviews are at the very least positive.
Thoughts on what I've seen thus far:
Gosling here actually gives my favourite performance out of his recent, very excellent post-2015 output, and it's a shame that it will possibly be strangely 'underrated' for a nominated performance. Cooper is phenomenal too, breathing new life into a role we've all seen before and giving possibly his best performance to date. Dark Horse: Ethan Hawke, First Reformed*
They may well have shot his chances down with the early, early release date, but if A24 campaign hard enough we may well see the criminally underrated Hawke and his brilliant portrayal of a conflicted priest gain enough traction to slide into a nomination. Watch out for: Christian Bale, Vice; Lucas Hedges, Boy Erased; John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman; Robert Redford, The Old Man and the Gun; Ben Foster, Leave No Trace*; Clint Eastwood, The Mule
Best Actress
Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Viola Davis, Widows
Glenn Close, The Wife* Lady Gaga, A Star is Born*
Even though she has the 'overdue' factor hanging over her head, I'm not so sure that Close is a lock for a nomination, let alone a win. Critical response to The Wife and her performance seemed rather muted and like Albert Nobbs a few years back, I could see the passion behind her campaign being more of a respectful nod towards her career, but without the win. Instead, Lady Gaga in her first major film role is my prediction, though I'm also banking on the Academy paying it love in dividends. The Academy love Viola Davis and reviews seem to put a guarantor on this, McCarthy seems to be going through the 'comedians going serious' route which they absolutely love, and as for Olivia Colman, I think she could most possibly win given her status as a respected veteran actress, and the huge acclaim she's received for her performance across awards groups and critics.
Thoughts on what I've seen so far:
I thought Glenn Close was pretty decent and Lady Gaga was terrific. Honestly been a really strong year thus far for the category, though, and one of the performances I hope might sneak in would be... Dark Horse: Toni Colette, Hereditary*
How fitting would it be for Colette to return to Oscar contention with another film that's kinda about seeing dead people, but not quite exactly. Though I find the film itself rather flawed in many regards, notably its ending, Colette is extraordinary in it, giving a heartbreaking, viscreal and incredibly powerful performance worthy of any hard-hitting family drama, while also granting the horror elements of the film such pathos through her no-holes-barred, daring performance. Watch out for: Yalitz Aparico, Roma; Julia Roberts, Ben is Back; Felicity Jones, On the Basis of Sex; Saoirse Ronan, Mary, Queen of Scots; Kiki Layne, If Beale Street Could Talk; Carey Mulligan, Wildlife; Nicole Kidman, Destroyer
Best Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Sam Elliott, A Star is Born* Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Daniel Kaluuya, Widows
Sam Rockwell, Vice
So by (I assume) category frauding Ali into supporting, Universal have opened up two potential winners in the acting categories for their awards season darling. Now Ali won just two years ago in the same category so I doubt they'll hand it over to him again, though who knows. Sam Elliott I think will get in despite the relatively small nature of his role in a huge awards player, Sam Rockwell I think will be basking in the afterglow of his last win, as will Daniel Kaluuya in his last nomination with many critics praising his villainous performance as one of Widows' highlights. It's veteran British character actor Grant who I'm pegging for the win though, with critics citing his turn as one of the highlights of a widely praised film.
Thoughts on what I've seen so far:
I've only seen Elliott, who indeed has a very limited role, but every one of his scenes are some of my favourites in the film, including some heartbreakingly delivered lines and one particularly impactful reaction shot.
Dark Horse: Russell Hornsby, The Hate U Give
Horsnby I've heard is one of the most unanimously praised parts of a film that while somewhat going under the radar, has found much praise, and even the less enthusiastic reviews seem to be ravishing him with acclaim. Look to him to potentially spoil the party. Watch out for: Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther*; Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman*; Russell Crowe, Boy Erased; Timothée Chalamet, Beautiful Boy; Nicholas Hoult, The Favourite
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Vice
Claire Foy, First Man* Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite
I think we're looking at a double nomination for The Favourite ladies given that critics seem to be tending towards praising both rather than highlighting one over the other. Claire Foy's found a great deal of praise, is in a huge awards contender and also a pretty awards-friendly role as the concerned housewife, and if all goes well expect to see Amy Adams back in the awards season fray again. My prediction for winner is King, who's been cited as a standout from Beale Street, and who also has that 'respected character actress' narrative that always works super well in the supporting categories.
My thoughts on what I've seen thus far:
I was surprised how much I liked Foy in First Man despite the trailers making me feel somewhat uneasy about how it would pan out, and how little actual focus she gets within the film. I'd love for her to win, competition unseen thus far.
Dark Horse: Elizabeth Debicki, Widows
Again, banking on a lot of Widows love, but since I've heard barely any negative comments about it, and the fact that Debicki, perhaps equally to Kaluuya and even more so than Davis, has been frequently thrown around as one of the main highlights of the film in terms of her performance and character arc, we could see a surprise nomination for the young Aussie actress.
Watch out for: Nicole Kidman, Boy Erased; Sissy Spacek, The Old Man and the Gun; Margot Robbie, Mary, Queen of Scots; Michelle Yeoh, Crazy Rich Asians*; Dianne Wiest, The Mule; Kathy Bates, On the Basis of Sex Best Adapted Screenplay If Beale Street Could Talk Can You Ever Forgive Me? First Man* Widows A Star is Born* Best Original Screenplay
Eighth Grade The Favourite Green Book Roma Sorry to Bother You
Here I'm just banking on the big awards player, and the crowd-pleaser, as garnering the share of plaudits. It's usually a bit harder to predict these categories at this early stage; brb with more when the season begins to really kick in.
With the latest Mission Impossible coming out later this month, why not take a look at one of the world's biggest movie stars (still, I'd argue) and his best film roles.
HM: The Last Samurai
A film I really, really like (and perhaps a bit misunderstood through its ad campaign which places Cruise under the big words THE LAST SAMURAI), this is one of the best examples of Cruise's 'cruising' through what is essentially an action avatar role, like Minority Report or Oblivion, though he's given an added emotional undercurrent here in his cynical American soldier's relationship with his Japanese captors that ends up being rather powerful.
