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Writer's pictureIrvin Hernández

Irvin's Top 20 Films of 2022


Every year I try to list the very best out of the current year, and it is not an easy task. I have to say that what makes this year special is that the variety of films we got was broad, and that

is always exciting. To follow my fella Chris's structure to list these films, I will add one sentence to describe each one. Some will include **SPOILERS**. You've been warned.


Some of these films will be used for study in the future, and essays will be written. Hope you

enjoy.


20. Nope: Jordan Peele is absolutely 3-for-3 in this sci-fi horror ode to cinema that is both

spectacular and horrifying (still hearing the screams of the people inside Jean Jacket).


19. Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio: From the first frame to catchy songs, unforgettable

imagery, production design, and jaw-dropping animation, this is TOP TIER Del Toro.


18. Argentina, 1985: I don’t have any doubt that if this film was made by

Hollywood with a Hollywood crew (front and behind the camera), it would have been a huge

hit and a top contender for Best Picture, because it is that good.


17. Triangle of Sadness: No matter how many detractors this comedy-satire has, I will never forget how awesome this experience was with a packed theatre and watching it with a group of friends.


16. She Said: I have seen this film twice already and it gets better with each rewatch, reminding me also how bad we were to this film during this awards season.


15. Marcel the Shell With Shoes On: I don’t think I saw a more tender, sweet, adorable, and heartwarming film this year.


14. The Batman: I would have watched immediately another three hours of this detective film-noir take on Batman, but hey, I'm biased because the Caped Crusader is my favorite superhero.


13. Aftersun: After my first watch, I was confused because I did not know how to feel about this until I kept thinking and thinking about the end of the film (also processing with my friends) which absolutely struck me.


12. Decision to Leave: Speaking of endings, the gutsy, gut-wrenching ending of this film is like THE ENDING for any film in 2022 for me, which had my jaw dropped for quite a while.


11. Bardo, falsa crónica de unas cuantas verdades: I've always had mixed feelings about Alejandro González Iñárritu’s filmography, but this film grabbed me from the first scene and kept me enjoying this meditative and pensive semi-biography.


10. The Woman King: Alas, I am a sucker for epic historical action films; this is as good Gladiator, Braveheart, The Last Samurai, and yes, Viola Davis can kick ASS.


9. RRR: It's an amazing blast, a surprising spectacular, a non-stop action adventure, bromance, musical, and historical period piece; all of this can’t summarize the gigantic blockbuster of a film this is.


8. Babylon: I think this film will be studied years from now, and after seeing it in theatres three times (yes, three times), Babylon freaking rocks!


7. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery: This was the peak of my theatre experiences in 2022, when I watched this film back in October at the Middleburg Film Festival with a theatre full of excited cinephiles and fans of the original.


6. Women Talking: Speaking of experiences at the film festival, Women Talking was my favorite of the batch I saw, and the main reason is that, like the title of the movie, I couldn’t stop talking about it and thinking about how poignant, relevant, and heartbreaking it is.


5. The Banshees of Inisherin: I loved Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and The Banshees of Inisherin is in that same group of films that I love as I was witnessing something special, wickedly funny, tragic, and more relevant than I would have ever imagined.


4. Avatar: The Way of Water: How can I describe this film that has not been said and without saying that it is the most beautiful, spectacularly visual, stunning film of the year?


3. Tár: Haunting, provocative, poignant, brilliant, mesmerizing, magnetic, mind-blowing; and I am only describing Cate Blanchett’s performance.


2. Top Gun: Maverick: Listen, no sequel has the right to be this gargantuan blockbuster marvel of a film 36 years after the release of the original one, but Maverick is.


1. Everything Everywhere All at Once: If a film could change the language of cinema, and at the same time pay homage to different film genres and show a relatable story, while traveling through alternate universes, it's this one and I am not

exaggerating.


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