2023 Award Winners

It's that time of year again folks. For the fifth time in six years the seventy-film mark was reached, and for the first time ever the one-hundred mark was topped, setting a Sammers record of 102 (crushing the old record of 80). The quality of the films graded out to be the lowest ever, however, that's hindered by a lot of delayed movies and also the fact that I was far more willing to see movies I typically wouldn't see (and most of the time they weren't good). Overall, I'd say this was a pretty solid movie year.

The John Wick Award

Other nominees: Tetris, No Hard Feelings, The Blackening, Nimona, Shortcomings, Gran Turismo

**Runner-Up: M3gan**

In a strong year of pleasant suprises, M3gan was one of the best. Though it was a little restricted due to the PG 13 theatrical rating, it was a wildly fun ride. Audiences agreed, as it made a ton of money for a horror and is already confirmed to be getting a sequel. Outside of how entertaining it was, the thing that impressed me most was the tying in of technology being used almost to the point of co-parenting, and it was handled really well.

**Winner: Covenant**

I'm not a fan of war movies. I had no expectations going into this movie whatsoever. When I left the theater, I told my friends: "that was easily the best war movie I've ever seen. That was fucking awesome."

And it was. It had two of the coolest, most determined leads I've seen in a long time that had action, depth, emotion, and character in spades. Ahmed's journey with John was one of the coolest scenes of the year, and when he succeeded, it was as earned a moment as there was all year long. This movie was way too good to not win an award this year, hence why it's here.

The Age of Ultron Award

Other nominees: The Flash

**Runner-Up: Napoleon**

Napoleon is one of the most interesting historical figures around to me so I was really excited for this. Unfortunately, I forgot that I don't actual really enjoy much of what Ridley Scott puts out. This suffered from the same problems Elvis did last year, in that too much material was crammed into too short of a time, but at least Elvis was fun. This was a weird slog of a movie that had a few cool battle scenes and quips, and that's about it.

**Winner: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania**

The most active I've ever been on Reddit was in regards to this movie. What a fucking disappointment. This movie was everything wrong with the MCU. Huge budget that somehow doesn't look it? Check. Preachy BS? Check. Neutering of the lead character? Check. Garbage writing? Check. Not to mention, we end this movie cucking the main villain of the next phase...because? Way to turn Kang into a geek in the process of building him as the next big bad. Oh, and the post credit scene? Fucking laughable. I cannot understate how ridiculous this movie was in terms of destroying any hype going forwards in the MCU. The fact that Feige thought this was a homerun shows how out of touch he is, and how screwed the MCU is.

The WTF Did I Just Watch Award

Other nominees: All Fun and Games

**Runner-Up: Fast X**

This movie was one giant fucking ad for the next movie. Probably the absolute dumbest cliffhanger that's ever been done in movie history. I also did not at all like how John Cena's character turned from badass mercenary to goofster Uncle without any reason for it. Jason Momoa hamming it up was the only memorable part of this ridiculous movie.

**Winner: Beau is Afraid**

Hereditary is objectively an incredible film. I've heard Midsommar is well regarded. Beau is afraid? It's bizarre, man. It's two hours of intriguing build only for the last hour to shit the bed and make you regret seeing the film at all. This deserved to bomb as badly as it did. The dick monster scene really set this over the edge into WTF is going on at this point, and not in an entertaining way. Hopefully the Ari Aster vanity project era is over.

The I Feel Like I'm Taking Crazy Pills Award

Other nominees: Zoey 102

**Runner-Up: The Super Mario Bros. Movie**

At the time this was getting a lot of shit from critics and it really made no sense. This movie was a love letter to Mario, and entertaining as hell. Was it a great story? No, but the games don't even have stories. This was exactly what it needed to be, and that's why it was such a massive success.

**Winner: Shazam: Fury of the Gods**

This movie is way over-hated. It's campy, sure, but it also has more heart than anything the MCU put out this year (Guardians aside). Not that that is a high bar, but this movie got a lot of shit from people who never saw it, when it was actually a pretty solid overall film.

The Heath Ledger Joker Award

Other nominees: Ghostface (Scream 6), John Wick (John Wick: Chapter 4), Sonny Vaccaro (Air), Ahmed Abdullah (Covenant), John Kinley (Covenant), Starlord (Guardians 3), Rocket Raccoon (Guardians 3), Miles Morales (Spiderverse), Ballister Boldheart (Nimona), Ethan Hunt (MI7), Ken (Barbie), Nefarious (Nefarious), Ben (Shortcomings), Jann Mardenborough (Gran Turismo), Bob McCall (Equalizer 3), Ben (Anyone But You)

**Runner-Up: Miles Morales (Spiderverse)**

Miles really went through the ringer in this movie, and it made him so likeable and relatable. The talk he had with his mom, the whole canon event explanation then getting chased by all the Spider-Men, only to escape but land in the wrong place. It all sounds ridiculous but everything mattered and meant something. This was by far the stiffest year ever for great male leads between him, Ken, Bob McCall, Ethan Hunt, and Ahmed Abdullah. Getting a runner-up nod here is quite the achievement.

**Winner: John Wick (John Wick: Chapter 4)**

The dude has an award named after him for a reason. He's the first and only 3x winner of this award, and I hate to say it, but I hope it's the last. He ended on a high note. But John Wick will go down in history an all time great action character, and one of the easiest/coolest characters ever played on screen.