10. Eyes Wide Shut
An interesting final film for Kubrick, and another very interesting Cruise performance as he's pretty great at breaking down his usual confident and cocksure airs into a portrayal of a desperate, fish-out-of-water man in New York discovering the lascivious underground sex scene. He's perhaps a tad overshadowed by Nicole Kidman as his onscreen wife, but he's still a very engaging lead throughout the story, and keeps your attention with his superstar wattage merged into an interesting combination with a somewhat atypical Cruise role.
9. A Few Good Men
Cruise proved very adept working with Aaron Sorkin's brand of dialogue in this solid military courtroom drama. It's technically a very simple role as essentially a righteous young navy lieutenant and investigator, and Cruise nails it with great aplomb, particularly effective in the scenes where he has to really let loose with the firebrand passion for justice.
8. Risky Business
A good old fashioned 80s teen romp, and Cruise is on top form here in the role that made him a breakout star. Another fairly simple role in the grand scheme of things as a high-achieving rich kid whose life spirals out of control when his parents go away on holiday. It's an exuberant, consistently funny and endearing performance by a very young Cruise, and a great indication of how far his star wattage would take him.
7. Jerry Maguire
Definitely one of the better soppy romance films of this sort - and the inspirational American Dream stories, for that matter - Cruise got his second Oscar nomination for his terrific portrayal of the titular sports agent. He has great chemistry with his co-stars, is a very engaging lead to follow. The 'you complete me' scene is corny as hell, but he really does sell the hell out of it.
6. American Made
A great recent Cruise performance that shows he's still got it. The so crazy it couldn't be true story of Barry Seal, airline pilot/Mexican cartel smuggler, has at its centre a fantastic performance by Cruise as sort of a more seasoned version of Maverick from Top Gun, relentlessly throwing himself into the role of the carefree thrillseeker, while also being rather harrowing as the fearful man constantly haunted by paranoia over himself and his family.
5. Tropic Thunder
A spectacular comic turn by Cruise in perhaps his most atypical role, donning a bald cap, fake huge hands, and sheer vulgar intensity all in the service of great comedy as Les Grossman, the constantly angry Hollywood executive. Cruise's abrasive edge is a sight to behold in comical form, and his rant to Flaming Dragon is one of the film's funniest scenes, which is saying something.
4. Rain Man
Probably one of my favourite heartwarming films to re-watch, in all honesty, and Cruise is just as essential as Dustin Hoffman in really making this heartwarming brother's road trip dramedy work as well as it does. He manages to make Charlie Babbitt appropriately douchey and yet charismatic and sympathetic to begin with, has fantastic chemistry with his onscreen brother, and most importantly makes his character's arc both believable and very touching.
3. Edge of Tomorrow
One of the most pleasant surprises of recent years was Groundhog Day meets Starship Troopers, with Cruise giving one of his greatest performances as a cowardly, weaselly army Major with no combat experience who's forced into a position where he has to live, die, and repeat a day on the battlefields until he can figure out a way to defeat the alien invaders. Cruise is hilarious in portraying the sheer idiocy and cowardice his character goes through at first before slowly morphing into the more usual Cruise action hero, and absolutely nails every step of the character's transition, plus he's great with Emily Blunt in every scene together in a very unique sort of relationship.
2. Magnolia
Frank T.J. Mackey was a revelation for Cruise as it showed he could use his limitless onscreen presence and charisma to play a misogynistic 'motivational' speaker just as effectively as his All-American heroes. Cruise is dynamic as this repulsive being to begin with and as the film peels off his layers of defensiveness shows the incredibly insecure and fragile man within so beautifully. One of the best performances in a film filled with incredible performances.
1. Collateral
One of the greatest films of all-time, and easily Cruise's greatest performance as cold-blooded contract killer Vincent. Cruise subverts his usual screen presence into an oddly casual yet calculating, friendly yet downright chilling assassin with such magnetism, creating a truly fearful adversary for Jamie Foxx's cabbie to overcome, and his take on the killer for hire role is so refreshing. He has brilliant chemistry with Foxx, and proves not only a fantastic villain for the film, but a surprisingly moving portrayal of a hollow, cynical individual who sees his job as just that, a job in a soulless world.
Note: excluding any of the 'late' UK releases, mostly the awards fodder from last season's Oscar nominations.
22. Mute ★ 1/2
The whole film is a incoherent mess that proves that sometimes, simplification is essential to quality. Duncan Jones' screenplay is convoluted without feeling at all complex, bouncing round various sci-fi tropes to weird amalgamations of them without ever feeling certain about what sort of story it's telling, whether it's the loner individual on a mission, the quirky but vile doctor who's doing who knows what exactly, the various subplots left hanging in the air. Visually it earns itself a half star for its technical aptitude, but even that feels extremely derivative, and the film fails to ever make a clear statement on what it wants to say.
21. Pacific Rim Uprising ★★
A huge downgrade from the first film, which in itself wasn't even a great film, but an entertaining, cheesy big-budget kaiju B-movie that for all its faults was lovingly crafted and engaging. The atmospheric thrilling night battles are exchanged for somewhat awkward daylight fight sequences, Ramin Djawadi's score isn't quite as on point as it previously was, the newly introduced characters are on the whole pretty underwhelming at best (John Boyega tries his utmost), annoying and grating at worst, and its choice of a twist villain is ridiculous, more fitting to say an episode of a certain sitcom than this film. The design of the jaegers is pretty cool though, and I will say that the action scenes, though not the most original or atmospheric, at least don't cause migraines like the latest Transformers.
