Despite it all, the Globes.

The Globes, Really? Really. As I’m writing this, the country is reeling from ICE killing an unarmed civilian on video, armed intervention in Venezuela explicitly in the name of oil, harrowing reports of state-sponsored violence against protestors in Iran, continued troubling headlines out of Ukraine, disturbing revelations in the sometimes-released Epstein files about some of the most powerful people in our society, and whatever else is happening in our personal lives that only amplifies the anxieties these things bring. Whether you defend what you’re seeing or are appalled by it, it’s heavy and high-stakes stuff; comparatively, movies competing for statues can seem trite. I think it’s okay to give yourself the chance to breathe and enjoy some nonsense every now and then when you’re in a position to do so lest you get burnt out on the headlines. That said, the best movies every year serve to entertain AND engage with the most complex parts of humanity, Even if there aren’t literal parallels to today’s headlines, the thematic connections are there for the finding.

I’ve written before about how – in the goofy world of awards – the Globes have begun taking themselves so seriously that they’re now boring compared to the unpredictable and celeb-obsessed Globes of the past, but that does mean that they’re now a more critical “first stop” of the mainstream televised awards race. This newly acquired good taste, hopefully, results in more people checking out some of these movies between now and Oscars night. If you find a favorite and want to cheer it on, all the better; either way, much here is worth your time.

Winners of the Night:

• One Battle After Another took home some major awards in Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture – Comedy or Musical. The few categories it lost in do raise interesting questions as we kick off the meat of awards season, but this movie came into the night as the one to beat and left the same way.

• Stellan Skarsgard in Best Supporting Actor! I haven’t caught Sentimental Value yet, but he has been a fixture of some of my favorite movies for decades; any future wins I will also choose to honor as a win for his brilliant work in Andor. The fact that the in-house DJ dropped Usher’s “Yeah!” when he was announced is special.

• Nikki Glaser is really good at this. The musical numbers that don’t work are cut short, she’s great at opening monologues, and can just work the room.

• The Secret Agent won Best Foreign Language film AND Best Actor – Drama, which is a real statement given the competition in both those categories.

• Podcasting, to the detriment of us all.

• Usher

• My daughter, who got to stay up past her bedtime at our friend's house

• Hamnet, which won Best Picture – Drama, an award I thought Sinners would claim. Doubt the Bard at your own peril, I suppose.

• K-Pop Demon Hunters, the animated sensation of the year, took home both Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.

• Timothee Chalamet beat Leonardo DiCaprio head-to-head; will he be able to hold serve the rest of the way? The table tennis metaphors are gonna get thinner and thinner as we go.

Losers of the Night:

• My wife and I, for letting Grace stay up late.

• Frankenstein, which went home empty-handed; it’s still competitive in some technical awards, but Jacob Elordi may have fallen to the bottom of the Supporting Actor race.

• The freaking Philadelphia Eagles; I literally had a stress dream about them losing the night before the game, probably because their awful recent vibes to close the season permeated through the television and into my subconscious. You really just hate to see a brilliant roster squandered in real time.

• It Was Just an Accident seems to have fallen behind the sticks – yeah, more football – in the Best Foreign Picture race. Coming into the night, having won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, this film seemed like the favorite in that category, and a legitimate threat in others.

• Wicked: For Good doesn’t look like it’ll repeat the first part’s awards success.

• People who DON’T want live PolyMarket odds on the screen, which destroys suspense, encourages gambling, and stinks to high heaven of corruption. No thanks!

• People who DON’T want TV awards and movie awards at the same show, but there’s nothing to be done about that now.

• People who DO want to watch Ludwig Goransson accept an award for his great work on the Sinners score, which happened during a commercial.

• People who miss absolutely wacky Golden Globes wins.

I-Don’t-Knows of the Night:

• Sinners, which did win the nonsensical Cinematic and Box Office Achievement award and I’m happy for that, but losing in Best Original Song and Best Picture – Drama is tough. I think Coogler’s screenplay still has a chance to win at the Oscars. This movie still feels competitive, but for now Hamnet has leapt past it as the main challenger to One Battle.

• Which Lead Actress winner is the favorite? Most signs seem to point to Jessie Buckley, but you never know.

• Just how strong is One Battle After Another? With Wagner Moura and Timothee Chalamet making big statements on the Lead Actor race, would a Best Picture win here lift Leo to glory again? Are both Benecio Del Toro and Sean Penn now behind in the running? Does it matter that all three have already won?

• How much more Sunday afternoon free time do I have now that the Eagles are eliminated?

• I still don’t understand the categories at the Globes (Drama vs. Musical/Comedy). Sinners in drama, even though there are several musical numbers and great original music? One Battle After Another, Bugonia, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You aren’t exactly laugh fests.

• Who’s everyone rooting for in this race? What surprises, if any, are still in store?