The instant classics we got to see before, during, and after the strikes.

We have had two strikes this year, regarding WGA and SAG, both of which we supported 100%. Select movies have been pushed back, while others were lucky enough to see the light of day on schedule. And I’ve been doing what I can to support the actors and writers, as I’m sure most of you have.

We’ve had a blockbuster weekend last July, with Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” and Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” premiering on the same weekend, in which is known as “Barbenheimer.” This was quite successful, and even without the De Niro, they both still entertained us with how they tested both genres.

And Disney also had its ups and downs this year with “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and “Elemental” making more money than “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” or “Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania.” Even the flawed, but delightful animated musical “Wish” didn’t make “Frozen” money.

This list was really tough for me. Decisions had to be made, and some movies couldn’t make my annual list, but I think I’ve made some good choices. I’ve even done my best to be fair to genders and race, while giving some credit to the ones that deserve more credit. I stick up for the little guys.

10.) “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret”

Coming of age stories have their challenges about growing up. But out of all the movies to channel on that subject this year, my favorite would happen to be this film version of Judy Blume’s book with Abby Ryder Fortson delighting us from an “Ant-Man” child actress to a teenage actress. And equally wonderful work comes from Rachael McAdams as her mother and Kathy Bates as her grandma. Screenwriter/director Kelly Fremon Craig shows off some humor and sweetness, while allowing us to identify with Margaret and how she plans to mature.

9.) “Past Lives”

Celine Song’s gem is an authentic look at how two childhood friends in Seoul, South Korea go their separate ways and reunite as young adults. To clarify, the girl immigrates with her family to America, and they both reunite in their adulthood. Could these two have been lovers if they stuck together over the course of 24 years? I can’t say for sure. But I can say its narrative and performances (Greta Lee and Teo Yoo) will have you aglow.

8.) “Barbie”

Greta Gerwig has proven herself to be one of the best female filmmakers of any century. Her latest movie is a colorful and plastic comedy with some of the biggest laughs and the most important messages about womanhood. Margot Robbie plays the main Barbie, Ryan Gosling is Ken, and the A-list cast includes Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell. This became the highest grossing movie of the year, but that’s not why I loved it (I’m not stooping to the Golden Globes’ new category: Cinematic and Box Office Achievement). It’s a plastic movie with a real heart, and something that both men and women can appreciate. Who says “Men hate chick flicks?”

7.) “Joy Ride”

By putting this comedy on my best of the year list, I’m not saying it’s better than “Maestro” or “Anatomy of a Fall,” but I’m saying this was the best of the raunchy comedy genre, one that enters “Bridesmaids” territory. It got the short end of the stick at the box office, and that’s a shame, because there were big laughs and real sincerity in a story about a road trip gone horribly wrong, but somehow touching in terms of one of the characters trying to figure out her roots. Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu are these four girls in a film that loves Asian themes (with Adele Lim co-writing and directing) and stupid humor (with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg producing). Like I said: I stick up for the little guys. Or gals in this case.

6.) “The Holdovers”

Alexander Payne’s “Sideways” reunion with Paul Giamatti is a lot more than meets the eye. It’s a dramedy that knows when to be funny and when to be sentimental, and it takes its time in allowing us to see such seemingly unlikeable characters with unexpected problems that change them. Giamatti is consistent as a disliked college teacher, and equally excellent work comes from newcomer Dominic Sessa as a troubled student whom he’s supposed to look after during Christmas break, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph is the unhappy cook, whose son dies in battle. And the ending, in a way, goes out with a bang, not a whimper.

5.) “The Boy and the Heron”

If this is Hayao Miyazaki’s final animated film, then it’s a masterpiece that ranks with the likes of “Princess Mononoke” and “Spirited Away, among many others. It tells the story of a boy who enters a fantasy world of life and death. How often do we get to get giant man-eating parakeets or bubble spirits who float away to become human babies? Not very often. I’ve seen both versions of the film-in Japanese and in English (with voices from Robert Pattinson, Christian Bale, and Mark Hamill, etc.)-and either way, it’s a feast for the imagination.

4.) “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”

Now, this is an animated sequel. One that takes us inside the Spider-Verse, questions the respective destinies of Miles Morales (voiced by Shamiek Moore) and Gwen Stacy (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) on whether or not they should reveal their identities to their parents, dazzles us with the animation techniques that are feasts for the eyes, and knocks us out with a cliffhanger that will lead to “Beyond the Spider-Verse.” Movies like “Shrek 2,” “Incredibles 2,” and “Frozen 2” have tried to be better than their predecessors, but this is the “Empire Strikes Back” of all animated sequels.