20. Red Sparrow ★★
The one and only reason I can recommend this film is for Matthias Schoenaerts, one of the most versatile actors working today, making use of his Vladamir Putin resemblance to great effect as a devious uncle/Russian government sleazebag to Jennifer Lawrence's Dominika. He's rather striking in a fairly one-note role, a hurdle the other cast members can't quite get over. This is less an actively bad, more of an actively boring, film where every spy double-crossing, or visceral show of violence and nudity, all feel surprisingly muted by the plodding storyline. The uncovering of a mole in the government is a trope that can create great cinema, but can result in severely underwhelming films like this one when executed in a less than adequate manner.
19. Ready Player One ★★
I smiled a few times at some of the more nostalgic references, and there's an extended reference to Kubrick's The Shining that starts off quite entertainingly, plus Steven Speilberg's new trump card Mark Rylance is good as he always is. But on the whole a mediocre entry into the Speilberg canon. It has an extremely boring lead character it wants us to follow and invest ourselves in the journey of, the stakes never feel quite high enough to get wrapped up in, the dynamic and relationships between characters are poorly sketched on the whole, and while it is visually compelling at parts, the nature of the source material means that it always feels more like a Final Fantasy videogame being played onscreen than a film in itself.
18. Annihilation ★★ 1/2
A disappointing follow-up by Alex Garland to Ex Machina, this felt to me like an attempt at the themes and emotional crux of Arrival, but played out in a much less compelling fashion. I'll grant that the final twenty minutes or so are intriguing, it has some interesting choices in the cinematography and sound design department in creating 'the shimmer', but it really drops the ball in giving me any reason to care about anything going on. The dialogue is largely stilted, and the cast apart from Natalie Portman (who's fine) is either wasted or underwhelming, with particular mention going to Oscar Isaac who made me exceedingly indifferent to whatever happened to his character through his poorly written and performed character. A film which really feels like it could have excised a lot of dead meat to make something more suited to Garland's strengths as a writer and director.
17. Sicario: Day of the Soldado ★★ 1/2
One of the more unnecessary sequels to come out, and focusing on an aspect of the previous film I'd rather they'd left untouched. If we were to follow Kate Mercer's (Emily Blunt) response to the fallout of the previous film, I'd be more than game for that, but instead the film seeks to explore the special tasks force in Mexico led by Josh Brolin's Graver (which to be fair is quite interesting), which in turn unfortunately greatly diminishes the intrigue surrounding Alejandro (Benicio del Toro). The character, so outstandingly performed and written in the first film, frankly becomes far less interesting the more the film explores him, which is a real shame, and to make matters worse the lack of Dennis Villeneuve's direction, Roger Deakins' cinematography, and Johan Johannsson's score is sorely felt. It's not a badly made, okay-ish action film as it is though, though definitely the lesser of the Year of Brolin.
16. Cargo ★★★
I enjoyed this just as a standard zombie film, with a particularly impressive performance by Martin Freeman as a father with the odds of the world stacked against him. I guess my reservation with it, common with most Netflix films, is that it didn't quite leave a lasting impression on me. I found it appropriately creepy as a film throughout, and rather compelling in parts, but unfortunately it occasionally dips into the horror tropes of characters making uncharacteristically stupid mistakes, telegraphed 'scares', and though the ending is satisfying the pacing to get to it is a bit iffy.
15. Love, Simon ★★★
Though on the whole it ends up being a pretty typical teen rom-com-slash-drama flick, I would argue that this is a pretty progressive and important film, just in terms of what it represents to the LGBTQ film chronology, where the main character 's sexuality isn't dwelt on beyond the usual tropes of the 'secret admirer' plotline. I really did enjoy this film, despite its predictability, by the earnest way it fashions to relationships between its main characters, the excellent lead performance by Nick Robinson, and is honestly one of the better films of its genre in recent years.
14. Solo: A Star Wars Story★★★
Surprisingly enjoyed this, despite the behind-the-scenes kerfuffle it all turned out into a surprisingly decent film. Now there's things about it I disliked, too much plot for a Han Solo adventure where the film flitted to much from one point to the other, a few of the side characters didn't really work for me, not enough Lando (though Donald Glover was great with the little he got). On the whole, however, it's a fun if somewhat workmanlike little adventure flick, with a great young Han Solo at its helm, and the central dynamic between him and his wookie chum being a standout.
13. Ocean's 8 ★★★ 1/2
Another surprise from this year. The only real issues I had with it were most of its attempts to tie it to the larger Danny Ocean universe, the under-utilization of certain cast members (particularly Sarah Paulson), and eh James Corden I guess (though he's not really in it that much). Otherwise though, I really enjoyed it as a very low-key, low-stakes heist movie that nevertheless kept me entertained throughout. Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett make for a rather endearing, entertaining duo, and Anne Hathaway is rather good too. The script is punchy, the heist itself is actually quite clever, and though I do think the ending could've used a little more 'oomph', a common criticism I have of the Ocean's franchise, I certainly wouldn't mind a second installment.
12. Blockers ★★★ 1/2
Well put John Cena alongside The Rock in the group of wrestlers who I just enjoy watching onscreen for their charisma and presence (and Dave Bautista on a higher tier, of course), because I thoroughly enjoyed this interesting take on the teen comedy trope of losing virginitity taking the female perspective. All the stuff between the trio of teenage girls and their sex pact is entertaining enough, but the highlight is definitely on the trio of Cena, Leslie Mann, and Ike Barinholtz as their incredulous and exasperated parents going through a hilariously overwrought, overblown and very entertaining evening of unfortunate events to 'save' their daughters. It might get a bit too crass in parts, but on the whole a very funny, and at times surprisingly moving, film.
11. Game Night ★★★ 1/2
Sort of an attempt at the Edgar Wright brand of quick editing, fast-paced comedy, merged with the more conventional Hollywood studio comedy (starring usual suspects like Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams), and you have a pretty good, pretty funny and altogether rather entertaining flick. The use of cinematography and editing is to be commended here as it amplifies the humour in the right sort of way, the cast are all game (no pun intended), and while I don't think it really makes much of the third act developments and loses some of the humour subsequently, on the whole this is definitely a worthy effort from John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.
10. Hereditary ★★★ 1/2
Honestly, a bit of a disappointment, mostly due to its ending which grates on me the more I think about it, and really the whole third act as a whole I found pretty underwhelming in its twists and turns of sorts, and also how it retreated into fairly generic horror tropes for its 'climax'. Which is a shame really because up till that point I found this to be a very unique, rather chilling while at the same time strangely affecting exploration of not just the supernatural, but issues like depression, grief, and its fallout on the central family, with standout performances by a career-best Toni Collette and Alex Wolff. Its strengths are exceedingly felt in the opening two acts, and creates some truly spine-tingling moments, unfortunately the finale wastes it all which is a shame.
9. McQueen ★★★★
A very fine documentary on a subject I'd previously known very little about. It provides an interesting, snappy and occasionally quite poignant look at the famed late designer Alexander McQueen, his creative ballast and his life's work. Though its structure is perhaps a tad bit too episodic and it does feel like it skims a bit over McQueen's less savoury sides even when focusing on his demons, I found it a consistently compelling, engaging documentary, amplified by its most brilliant asset, the beautiful score by Michael Nyman.
8. A Quiet Place ★★★★
The fantastic concept of sort of a 'silent' horror film where any sound, however inconspicuous, is used to generate a constant sense of unease, fashioned into a pretty effective thriller/family drama combination. John Krasinski proves more than adept as a director in crafting tense setpiece after setpiece, and his ensemble of actors are all suitably equipped to convey the horror of the situation, particularly his onscreen/off-screen wife Emily Blunt. Some of the visual effects are a bit iffy, and though the ending works beautifully in an emotional sense it does feel a bit too deflating given what just came beforehand, but overall a very strong horror directing debut by Krasinski.
7. You Were Never Really Here ★★★★
Technically a 2017 release, but since I saw it this year I'll discuss it alongside this lot. Lynne Ramsey is always an interesting director to follow, and her follow-up to We Need to Talk About Kevin is as expected, pretty dark and cynical, uncomfortable to watch, and with lots of slow build-up and smouldering intensity within its protagonist, Joe (a terrific Joaquin Phoenix) as he goes about his daily business as a war veteran and private investigator of sorts. Comparisons have been made to Taxi Driver, but this is a far more smouldering, understated affair, and even the more volatile and violent bits are quickly done with, and honestly the least interesting parts of the film; where it excels are in the margins between the violence, where it ends up becoming a surprisingly tender, even funny at times, portrait of human pain and disassociation. Plus, another great Jonny Greenwood score.
6. Black Panther ★★★★
I'll get the flaws out of the way first: pretty bad CGI considering the budget, some side characters feel either a bit wasted or superfluous (you can kind of tell they tried to beef up Daniel Kaluuya's role after the success of Get Out), third act is a bit rushed. Otherwise it's easily one of the best MCU films to date, carrying on the intriguing storyline of Black Panther and the people of Wakanda. The action sequence choreography and cinematography is phenomenal, Ryan Coogler's distinct directorial style is tops, it features a fantastic and surprisingly sympathetic villain in Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger, and I felt it managed to act as a platform for some social insights and messages without feeling overblown or preachy. It's a timely film, that's for sure, but also a very, very good one, and I look forward to see what's next in store for the franchise.
5. Deadpool 2 ★★★★
A surprise, for sure, as even when watching the film I was a bit dubious about how the Merc with a Mouth would win me over this time. The opening, pre-credits scenes are definitely the weak link to the film, verging on being terrible, just in terms of feeling like they were trying to ape the first film too much and feeling a bit self-derivative, luckily after a rather rousing Celine Dion number and the introduction of Cable (Josh Brolin), it's pretty fantastic. Most, if not all, jokes hit the mark and I frankly felt the pop culture references this time round were far more naturally integrated (particularly loved the nods to Say Anything and Green Lantern), Ryan Reynolds and the whole cast are pitch-perfect, the action sequences are a huge upgrade (thanks David Leitch), and most surprisingly the emotional undercurrent is actually the best part of the film. A sequel that in my opinion surpasses its predecessor, even though it's not the most consistent film.
4. Thoroughbreds ★★★★ 1/2
Excellent subversion of the usual teen drama tropes, think Bling Ring meets Yorgos Lanthimos, though the finished product far surpasses either of those. Its led by two excellent performances by 'Brits I can't believe are Brits' Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke, and a memorable supporting turn by the late Anton Yelchin, as we follow the twisted plans of two upper-class girls, one popular and one an outcast, to murder the former's stepfather. Things don't go as expected both for the characters and te audience, and a compelling, chilling story is further enhanced by fantastic sound and set design, and plentiful doses of very, very black humour.
3. Avengers: Infinity War ★★★★ 1/2
The culmination of a decade-long arc by the MCU has resulted in a rather epic, rousing and altogether quite excellent payoff, granting us a terrific villain in Josh Brolin's (who's having quite the year) Thanos as we follow him almost in lieu of a 'protagonist' as he collects the Infinity Stones. I found almost every new interaction between characters to work, particularly the father-daughter dynamic between Gamora and Thanos, the antagonistic clash of wits between Doctor Strange and Tony Stark, the great comic chemistry between Rocket Raccoon and Thor, speaking of which Thor and Chris Hemsworth have really exceeded expectations with his last two appearances. Of course the highlight is the extensive, one long huge chase of sorts between our heroes and the narrative focalizing around Thanos' story, and just how beautifully rendered the CGI is, some incredible use of music, and implementing the references across the MCU while making this film standalone as a pretty great one in itself.
2. Isle of Dogs ★★★★★
Few minor reservations about the third act, and the possibly problematic issue of the one prominent American character being a 'white saviour' of sorts (though that's not quite the case), I really, really enjoyed this latest from Wes Anderson, his best film since The Royal Tenenbaums I'd say. Its every frame is ogorgeous to look at, a stop-motion portrait of beauty in every shot, and each canine character has such a vibrancy to them. Beyond just being great to look at, it is a delightful, sometimes dark, often hilarious, frequently heartwarming, and always original trip with as expected great deadpan moments, visual gags, ingenious casting choices by both Anderson regulars and newbies. Recommended to any dog lover, and also for any Kurosawa lovers with its frequent references.
1. Leave No Trace ★★★★★
A stirring, remarkable effort from Debra Granik, who directed the excellent Winter's Bone and this time tops that with a perhaps less overtly grim, but no less affecting, depiction of that sort of backwoods world she explored, where the grit and the beauty of the wilderness is captured in such organic, naturalistic fashion. Within it Granik gives a full-bodied portrait of a father and daughter trelationship which is never just one thing or the other, filled with love, discord, harmony and agony, and played wonderfully by newcomer Thomasin McKenzie and the great character actor Ben Foster. It doesn't hit the audience on the head with a message, feeling like the recent Captain Fantastic refreshingly unpreachy, and releases its brand of emotional potency under its sleeves in rather powerful, understated bursts. It's a beautifully directed, written, acted and crafted film that is easily my favourite film of the year so far.
I should note that I enjoyed and found each episode each season to be engaging in some respect. Looking over the whole season though, this was probably the most forgettable one. The central action sequence at the Confedorado is pretty poor for the show's standards, the Dolores subplot has some good moments - her reunion with her father being one - but overall felt a bit too static, as did the Maeve and her cohorts subplot. Also, some of the sound mixing in this particular episdoe was just a bit iffy, not to the point of distraction but still noticeable. It's not a bad episode, just doesn't really do as much to stand out.
Best scene: Dolores reunites with her father
9. 'Akane no Mai' (2x5)
I could switch between these two as my bottom two, as I unfortunately felt slightly let down by Shogun World as a whole, though I did appreciate the diversity, the exploration of a new world, and its thematic parallels to the central park. It just all felt a bit too standard almost in terms of where the story moved towards without really pushing anything forward, which comes to harm the series a bit, though it does hit the emotional beats well enough thanks to Thandie Newton's consistently great work., and the design of the Shogun village is pretty stellar too. The Dolores and Teddy stuff in this episode was particularly dull, though.
Best scene: Paint it Black V.2
8. 'Vanishing Point' (2x9)
A disappointment in retrospect, as the more I think about it the more annoyed I am about what they've done to William. It seemed earlier in the season that they were going to explore William looking for his 'true' self in the park and finding something else altogether, and I thought this episode with the more emotional/aspect of this journey of self-discovery, instead it became something else altogether in exploring William's delusions, which did not feel as natural a progression not only from this season, but the previous season too. I could have ranked this episode lower, but I do think Ed Harris is great here despite being forced into a corner, the Ford-Maeve scene is fantastic, and the ending is actually surprisingly moving, powerful conclusion to a relationship I'd not been much of a fan of this season.
Best scene: Maeve and Ford
7. 'Journey Into Night' (2x1)
Very much a 'set-up' episode, but a very strong example of that, as it kicks everything off in a suitably efficient yet mysterious fashion. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting our beloved characters again, and seeing the establishment of new dynamics, particularly that between Maeve and Sizemore which ended up being one of the pleasant surprises of the season. It perhaps has less of a payoff than most of the other episodes, but that's not a bad thing at all.
Best scene: 'I wrote that line'
6. 'Phase Space' (2x6)
One of the most consistent episodes of the season. It technically is an episode where nothing, besides that fantastic cliffhanger ending reintroducing Robert Ford, is designed to 'astound', it's more to set up the next few episodes, yet it does a great job of having each subplot work against and with one another to create a forward thrust to the plot, missing in some of the previous episodes. Plus, there's great scenes in there like William's 'reconciliation' with his daughter Emily (which again hints at something I wish they'd explored a bit further), and Maeve's heartbreaking reunion with her daughter.
Best scene: Campire Reconciliation
5. 'Les Écorchés' (2x7)
Could go slightly higher with this one if not for an utterly ridiculous, stupid scene that actually acts as something of a fitting footnote to how incompetent the Delos mercenaries are. Otherwise, pretty much everything about this episode was great, from most of the attack on the Mesa, the confrontation between Maeve, Lawrence and William, Dolores menacing Charlotte Hale and her farewell with her father, and of course the return of Ford which, though I wasn't sure about at the beginning, results in some rather beautiful sequences, not just of Hopkins' performance but some rather elegant cinematography, and particularly great use of music.
Best scene: Beethoven's Symphony No. 7
4. 'The Passenger' (2x10)
I still need to think about this episode, there are flaws for sure in terms of the pacing - they probably should have moved some of the 'Maeve's group' plot developments to the previous episode just to let the crucial moments breathe a bit more, though the scenes themselves are great -, whatever the hell they're doing with William, and though I quite loved the ending sequence I do think it might cause problems for the third season. Overall though, a great episode. I loved the final switcheroo, which also allowed for Tess Thompson to really impress me, the deaths of some beloved characters hit the mark even if some were a bit rushed, and there were some genuinely heartwarming moments among all the chaos, The highlight is of course all the Bernard, and for that matter Dolores, interactions and sequences, which Jeffrey Wright and Evan Rachel Wood handled so brilliantly, and supplmented by some fantastic editing in those particular scenes, even if it was a bit lacking in others.
Best scene: A fucking nightmare
3. 'Reunion' (2x2)
A rather brilliant episode that actually set the template for the stronger episodes of this season, where the show provides both a thorough examination of multiple characters and storylines without feeling like it's rushing through any of them. The highlight is the exploration of William, as we watch the growing moral degradation of the man, and the strange journey to destruction of the present and his every-enjoyable rapport with Lawrence. That's the main focus, but at the same time we get insight into the hints of Dolores' growth into sentience in the past scenes with William, and in the present some nice, juicy moments like the inroduction of Jonathan Tucker's Craddock, the meeting between Maeve and Dolores, plus also helping to set up the brilliance that is...
