Ladies, Gentlemen, and Esteemed Guests, welcome to the 2022 Nerddy Awards.
Every year, we take a look at the best nerdy/genre films from a variety of categories, and determine our Best Nerddy Picture.
Previous years’ Best Nerddy Picture winners include:
- 2017 – Logan
- 2018 – A Quiet Place
- 2019 – Avengers: Endgame
- 2020 – Palm Springs
- 2021 – Dune
Each category has a limit of five nominees, with the first one listed and bolded being our winner. The remaining four are not necessarily in order.
Marvel
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Morbius, Thor: Love and Thunder
Any faults I have with this movie I’m willing to excuse due to the fact that the intended star of this movie died incredibly young and unexpectedly. #RestInPower
DC
The Batman, Black Adam
For me, this wasn’t the best movie featuring Batman (that’s still The Dark Knight), but it is the best Batman movie. The Dark Knight is really a Joker movie, but this is a really cool, new take on Batman that I loved.
Superhero
The Batman, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Morbius, Black Adam
Marvel is in a bit of a rut right now, and while the future of DC isn’t very strong either, this movie was certainly the best superhero flick on the big screen.
Sci-Fi
Everything Everywhere All At Once, Nope, Avatar: The Way of Water, Lightyear, Jurassic World Dominion
When I think of a Multiverse that drives you to Madness, I think of this masterpiece of weird sci-fi, long before the MCU horror of Doctor Strange 2.
Fantasy
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Disenchanted, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
As always, Guillermo del Toro is a visionary, who puts his heart into everything he does.
Horror
Nope, The Wonder, The Black Phone, Don’t Worry Darling, The Menu
Alien movies have a lot of tropes, and a lot of pitfalls. For me, the three supreme new-age Alien invasion movies are Nope, Arrival, and Annihilation. Those three really make you rethink a lot of basic tropes in the genre.
Comedy
Everything Everywhere All At Once, Bullet Train, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, The Lost City, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
While yes, watching someone desperately try to use a trophy as a buttplug is hilarious, what makes this the best comedy to me, is how it also got me teary-eyed at two boulders with googly eyes on them. Natural comedy is much harder to pull off, and this movie accomplishes that in spades.
Animated
Turning Red, Lightyear, The Bob’s Burgers Movie, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Strange World
I know it’s not a surprise that I chose a Pixar film for best animated movie of the year, and while it’s not my favorite Pixar, it is certainly better than the competitors.
Sequel/Prequel
Top Gun: Maverick, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Enola Holmes 2, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Being not a child of the ’80s, I went into Top Gun with low expectations. I didn’t love the original, but this movie took the scenes that I did resonate, expand on them, and is overall a much more engaging story than the first film. It reinvents the characters, while honoring the original. Everything you could ask for in a sequel.
Reboot
The Batman, Lightyear, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Disney’s Pinocchio, Firestarter
Again, a great Batman that I want to see at least a full trilogy for. I’m ready for a Batman Cinematic Universe with emo Robat Battinbat at the center.
Based on Game/Book/Show/True Story
Elvis, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, The Fabelmans, The Bob’s Burgers Movie
I never understood how Elvis Presley controlled pop culture for years. When you don’t understand what was around him, and you just hear the music, it’s good and enjoyable, but not the first American sex icon worthy. Not until you get the context of music, politics, and his pure charisma. I’m a much bigger fan of Elvis after this movie.
Original Story
Everything Everywhere All At Once, Nope, Bullet Train, Turning Red, Don’t Worry Darling
A difficult family drama about generational family trauma, a great comedy about people in bizarre situations, and a sci-fi about saving the multiverse by harnessing your alternate selves skills. Three storylines, each could have made a decent movie, all smushed together into an amazing original story.
Honorable Mention
Bullet Train
If it weren’t for Everything Everywhere All At Once, then Bullet Train would have won Comedy, Original Story, and Best Picture. I loved Bullet Train an incredible amount, and it deserves some recognition.
Werewolf by Night
The MCU is in a serious rut right now, where I haven’t really been hooked by anything since Endgame. Well Werewolf by Night was a massive departure to the cookie-cutter MCU we’ve seen lately, and I really want to see more variety like this.
Best Picture
Everything Everywhere All At Once, Bullet Train, The Batman, Nope, Top Gun: Maverick
I’ll never look at an Everything Bagel the same. We are in a post-MCU era or films, where studios know that they can actually make weird choices in their movies, and as long as they do the work to make it make sense, audiences don’t need simple or realistic storytelling. Just make them honest and relatable, and we will go along with anything.
The Nerdd 