Top 10: Films Of 2022
Welp, another year is in the books, and while it wasn’t the most vigorous year for new releases (especially compared to last year), it still brought its fair share of quality gems. Like we do every year, we’re looking in the rearview to the films that captured us fully and didn’t let go! As always, it was difficult to whittle down our favorites to a list of only ten. But, as is the end-of-the-year tradition, we've braved through the difficulty and crafted our picks for what we consider to be the most unique and masterful standout films of the past year.
Like we say every year: We're a smaller indie blog and don't get the opportunity to see every film, so this is solely based on the ones we were able to see. Also, as the subtleties of taste buds differ from person to person, it's highly unlikely that we'll be in complete agreement, but if you let us know your thoughts in the comments section below, we'd love to have a conversation over the past year's lot of fantastic films.
With that said, let’s dive into what we consider to be the best films from 2022!
10: The Northman
Imagine the savage barbarism of Conan The Barbarian, the grand scope of Andrei Rublev, the slow meditation of The Green Knight, and the mystical bloodshed of Valhalla Rising all rolled into one, and you’ll be close to capturing the feeling of Robert Eggers’ The Northman. It’s a gnarly big-budget blockbuster that boldly swings for the rafters and oozes an old-school grandiosity. This grand and gory tale of viking revenge is Robert Eggers’ largest project to date, and (thank the gods) very little gets lost in the expansion. The film’s crowning achievement, narratively speaking, is how it seamlessly blends viking reality with Nordic mythology in an interesting way, and it delivers the kind of badass and bloody thrills that you’d hope, in a sort of viking greatest hits. It might not ring your bell like The VVitch or The Lighthouse, but it’s certainly an achievement deserving of a place in the great mead hall in the sky. At the end of the day, Odin approves.
Divorce and broken homes have been themes that populate Spielberg’s illustrious filmography, but The Fabelmans finds its prestigious director finally wrestling with his parents’ divorce directly. But The Fabelmans is much more than a coming-of-age memoir film about divorce; it’s also a potent and passionately articulated love letter to the power of cinema crafted by one of the medium’s greatest living makers. The film gracefully navigates some very real depths, but at the same time, it also maintains a wonderful sense of humor. The whole affair is imbued with Spielberg’s trademark sense of childlike wonder and sentimentality, which doesn’t diminish the more adult moments and makes it all wash down smooth. It also boasts a real barnburner of an ending, complete with a visual gag as the cherry on top, both of which will have you soaring out of the theater. David Lynch’s cameo is worth the price of admission alone, but everything else going on in The Fabelmans is just as delightful.
When it comes to the films of Park Chan-wook, you’re in extremely capable hands, and Decision To Leave is no exception. The film is a sharp and well-crafted neo-noir that puts the “pro” in “police procedural” with its detail-oriented focus that weaves the seemingly trivial aspects into the big picture in an often surprising and satisfying way. The film boasts a compelling mystery that’s immensely entertaining to watch unravel, but its most surprising aspect is just how dazzlingly romantic it is. It marks a softer, sweeter, more mature turn for the seasoned filmmaker will a reputation for sleazy and brutal films. There are some truly incredible camera moves and delicately constructed scenes that are meticulously crafted and stacked like a Matryoshka doll. Come for the mystery, but stick around for the romance; this is one flick that give you a reason to stay.
7: TÁR.
Cancel culture and Me Too have been the focus of many films already, but Todd Field takes a unique approach when tackling the meaty subject in his latest film, TÁR. By pivoting the conversation away from narrow claims that men are the only ones who abuse power, his fly-on-the-wall examination of the subject gets a little closer to the truth with its broader sense of how anyone with power will find some way to use and abuse it. The film has a refreshingly intellectual edge; it’s not only interested in discoursing with the times, but also creating a conversation with the audience. Its lengthy journey opens the door to many questions, many of which are left open-ended for each viewer to parse. Field’s interest is purely in Lydia’s character, who she is and how she constructed her identity and the false notion of her own invincibility. After Field knocks down all the walls that hold up that persona, he stands back and asks, who is she now? The great Cate Blanchett luminously shines at the center, giving a commanding powerhouse performance that ranks amongst the best of her career and further adds to the film’s appeal.
6: Babylon
Damien Chazelle’s Babylon wasn’t a hit with everyone, but it played extremely well for us. Chazelle doubles down on his stylish extravagance and unapologetically cranks the dial to 11, manufacturing a filmic cocaine in the process that’s apt to give you a contact high. It’s a glorious, drug-added mess that revels in the gross and outrageous, finding nuggets of comedy gold along its three-hour debauch. Its long, juvenile, and chaotic journey might test a viewer’s patience or flat-out exhaust them, but we found its personality, heart, and craftsmanship consistently exhilarating. Imagine Boogie Nights and Wolf Of Wall Street doing a mountain of blow with the love child of Singing In The Rain and La La Land. Add in a dash of Kenneth Anger’s Hollywood Babylon, and that’s pretty much the film in a nutshell. If you’re along for the lewd and crude and outrageous ride, there will be plenty of entertainment value that awaits you, and if you’re looking for something more sophisticated and whimsical, well, hey, there’s always Singing In The Rain. Babylon might be a little too high on its own supply, but if you’re anything like us, its infectiously intoxicating buzz will have you asking for some of whatever Chazelle is having.