Best scene: William reveals the stain
2. 'The Riddle of the Sphinx' (2x4)
Another great William-centric episode, and it's a shame that they somewhat dropped the ball with him later on, maybe we just needed more Jimmi Simpson. Anyway, where 'Reunion' set up the bond between James Delos and William, this episode exploits it to great effect n a series of 'interrogations' and experiments between the two that end up being at once, rather fascinating and heartbreaking. Then in the present day there's just that terrific series of scenes where William ironically seems to recover some sort of humanity through his trademark brand of violence, and a very welcome return of Elsie and reunion with Bernard.
Best scene: 'You think you know death...'
1. 'Kiksuya' (2x8)
My extended thoughts here. Just to reiterate, an astonishing episode with an astonishing central performance, and arguably the best Westworld's ever been.
Best scene: Heart-Shaped Box
The Cast/Characters: (I should note that I don't think any cast member is bad, just some have really poorly written/underwritten characters compared to others). All photos from John P. Johnson, HBO./
31. Fares Fares as Antoine Costa
I wouldn't have brought him up but he's apparently part of the main cast, so uh I guess he was there a lot of the time. Not bad, though, just barely even realized he was a character.
30. Talulah Riley as Angela
One of the few underwhelming 'upgrades' to the main cast this season. I just did not find Angela particularly interesting, especially compared to the first season where she was far more enigmatic and intriguing, in basically playing a less interesting Armistice to Dolores, and I found her last scene to be a bit underwhelming, as well as being very contrived. Kind of wished her duties had been given to Angela Sarafayan's Clementine, who had barely anything to do this season.
29. Gustaf Skarsgård as Karl Strand
Fine at fulfilling the requirements of the one-note jerkass, but frankly I didn't find that one note particularly interesting, and he was often part of some of the weaker scenes of the series. At best he was serviceable, and at worst he was a bit grating, which might've been the purpose of the character, but there was probably room for a bit of variation, and he's pretty much overshadowed by the other main characters he shares scenes with.
28. Angela Sarafayan as Clementine
She has some great moments, like when she encounters the new Clementine, and her general physical portrayal of the lobotomized state of her character is really good, the only issue I have is that they barely utilized her at all this season, which was a shame, even in the final two episodes, the rushed pace meant that she barely got any screentime despite her technical importance. Still, have to give her points for still being on of the best physical portrayals of being a host on the show.
27. Luke Hemsworth as Ashley Stubbs
I think my issue with his character is not so much the performance, which is pretty decent on the whole aside from maybe his last scene, which I still need to think about. My problem is that there really doesn't seem to be a point to his character besides being some muscle or used to have another character deliver lines to. And it's a shame that they couldn't pair him up with Elsie one last time, it could have been interesting to see him witnessing the latter's murder at the hands of Charlotte.
25. Leonardo Nam as Felix Lutz and Ptolemy Slocum as Sylvester
They have less to do then last season, but actually I think this helped their characters and performances become more consistent. Both are pretty good at portraying the fear and intensity of their situation, completely out of sync with everything going on around them, and individually, Nam showing the continuing care and growing courage that keeps him going, and Slocum the slightly toned down yet still abrasive nature of an asshole forced to shut up for once, and both have some pretty funny comedic asides.
24. Ingrid Bolsø Berdal as Armistice
I have to commend her once again for being so convincing in the action sequences and those great intimidating glances, and her fascination with her 'double' figure. She doesn't get as much to do as last season, unfortunately, but she's still good within her extreme limits.
23. Rodrigo Santoro as Hector Escaton
A somewhat toned-down Hector in contrast to last season's bombastic bandit, appropriately so given how Maeve has influenced him, and though his screentime is somewhat limited, I did enjoy what he did within those limits, as once again his chemistry with Thandie Newton is great, and he handles the action sequences well.
22. Sela Ward as Juliet
Though I didn't love everything about the episode, and I do think we could have spent more time on the problematic relationship between William and his family, and less on that 'fuck you Ford am I host' nonsense which I think is one of the weaker elements of the series (the plot twist last season with Bernard was great but trying to hint at it with everyone is a bit lazy), Ward is very good in her limited screentime in displaying that righteous anger and fear towards William and her warnings to Emily.
21. Rinko Kikuchi as Akane
Though I don't think she quite lives up to the expectations of a 'Maeve' foil, and Newton is certainly the highlight of all their big scenes together, she's still perfectly fine as the prim and proper Madam of the geisha house, with the underlying emotional current. And she's pretty good in her dance/murder sequence which is one of the highlights of a somewhat underwhelming Episode 5. I like Kikuchi as an actress, she's phenomenal in Babel, and this is another fine performance from her.
20. Hiroyuki Sanada as Musashi
Sanada bwas a really good foil to Hector, doing what I assume is his best Toshiro Mifune and actually doing a fairly decent job of it. His role is very limited on the whole, but I did like the gravitas he brought to it, and as with most things I've seen him in his screen presence carries him through a role that could've been forgettable. Wish he'd come back in the finale to team up with Hector, though.
19. Julia Jones as Kohana
Technically a very limited role as the love interest. But the chemistry she creates with Zahn McClarnon is so powerful despite the limited screentime, with particular highlights being her scene of realizing the man from her past, and though it's not the highlight of Episode 8 it is essential to its greatness.
18. Giancarlo Esposito as New El Lazo
A truly unexpected cameo and surprise little gem in Episode 2, and I've jut really grown to love seeing Esposito pop up whenever and where ever, after watching Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. He's rather menacing and surprisingly sympathetic as this bandit who has become utterly disillusioned with life, even after having attained everything he sought for, and despite only being in one scene makes quite the impact.
17. Louis Herthum as Peter Abernathy
I have to admit that despite having a bit more screen-time, he wasn't nearly as memorable as in his one big scene in Season 1. Which isn't to say he was underwhelming, and in his two scenes with Dolores I thought he was absolutely heartbreaking in showing the peculiar, warped state of Abernathy's mind, from which his love for his daughter and fear of both knowing too much, and not knowing enough emanated. Bit disappointed however that the upgrade to the main cast didn't mean all that much increase in screentime, or focus.
