Top Films of 2022
“Aftersun” by Matt Lyon.
Cinema is back, baby.
I mean, I guess it never left. It did dry up at one point. It even almost felt hopeless, bleak and depressing to see the state of cinema the way it was back in the middle of the pandemic. Directors flocking to streaming, theatres boarded up and empty and whatever was released just didn’t feel like the movies (Sorry Tenet, Godzilla vs. Kong or whatever..)
Fast forward to 2022, the marquees are shining bright. New releases are pumping out every week. Studio tentpoles are bringing people in. Auteurs are busy, writing, shooting and pushing out more content than ever. 2022 feels like cinema is ready for its replay.
There are so many more films that I could write about. So many more films that I could talk about and so many more films that I wish made my cut for my top 10. I remember scrolling through my letterboxd and thinking to myself - holy shit - that came out this year or how could I forget about that film…even during our podcast episodes; there were more films I wanted to talk about - more films that I was excited for. Sorry Rod & Jordan.
I want to shout out Jackass Forever, The Northman, Barbarian, Triangle of Sadness, Aftersun & All Quiet on the Western Front for just making it off my list.
But there can only be ten.
#10. Babylon
Damien Chazelle’s sprawling tribute to the days of the glitz and glamour of old hollywood is a picturesque picasso of coke-fueled chaos. Chazelle is still a wunderkind behind the camera, even if he teeters off the edge with whatever that ending was. Babylon moves a mile a minute, a kinetic spectacle that rides the wave of every high and every low of what you may expect from whatever nightmare fuel that you’d take if you want to make it big in 1920’s Hollywood.
#9. The Fabelmans
Don’t ever doubt Spielberg. There’s an unmistakable touch of wonder behind every frame, every set piece and every single moment of a Spielberg film. A moving portrait of family, passion and the wonder of film. The Fabelmans has some of Spielberg’s most powerful moments that he has ever captured on film.
#8. The Batman
Matt Reeves’ The Batman is the quintessential Batman film in cinema. A dark, brooding detective noir; Reeves’ stand alone exploration of the World’s Greatest Detective is vast and sweeping but yet grounded in its darkness. The film basks in its technical achievement of scope and sound; from the Giacchino’s thundering score to Pattinsons’ steadfast rage. The Batman encapsulates and surrounds you in its thrilling cat-and-mouse as Gotham searches for the light.
#7. Bones & All
Luca Guadagino’s Bones & All finds solace in its silence and simplicity. An unholy matrimony of Badlands and Let The Right One In; Taylor Russell and Timothee Chalamet trek across the vast American landscape, aimlessly searching for their somewhere. With an unnerving performance by Mark Rylance; Bones & All will haunt you long after the final credits.
#6. The Menu
Mark Mylod’s The Menu is an absolute joy of a crowd-pleaser. A deliciously engaging palette of sharp satire, terrifying horror and commanding performances; The Menu is to be savored.
#5. Top Gun: Maverick
Joseph Kosinski’s Top Gun: Maverick has everything going for it. One of the best experiences in the theatre post-COVID. Tom Cruise is the savior of cinema (hyperbole, but I mean…). A sequel almost thirty years in the pipeline; Maverick finds the best of the popcorn thrills, a deeply emotional core and some of the best action sequences on film (!!!) ever.
#4. Decision To Leave
Park Chan-Wook’s Decision To Leave is an electrifying detective noir that doubles as one of the sexiest films of 2022. An aura of mystifying sensuality enshrouds the tug-of-war of unrequited love between a suspect and a detective investigating a murder. Photographed across the beautiful Korean peninsula of crashing waves, lone mountaintops and snow-kissed forests, Decision To Leave is a beautiful love story encapsulated in mystery.
#3. The Banshees of Inisherin
Martin McDonagh’s newest entry in his filmography almost seemingly dedicated to existentialist morality plays, The Banshees of Inisherin is his career best in crafting an absolutely hilarious and moving portrait of two men at odds in their friendship. An ensemble led by the always amazing Colin Farrell; McDonagh’s film is equally gut-wrenching and rip-roaring hilarious. What’s better than a film that’ll make you laugh AND cry at the same line of dialogue?
#2. Everything Everywhere All At Once
Daniels’ firecracker Everything Everywhere All At Once is an emotional powerhouse that pushes, pulls and surrounds you from every single direction. A multiverse film that unravels across timelines, storylines, dreams, nightmares, success and failures - EEAO is a visceral assault to the senses in its absolute imagination, complexity and emotional depth. This HAS to be seen to be BELEIVED.
#1. The Whale
Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale is stands solely on the shoulders of Brendan Fraser’s immaculately nuanced performance of a man longing for a way out of his pain. Brendan Fraser carries Charlie with such grace, humility and empathy; his gentle voice, his pained cries and his powerful eyes - Brendan brings his entire being into Charlie. This film is devastating and emotionally draining - but there is light, there is hope and there is love. I don’t remember how many times I had to wipe my eyes.
See you next year.
