'Nope,' 'Puss In Boots: The Last Wish,' more genre films headline Hollywood Critics nominations

It's been a big year for genre films, and as we head into the meat of awards season, various critics groups and award bodies are reflecting the diverse array of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror stories in their nominations. Today, the Hollywood Critics Association became the latest group to release their honorees for the best film work of 2022, and the list of nominations was heavy on genre, from Nope and The Black Phone, to The Bad Guys and Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. 

Everything Everywhere All At Once, A24's dimension-hopping sci-fi-action-comedy that's been frequently hailed as one of the best films of the year, led all nominated films this year with a total of 16 nods for everything from Best Picture to best stunts. But it was far from alone in terms of genre films landing multiple nominations. Tom Cruise's long-awaited Top Gun: Maverick came away with 10 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Action Film, and Best Actor for Cruise. Marvel's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and 20th Century's Avatar: The Way of Water landed seven nods each, while Jordan Peele's sci-fi-horror epic Nope (now streaming on Peacock!) notched four nominations, including yet another Best Supporting Actress nod for Keke Palmer and a Best Horror Film nomination. 

If you're looking for more specific genre nods among the HCA honorees, the other Best Horror Film nominees include The Black Phone, X, Bones and All, and Barbarian, while the Best Action Film nominees joining Maverick include Wakanda Forever, RRR, The Batman, and The Woman King. If animation's what you're after, the full list of nominees for Best Animated Film features Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, The Bad Guys, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, and Turning Red. 

The HCA Awards nominees come just one day after the Critics Choice Awards announced their annual film award nods, which included lots of love for Everything Everywhere, as well as nods for Pinocchio, Turning Red, Puss In Boots, and more. In the coming weeks, more critics groups will finalize their awards lists, and then of course, the Academy Awards will release their list of nominations for the best in 2022 cinematic achievements. It'll be interesting to see which genre films are able to push through all the way to the biggest stage, and which ones will fall by the wayside throughout the seasons.

The HCA Awards will be given out Feb. 24 in Los Angeles.

Suddenly in the mood for some critically acclaimed sci-fi adventuring? Nope is streaming right now on Peacock!