Creative Review: Trollbäck+Company’s Favorite Films of the Season

CCO Alex Moulton
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film

I don’t have the words to express how taken I am with the creative animation techniques that went into making Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Every designer and animator that I’ve spoken to – regardless of their personal aesthetic – feels the same. It was a hugely entertaining movie, but from a design perspective, the film represents a stunning culmination of all of the technical disciplines and styles that were directly born from the motion design industry. It’s simply an incredible achievement.

ECD Elliott Chaffer
Bohemian Rhapsody

Nominated for Best Picture, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing, Best Actor

For one thing, Rami Malek’s performance was amazing. What also hit me was that I was a kid when everything in the movie happened. I don’t think I really understood all of the different dynamics going on within the group itself and between all these different bands at the time. I didn’t even really like Queen so it was weird to feel so connected to it. Just the scale of it and the culmination of their story is so powerful. When I watched it coming back from a recent trip to Barcelona, I was sitting in my plane seat just crying as it ended. It was a really brilliant, well-put-together film.

ACD Erin Kilkenny
Sorry to Bother You

Unnominated

Like an episode of Black Mirror on amphetamines, Sorry to Bother You is a surrealist satire of the racist late-capitalist dystopian hellscape we all live in. It’s fantastical and funny and engaging the whole time, but never subtle. When it jumps the shark in the third act (no spoilers!) you find yourself contemplating whether a giant corporation would do THAT, and nodding that yeah, they probably would. It’s a movie that people either love or hate. I’m not entirely sure it’s my favorite movie of the year, but I think about it constantly.

AD Benjamin Nichols
First Man

Nominated for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing

First Man was an amazing visual experience. Watching it felt like a raw throwback and completely of its era, capturing the intensity of propelling someone into space. Only afterward, I learned they had mixed archival footage with VFX and shot many of the scenes in-camera to make the experience even richer. Themes of family, stoicism, and relentless pursuit weave throughout, adding to the film’s beauty.

AD Sarah A. Cohen
The Favourite

Nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director

I loved this film because it was surreal and bizarre and beautifully shot, but mostly because I really want to meet the designer who got the end credit type design approved. I literally watched all the way through the end credits with my mouth wide open.

AD Nadia Husain
Burning

Unnominated

Rarely do I discover a movie that hits all the marks. Burning was just outrageous enough to be thrilling, yet totally believable. The characters were intriguing and quirky without being over the top. The shots were candid and beautiful. The score was haunting and minimal. The story was enthralling and completely unpredictable – I don’t think I blinked the entire film. Definitely a must-see.