Hello everyone, and welcome to the first (and last) annual Mendelson Media Medals! For tonight’s show, your host will take you on a tour through his most beloved (and hated) movies, TV shows, theatre productions, and video games of the year—or previous years if it was released before 2025 (the 2025 aspect is wildly inconsistent). The academy of one has worked very hard to consume this much content. It was an effort.
In all seriousness, I love film, I love art in general, and I love experiencing new stories through different mediums. This year, I feel like I accomplished my goal of expanding my horizons to different genres and artists. I hope the following suggestions will convince you to do the same next year! Enjoy the 2025 MMMs.
Here are the nominees for best TV show…
- Arcane: A visually stunning animated series with some painful gut punches and shockingly well-choreographed fight sequences.
- Severance: A show that lived in my head rent free for several weeks. I was addicted to the mysteries, the exploration, and Mr. Milchick’s dance moves.
- English Teacher: Hilariously satirizes the high school experience, balancing fast, believable conversations with some of the funniest sequences I’ve ever seen on TV.
- Pluribus: Directed by Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, this series keeps you on your toes in a completely original and unsettling way. Rhea Seehorn gives the performance of the year.
- Abbott Elementary: Although it has lost a bit of its original charm, this heartwarming sitcom still remains a blast to sit through with enough solid plotlines and likable characters.
And the MMM goes to… Severance!
Here are the nominees for the worst movie I watched …
- This Is The End: An incoherent mess from 2013 that feels like a big Hollywood in-joke—despite the fact that the only jokes are something an edgy 13 year-old would write.
- Freakier Friday: Reuses a fun premise in a completely uninteresting way, and would easily sweep this award if not for Jamie Lee Curtis’ fun energy.
- Captain America: Brave New World: The most fidgety I’ve ever been watching a movie. The poor pacing, visuals, and soulless characters finally snapped me out of my Marvel defending phase. A really uninspired and empty movie.
- Anora: This year’s best picture winner at the Oscar’s. I don’t get it at all, and it’s only gotten worse with time. The tone is uncomfortable, trying to find comedy in inherently disturbing moments, and heart in a nonsensical conclusion.
- Elio: One of Pixar’s weakest films to date. Despite a nice story at the core, the protagonist is made out to be selfish and disrespectful, and these flaws aren’t addressed or resolved as the story progresses. Feels like a hollow shell of the studio’s former work.
And the MMM goes to… Captain America: Brave New World!
Here are the nominees for best theatre production…
- Suffs: This is basically if you took Hamilton but made it about women’s suffrage. I especially loved the dynamics between the older and younger generations of activists, and the soundtrack goes way harder than you’d anticipate.
- Cabaret: Biggest switchup between two acts you’ll ever see. It’s magical until it’s devastating. It’s loud until it’s quiet. It’s freaking Cabaret. What is there to say that hasn’t been said by theatre lovers everywhere?
- Stereophonic: This play got sued by the people who made a Fleetwood Mac documentary, so that should tell you all you need to know about its story. The 70s vibes and set design are standouts, along with the gorgeous soaring tracks.
- The Outsiders: Holy moly. An emotional rollercoaster that knows how incredible it is. From the catchy songs to the incredible choreography that treats the stage like a jungle gym, The Outsiders doesn’t let up from beginning to end. Go see it when it comes to SF if you’re able to!
- Shucked: Much less grand than the rest in this category, this musical literally just follows the story of a town that loses its corn supply. It’s charming, brief, and gleeful. A breath of fresh air from the dismal approach modern playwrights typically take.
And the MMM goes to… The Outsiders!
Here are the nominees for best movie I watched…
- Companion: A sort of under-the-radar sci-fi movie from the beginning of the year. It may not have the strongest narrative on this list, but the performances really stuck with me, especially Sophie Thatcher, who kills it (pun intended) as a distressed [spoilers].
- Donnie Darko: Indescribably powerful. It’s weird, and nobody understands what they’ve witnessed by the end of it, but something about it speaks to a part of the mind in a shockingly beautiful way. One of my new favorites.
- Sinners: Ryan Coogler cements himself as an all-time great filmmaker, combining so many genres into a passionate work of art that explores heavy themes of cultural identity and the strength of music. Plus vampire battles. My favorite movie of this year.
- When Harry Met Sally: The best romcom ever. A perfect balance of rom and com. A will-they-won’t day where you actually don’t know if they will or won’t. A perfect leading couple, and probably some of the greatest movie quotes ever.
- American Beauty: Some stellar performances by some not-so-stellar people in this one. A scene involving a plastic bag is the most beautiful scene I watched this year. I’m half-joking. Really interesting narrative structure, with the viewer aware of the film’s conclusion by the start, but unaware of its circumstances.
And the MMM goes to… Donnie Darko!
Here are the nominees for best video game I played…
- Deltarune: Toby Fox’s magnum opus, yet to be fully released, but the first four chapters contain some of the greatest music, humor, pixel art, and characters I’ve seen in any video game ever made.
- Hades: I know the sequel has since been released, but this one’s taken me a while to really get around to playing all the way through. An addictive gameplay loop where you constantly feel like you’re improving and learning new strategies. One of my favorite interpretations of Greek mythology in pop culture.
- Dispatch: Took the internet by storm, and for good reason. Revitalizes the “Telltale Games” formula in a fresh new way, with a story that blends Invincible with The Office. Being the “guy in the chair” for a superhero team is just so much fun. It’s also a joy to debate over in-game choices with friends, I highly recommend playing in a group.
- Inscryption: A virtual card game that you play against a serial killer in the woods. The game has so many unbelievable twists and turns, from flipping the entire genre of the game halfway through, to revealing live action “found footage,” to breaking the fourth wall—this one’s enjoyable, both from a narrative and a gameplay perspective.
- Mario Kart World: An exhilarating return to the franchise, with some unexpected twists on the classic formula. While many have criticized the game for changing things around so much, I don’t really mind it, and enjoy the game for what it is—especially the orchestral, “big band” soundtrack and the expressive animation.
And the MMM goes to… Deltarune!
To wrap things up, here’s a ranking of every movie I saw that was released in 2025.
- Sinners
- Companion
- The Phoenician Scheme
- Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning
- Thunderbolts
- Mickey 17
- One of Them Days
- Fantastic Four First Steps
- Caught Stealing
- Frankenstein
- Superman
- Happy Gilmore 2
- A Minecraft Movie
- Elio
- Freakier Friday
- Captain America: Brave New World
Thanks for coming to the Mendelson Media Medals 2025! I hope you enjoyed it, and stay tuned for more movie reviews next semester! Have a great break everyone!