The 2025 MOOvie Awards: To “The Gorge” or Not to “The Gorge”

Wow! 2025 movies weren’t all abominations! What a delight. In any year, there were some ups and downs, and downs and extreme downs. It’s rumored Toyota is creating a Corolla truck, so I’m sure we’ll see it in the next Fast and Furious. Beyond that, 2025 through the lens of cinema was not too bad. A bit of a boring intro here, but I would like to quickly mention some films that just barely missed the list: K Pop Demon Hunters, Wake Up Dead Man, Fantastic Four: First Steps, Black Phone 2, and Materialists.

With all that, please enjoy what I think were the best movies and moments of last year. Here’s looking forward to filmmaking in 2026!

– The Categories –

Outstanding Cinematography

This award goes to the film whose cinematography elevates the storytelling to new and exciting heights. (ie: A shot of a cow standing in a field.)

The Nominees:

Frankenstein – Director of Photography: Dan Laustsen

F1 – Director of Photography: Claudio Miranda

Predator: Badlands – Director of Photography: Jeff Cutter

And the MOOvie Award goes to…

Back on the ground from the aerial battles of Top Gun: Maverick, Miranda captures going speedy-quick, intensely. Every time we see the drivers in their F1 cars, it enhances our immersion. We feel the tension, the sweat dripping down Brad Pitt’s face, and wish we could be that sweat. The way they filmed these riveting, high-speed races reminds us that movies are awesome. The easy path of fully computer-generated racing scenes or filming in front of a green screen rather than on a real track was avoided, and that should be commended.

I wanted to briefly share a quote from an interview with Formula1.com, where Director Joseph Kosinski went into detail, saying, “I mean, we had to develop a brand new camera system, taking everything we learned on Top Gun: Maverick and pushing it much further. You can’t put 60 pounds of gear onto a race car and expect it’s going to perform the same way. So we took those Top Gun cameras, and we worked closely with Sony, sizing them down to something about a quarter of the size.”

Movie-Magic Moment

This award goes to the moment in a movie that would upset you in the theater when your mom starts crying a little too loudly, or that one guy in the back starts cheering. Sir, I paid $15.99 for my ticket. Please sit down. (ie: A scene of a cow standing in a field.)

The Nominees:

A Minecraft Movie – “I am Steeevvveeee.”

F1 – “He’s Flying.”

Thunderbolts* – Bucky Arrives to Save the Team

And the MOOvie Award goes to…

What we’re told, and at times shown, about Brad Pitt’s character, Sonny Hayes, is that he’s arrogant, reckless, and can be a bit of a douchebag. He’s been born to race; this is who he is. A heartfelt conversation with the team’s Technical Director, Kate, helps bring out his humanity. He talks about why he races, what it feels like, and says, “It’s rare, but sometimes, there’s this moment in the car where everything goes quiet, my heartbeat slows, it’s peaceful, and I can see everything…” He goes on, “…In that moment I’m flying.”

Hayes is not just another adrenaline junkie using a sport as an excuse to be a tool. This is who he is, and in the final race, he gets to prove that. Not only to everyone who doubts him, but also to himself. After a tough battle for first, he gets ahead, and Hans Zimmer’s score kicks in, and the goosebumps start. His team asks what he’s doing. Kate simply replies, “He’s flying.”

Favorite Moment From The 2025 Apple Original, Slam Hit, The Gorge

This award goes to The Gorge. (ie: The Gorge)

The Nominees:

The Gorge – “The Gorge is exposed!!!!”

The Gorge – The Design of the Hollow Men – They Looked so Evvviilll!

The Gorge – Miles Teller playing drums. A reference to the Academy Award-winning 2014 drama Whiplash. How clever. Well done, those who worked on the 2025 Apple Original, The Gorge.

