The Best Films of 2022!
Perhaps the most interesting and wide arrange group ever to be put on a "best of" list.
Another year has come and gone. Actually, the first month of 2023 has just passed now that this year’s Academy Award nominations have been announced. But that doesn’t stop me from looking back at my picks for the best films of 2022. Unlike other critics I admire and appreciate, I decided not to post my list until now (due to the fact that some films get a wider release to the general public in the middle of January). Let’s find out which ones made the list, and at the very end, I’ll name some honorable mentions that ultimately didn’t make the cut.
Please Note: There are films that I’ve yet to watch yet that have appeared on other lists like ‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’, ‘Close’, ‘RRR’, and ‘Saint Omer’, to name a few.
#10: The Batman
The year 2022 will go down as the most disappointing year for comic book movies, but only one reigns supreme and it came out back in March in the form of a Batman reboot. And to be honest, I was very skeptical of how it was going to play out, given the fact that Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight’ set a new template for the superhero genre. Whereas Nolan’s trilogy was influenced by the works of Michael Mann, Matt Reeves (‘Cloverfield’, ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’) went more in the direction of David Fincher (in particular his neo-noir thrillers ‘Se7en’ and ‘Zodiac’). Even clocking in at almost 3 hours, this version gives a true detective story for the caped-crusader. Robert Pattinson is excellent as The Batman, as are Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, and Colin Farrell (more on him in a little bit). Epic cinematography by Oscar-winning DP Greig Fraser (‘Dune’), and a killer score by Michael Giacchino which has the second-best menacing two notes ever composed on film (next to John Williams’s ‘Jaws’). Sure, it’s no ‘Dark Knight’ (which is a masterpiece), but it’s still a superior successor.
The Batman is streaming on HBO Max, and available on VOD and Blu-ray.
#9: After Yang
2022 was an excellent year for Colin Farrell. Not only did he steal the show as The Penguin in the aforementioned ‘The Batman’, but also starred in Ron Howard’s dramatization of the Thai soccer team cave rescue in ‘Thirteen Lives’, and Martin McDonagh’s period dark dramedy ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ for which he just received his very first Oscar nomination. But for my money, it’s the quieter and more subtle role in this sci-fi family drama that’s considered my favorite performance of his this year. The sophomore feature film effort from video essayist turned filmmaker Kogonada (‘Columbus’) is a tale set in a solarpunk aesthetic near-future that revolves around family, artificial intelligence, and memory in a very thoughtful and intellectual manner. Jodie Turner-Smith, Justin H. Min, Sarita Choudhury, and Haley Lu Richardson also give excellent supporting performances. I haven’t seen it since Sundance last year, but I bet it still holds up.
After Yang is streaming on Showtime, and available on VOD and Blu-ray.
#8: Women Talking
Sarah Polley’s take on Miriam Toews's 2018 novel of the same name is (what I call) the gender-swapped version of Sidney Lumet’s 1957 all-time classic ‘12 Angry Men’. Instead of a courthouse, it’s a Menenite community, and the jury room is a barn. Polley gives her fiercest writing and direction to date with the ensemble cast (particularly the performances of Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy, Judith Ivey & Shiela McCarthy) giving exquisite acting chops along with a great music score by Hildur Guðnadóttir (which should’ve been Oscar-nominated). The strong subject matter can be a tough sit for some, but it felt very deep and compelling it seemed very timely and relevant in that regard.
Women Talking is currently playing in theaters nationwide.
#7: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Is anyone else a fan of CBS’s ‘60 Minutes’ like Marcel? Perhaps the most genuinely remarkable movie of the year and one that kids must watch before they turn 12. The titular character, a little 1-inch tall mollusk with a googly eye that talks whatever in little non sequitur segments throughout, was created by Jenny Slate and her then-boyfriend, filmmaker Dean Fleischer Camp was introduced in a stop-motion animated short film of the same name back in 2010, which led to two sequels in 2011 and 2014. And now, with the help of Chiodo Bros. Productions (‘Elf’), a feature-length version was made and took at least seven years to make, pays off in the most kind-hearted and tender way. Both Slate as Marcel and Isabella Rossellini as Marcel’s grandmother Connie give superb voiceover work, with Fleischer Camp playing himself (mostly talking behind the camera). By the film’s end, you’ll be in tears of joy and swept up by the sweetness and innocence of Marcel. Even so, it’s full of wonder and laughs that can touch and resonate with anyone of any age.
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is available on VOD and Blu-ray.
#6: Everything Everywhere All at Once
A film so unconventional that, on paper, sounds like a complete disaster. But thanks to the filmmaking duo collectively known as DANIELS (Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert, ‘Swiss Army Man’) and a top-tier level of talent put on display from a career-best Michelle Yeoh to a star-studded Stephanie Hsu to a comeback performance by Ke Huy Quan make this nutty and bonkers idea of a film work. Even with all the wackiness in all of the different multiverses (rocks, hot dog fingers, etc.), there’s also heart and humanity amongst the theme of family that can be universal to anyone, alongside the themes of immigration, Asian identity, and also both nihilism and existentialism that culminates in an epic yet deeply sincere finale that will leave you in multiple feelings and make you wanna call your parents.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is currently back in theaters, streaming on Showtime, and available on VOD and Blu-ray.
