It's that time of year again! Everybody's doing it, so I'll just join right in. The following list will be my Top 20 of 2022, at the end of the calendar year.
Of course, some films I couldn't view are not going to be included, so come 2023, there's a chance the list could change. My most notable omissions include The Whale, Women Talking, and Babylon.
In the meantime, enjoy my "pure" countdown list of the films I found most enjoyable this 2022.
20. After Yang (dir. Kogonada) - A touching story about family within the technologies that are approaching.
19. The Black Phone (dir. Scott Derrickson) - This was an effective mix of dread, horror, and the supernatural.
18. TÁR (dir. Todd Field) - A mind at work is presented, yet said mind is tormented by its own genius.
17. Bodies Bodies Bodies (dir. Halina Reijn) - A wackily woven web in Gen-Z hilarity that tends to be too on-the-nose, but it delivers brilliantly.
16. We're All Going to the World's Fair (dir. Jane Schoenbrun) - This portrayal is modern-day loneliness is haunting and riveting.
15. Top Gun: Maverick (dir. Joseph Kosinski) - I was pleasantly surprised that there was ample substance to compliment the overwhelming style, which is an exercise in movie magic.
14. Decision To Leave (dir. Park Chan-wook) - Nothing is what it seems and you won't see what comes next in this brilliant mesh of murder mystery/psychological thriller/offbeat romance drama.
13. Avatar: The Way of Water (dir. Jim Cameron) - Regardless of its holes, there's no better theatrical experience for 2022 than this one in 3-D.
12. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (dir. Sophie Hyde) - As open about sex, pleasure, and body positivity as any film I've seen, powered through by the brilliant Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack.
11. On The Count of Three (dir. Jerrod Carmichael) - For a film that touches the theme of suicide, I enjoyed its rather humorous portrayal, while also not goofing on it.
10. Nope (dir. Jordan Peele) - In the troisième Mr. Peele effort, he goes for it and hits again, meshing many influences in a wild ride.
9. Triangle of Sadness (dir. Ruben Östlund) - My personal favorite theatrical experience this year was Titanic meets Lord of the Flies with a large sprinkle of wacky humor.
8. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (dir. Rian Johnson) - The most entertaining movie of 2022.
7. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (dir. Guillermo del Toro) - The best way to tell these fairy tales is to give them a more adult touch and no one is better at that than Sr. Del Toro.
6. She Said (dir. Maria Schrader) - An ode to Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, the two modern heroes of a film I hope is the watershed for more of these stories to come out and be on the forefront.
5. Argentina, 1985 (dir. Santiago Mitre) - A terrifying reminder of a place in time a country does not ever want to repeat.
4. Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (dir. Dean Fleischer-Camp) - I guarantee you no other shell will make you feel so uplifted.
3. Everything Everywhere All At Once (dir. Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert) - The most creative film of the year, giving us the best example of the power of the original idea.
2. The Batman (dir. Matt Reeves) - A much-needed "boots-on-the-ground" take of a superhero, sans the shared universe, especially for the already overused Caped Crusader.
1. The Banshees of Inisherin (dir. Martin McDonagh) - Even in its 1920s setting, this film feels so relevant for the 100 years later days of social media and human relationships.
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