And the MOOvie Award goes to…

In the 2025 Apple Original, Slam Hit, The Gorge, there is a moment when it seems our heroes have doomed the world! Destroying the devices that keep THE GORGE off satellite maps, so that it can remain hidden. Said GORGE is where evvviilll experiments turned plant life and people into evvvilll creatures. What will happen to the world if it knows the truth about THE GORGE!? These emotions are wonderfully conveyed by our twisted villain, played by well-known and respected actress Sigourney Weaver, who says – no, declares, “The Gorge is exposed!!!!” She delivers this line with such raw emotion that it is hard not to shed a tear, which is expected from a movie like the 2025 Apple Original, Slam Hit, The Gorge! How impressive! As William Shakespeare famously wrote, “To The Gorge or not to The Gorge?” (My source is my dream from last night.)

Best Song in Wicked: For Good

This award goes to the song that most elegantly fits within the narrative, has the best tune, and keeps you humming it after leaving the theater. (ie: A song sung by a cow standing in a field.)

The Nominees:

As Long As You’re Mine – Jonathan Bailey, Cynthia Erivo

No Place Like Home – Cynthia Erivo

Wonderful – Jeff Goldblum, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo

For Good – Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo

And the MOOvie Award goes to…

Wicked: For Good received no nominations in the 2026 Academy Awards. Yet more proof that the Oscars have fallen from their original purpose of celebrating all film, yes, even blockbusters, and are nothing more than an excuse for the same 8 people to pay the same committee members to tell them that they made really good movies. You know my awards are truthful and objective because I am not getting paid by anyone. So, anyway, I shall now talk about my favorite song in Wicked: For Good, which is the most subjective category on this list, as I know very little about the technicalities of making music.

Then again, the winning song has something to say about truth when, as the Wizard of Oz, Goldbum sings, “The truth is not a thing of fact or reason. The truth is just what everyone agrees on.” Wonderful works so well because it is arguably the best song at giving us insight into the 3 most important characters. We start to better understand the intentions of the Wizard, in particular. He sings about how the people of Oz called him “Wonderful,” he sings, “Hey, look who’s wonderful. This corn-fed hick.” This tells us a little bit about how the Wizard sees himself, a small man hiding behind a mask. Or in his case, a massive one. It gives us hints about how he convinced the people of Oz that he is so, well, so gosh-darn wonderful.

One of the most heartbreaking moments comes when Glinda and Elphaba reenact a scene from the last film’s iconic Defying Gravity. In this moment, Elphaba wants to believe in the lie so badly. She wants to go back to how things were before she “woke up” and saw how the Wizard and Oz truly are. In that moment, she, if only for a split second, does believe the lie. Like resting your head on a cool pillow after a long day, it brings her a moment of relief. Wonderful gives you that 2am McChicken feeling and just hits the spot. I sing this all the time.

Biggest Surprise Film

This award goes to the film that didn’t look very good, actually, no, from the trailers, it looked terrible. But as they say, I guess it was good and not awful. A classic phrase. (ie: Going to a movie with a scene where a cow is standing in a field.)

The Nominees:

Tron: Ares – Director: Joachim Rønning

Avatar: Fire and Ash – Director: James Cameron

Thunderbolts* – Director: Jake Schreier

A Minecraft Movie – Director: Jared Hess

And the MOOvie Award goes to…

I went into Thunderbolts* with the lowest of desire. The marketing actually looked alright, and I can’t lie, I wanted to see Long-Hair-Bucky again on the big screen. “He is so handsome,” says my girlfriend, who definitely said that. This was easily the biggest surprise of the year, as it was a real movie. Like, there was a beginning, a middle, and an end. It had morals and themes that challenged the audience. It took its time developing these characters, using them to address real-world issues like loneliness, mental health, and having your dad be from Russia. I felt so comfortable and familiar with this team by the end of the movie that I could practically smell them.

As everyone has said, after Avengers: Endgame, the MCU is a broken mirror of what it once was and what it stood for. Here and there, in a post-Tony Stark world, like walking through the ruins of an ancient city, you could find moments in these movies that were on par with phases 1-3. But overall, the MCU just doesn’t have consistent quality control. Thunderbolts* is an exception. It felt like a classic MCU entry, and the 3rd act is when I knew it was special. Going through Yelena’s deepest memories and seeing her overcome them was very emotional. This is one of my 10 favorite MCU films. Even if it was just for this movie, it was nice to see you again, MCU, old friend.