The Chloë Grace Moretz Hit-Girl Award

Other nominees: Nebula (Guardians 3), June (Missing), Mary Marvel (Shazam 2), Sawyer (The Boogeyman), Sadie (The Boogeyman), Ember (Elemental), Maddie (No Hard Feelings), Grace (MI7), Barbie (Barbie), Brynn Adams (No One Will Save You), Jamie Hughes (Totally Killer), Anzu Hanashiro (Tunnel to Summer), Beatrice (Anyone But You)

**Runner-Up: Nimona (Nimona)**

Another character played (voiced) by the namesake of this award that I had zero expectations going in for. In fact, I found her kind of annoying at first in Nimona. But that backstory, and overall development and character growth hit me hard. This was such a good movie, that Disney dropped the ball on hard, and Nimona was probably the best part of it.

**Winner: Gwen Stacy (Spiderverse)**

Perhaps the character I was most emotionally invested in all year. From her epic intro/backstory to her semi-betrayal of Miles to her trying to right her wrongs and everything in between...I was on the edge of my seat. Hailee Steinfeld is a superstar and knocked this out of the park. I cannot wait to see more of her in the next Spiderverse movie. Even though this was Miles movie, Gwen really felt like the heart of this one.

The Sammers Random Character Who Needs a Spinoff Award

Other nominees: Leon Alexander (Zoey 102), Collins (Equalizer 3)

**Runner-Up: Clifton (The Blackening)**

Entertainment personified. What an absolutely hilarious character. I watched this with one other friend and in essentially an all-black crowd (outside of us two), and the every time Clifton said something the reactions from the audience were nothing short of hysterical. Legitimately one of the best movie experiences of my lifetime, and Clifton was a big reason why.

**Winner: Caine (John Wick: Chapter 4)**

So why not Clifton? Because this guy was in a John Wick movie, that's why. Caine was endlessly cool, with such creative offense that even though he's mostly a bad guy in this you couldn't help but like him. I think we have a great shot at this one actually happening.

The Right in the Feels Emotional Moment Award

Other nominees: John Wick ending (John Wick: Chapter 4), Rocket comes back (Guardians 3), Miles speech with mom (Spiderverse), I'm a bad daughter (Elemental), Loney Castle ending (Lonely Castle), Blue Beetle father scene (Blue Beetle), Jan crashes (Gran Turismo), Greg Dire gets his pension (Equalizer 3), Kaoru reunites with his sister and goes back for Anzu (Tunnel to Summer), This Wish (Wish), Shikishima sees Noriko (Godzilla Minus One)

**Runner-Up: Nimona's past (Nimona)**

Not a lot of people saw this so I don't want to spoil it. But wow was it tragic. You can't help by feel for her and understand why she is the way she is after you see what she's gone through.

**Winner: Wife's speech to John Kinley (Covenant)**

This was an immensely powerful scene. John is essentially neglecting his familial duties out of this code of honor to save the man who saved him. It's eating him alive that he has to throw money around left and right to attempt to save Ahmed at the expense of his family. He's clearly pained to even bring up the subject to his wife again about another massive amount he has to pay up to make this work. You'd expect her to flip shit on him. He's actively been making their lives worse. They are in a bad financial state. He's prioritizing someone else over her and the kids. But she knows he's tortured by this, that without Ahmed her husband wouldn't be alive, and without missing a beat tells him they'll simply take out another mortgage on the house. Waterworks.

The Sammers Best Scene of the Year Award

Other nominees: Scream opening scene (Scream 6), Rainbow Road (Mario), Hallway fight (Guardians 3), The airport sequence (MI7), Atomic Bomb (Oppenheimer), I like the stock (Dumb Money), Godzilla's atomic breath (Godzilla Minus One)

**Runner-Up: Gwen's narration backstory (Spiderverse)**

One of my favorite openings to a movie ever. It's emotional, it's relatable, it's interesting and fully gets you behind Gwen (and her mindset) right away. Which is extremely important considering what she does throughout the movie. I loved the voiceover and how it tied to Miles (and others) and then the tension between her and her dad.

**Winner: Arc De Triomphe (John Wick: Chapter 4)**

This was the start of the probably the best hour of action in the history of cinema. If you know you know. If you don't, you should.

The Sammers Best Movie of the Year Award

Other nominees: Covenant

**Runner-Up: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse**

We've seen this one here a lot, and for good reason. This is my favorite Spider-Man and imo only has one flaw (Jessica Drew intro). I know some were disappointed it ended on a cliffhanger but this one was handled extremely well unlike others \*cough Fast X Cough\*. Miles and Gwen were written spectacularly, Miguel was compelling, and somehow villain of the week Spot turned into an absolutely menacing villain. The action was amazing, the heart was there, this really did have everything. Well, not everything...

**Winner: John Wick: Chapter 4**

I'm a John Wick simp, so what. This movie was fucking awesome. The last hour is the pinnacle of action cinema, and unlike anything that's ever come before it. It was already my favorite action franchise, but this may be the best in the series, which is a tall fucking task. As long as they don't screw it up with a fifth entry this will go down as an immaculate action franchise, one without a single entry dropping below great.

## Past Winners

2022 Award Winners

2021 Award Winners

2020 Award Winners

2019 Award Winners

2018 Award Winners

2017 Winners

2016 Winners

## 2023 Movie of the Month Winners

January **M3gan**

February **Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night**

March **John Wick: Chapter 4**

April **Covenant**

May **Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3**

June **Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse**

July **Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One**

August **Equalizer 3**

September **Dumb Money**

October **Totally Killer**

November **Godzilla Minus One**

December **Anyone But You**