Before diving into the awards, Mangler opens with an important reminder: when it comes to movies, everyone’s opinion is valid.
“Whatever you think the best movie of the year is—you’re right,” Mangler says early in the show. “Art is subjective to the individual. Don’t let anyone else tell you what the best picture is. The movie you like the most is the best picture.”
That philosophy sets the tone for the entire show. While the Racso Awards poke fun at traditional award ceremonies like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Academy Awards, the goal is simple: to celebrate movies in a way that’s fun, unpredictable, and a little less serious.
The show is presented by the fictional Society of Cinematic Arts and Movies (SCAM)—a tongue-in-cheek organization. Mangler jokes that it is just as qualified to judge films as any other awards body.
Best Comedy Movie
The first category of the night highlights comedies that actually made audiences laugh.
Nominees included:
- The Naked Gun
- Fack Now
- The Toxic Avenger
- Good Fortune
- Anaconda
Mangler praised The Naked Gun for bringing back classic slapstick humor and called Good Fortune a perfect showcase for Keanu Reeves playing the straight man in comedy.
But the winner ultimately went to The Toxic Avenger, starring Peter Dinklage.
According to Mangler, it was the comedy that made him laugh out loud more than any other movie this year.
Best Movie You Didn’t See
Next came a category dedicated to great films that didn’t perform well at the box office.
Among the highlights:
- Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie
- Song Sung Blue
- Hamnet
- Stitch Head
- Black Bag
- Caught Stealing
- Sisu: Road to Revenge
The award went to Black Bag, which Mangler praised for its strong cast, gripping story, and stylish execution.
Best Actor
Rejecting the idea of separate “lead” and “supporting” categories, the Racso Awards combine all performances into one category.
Notable performances included:
- Benicio Del Toro in One Battle After Another
- Jacob Tremblay in Hamnet
- David Jonsson in The Long Walk
- Michael B. Jordan in Sinners
- Diego Luna in Kiss of the Spider Woman
The winner: Michael B. Jordan for his dual performance in Sinners.
Mangler praised the actor for convincingly portraying twins with subtle but distinct differences between the two characters.
Best Actress
The Best Actress nominees included standout performances from:
- Cate Blanchett in Black Bag
- Amy Madigan in Weapons
- Kate Hudson in Song Sung Blue
- Amanda Seyfried in Housemaid
- Jessie Buckley in Hamnet
But the winner came with a humorous admission of bias. Mangler awarded the trophy to Florence Pugh for Thunderbolts, joking that he would always vote for her because he’s a fan.
Movies That Felt Too Long
Not every movie earned praise during the show. Mangler also highlighted films that had audiences checking their phones to see how much time remained.
Nominees included:
- Mickey 17
- Ella McCay
- One Battle After Another
- Jurassic World Rebirth
- Wicked: For Good
- Tron: Ares
The “winner” of this unfortunate category went to Jurassic World Rebirth, which he joked was the first installment where he found himself rooting for the dinosaurs.
Best Picture (and Director)
In the Racso Awards, Mangler combines Best Picture and Best Director into a single category, arguing that the two are inseparable.
The nominees included:
- Sinners – directed by Ryan Coogler
- Weapons – directed by Zach Cregger
- The Long Walk – directed by Francis Lawrence
- Final Destination: Bloodlines
- The Accountant 2
- Song Sung Blue
- Predator: Badlands
- Bugonia
- Housemaid
- Black Bag
The Racso Award for Best Picture went to Sinners, with Mangler praising its writing, music, performances, cinematography, and costumes.
“It was the one movie I saw multiple times in the theater,” he said. “I don’t have one negative thing to say about it.”
Worst Movie of the Year
Of course, the Racso Awards wouldn’t be complete without recognizing the year’s biggest disappointments.
Nominees included:
- Him
- Smurfs
- Tron: Ares
- The Woman in the Yard
- Roofman
The winner for Worst Movie of the Year was Smurfs, which Mangler criticized for relying heavily on crude humor and failing to capture the charm of the original characters.
The “Won’t Even Watch It” Award
Some movies didn’t even earn the effort of a viewing.
Winner: Snow White
Mangler described the film’s trailer and promotional interviews as so off-putting that he refused to watch the movie at all.
The Final Joke Award
In a closing comedy category inspired by the infamous 2022 Academy Awards Slap Incident involving Will Smith, Mangler humorously listed people Smith might dare to slap on stage.
The tongue-in-cheek winner: Andy Dick.
Final Thoughts
As the show wrapped up, Mangler thanked the audience and reminded listeners of the core message behind the Racso Awards: movie opinions are personal, and no awards show should dictate what people enjoy.
“Watch all the award shows you want,” Mangler said in closing. “But remember—they’re just opinions. And our opinion doesn’t mean squat. Only yours does.”
