You would think that after a pandemic that kept people at home and forced them to view movies on streaming services when they were released, everyone would be itching to get their hands on some popcorn and a real theater experience.

Thank you all for the hallway conversations, views, likes, shares, and most of all, thank you for reading. You have given us a place to share our passions and talk about the things we love, as the final words of this article are laid out, we are truly grateful to Saint Xavier and all our amazing readers (that’s you).

The wait is over! So many great films came out this past year, and it’s finally time to honor the best of the best. On the morning of Feb. 8, the nominations for the 94th Academy Awards went live, and as always, the list is chock full of incredible films and talent. Of course, each category can only have one winner, so let’s take a look at the nominees and sort out who some of those winners may be.

*SPOILER ALERT* It’s a sad reality that the Star Wars fanbase is so divided. There are many other criticisms people make about these films, such as the lightsaber combat not being as flashy as the sequels (which I could rant about like I did with the other points), but I enjoyed the films for what they were. They weren’t the best movies ever made, sure, but they weren’t abysmal. I encourage Star Wars fans to give them another try.

The announcement of “The Batman” was met with excitement, nervousness, and a bit of fear. Whenever a new vision of an iconic character is in the works, fans cross their fingers and hope for the best. In this case, I am very, very, thrilled to be able to say that this film absolutely knocked it out of the park.

Since their creation, movies have been enjoyed by hundreds of millions of people. Although I consider myself fairly well-versed in the category, you can always improve your knowledge in films. Everyone has seen the classics such as "The Dark Knight", "Shawshank Redemption", and "The Godfather", but if you're looking for a real hidden gem, look no further. I have asked a few students here at St. X about what movies they think don’t get enough light shed on them, or what some might call underrated.