Agreed re: Payne and Downsizing. As for The Tree of Life, I know it's a love-it-or-hate-it experience. I loved it. A little of why (from an article I wrote in response to a prompt a while ago):

"Critics and audiences were divided when this singular feature from Terrence Malick hit cinema screens. Those with a preference for straightforward three-act narratives hated it, but others willing to embrace Malick’s meditative, stream-of-consciousness, intuitive approach were entranced. I found it one of the most staggeringly beautiful pieces of cinematic poetry that I’ve ever experienced. Its ambition and scope are extraordinary, which perhaps isn’t surprising as the film is essentially a riff on the Book of Job.

Much of the dialogue in the film is directed at God in voiceover, as Jack (Sean Penn) looks back on his childhood, and his relationship with his parents. His father (Brad Pitt) encapsulates the way of “Nature” and his mother (Jessica Chastain) the way of “Grace”. Their differing approaches to life are put to the test in the wake of bereavement. This grief is interrupted by a lengthy sequence depicting creation, the dinosaurs, and more. Later, there’s a sequence in heaven. Is Malick overreaching? Is the whole thing just a very expensive way of saying “It’s all right”? Possibly. But this film jabbed so many personal raw nerves that it moved me to tears. I’m not going to get into why here, but I’ve read many stories of how this film has comforted those in pain. For example, I read about a couple who claimed seeing this helped them come to terms with their baby’s tragic cot death. For that alone, God bless Terrence Malick."

https://fanfare.pub/favourite-films-from-every-year-ive-been-alive-part-three-2006-2021-291ee755b19