16. Shannon Woodward as Elsie
Like last season, a nice breath of levity, though this time laced with even more cynicism, and I really liked her anti-chemistry of sorts with Bernard, understandably suspicious at first and bridging it back into the bond between the two friends and co-workers in Season 1. Though a somewhat thankless exposition role at times she adds so much character to it. She's great as one of the more likeable characters this season, and I have to admit I was quite sad to see her go.
15. Tessa Thompson as Charlotte Hale
Still find her a bit iffy at times as the ruthless corporate executive, but an improvement over last season nevertheless as she does have some very effective moments showing the incisiveness of Hale, though she's at her best when hinting at the vulnerabilities of the character, particularly in her scene with Dolores, and is outstanding at literally becoming Dolores in her final scene, and earned the effect of the last minute 'switcharoo'.
14. Clifton Collins Jr. as Lawrence
Though used well, I still would have liked more of him as he's one of my favourite Westworld characters. I loved his chemistry with Ed Harris once more, darkly humorous as ever with a bit of natural progression towards a sort of equal understanding that unfortunately is somewhat wasted by the end, and his final scene is downright brilliant as he shows the horrifying memories of his mistreatment by William flowing back into him in such devastating fashion. And as always his delivery of 'motherfucker' is something quite special.
13. Jonathan Tucker as Major Craddock
The best straightforward 'villain' this season, Tucker is one of the highlights of the early episodes as this completely delusional, violent renegade zealot who believes himself to be on the same plateau as death. He doesn't have much depth beyond being just this despicable villain, but he plays it incredibly well, and I really liked his scenes with Ed Harris as he so swiftly brought his character from being so in control to completely out of his element so effectively.
12. Katja Herbers as Emily
I know some weren't a huge fan of her performance or her character, and indeed the way the series deals with her is a bit anticlimactic. Personally, though, I thought that none of the faults related to her plotline were related to her, and found Herbers to give a great performance as a character that could've been a stick in the mud, or just forgettable. She holds her own as a sort of 'action girl', with the right amount of sass and incisiveness when interacting with her onscreen father or other obstacles, and in the quieter moments of reflecting on their shared past actually created some very powerful moments with Ed Harris, particularly in their campfire scene, and in actual scenes of depicting the past was equally adept. Now I have issues with her final scene, but none of it can be faulted on her behalf as she makes her character's demise one of the series' greatest tragedies, and not just because of the awful turn the storyline takes afterwards.
11. James Marsden as Teddy Flood
In the first half of the season I'll admit Teddy was a bit uninteresting as basically a pawn in Dolores' hands. Though the writing was a bit uninteresting, though, I still thought Marsden brought his A-game in terms of going through the emotional wheelhouse of killing against his will. Once she turned him into effectively a soulless killing machine, I really dug his performance and that unqiue blend of the killing machine loyal to the Dolores, and although it took a bit of time getting used to his resentment towards her was equally compelling. His final scene in Episode 9 is fantastic as he brings some of that old Teddy we love struggling against his corrupted state in such a heartrending fashion. Honestly a performance that could easily go up in my rankings.
10. Ben Barnes as Logan Delos
I'll admit I'm a bit of a sucker for Logan in general, finding him to be a fascinating example of a character who's an asshole, but not a villain; and this season we find him utilized in a rather peculiar, but very interesting fashion. Barnes' performance is used in brief interludes across the episodes to facilitate not just the descent of the Delos family, but also a new hitherto undiscovered part of Westworld, the Forge. Barnes is captivating once again as the douchebag hedonist, surprisingly haunting as the hollow shell of a man trying to make people see the truth - particularly in his scene with his onscreen father (Peter Mullan) -, and an inspired choice as the virtual 'tour guide' to the Forge where he brings this unique gleam of pride and foreboding, with a certain inspirational quality beneath it, that carries a passion for Westworld in a similar yet dissimilar way to ol' Logan.
9. Evan Rachel Wood as Dolores Abernathy
I've noticed that Dolores has become a bit of a point of dissent. Personally, I think the writers' approach to Dolores this season has been flawed, starting out promisingly from last season as some sort of renegade rebel leader to the host's plight, before going into autopilot with Dolores doing evil villain monologue after evil villain monologue. I didn't hate these scenes as much as some, but I certainly didn't find them very engaging, though Wood, in the role I believe she was truly born to play, remained constantly good, and great in the 'past' Dolores scenes where we got a dose of Season 1 Dolores in different contexts. I will say that though her work in the first half of the season was a mixed bag, she's consistently great in the second half, with particular highlights coming in Episode 7 and Episode 10, from her cathartic breakdown of Charlotte Hale, to her interactions with Bernard.
8. Simon Quaterman as Lee Sizemore
Easily the weakest cast member in Season 1, in my opinion, Quaterman has made the biggest leap for me in terms of performance, and indeed the writing behind Sizemore has followed suit. While there was a certain pleasure to be had in the hammy and excruciatingly annoying Sizemore in Season 1 who seemed almost designed to be despised, I much preferred his role this season as the ostensible comic relief, particularly in his interactions with Thandie Newton where he was so effective as the hapless butt monkey; and equally a hoot whenever he provided commentary on how the narratives weren't going as they were 'supposed' too. Alongside that, I foun his journey from selfish prick to being sympathetic to the hosts was really well performed, if a bit rushed, and his last scene though a bit illogical, quite powerful.
7. Ed Harris as William/The Man in Black
Unfortunately for The Man in Black, the later parts of the season just didn't seem to know what to do with him, as contrived machinations led to the character both being put in a bit of a standstill in terms of development, while also being all over the place in terms of his motivations. Which is a shame, since he started this season brilliantly, as sort of the one individual in the park with an agenda beyond preservation and survival, or simple extermination. Harris goes further with the enigmatic creation of the last season and made for a very compelling figure to follow through the first half of the season in his quest to 'burn it all', standing out particularly well in the scenes where he encounters obstacles posed by Ford, the breathtaking sequence where he goes against the expected norm to save Lawrence's village, and his confrontation with Maeve. Unfortunately, after episode 8, the series really drops the ball with the character. Harris is still very good, particularly in the 'past' scenes, but the cumulative effect just doesn't hit as hard as it could've if they'd gone with the more expected route.
