Welcome to the new year folks. In 2022, I watched a grand total of 83 brand new movies, topping last year by 1. I still have a few that I'm excited to catch up on (Babylon, Bones and All, The Whale, Aftersun) to add to the 2022 total. As the year went on, I felt like 2022 was a less than stellar year for movies, but my tune has changed. 2022 was a good year - it was just filled with some pretty disappointing movies that I had high hopes for. Don't Worry Darling, Thor: Love and Thunder, Amsterdam, Blonde, and The Gray Man are a few that I thought would be some of my favorite movies of the year, but they either didn't live up to expectations or in some cases - flat out stunk. Blonde was without a doubt the worst movie I saw this year. Offensively bad. And I really like Ana de Armas. She had a bad year. So did Margot Robbie. But, outside of the disappointments, 2022 was a pretty good year for cinema. After years of people turning to streaming and staying away from theaters, we saw the return of big blockbusters. It's been great to see.
People will sometimes ask me how I rank or judge movies and for me, it's always a combination of things. Acting, visuals, technical aspects, characters, and story are all different things that I will consider, but the biggest thing I always ask myself is "Did this movie make me feel something?" The best movies are the ones that make you feel something - joy or sadness, intrigue or excitement. That's what my top 10 have in common. Let's get into it.
Honorable Mention - Bullet Train, Triangle of Sadness, Pearl, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Outfit
10. Glass Onion (Netflix)
Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back baby. This time he's solving a murder in Greece with an eclectic group of billionaires. During the first bit of Glass Onion, I thought it was going to end up being the biggest letdown of 2022. Knives Out was my number 1 movie of 2019, so I was concerned when the sequel started so slowly. Then the twist hit and I was hooked. Everyone in this ensemble cast was great, but Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, and of course Craig, gave fantastic performances. It doesn't hold a candle to the original, but Glass Onion is still an absolute delight to watch, especially with a crowd. I want director Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig to make 100 Knives Out movies. I could watch Detective Benoit Blanc hem and haw and solve mysteries all day.
9. The Menu (HBO Max)
A young couple (Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult) travels to an island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared for a lavish menu and some shocking surprises. The Menu is a thrilling good time. There is not a moment of boredom in this movie's brisk 107 minute runtime. It's dark and funny and takes a satirical bite out of elitist culture. It doesn't even try to hide the satire. The whole cast was great, but the dynamic between Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes is what makes this movie so dang enjoyable. They were brilliant. If you enjoy dark humor you'll have a blast with this one. And boy, did that cheeseburger at the end look tasty!
8. Avatar: The Way of Water (still in theaters)
James Cameron you absolute madman. I have no idea how you did it, but you did. 13 years after Avatar, Cameron took audiences back to Pandora to learn the story of the Sully family. I'm not an Avatar superfan or anything like that. I actually think the first movie is pretty forgettable outside of the breathtaking technical aspects and 3D breakthrough. But when I tell you Avatar: The Way of Water looks BEAUTIFUL, I mean it. It looks so REAL. There is a human being running around with 10 foot tall blue aliens with tails and it looks real. It's remarkable. It makes me want to go to Pandora. I don't want to only talk about the technical aspects of this movie because the story was pretty enjoyable as well. The worst part of the original is all the human stuff and the sequel just gets rid of all that. Bravo, James Cameron. After 13 years you figured out how to film underwater scenes and made a movie that looks phenomenal. Now stop using Papyrus font in Avatar 3.
7. The Fabelmans (rent on Amazon Prime)
A semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story loosely based on director Steven Spielberg's adolescent years, The Fabelmans tells the story of aspiring young filmmaker Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) and the power of movies. If that isn't just right up my alley, I don't know what is. Did Spielberg make this to win an Oscar? Probably so. Is it a little self-indulgent? Absolutely. But Spielberg has earned it. He's arguably the best director of all time and is responsible for my favorite movie of all time - Raiders of the Lost Ark. I hope he never stops making movies. LaBelle is fantastic as Sammy. He really gives this movie heart that award bait movies sometimes lack. It made me want to quit my job and start making movies. The Fabelmans also delivered some of my favorite lines of the year, especially, "Do what your heart says you have to, because you don't owe anyone your life."
6. The Northman (Amazon Prime)
Two decades after his father is murdered by his uncle and his mother is kidnapped, Prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard) is on a mission for vengeance. The Northman is Viking Lion King (or Hamlet if you prefer that). And it freakin' rules. Vikings and Norse mythology are so fascinating to me and this movie dives deep into both. It's brutal and kinda feral and gorgeous to look at. Director Robert Eggers is one of the most exciting young filmmakers around and he's really found a nice niche in these historical horror type movies. Skarsgard, Nicole Kidman, and Anya Taylor-Joy were all great in this. Also a big fan of Willem Dafoe just showing up for 5 minutes of screentime to act like an absolute lunatic.
