By [With 2022 all wrapped up and we’ve had time to let the previous year sink in, it’s time for our fifth annual Golden Cages Awards! Over the next two weeks, the staff at Flixist will be announcing the winners in sixteen different categories that range from all different genres and categories before ultimately revealing what our best film of 2022 was. So sit back, relax, and come join us as we take one final look at 2022 and see the notable movies the year had to offer.]
In an extremely rare occurrence for us at Flixist, we had two winners for “Best Director” this year. The reason this is so rare is that we do tiebreakers if our first round of voting results in a draw. Somehow, the same result happened during the tiebreaker, so what can you do? There’s nothing else to do but give the “Best Director” award to both The Daniels for Everything Everywhere All At Once and Joseph Kosinski for Top Gun: Maverick.
Personally speaking, I feel that The Daniels did a better job with EEAAO, but I can understand why some of my colleagues were drawn more to Top Gun: Maverick. I am not really a fan of the 1986 original, but Maverick works even as a standalone film. It’s that rare kind of legacyquel that pays homage to the original, understands the legacy that was left behind, and does its best to respect and improve upon any problems that may have been there. If you did love the original, Maverick is the best possible continuation. If you didn’t, it still works as a way to celebrate why we love going to the cinema.
There isn’t much more I really need to say about EEAAO that I didn’t in my review. I’ve since watched the movie an additional three times and I’m still floored by how well things are edited and how emotional the crux of its story is. There are tons of neat elements you pick up on when you aren’t trying to piece together the multi-dimensional nature of its plot. One that caught me by surprise was Dierdre (Jamie Lee Curtis) noting all of Evelyn’s (Michelle Yeoh) hobbies and realizing those actually relate to career paths she would take in different timelines. The movie feels very well thought out.
None of that would come together without solid direction. Especially in the case of Top Gun: Maverick, the acting in these films is just brilliant. The emotions are palpable, the tension practically drips off the screen when the moment calls for it, and there is some well-shot action. We’ll get into this in our other awards, but Maverick in particular could be seen as a revolutionary step for capturing in-flight action choreography.
So while I would have a personal choice for this award, I understand how Flixist came to this decision. We’re happy to award the Golden Cages 2022 for Best Director to both The Daniels and Joseph Kosinski.