6. Jimmi Simpson as Young William
Despite less screentime and focus, I have to say that Simpson overall managed to make a more cohesive impact as William than Harris this season. He was only featured in two episodes, yet in those two episodes managed to make a very striking impact. In Episode 2, he somehow found a way to continue that downwards spiral into the MIB while still retaining that facade of good ol' Billy, and bringing such a chilling lack of empathy in his interactions with Dolores and his delivery of 'have you ever seen such splendour' is particularly commendable. The highlights, though, would be his interactions with Peter Mullan's James Delos, as the two characters create this somewhat antagonistic dynamic of two arrogant assholes who find an affinity with one another, which the subsequent fallout from is somewhat tragic.
5. Anthony Hopkins as Robert Ford
Since The Assasination of Robert Ford by the Host Dolores Abernathy, I've been somewhat anticipating the possible return of Sir Tony. Still, I was surprised by how far they went with it, as he's ended up not just being a cameo re-appearance, but playing a very pivotal role throughout the whole season. Now at first I was a bit worried they were just going to use him as a glorified exposition device, though to be fair few do exposition as well as Hopkins, but I loved the direction they ended up going with his character. His interactions with Bernard as this sort of subversive 'mentor' were one of the more consistently great elements of the latter half of the season, and few can do menace so unassumingly yet effectively as Hopkins, but his best scene was probably his scene with Maeve as he makes sense of a somewhat unexpected yet completely justified character element in terrific fashion. Great work,
4. Peter Mullan as James Delos
A welcome inclusion in all of his brief appearances outside of Episode 4, but that episode is easily his highlight reel. Mullan is a delight as the uncouth, ball-busting Delos IRL, effectively showing someone who pushes William the Younger to his full 'potential', and quite a hoot even when being rather despicable. As the host Delos, trapped in a cycle of reliving the same moment again and again with William, he's superb in gradually revealing this to the audience, and somehow creating sympathy for the devil and granting such humanity to the malfunctioning host. Terrific work that would've been the best guest performance on the show, if not for someone else.
3. Jeffrey Wright as Bernard Lowe/Arnold Weber
We don't actually get to see much of Arnold this season, which is fine since his arc was pretty much brought to a completion last season. But what of good ol' Bernard, possibly the most sympathetic character in the whole series and my personal MVP from last season. Well interestingly, Bernard has something of an expansion in terms of importance from last season, becoming almost the main character of this season even more so than Dolores and Maeve. He's also given the unenviable task of being an anchor for the audience through the two main timelines running through the season, as an avatar who has to piece together the puzzles while having some secrets of his own to hide, inadvertently or not. This leaves Wright in an interesting position in the initial stages where Bernard is left in a very reactionary role, like the first season, but with perhaps even more pressure on his shoulders. I found him to excel in every moment of learning/re-learning, and continuing to excel in the role despite the limits that were somewhat imposed on him. The highlight of his performance this season, though, was once Robert Ford got into his head, as Wright breaks out of the mould and becomes captivating in portraying his character's struggle, and in Episode 10 is yet again terrific in anchoring the emotional and intellectual beats of the episode incredibly well.
2. Thandie Newton as Maeve Millay
Well what more can be said about Newton than that she's consistently amazing in the role she was born to play. I think what's most remarkable about Newton's performance is how she brings out the best out of others. Her performance is so striking yet so generous, and when other characters share the screen with her they tend to shine, notable examples being Quaterman's Sizemore, and Wood's Dolores this season. She helps lift sometimes stagnant plotlines and makes them worthwhile just through her consistently entertaining and engaging performance, and can move from darkly humorous to movingly empathetic, badass to vulnerable within any given scene's requirements. Though the journey of Maeve to find her daughter and her role as the saviour to the other hosts may have had a few bumps in the writing, Newton's performance is consistently amazing, earning that somewhat Christlike position she's earnt over the course of the series, and creating an emotional investment for me throughout. Her story continues to be perhaps my favourite in the whole series, and I really hope when Season 3 comes she'll be back with a vengeance. Also, the online downvote brigade on anything involving her is the stupidest pop culture 'trend' in recent memory - the only explanation I can have is that she's a well-spoken and outspoken advocate of feminist issues and a POC, which makes her a target for so many veiled online racists.
1. Zahn McClarnon as Akecheta
One of the easiest choices I've had to make with regards to rankings like this. McClarnon's portrayal of the inquisitive Native American host unstuck in time and place by his gradual self-enlightenment is perhaps the most compelling Westworld arc to date, and all the more astonishing by how it was handled within one episode. Even though the season as a whole was rather uneven, this episode and this performance alone is enough for me to safely say that I quite loved it, warts and all. McClarnon's performance grants the expected sort of presence to the role, as he's an actor who can say so much without saying anything at all, see for reference Hanzee in Fargo Season 2. He goes further than just the intimidating, strong silent figure we'd be introduced to briefly beforehand in such elegaic fashion, from that beautiful narration of his that carries the episode, and his incredibly portrayal of how his character's journey of self-discovery both ascends him onto a higher status of understanding, while also creating a burden within him that is utterly devastating, whether it's his heartfelt reunion with his wife and the soul-crushing second 'reunion' with her within the Mesa. It seems almost an impossible feat for such a minor character to make such a huge impact in one episode focusing on him, but McClarnon manages it and more, and instantly creates an iconic character within an iconic episode. An astonishing performacne that deserves all the awards.
All in all, I know there are plenty of issues with the writing this season, especially when compared to the first. Nevertheless, I loved this season overall, and it is definitely still one of my favourite recurring television shows, so thank you Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. And lastly, a shoutout to the other series MVP, Ramin Djawadai. His work as composer this season has been just as great as the last, with this piece perhaps being my very favourite.
