Obama shared his annual idiosyncratic list of his favorite movies of the year, which also includes “The Woman King” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
Of all the Best Of lists that come out at the end of the year, few are anticipated with more eagerness than that of former President Barack Obama. The annual list is always an eclectic collection of cinema that reveals a wide-ranging taste that rivals that of professional film critics.
“I always look forward to sharing my lists of favorite books, movies, and music with all of you,” Obama tweeted, before beginning his rollout of his picks from the culture he consumed.
For his films, he tweeted December 23, “I saw some great movies this year — here are some of my favorites.” His list put Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” at the top, followed by Park Chan-wook’s murder-mystery “Decision to Leave” and Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “The Woman King.”
Obama’s list also included “Aftersun,” “Emily the Criminal,” “Petite Maman,” “Happening,” “Till,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “The Good Boss,” “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy,” “A Hero,” “Hit the Road,” “TÁR,” and “After Yang.” He also included “Descendant” with the caveat that, since it was produced by his production company Higher Ground, he’s biased in its favor.
Seven of his picks echo IndieWire’s own top 10 of the year, including “The Fabelmans,” “After Yang,” “Decision to Leave,” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” though IndieWire declared “Aftersun” the best of the year.
Many of Obama’s 2021 picks went on to earn Oscar nominations (and the gold). This year seems likely as well, though it’s worth noting that some picks, such as “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy,” “A Hero,” and “Petite Maman,” were eligible in the 2021 awards season.
I saw some great movies this year – here are some of my favorites. What did I miss? pic.twitter.com/vsgEmc8cn8
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 23, 2022
Obama’s 2021 list included eventual Best Picture winner “Drive My Car,” Questlove’s Oscar-winning documentary “Summer of Soul,” Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” “Pig,” Rebecca Hall’s “Passing,” “The Card Counter,” and Oscar-winning international film “The Worst Person in the World.”
Obama also made room for films including Oscar winner “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Old Henry” “The Last Duel,” “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” “C’mon C’mon,” and Oscar nominee “Quo Vadis, Aida?”
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