14th Annual Awards Psychic Halfway Awards Winners

Best Picture

Winner - Everything Everywhere All at Once

Runners Up - Happening, The Northman, Turning Red

Commentary - Everything Everywhere All at Once wins this award for several reasons. First it is a hell of a movie, impeccably crafted from the amazing imaginations of Dan Swan and Daniel Scheinert, who borrow from other films, but really create their own unique creation that is wildly entertaining, endlessly fascinating, and a clearly brilliantly constructed work of art. Second, it has a great cast that knock it out of the park. Third, and finally, this film has ended up as A24's most successful film at the box office ever. As indie films are still struggling to return post-COVID, this film is a reminder that a truly original and buzzed indie film can still put butts in theater seats. A triumph all around. 

Best Director

Winner - Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Runners Up  - Audrey Diwan “Happening”, Robert Eggers “The Northman”, Joseph Kosinski “Top Gun: Maverick”

Commentary - See Best Picture

Best Actor

Winner - Caleb Landry Jones “Nitram”

Runners Up - Tim Roth “Sundown”, Nicholas Cage “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent”, Austin Butler “Elvis”, Tom Cruise “Top Gun: Maverick”

Commentary - I didn't hate Elvis, and I admit that Austin Butler did capture the spirit of the King. So kudos to him. But the performance in this category that still lingers with me is the haunting portrayal by Caleb Landry Jones in Nitram, which won him the Best Actor award at Cannes. Brilliantly mixing the mental health, the humanity, and the evil in an important and difficult balance, Jones proves he is an amazing young talent, and can bring ferocity to the silver screen. 

Best Actress

Winner - Michelle Yeoh “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Runners Up - Sandra Bullock “The Lost City”, Anamaria Vartolomei “Happening” , Haley Lu Richardson “Montana Story”

Winner - Michelle Yeoh is just a freaking bad ass. She is fierce, funny, talented, and just lights up the screen in Everything Everywhere All at Once. She is one of our under-recognized legend, and hopefully this role will make folks realize just what they have been missing over the last couple of decades. 

Best Supporting Actor

Winner - Pedro Pascal “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent”

Runners Up - Colin Farrell “The Batman” and Miles Teller “Top Gun: Maverick”

Commentary - Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent has its high moments, and its low moments, and while it isn't a failure, it isn't as entirely successful as it could have been. That being said, it is hard to ignore Pedro Pascal in this film, and his chemistry with Nicholas Cage. His balancing act of loveable companion and bad guy is brilliant, funny, and shows the range of Pascal's acting prowess. The Mandalorian might be his big lead role, but in the show, he has the emotional range of a desk chair. This role proves he is deserving of bigger, bolder, and funnier roles. 

Best Supporting Actress

Winner - Stephanie Hsu “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Runners Up - Jamie Lee Curtis “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, Anya Taylor-Joy “The Northman”, and Zoe Kravitz “The Batman”

Commentary - It's hard to stand alongside Michelle Yeoh and hold your own. Stephanie Hsu did just that. I knew her from her underappreciated role in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. In that role, she shoes her comedic timing, and her gift of conversational flair. Here, we see her expand on that humor, and bring depth to the humor, proving that she is one to continue to watch. 

Best Screenplay

Winner - Domee Shi, Julia Cho, and Sarah Streicher “Turning Red”

Runners Up - Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert “Everything Everywhere All at Once", Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch “On the Count of Three”

Commentary - See Animated Feature

Best Animated Feature

Winner - Turning Red

Runner Up - The Bob's Burgers Movie

Commentary - I loved the quirkiness of The Bob's Burgers Movie, which was pure fan service that actually worked on the big screen. But, I can not deny the power of Pixar's Turning Red, another important, vital, and incredibly well-made animated classic from a studio that has mastered its artform. This film is getting in trouble with certain parents for being too "mature", for tackling themes that they think are "inappropriate" for kids of all ages. Maybe their problem is that Turning Red turns shame into triumph, is not afraid to tell the truth, and proves that Pixar continues to mature and evolve in its storytelling. 

Best Ensemble

Winner - Top Gun: Maverick

Runners Up - Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Northman, Turning Red

Commentary - Top Gun: Maverick is fun summer fun, that builds on the nostalgia with energy, humor, and action-packed goodness. It gets a lot of credit for many of its elements, but I think its biggest asset is its cast. The blending of veterans and newcomers works so well because all involved jump right into the fun, easy-going nature of the film's vibe, and do so in a way that highlights the talents of its many cast members.