The Blu Spot

It's once again time to honor the best films of the year, in a year that has certainly been like no other. From theaters getting shut down for long periods, to release dates being shuffled, to many films moving to streaming, it's been quite a wild time for movies, but despite several contenders moving to next year ("The French Dispatch," "Dune," "No Time to Die," etc.), there were still several great films that made it out there in one form or another, so let's dive right in.

The Chicago Film Critics Association has announced their year-end awards, with the very clear favorite being Chloe Zhao's "Nomadland," which took home five awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. "Never Rarely Sometimes Ever" was the only other film to receive more than one award, winning Best Original Screenplay (Eliza Hittman) and Most Promising Performer (Sidney Flanigan). Other notable winners include

The Florida Film Critics Circle and the Indiana Film Journalists Association have announced their year-end-awards for 2020, with the former choosing "First Cow" and the latter choosing "Nomadland" as the best films of the year. The FFCC did not give any other awards to their Best Picture winner (exactly like the NYFCC), while the IFJA also honored theirs with Best Director (Chloe Zhao), Best Actress (Frances McDormand), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Zhao). The groups both matc

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) has just announced their year-end awards, with a bit of a surprise at the end as Steve McQueen's "Small Axe," a series of films made for TV, takes the top prize. The series also received Best Cinematography and was the runner-up for Best Director. Two films received a pair of awards, including "Promising Young Woman" (Best Actress, Carey Mulligan, and Best Screenplay, Emerald Fennell) and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" (Best Actor,

The Boston Online Film Critics Society (BOFCA) has announced their year-end winners, with Chloe Zhao's "Nomadland" coming out on top. The film also took Best Director, Best Actress (Frances McDormand), Best Editing, and Best Cinematography. Looking at their top ten, there are several ho-hum choices, but some decent ones in there too, including "Never Rarely Sometimes Always," "Minari," and "Promising Young Woman." Some great picks from their categories including Charlie Kaufm

The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) announced their annual awards today, resulting in an extremely unusual pick, Kelly Reichardt's "First Cow," a rather forgettable film about a cook and a Chinese immigrant making biscuits in 1820's Oregon. The film won no other awards. Two films took a pair of awards, including Eliza Hittman's teen drama "Never Rarely Sometimes Always" (Best Actress, Sidney Flanagan, and Best Screenplay) and Spike Lee's Vietnam drama "Da 5 Bloods" (Best

The Film: Writer/director Christopher Nolan has never been one to think on a small scale. Even in his smaller films ("Memento, "The Prestige"), the ideas tend to be bigger and more complex than you would think from the deceptively simple narratives, leading to intimate character pieces that leave you pondering long after. Then, of course, you have what most audiences know him for: his remarkable epics, which have encompassed the adventures of Batman, a mind-bending journey in

Pixar has never been a studio to shy away from difficult subjects. From finding one's place in the world and exploring relationships to gro

Awards season has finally begun with the Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC) kicking things off by naming Chloe Zhao's "Nomadland" the best film of 2020. The film also received Best Director (Chloe Zhao) and Best Cinematography. Three films received two wins each: "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" (Best Screenplay and Best Film Editing), "The Father" (Best Actor, Anthony Hopkins, and Best New Filmmaker), and "Minari" (Best Supporting Actress, Youn Yuh-jung, and Best Original

Director/writer Paul Greengrass' filmography has been an eclectic mix of actioners, character dramas, and in some cases, films based on true events. He's thrilled us with the "Bourne" films and gotten us emotionally involved with the heroes of "Captain Phillips" and "United 93" (for which he was nominated for an Oscar), all the while captivating the audience with his storytelling prowess. For his latest project, "News of the World," he looks to hit all of these elements again