#5: Turning Red
In 2008, when I was 13 years of age, going through puberty, and transitioning into a teenager, I was geeking out over Dreamworks’s ‘Kung Fu Panda’ like a fangirl, and now 14 years later, seeing a Pixar movie centered around a 13-year-old girl who inherits a hereditary curse that turns her into a red panda, made my day even brighter. Domee Shi, who brought us one of Pixar’s best shorts in recent memory, 2018’s ‘Bao’, makes her feature debut that’s partially based on her childhood, filled with relatable awkwardness and universal themes around mothers and daughters. This animated film mostly plays out like a better version of ‘Teen Wolf’ (the 80s film starring Michael J. Fox and not the MTV show), and then the final 30 minutes go in a different direction that left me entirely gobsmacked in which a whole concert goes completely awry, and it’s one of the best movie sequences I’ve seen all year. It’s a complete shame that it skipped a nationwide theatrical release (due to the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 pandemic) because this would’ve sold out like gangbusters for families and die-hard Disneyphiles.
Turning Red is streaming on Disney+, and available on VOD and Blu-ray.
#4: EO
At age 84, legendary Polish filmmaker Jerzy Skolimowski (‘Deep End’, ‘Moonlighting’) has perhaps made his most revered work in his entire career. Loosely inspired by Robert Bresson’s 1966 film ‘Au hasard Balthazar’, this breezy 85-minute odyssey centers around the titular mule walking through the countryside of Poland and Italy. From being a circus performer to playing with special needs kids to being a lucky charm for a soccer team, this is one donkey who has seen and been through it all. Using audacious tricks and techniques throughout (the color red is visually symbolic), ‘EO’ is a cinematic journey that deliberately puts the viewer in the equine’s hooves to masterclass results. Between him, Jenny from ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ and an unnamed donkey (very briefly) in ‘Triangle of Sadness’, 2022 has been a great year for the four-legged creature.
EO is currently playing in select theaters. Available on VOD February 21st. Blu-ray TBA.
#3: The Quiet Girl
The word subtle has been used throughout to describe a few of the films that appeared on this list, and ‘The Quiet Girl’ is no exception. Colm Bairéad’s debut feature is an adaptation of Claire Keegan’s short story from 2010 entitled ‘Foster’, which takes us back to the summer of 1981 in rural Ireland where we follow nine-year-old Cáit (newcomer Catherine Clinch), a girl who’s so quiet she’s basically “the black sheep” of her family, but is then sent away to live on a farm with her mother’s distant cousins (Carrie Crowley & Andrew Bennett) for the remainder of the season. Gorgeously well-shot by DP Kate McCullough, this superbly tender film (mostly spoken in Irish Gaelic) is both fascinating and heartbreaking in its oddly lurid nostalgia of wonder.
The Quiet Girl will be in select theaters starting February 24th.
#2: Decision to Leave
Korean filmmaking auteur Park Chan-Wook (‘Oldboy’, ‘The Handmaiden’) brings a modern-day Hitchcockian take on the master of suspense’s very influential 1958 film ‘Vertigo’, and exceeds it in the best way possible. This puzzle-box/police procedural murder mystery romantic thriller has it all. Park Hae-Il and Tang Wei both give their finest performance in their respective careers (Wei should’ve been nominated for Best Actress), Park’s direction is spectacular and his screenplay with longtime frequent co-writer Chung Seo-Kyung is gripping and nail-biting, as well as having the best cinematography, editing, and musical score I’ve enjoyed all year. Having zero Oscar nominations, (not even International Feature Film) to its name, is a travesty.
Decision to Leave is streaming on MUBI and available on VOD. On Blu-ray February 14th.
#1: TÁR
If you were to tell me a year ago that my favorite film of this year was about a female classical music composer who’s on the brink of having her career destroyed, I wouldn’t believe you. But while watching, I immediately knew that this is not your typical awards-bait melodrama. Writer/director Todd Field’s third feature, his first since 2006’s ‘Little Children’, is now working at a master level that he’s even compared to his idol, Stanley Kubrick (Field acted in ‘Eyes Wide Shut’, Kubrick’s final film). The character of Lydia Tár, played extraordinarily well by Cate Blanchett, is this intimate portrayal that feels real, you forget it’s fictitious. Outside of Blanchett’s career-high performance and Field’s immaculate direction and brilliant screenplay, lies supporting turns from Nina Hoss, Noémie Merlant, newcomer Sophie Kauer, the legendary character actor Julian Glover, and Mark Strong. It’s also top-notch in cinematography, editing, sound design, and the use of music, not just classical music but also an original score by Hildur Guðnadóttir (who also composed the aforementioned ‘Women Talking’). Methodically well-paced, which could be ambivalent to someone’s patience (especially the ending), but this one should be studied not just by scholars and professors, but also by future filmmakers.
TÁR is currently back in theaters, streaming on Peacock, and available on VOD and Blu-ray.
Honorable Mentions that I whole-heartedly recommend (in alphabetical order):
Aftersun, Alcarràs, All Quiet on the Western Front, Athena, The Banshees of Inisherin, Broker, Descendant, Emily the Criminal, The Eternal Daughter, The Fallout, Fire of Love, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, God’s Creatures, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Hustle, Living, A Love Song, The Menu, Moonage Daydream, Navalny, Nope, The Northman, Prey, Three Minutes: A Lengthening, Till, Top Gun: Maverick, Triangle of Sadness, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Utama, and The Woman King.
Check out my full ranking of all the movies released in 2022 on Letterboxd here.
So what are your picks for the best movies of 2022? Let me know in the comments.