Last year I had one massive running list and it became very cumbersome to add to, and to read I’m sure. By creating a new post monthly, and creating massive combo files offline, it should make the process easier for me and more user-friendly for you, the esteemed reader. Enjoy.

Eligible Titles

A Place at the Table
The Iran Job
The Brass Teapot
Despicable Me 2
The Lone Ranger
Grown Ups 2
Bad Kids Go To Hell
Pacific Rim
Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain
Red 2
The Conjuring
Venus and Serena
La Sirga
Teen Beach Movie
Paradise: Love
Post Tenebras Lux
Stoker
The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia
Hayride
The Depraved
Byzantium
Ginger & Rosa
Safe Haven
Let Them Wear Towels
The Deflowering of Eva Van End
The Wolverine
Come Out and Play
56 Up
No Limits
The Way, Way Back

Best Picture

The Conjuring
Stoker
Byzantium
The Deflowering of Eva Van End
The Way, Way Back

Best Foreign Film

La Sirga
Post Tenebras Lux
Paradise: Love
The Deflowering of Eva Van End
Come Out and Play

Best Documentary

Last year this was an omitted category, due mostly to the fact that too few total candidates existed to make the slate feel legitimate. I will hope to be able to rectify that this year.

A Place at the Table
The Iran Job
Venus and Serena
Let Them Wear Towels
56 Up
No Limits
Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain*

*It’s borderline, but will likely stay as a candidate.

Most Overlooked Film

As intimated in my Most Underrated announcement this year, I’ve decided to make a change here. Rather than get caught up in me vs. the world nonsense and what a film’s rating is on an aggregate site, the IMDb or anywhere else, I want to champion smaller, lesser-known films. In 2011 with the selection of Toast this move was really in the offing. The nominees from this past year echo that fact. So here, regardless of how well-received something is by those who’ve seen it, I’ll be championing indies and foreign films, and the occasional financial flop from a bigger entity.

A Place at the Table
The Depraved
Byzantium
The Deflowering of Eva Van End

Best Director

James Wan The Conjuring
Post Tenebras Lux
Stoker
Byzantium
The Deflowering of Eva Van End
56 Up
No Limits
The Way, Way Back

Best Actress

Juno Temple The Brass Teapot
Lili Taylor The Conjuring
Margarete Tiesel Paradise: Love
Natalia Acevedo Post Tenebras Lux
Mia Wasikowska Stoker
Abigail Spencer The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia
Nathalie Kelley The Depraved
Saoirse Ronan Byzantium
Jacqueline Blom The Deflowering of Eva Van End
Tao Okamoto The Wolverine
Toni Collette The Way, Way Back

Best Actor

Michael Angarano The Brass Teapot
Armie Hammer The Lone Ranger
Ron Livingston The Conjuring
Aldofo Jiminez Castro Post Tenebras Lux
Matthew Goode Stoker
Nick Eversman The Depraved
Ton Kas The Deflowering of Eva Van End
Hugh Jackman The Wolverine
Liam James The Way, Way Back

Best Supporting Actress

Ruth Wilson The Lone Ranger
Helen Mirren Red 2
Vera Farmiga The Conjuring
Nicole Kidman Stoker
Catherine de Léan The Depraved
Gemma Arteton Byzantium
Alice Englert Ginger & Rosa
Vivian Dierickx The Deflowering of Eva Van End
Rila Fukushima The Wolverine
Allison Janney The Way, Way Back
Annasophia Robb The Way, Way Back

Best Supporting Actor

Johnny Depp The Lone Ranger
Charlie Day Pacific Rim
John Malkovich Red 2
Patrick Wilson The Conjuring
Peter Kazungu Paradise: Love
Klaus Stiglmeier The Depraved
Max Reimelt The Depraved
Caleb Landry Jones Byzantium
Tomer Pawlicki The Deflowering of Eva Van End
Abe Dijkman The Deflowering of Eva Van End
Rafael Gareisen The Deflowering of Eva Van End
Hal Yamanouchi The Wolverine
Sam Rockwell The Way, Way Back
Steve Carrell The Way, Way Back

Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Leading Role

Emily Alyn Lind The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia
Elle Fanning Ginger & Rosa

Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Leading Role

Ross Lynch Teen Beach Movie
Liam James The Way, Way Back

Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Supporting Role

Mana Ashida Pacific Rim
China Anne McClain Grown Ups 2
Joey King The Conjuring
Mackenzie Foy The Conjuring
Mimi Kirkland Safe Haven

Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Supporting Role

Bryant Prince The Lone Ranger
Mason Cook The Lone Ranger
Joseph E. Foy The Lone Ranger
Jake Goldberg Grown Ups 2
Cameron Boyce Grown Ups 2
Noah Lomax Safe Haven
River Alexander The Way, Way Back

Best Cast

The Brass Teapot
The Lone Ranger
Red 2
The Conjuring
Paradise: Love
Post Tenebras Lux
Stoker
The Depraved
Byzantium
The Deflowering of Eva Van End
The Way, Way Back

Best Youth Ensemble

The Lone Ranger
The Conjuring
Post Tenebras Lux
Safe Haven
Come Out and Play
The Way, Way Back

Best Original Screenplay

Pacific Rim
The Conjuring
Post Tenebras Lux
Stoker
The Depraved
The Deflowering of Eva Van End
The Way, Way Back

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Lone Ranger
Red 2
Paradise: Love
Byzantium
Come Out and Play

Best Score

A Place at the Table
Despicable Me 2
The Lone Ranger
Pacific Rim
Red 2
The Conjuring
Stoker
Byzantium
Come Out and Play
No Limits

Best Editing

The Lone Ranger
The Conjuring
Post Tenebras Lux
Stoker
The Depraved
Byzantium
The Deflowering of Eva Van End
Come Out and Play
No Limits
The Way, Way Back

Best Sound Editing/Mixing

The Lone Ranger
Pacific Rim
The Conjuring
Stoker
The Wolverine
Come Out and Play

Best Cinematography

The Lone Ranger
The Conjuring
The Sirga
Post Tenebras Lux
Stoker
The Depraved
Byzantium

Best Art Direction

The Lone Ranger
Pacific Rim
Red 2
The Conjuring
La Sirga
Post Tenebras Lux
Stoker
The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia
The Depraved
Byzantium
Ginger & Rosa
The Deflowering of Eva Van End
The Wolverine
Come Out and Play
The Way, Way Back

Best Costume Design

The Lone Ranger
The Conjuring
Stoker
Byzantium
The Deflowering of Eva Van End
The Way, Way Back

Best Makeup

The Lone Ranger
The Conjuring
The Depraved
Byzantium
Come Out and Play

Best Visual Effects

The Lone Ranger
Pacific Rim
The Conjuring
Post Tenebras Lux
Byzantium
The Deflowering of Eva Van End
The Wolverine

Best (Original) Song

Despicable Me 2
Venus and Serena
La Sirga
Teen Beach Movie
Stoker
Safe Haven
The Deflowering of Eva Van End
56 Up
The Way, Way Back