Best Film My Friend Is Urging Me To Seek Out That I Didn’t See

This award goes to the film that, I mean, must be good. I’m not sure, I didn’t see it. The following was written by a random guy I met on the street, Levi Cragun… No, he is my friend. (ie: Telling me to watch a movie with a cow standing in a field.)

The Nominees:

The Running Man – Director: Edgar Wright

Companion – Director: Drew Hancock

Roofman – Director: Derek Cianfrance

And the MOOvie Award goes to…

With Solomon’s extensive cinema catalog, the hard part was finding a movie that I had seen that he hadn’t. Out of my list, I found The Running Man to be the best. I had never seen the original from the 80s before. I often stay up late into the night, and this day was no exception. It was about 4 in the morning when I came across this on Paramount Plus. The first 20 minutes seemed like any other generic dystopian movie of the past decade. As the movie progressed, I found myself actually getting engaged by the world that was being woven in front of me.

Near the end, I didn’t want the movie to end, but in the last 20 minutes, it buttoned up all the loose ends I so badly wanted closure on, which is rare for a modern movie. After it ended, I immediately started the original. I would consider myself an 1980’s era enthusiast. In most regards. But I found the original cheesy and not very engaging. It was enjoyable to reverse engineer references to the original in the new one. All in all, I found The Running Man to be a surprisingly solid movie worth watching.

Best Film No One Talked About

This award goes to the film that wasn’t mentioned much in conversation but deserves a chance to shine. (ie: A movie about a cow eating grass, rather than just standing in a field.)

The Nominees:

Shelby Oaks – Director: Chris Stuckmann

The Surfer – Director: Lorcan Finnegan

The Smashing Machine – Director: Benny Safdie

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie – Director: Peter Browngardt

And the MOOvie Award goes to…

Within the rotting structures that once held the roller coasters at the fictitious Shelby Oaks amusement park, we find an awesome filmmaking debut from Stuckmann. The cinematography felt controlled and intentional. There are movies made for money that have the best people in the business but lack heart. Oaks has not only a heartbeat, but it might as well be 3 times too big. It uses its small budget in smart ways that help this film succeed. The script’s structure was so creative; it does a great job of keeping you on edge and invested. It has some issues, but overall, this was a spectacular debut. I cannot wait to see what Stuckmann does next.

Best Motion Picture of 2025

This award goes to the film that reminds us cinema still has a pulse. (ie: That one movie where a cow stands in a field.)

The Nominees:

F1 – Director: Joseph Kosinski

Predator: Badlands – Director: Dan Trachtenberg

Wicked: For Good – Director: Jon M. Chu

And the MOOvie Award goes to…

What has kept modern film from becoming timeless is its constant need to make a statement on timely issues. Some examples include why the filmmakers think Trump sucks, or why we need to give more money to Israel, Palestine, or Ukraine. Some of our favorite movies from the past have messages, but they don’t push an agenda on their audience. F1 doesn’t care if there’s a war going on or who is president; it just cares about entertaining an audience. People come to the cinema to be inspired, to be moved, and to feel like their money was well spent. F1 is the direction the blockbuster needs to move. Let’s move on from the “cinematic universe” and drive towards prioritizing great writing and compelling characters.

You could have made this film 30 years ago, replacing Brad Pitt with Robert Redford, Javier Bardem with Sean Connery, and it would still work. Its story is timeless. F1 shifts so smoothly into the right gears because you are invested in Sonny Hayes’ story and the team’s side characters. You are rooting for him and the APEX team to win. The characters fail, struggle with obstacles to face. Though the underdog story has been seen on screen before, it might never have been done this well.

F1 is an incredible blend of great storytelling, amazing character development, beautiful cinematography, and heart-pounding music, creating the perfect form of escapism. Could not recommend this film more. It reminds us that there is value in putting forth genuine effort and that with some good teamwork, we can all find redemption. On top of all that, this is the only film on the list where cows stand in a field (technically, a road next to a field, but we’ll take what we can get, boys).