From “Everything Everywhere All at Once” to “Top Gun: Maverick” , film fanatics everywhere can agree that 2022 was a memorable year for movies. Stunning cinematography and fantastic plots can be seen in all of the nominations. The 95th Academy Awards honored some of the best films and performances of the year. For those who missed it, these are some of the winners: 

“Everything Everywhere All at Once”

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is nothing short of a masterpiece. This film follows Chinese-American immigrant Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) as she fights to save the world while exploring parallel universes. While it is classified as a sci-fi adventure, this film incorporates elements of all genres, making it hilarious, emotional, and thought-provoking. To nobody’s surprise, this highly regarded movie dominated the night, taking home seven of the eleven Oscars it was nominated for. Michelle Yeoh’s outstanding performance as Evelyn Wang made her the first Asian woman to win the Best Actress award. The sweep made by “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at this year’s Oscars is both historic and well-deserved. 

“The Whale”

“The Whale” is a gut-wrenching film that explores the life of Charlie (Brendan Fraser), a reclusive English teacher who struggles with obesity as he desperately attempts to connect with his estranged teenage daughter. Although the competition was fierce, Brendan Fraser received the award for Best Actor, beating out Austin Butler as Elvis and Colin Farrell as Pádraic. “The Whale” was Brendan Fraser’s comeback film after a lengthy pause in his career due to various physical and mental health issues. The performance he put on was soul-crushing and tugged on the heartstrings of everyone who watched. This is Fraser’s first Oscar award, and fans could not be happier to finally see him win. 

“All Quiet on the Western Front”

“All Quiet on the Western Front” is a German-language film that follows a young man who quickly learns about the grim reality of trench warfare after enlisting in World War I. The film won four of the nine Oscar awards it was nominated for, including the Best International Feature Film award. The movie is a brutal and honest depiction of war, and the Best Cinematography award it received proved how moving the visuals were. Although it did not win, the film was a competitive choice for the Best Picture award, which is not a common occurrence for international pictures. “All Quiet on the Western Front” is available on Netflix, and is certainly worth the watch. 

“Avatar: The Way of Water”

“Avatar: The Way of Water” is the sequel to “Avatar”, an epic science fiction film released in 2009. Considering the fact that “Avatar” is the highest-grossing film of all time, mainly due to its groundbreaking visual innovations, it is no surprise that the sequel received the award for Best Visual Effects. Although the first movie was impressive, “Avatar: The Way of Water” completely outdid it. The visual effects were immersive and awe-striking, exceeding viewers’ expectations. This Oscar win was certainly predictable, but few will argue that it was undeserved. 

“Top Gun: Maverick”

“Top Gun: Maverick” is the long-awaited sequel to the iconic 1986 film, “Top Gun”. In this movie, Tom Cruise reprises his role as US Navy Captain Maverick as he leads a group of elite fighter pilots on a high-risk mission while confronting his complicated past. Of the six Oscar nominations it received, “Top Gun: Maverick” won the Best Sound award. The sound effects added an element of realism to the movie that could not be achieved through visual effects alone, as well as created an emotional impact. Given this, it is no surprise that “Top Gun: Maverick” received the award that it did. 

Although there can only be one winner in any given category, all of the nominees were exceptional. Whether you prefer drama, comedy, action, or horror, 2022 was undeniably a great year for film.

Here is the complete list of  Oscar winners:

Best Picture: “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Best Director: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Best Actor: Brendan Fraser, “The Whale”

Best Actress: Michelle Yeoh, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Best Supporting Actor: Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Best Supporting Actress: Jamie Lee Curtis, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Best Writing (Original Screenplay):  Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay): Sarah Polley, “Women Talking”

Best Animated Feature Film: “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”

Best International Feature Film: “All Quiet on the Western Front” 

Best Documentary Feature: “Navalny”

Best Film Editing: Paul Rogers, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Best Production Design:  Christian M. Goldbeck and Ernestine Hipper, “All Quiet on the Western Front”

Best Sound: Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon, and Mark Taylor, “Top Gun: Maverick”

Best Visual Effects: Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett, “Avatar: The Way of Water”

Best Cinematography:  James Friend, “All Quiet on the Western Front”

Best Music (Original Song): “Naatu Naatu” from RRR, music by M.M. Keeravaani, lyrics by Chandrabose

Best Music (Original Score): Volker Bertelmann, “All Quiet on the Western Front” 

Best Costume Design: Ruth E. Carter, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Adrien Morot, Judy Chin, and Anne Marie Bradley, “The Whale”

Best Live Action Short Film: “An Irish Goodbye”

Best Animated Short Film: “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse”

Best Documentary Short Film: “The Elephant Whisperers”