The Houston Film Critics Society is another one of the critics' groups you can typically expect to announce their awards choices around the start of the new year, and 2022 is no exception. At least, they've announced their nominations - the award winners themselves won't be declared until the 19th of February, which might seem a while away, but is still over a month ahead of the Oscars. No prizes for guessing which movie leads these nominations - ofc it's The Power of the Dog, garnering nine here - but there are some mild surprises peppered throughout the HFCS' choices for 2021, such as a Best Picture nod for Pedro Almodovar's Parallel Mothers. Neat!
Best Picture
BELFAST
CODA
DON'T LOOK UP
DUNE
KING RICHARD
LICORICE PIZZA
PARALLEL MOTHERS
THE POWER OF THE DOG
TICK, TICK...BOOM!
THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson (LICORICE PIZZA)
Kenneth Branagh (BELFAST)
Jane Campion (THE POWER OF THE DOG)
Guillermo del Toro (NIGHTMARE ALLEY)
Denis Villeneuve (DUNE)
Best Actress
Jessica Chastain (THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE)
Olivia Colman (THE LOST DAUGHTER)
Penelope Cruz (PARALLEL MOTHERS)
Alana Haim (LICORICE PIZZA)
Emilia Jones (CODA)
Kristen Stewart (SPENCER)
Best Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch (THE POWER OF THE DOG)
Peter Dinklage (CYRANO)
Andrew Garfield (TICK, TICK...BOOM!)
Will Smith (KING RICHARD)
Denzel Washington (THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH)
Best Supporting Actress
Jessie Buckley (THE LOST DAUGHTER)
Ariana DeBose (WEST SIDE STORY)
Ann Dowd (MASS)
Kirsten Dunst (THE POWER OF THE DOG)
Aunjanue Ellis (KING RICHARD)
Best Supporting Actor
Andrew Garfield (THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE)
Ciaran Hinds (BELFAST)
Troy Kotsur (CODA)
J. K. Simmons (BEING THE RICARDOS)
Kodi Smit-McPhee (THE POWER OF THE DOG)
Best Screenplay
BELFAST
CODA
DON'T LOOK UP
LICORICE PIZZA
THE POWER OF THE DOG
Best Cinematography
DUNE
NIGHTMARE ALLEY
THE POWER OF THE DOG
THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
WEST SIDE STORY
Best Visual Effects
DUNE
THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS
SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS
Best Original Score
DUNE
THE FRENCH DISPATCH
THE HARDER THEY FALL
THE POWER OF THE DOG
SPENCER
Best Original Song
"Dos Oruguitas" (ENCANTO)
"Guns Go Bang" (THE HARDER THEY FALL) "Just Look Up" (DON'T LOOK UP)
"No Time to Die" (NO TIME TO DIE)
"Wherever I Fall - Pt. 1" (CYRANO)
Best Ensemble Cast
BELFAST
CODA
MASS
NIGHTMARE ALLEY
THE POWER OF THE DOG
Best Stunt Coordination
BLACK WIDOW
THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS
NO TIME TO DIE
SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS
SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME
Best Animated Feature
ENCANTO
FLEE
LUCA
THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES
RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON
Best Documentary Feature
FLEE
THE RESCUE
THE SPARKS BROTHERS
SUMMER OF SOUL (...OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)
VAL
Best Foreign Language Feature
DRIVE MY CAR
FLEE
PARALLEL MOTHERS
RIDERS OF JUSTICE
THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD