Awards Season is fast approaching, and if you're a fan of genre films, you know that we're not used to seeing sci-fi and fantasy movies at the top of most lists. Sure, there was that year when The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King tied an Oscars record, and that year Avatar took home so much acclaim, but for the most part, effects-heavy blockbusters are pushed to the side when it comes to the "Best Movie of the Year" talk.

So far, that has not been the case with Mad Max: Fury Road. George Miller's return to the franchise that put him on the map has been met with nearly universal acclaim, and as we approach that time of year when critics pick the best films of 2015, it's getting even more love.

Today, the National Board of Review -- a collective of film critics, historians and more -- announced their annual list of awards, and though smaller films like Room and Beasts of No Nation definitely recieved some love, genre films took the top spots. The board named Fury Road the best film of 2015, and then honored The Martian with both Best Director (Ridley Scott) and Best Actor (Matt Damon) honors, putting genre movies front and center.

This is obviously huge news for those of us (yes, I'm one of them) who consider Fury Road a contender for Best Picture at the Oscars, and serves to further cement this film's reputation as a science fiction/fantasy story that digs deep into the minds of its viewers. It's a story with real emotional punch, it's got dazzling visuals, and so many of us still can't get it out of our mind. Fury Road is still a force to be reckoned with, months after its release.

(Via National Board of Review)