3.) “Air”

This isn’t a basketball movie; it’s a movie about Nike promoting shoes for a basketball star, who happens to be Michael Jordan. Ben Affleck directs and co-stars along with Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, and Viola Davis. And there are good reasons why we can’t see the movie MJ’s face, and they’re quite valid given today’s standards and how Affleck would like people to remember the basketball player as. The brutally funny humor and courageous spirit makes this massively entertaining.

2.) “Killers of the Flower Moon”

Martin Scorsese never ceases to amaze us, because his take on David Grann’s novel about the Osage Indian murders is epic. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a war vet, while Robert De Niro plays his greedy and sadistic uncle William Hill, both of whom are involved in a scheme to take out most of the rich Osage people for their oil money. But the revelation belongs to Lily Gladstone as Native American women, whom DiCaprio marries, while contemplating murdering her for his uncle’s dirty work. Less than 4 hours long, this movie delivers on the crime and drama, while testing our minds on how evil people can be, and money is the root of that.

1.) “Oppenheimer”

Christopher Nolan’s WWII opus is a history film and a blockbuster, one that really tests our senses and represents the fear of the detonation of the atom bomb. Cillian Murphy is brilliantly complex as J. Robert Oppenheimer, who helped develop it, while Emily Blunt plays his wife, Robert Downey, Jr. is his rival, and many others like Matt Damon, Kenneth Branagh and Florence Pugh round out this A-list cast. I saw this movie in IMAX, and even when I’m seeing it in a different place in another format, I can still feel the vibrations. This is pure cinema.

And now, I must single out the best short film of the year: “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.”

Wes Anderson released two movies this year: “Asteroid City,” which I didn’t think ranked with his classics, and the short film “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” which does. Adapted from Roald Dahl’s book, the cast includes Ralph Fiennes as the author, Benedict Cumberbatch as the rich man Henry Sugar, and Ben Kingsley as a guru who can see with his eyes closed. That’s when Sugar decides to train himself to cheat at gambling, and when he finds out he’s dying, he decides to do some good with his winnings. The reason for my praises isn’t because of the 40 minute length, but because of Anderson presents the story and characters in his own unique light.

Honorable Mentions

“Flora and Son,” “Blackberry,” “The Color Purple,” “Dream Scenario,” “Poor Things,” “John Wick: Chapter 4,” “Maestro,” “The Killer,” “Wonka,” “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3,” “The Blackening,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Zone of Interest,” “Dumb Money,” “Polite Society,” “Haunting in Venice,” “Talk to Me,” “How to Blow Up a Pipeline,” “Monica,” “A Thousand and One,” “Beau is Afraid,” “You Hurt My Feelings”

Good Movies You Missed in Theaters

“Renfield,” “Joy Ride,” “The Blackening,” “You Hurt My Feelings,” Polite Society,” “Monica,” “BlackBerry,” “Somewhere in Queens,” “A Thousand and One,” It Ain’t Over,” “Shortcomings,” “Chevalier,” “Haunted Mansion,” “Silent Night,” “Beau is Afraid”

The Best International Films

1. “Two Tickets to Greece”
2. “The Eternal Memory”
3. “Sisu”
4. “El Conde”
5. “Monster”
6. “The Eight Mountains”
7. “Fallen Leaves”
8. “The Teacher’s Lounge”
9. “Anatomy of a Fall”
10. “The Zone of Interest”

The Best Animated Films

1. “Leo”
2. “The Super Mario Bros Movie”
3. “The Inventor”
4. “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget”
5. “Wish”
6. “Elemental”
7. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”
8. “Nimona”
9. “The Boy and the Heron”
10. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”

The Best Documentaries

1. “Wham!”
2. “Every Body”
3. “Desperate Souls, Dark City, and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy”
4. “Lynch/Oz”
5. “Scout’s Honor”
6. “A Disturbance in the Force”
7. “The Eternal Memory”
8. “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”
9. “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life”
10. “It Ain’t Over”

The Best Celebrities I’ve Spoken To

10. Kevin Smith and Jason Lee
11. Grace Caroline Curry
12. Josh Segara
13. Alan Tudyk
14. Kyra Sedgwick
15. Patricia Clarkson
16. Grey Delisle-Griffin
17. Kirstin Chenoweth
18. Kari Wahlgren
19. Jasmine Guy

The Best Performances of the Year

1. Lily Gladstone in “Killers of the Flower Moon”
2. Greta Lee in “Past Lives”
3. Nicolas Cage in “Dream Scenario”
4. Mark Ruffalo in “Poor Things”
5. Margot Robbie in “Barbie”
6. Emma Stone in “Poor Things”
7. Coleman Domingo in “Rustin”
8. Carey Mulligan in “Maestro”
9. Da’Vine Joy Randolph in “The Holdovers”
10. Cillian Murphy in “Oppenheimer