5. Everything Everywhere All at Once (rent on Amazon Prime)
It's a drama. It's sci-fi. It's a comedy. It's horror. It's romantic. You'll laugh, you'll cry. It's the multiverse movie we didn't know we needed and everyone needs to watch it. When reality begins to unravel, an unlikely hero (Michelle Yeoh) must channel her powers to fight the bizarre threats of the multiverse. Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of my favorite movies I have ever seen and it just gets better as it goes. It's original and funny and technically wonderful. It's such an absurd trip, that at one point there's a scene where two rocks have a conversation that had me in tears. It touches all kinds of genres and Michelle Yeoh is brilliant. And it was so amazing to see Ke Huy Quan (Temple of Doom, The Goonies) back on screen after a long hiatus from acting. His reunion with Harrison Ford was one of the best things that happened in 2022. This movie is a ton of fun and a front runner for Best Picture.
4. Cha Cha Real Smooth (Apple TV+)
Fresh out of college without a clear path, Andrew (Cooper Raiff) strikes up a unique friendship with a young mom (Dakota Johnson) and her teenage daughter (Vanessa Burghardt). It is absolutely unfair how talented Cooper Raiff is at writing, directing, acting, and producing at the age of 25. He's going to win so many awards. Raiff has this unique ability to make very thoughtful and heartwarming coming-of-age movies that feel very sincere. That talent is fully on display in Cha Cha Real Smooth. Talk about tugging at the heart strings, this movie wears it's heart on it's sleeve. It hits you right in the feels in good ways and bad. Andrew's complicated relationship with Dakota Johnson's character and her daughter will tear you apart inside. This is the best Johnson has ever been. Anyone who has struggled through that weird time in between college and the real world (like me) can really relate to the struggle Andrew goes through in finding his purpose. It's a hard time with lots to figure out.
3. The Banshees of Inisherin (HBO Max)
Martin McDonagh, Colin Farrell, and Brendan Gleeson are back baby. This time, McDonagh directs the story of two friends (Farrell and Gleeson) who are at an impasse when one abruptly ends their lifelong relationship. I love these three's work in the dark comedy In Bruges, but this is their magnum opus. The Banshees of Inisherin begs the question - is there more value in being kind or cementing your legacy? The dialogue from Farrell, Gleeson, and one of 2022's breakout stars Barry Keoghan (Eternals, Dunkirk) is incredibly clever. Keoghan has some incredible lines in this. It's probably Colin Farrell's greatest performance - and he's had a heck of a year. He'll be right up there with Brendan Fraser for Best Lead Actor. The topic of loneliness and despair is sometimes difficult to watch on screen but nearly everyone can relate to growing apart from a longtime friend at some point in their life. It's difficult to find a flaw in The Banshees of Inisherin.
2. The Batman (HBO Max)
Thankfully, this is one 2022 movie that lived up to the hype. I was pumped for this when it was announced and I was not let down. You can read my full review of The Batman on my site. This movie is so dang good. Robert Pattinson was brilliant as the young Bruce Wayne, consumed by the night and fighting crime. Zoe Kravitz, Colin Farrell, Jeffery Wright, and Paul Dano all played their parts well and Gotham City felt so real. The score absolutely slaps and the cinematography is gorgeous. I love the decision to have a very grounded, detective story of a young Batman fighting crime in the underbelly of Gotham. Hard to say that it's better than The Dark Knight, but it certainly belongs in the conversation of best Batman movie.
1. Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount Plus)
I had no expectations whatsoever for Top Gun: Maverick. In fact, I thought it would be mediocre. To me, the original is nothing special and it's been 36 years since that came out, so who really cares. But this movie man. It absolutely bangs. It has brought life back to movie theaters. Tom Cruise slides back into the role of Pete "Maverick" Mitchell so effortlessly. He's an absolute madman in the best and worst ways and the best action star to ever walk the planet. Miles Teller was a great addition as Rooster, but I have a newfound admiration for Glen Powell (Hangman). (Check out Devotion and Everybody Wants Some! if you liked him too!) They managed to bring Val Kilmer back in the most beautiful way too. I'm a sucker for real, practical stunts and that's one thing Cruise makes sure his movies always gets right. No CGI. Real, immersive, and authentic. Top Gun: Maverick is all those things. It's one of the best action movies ever and deserves love for Best Picture. Blockbusters are back!
That's my 10 favorite movies of 2022 and where you can watch them. Let me know what your favorite movie was this year! I'm pumped to see what 2023 has in store for us - there are some major releases that are gonna be huge! I hope everyone has a great year and thanks for reading along with me!
- BH
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