In a blink of an eye 2022 has come and gone, and this year several excellent films graced our screens. Between big-budget legacy sequels, “eat-the-rich” satires, and high-caliber horror, this year certainly delivered in terms of quality. Here, in my humble opinion, are the Top 10 Movies of 2022…
Rian Johnson has never made a bad movie and he continues that streak with Glass Onion. Mysteries and whodunits have always been a strength for Johnson but this time he gets to amp everything up a little bit more. Though Glass Onion treads familiar ground, the twist and turns still find ways to subvert expectations while also feeling timely. In any other year, I’m not sure that I love this movie as much as I did and though I thoroughly enjoyed the original; we may find ourselves with one of those rare exceptions where the sequel outshines its predecessor.
There seemed to be quite a few class commentaries that found their way into the ranks this year; the aforementioned Glass Onion and The Menu, just to name a few, but my personal favorite was Triangle of Sadness. This story, told in three parts, was absolutely captivating for all the right reasons. Woody Harrelson is a joy but then Dolly de Leon steals the show as we get to view power dynamics shift in the face of catastrophe. I’m not sure that Triangle of Sadness brings anything new to the conversation of classism but it certainly wants you to acknowledge privilege and question where you would be without it.
Robbert Eggers provides us with a revenge tragedy in a way that only he can. Visually, this film is a feast. The landscapes are stunning, the Norse rituals are dripping with psychedelic imagery, and the action sequences are absolutely hypnotic. And all the while, we start to see depth in this story as we dive deeper into the choices our characters are forced to make throughout. Saying this epic is brutal is an understatement, but this well-worn story is told in such a way that I felt like I was viewing it for the first time.
Watcher has to be one of the most deceptively unsettling movies of 2022. Chole Okuno does an incredible job of bringing the audience directly into the experience, forcing you to reckon with everything that our lead is feeling. Every ounce of paranoia, isolation, and self-doubt is performed by Maika Monroe with such perfection that you feel all of it. Don’t be fooled by the slow burn, each moment and detail is placed with such craft that it only makes the third act that much more rewarding.
Bones and All is just a stunningly beautiful look through the American Midwest in this incredibly well-crafted story about finding oneself, creating identity, and finding out what it means to be loved and worthy of love. It’s heart wrenching, terrifying, and Mark Rylance is deeply unsettling. Taylor Russell also carries this movie with such grace and nuance, making it impossible to not feel the weight of each and every scene. Oh… they’re also all cannibals.
Romance? Thriller? Mystery? Regardless of what box or label you try to place around Park Chan-wook’s latest venture, it hits the mark. From a technical standpoint alone, Decision to Leave makes a case for being one of the best movies of the year. Then you add in the top-notch performances, the dreamy aesthetic, an engaging murder mystery and you find yourself with a movie that sits with you long after the credits roll. It’s not my favorite from Park but, as always, he flat-out delivers.
Speak No Evil is strange in the sense that I certainly don’t recommend watching this movie; at least without giving people fair warning that it is deeply unsettling. From the very beginning Tafdrup seems to be on a fairly straightforward thriller trajectory; but as the story starts to unravel we begin to question the rationality of the characters we’re watching. Though choices are made that seem irrational and irresponsible, as time passes, the audience is forced to reckon with whether or not we are as rational as we think. Fedja Van Huet puts on the performance of a career in this movie you will only watch once but once will be enough.
This might be a hot take, but Nope may very well be the best thing that Jordan Peele has put on film. Nope is a visual spectacle and it certainly doesn’t hurt that Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluyaa are at the top of their game as well. Sprinkle in some well-placed humor and some genuinely horrifying imagery and you’ve got the recipe for a top-notch viewing experience.
Martin McDonagh presents us with a deeply tragic warning about masculine reservation and the impact it has on others and ourselves. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson both shine in their respective roles, while cinematographer Ben Davis delights us with a truly haunting and beautiful landscape. Rage, shame, guilt, and scarcity all rear their heads in this wonderfully written story that is proving to be a favorite of many.
What can be said about this movie that hasn’t already been said? EEAAO is arguably one of the best movies of the last 10 years. Daniels have perfectly crafted a film that defies genres. Blending sci-fi, fantasy, action, comedy, familial drama, romance, and so much more while never losing sight of its meaning. Michelle Yeoh delivers a deeply grounded and connected character study in such an outlandish setting, while Ke Huy Quan gives this movie so much heart, and Stephanie Hsu presents us with one of this year’s most versatile performances. It’s weird and quirky and wild and loving and deep and thoughtful and only gets better with each re-watch. Hands down, the best movie of the year.