5: The Batman
Matt Reeves’ The Batman rivals the very best the franchise has to offer, and it just might be our favorite Batman film to date. It pulls from DC staples like Year One, Hush, and The Long Halloween, as well as a diverse array of film influences (that include the likes of The Godfather, Klute, Se7en, and Zodiac to name a few) to create a unique cinematic experience that captures the feel of a real page-turning graphic novel. In terms of performances, The Batman has them in spades, including a totally unrecognizable Colin Farrell, a chillingly dark Paul Dano, a stunning Zoë Kravitz, and a marvelously moody Robert Pattinson. It also boasts one helluva score that gives the epic police procedural and appropriately operatic feel. Totally justified in its length, The Batman is an excellently crafted comic book film that gives a strong start to what is sure to be a promising trilogy. The tease of a future team-up between Riddler and Joker (Barry Keoghan in a brief cameo) will be the true test, and one that only time will rightly tell, but we’re very eager to see the bat signal fly again.
The Banshees Of Inisherin is a feckin’ banger that thoughtfully twists tragedy and absurdity into a satisfying cinematic confection. The film reunites writer/director Martin McDonagh with In Bruges stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, and in many respects, it can be viewed as a spiritual sequel to McDonagh’s debut. Both films masterfully blend melancholy and comedy, evoke a fable-like feel laced with tragedy, take place in a titular location, explore similar themes, and center around a relationship between two men, but each explores a different side of love and friendship. Where Bruges finds its two leads strengthening their bonds, Banshees observes their gruesome dissolve. It might not be as blisteringly funny as In Bruges, but it’s still damn funny — one of the year’s best comedies, no doubt — and it boasts a level of profundity and melancholy that McDonagh hadn’t captured since his critically acclaimed debut. It’s as dark as pint of Guinness, and it goes down just as velvety smooth.
In Triangle Of Sadness, Ruben Östlund doesn’t just eat the rich and the beautiful; he devours and humiliates them. This ferociously funny satire quite literally covers them in their own bodily fluids, flips their world upside down, and then places them under the microscope so we can watch them flounder. It’s as savage, incisive, exacting, thought-provoking, and hysterical as one can expect from an Östlund film, and it yet again showcases his penchant for immaculate framing, wonderfully squirmy social situations, and comedic cringe. The ship might go under in Triangle Of Sadness, but Östlund’s steady hands keep the production afloat — and engaging — for its entire 149-minute run. If it’s not laugh-out-loud funny, it’s getting you to contemplate the social trappings we’re all imprisoned by, and the results are wildly entertaining.If you’re anything like us, it will have you spewing chunks of laughter.
Luca Guadagnino’s Bones And All is one finger-licking good flick that masterfully mixes genres into an oddly affecting alchemy of coming-of-age, romance, body horror, and road movie. Anchored by stellar performances, with a tender, poetic quality akin to Terrence Malick’s Badlands and a palpable Bonnie and Clyde vibe, this ravenous romance about two young flesheaters takes audiences on a beautifully bleak and totally unforgettable road trip across the American Midwest that’s streaked in bloodshed. Bones And All is notable for being Guadagnino’s first film set in the U.S., and it occupies an interesting crossroads that connects Call Me By Your Name’s beautifully devastating romanticism with Suspiria’s gloriously deranged body horror. More impressive: it’s one of the rare exceptions in which the movie is far and away a step above the book in which it’s based. In short, Bones And All tears right to the bone and takes audiences for an all-consuming ride that lingers well beyond the credits. If the heart wants what the heart wants, well, we’d like to have some more, please!
Before we cruise to our #1 pick, here's a few honorable mentions that just missed the cut:
And without further delay, our #1 pick of 2022 is…
A whole year after its release, The Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All At Once still has everyone buzzing and talking about it — and for good reason: it’s a damn good absurdist dramedy that combines quality sci-fi action with irreverent hilarity and a whole lot of heart. It immortalized the icon that is Michelle Yeoh, put Ke Huy Quan back on the map, and introduced the mainstream to a versatile new talent in Stephanie Hsu, as well as giving us hotdog fingers and Raccaccoonie and a wonderfully zany Jamie Lee Curtis (amongst its other many gifts). The multiverse concept itself is nothing new, but Daniels stretch it to exciting new heights and extremes, fully embracing the breadth of its potential. Like the best cinema, it opens your heart, hits the funny bone, and captures your imagination — and it also steals from the best; you’ll find notes of Back To The Future, The Matrix, It’s A Wonderful Life, In The Mood For Love, and Groundhog Day (amongst others) in its expansive sweet & savory flavor profile. But for all Daniels’ myriad influences, which are thoughtfully blended and carefully arranged, they’ve created a film that’s absolutely its own singular beast. In short, it’s an astounding flick that will make you cry, then laugh, then laugh-cry, and then do it all over again. No other film in recent memory has captured the feeling of the now in quite the same way, or has karate chopped its way into the zeitgeist with such graceful ease, which is why it’s our favorite film of 2022!
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!