Movie of the Year: Everything Everywhere All At Once

As the multiverse trope continues to be explored across various forms of media, whether in big-budget franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or video games like Multiversus, most feel like little more than cash grabs and cameo fests. Everything Everywhere All At Once is the opposite. The movie tells an intricate, thoughtful story and utilizes a filmmaking style unique to the concepts that the film tackles. Michelle Yeoh delivers one of the best performances of her career as the lead character, a mother trying to reconnect with her daughter. Ultimately, it’s the film’s core message of spreading kindness in an era of cynicism that solidifies this film as the best of the year. A full review of the movie is available on our website, ppuglobe.com.

Honorable Mentions: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Glass Onion, The Batman

Documentary of the Year: Fire of Love

Combining a thoughtful score with beautifully restored archival footage, National Geographic’s Fire of Love is a tour de force. The film follows a french volcanologist couple, Katia and Maurice Krafft, who ultimately die in an eruption in 1991. The beauty of the film lies in its approach to their deaths. Rather than portray their deaths as tragedy, the film shows how their life, and their work, saved thousands of lives, and that their deaths, like all deaths, are just an inevitability. Visually, this documentary is stunning, and the amount of unique footage of volcanoes, both inside and out, will make any fan of volcanoes say “this movie is good.”

Honorable Mention: This Place Rules

TV Show of the Year: Better Call Saul Season 6

Delivering a follow-up to any television show is hard, especially when it is considered by many critics as the greatest show of all time. When Breaking Bad’s spin-off Better Call Saul began, many criticized the slow pacing compared to Breaking Bad, but the final season of Better Call Saul proves those initial criticisms long. Delivering an incredible payoff and spectacular performances from the entire cast, the show finally steps out of the shadow of Walter White and instead casts a shadow back on him. A full review of the entire season is available on our website, ppuglobe.com.

Honorable Mention: Ms. Marvel

Game of the Year: Elden Ring

Incredibly detailed and infuriatingly difficult, From Software’s Elden Ring delivered fully on its promise of being a well-made ‘soulsborne’ game set in an open world. The game’s nontraditional narrative and it’s frustrating but fair gameplay loop make this game worth trying, as long as you know to have some patience with it.

Honorable Mentions: Splatoon 3, Sonic Frontiers

Album of the Year: Time Skiffs

Animal Collective is undoubtedly best known for its hit 2009 album Merriweather Post Pavilion. Despite the widespread commercial success and critical acclaim the album received, the band has since continued to put their focus on experimenting and producing the music that they want to make. With Time Skiffs, the band’s experimentation has led to an incredible album that can be best described as an odyssey of sound. Although the experimental nature of the album makes the album not accessible to everyone, giving this album a few chances will reveal the true magnitude of this LP.

Honorable Mentions: Prince Daddy and the Hyena

Book of the Year: I’m Glad My Mom Died

Former iCarly star Jennette McCurdy’s tell-all book “I’m Glad My Mom Died” first started as a one-woman show with the same name. Now, in book form, McCurdy explores her complex childhood as a television star and her relationship with her abusive mother. The beauty of I’m Glad My Mom Died is the glimmers of hope and healing throughout all of the trauma detailed. While this book may be difficult for some, especially those who have suffered from eating disorders, there is something truly powerful and inspiring about hearing someone else’s trauma, and in knowing that recovery is possible.

Honorable Mention: See Kylie’s list!