TOP 15 BEST MOVIES OF 2022
- Arm Jeungsmarn
- Feb 28, 2023
- 8 min read
Updated: May 31, 2023
Compared to the past two years, 2022 is chockfull of surprises.
Since this was the year the long-anticipated Marvel fatigue finally settled in, we no longer see top-ten lists dominated by big-budget superhero flicks like Spider-man: No Way Home.
Instead, films like Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Adam, Doctor Strange 2, and even Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opened to disappointing reactions.
This is not to say that big-budget films have lost out completely. In fact, we see unexpected success in films like Top Gun: Maverick and perhaps more controversially, Avatar: The Way of Water.
Still, this is the year when audiences became increasingly bored with the formulaic commercialism of big-budget films, turning more toward independent creators. The ridicule that the Disney live-action Pinocchio suffered in the face of Guillermo Del Toro’s stop-motion version is a microcosm of this trend. Concurrently, we have the success of many low-budget horror flicks, rising under the swelling tide of the recent horror renaissance.
For me, 2022 was a particularly stressful year. News of war, natural disasters, man-made disasters, and humanity’s slow march toward extinction fill my daily life with existential dread. This explains why my favorite movies of the year are ones that provided a dose of optimism, a sense of levity, or some sort of cure for nihilism. This does not mean happy movies per se, but films that give me a chance to escape, to contemplate, to be overwhelmed, to lose myself to something more than the dreadful mundanity of the everyday world. They are cinema to be experienced, not to be watched.
Here are some of those “experiences”, as they might be called.
Honorable Mentions:
The Long Halloween Part I & Part II
While staying pretty faithful to its source material, this animated Batman film makes for an entertaining two-parter that one can easily pop in and enjoy at any time.
(Credits: IGN)
Batman is the only superhero that will make the list this year. Matt Reeve’s take on the cape crusader suffers from the incomplete characterization of Bruce Wayne (one that may be intentional and can still be fixed/ developed in future films), but its portrayal of Gotham and the villain’s roster are exceptionally good. I have not been more excited to see more from a superhero franchise in a long time.
(Credits: The Upcoming)
This is the last film I cut from the list, and as I’m writing this, I’m still of two minds about it. Robert Eggers makes the most accessible films of his career so far with The Northman, a simple revenge tale that relies on visceral performances, unforgiving soundscapes, and awe-inspiring cinematography. Watching this film in the cinema, I was absolutely inspired. No film this year makes me appreciate the raw power of sights and sounds more.
(Credits: The New York Times)
While Konogada’s follow-up couldn’t quite measure up to its predecessor Columbus, After Yang is still a beautiful and meditative film that would’ve been much higher on the list had it been slightly subtler with its core message.
(Credits: Rolling Stones)
Perhaps the best predator sequel so far, and a star-making performance by Amber Midthunder.
(Credits: Mashable)
Scott Derrickson moving away from Marvel Studio and returning to simple horror stories led to one of the best allegories of domestic violence I’ve seen in a while.
(Credits: Letterboxd)
Barbarian is the epitome of this year’s small-scale horror renaissance. This film feels like a few movies in one – but in the best way possible. Its genre-shifting and tone-jumping makes for an unpredictable ride. Its first act is admittedly much better than the latter two – the only inconsistency that prevents it from creeping up higher on the list.
Now let's get into the actual list...
(Credits: The Guardian)
Probably the only film on this list that can be described as “stupid-fun”; Glass Onion continues the social commentary of its predecessor Knives Out while doubling down on the twists, turns, and eccentric characters. It’s great to see Daniel Craig having so much fun with this character who seems to be the complete opposite of James Bond. The rest of the ensemble is having just as much fun, each giving distinct flavors that come together in a mosaic of conflicts and charisma.
(Credits: IMDb)
14. Fresh
Mimi Cave’s directorial debut Fresh is, as its name would suggest, the freshest thriller/horror film of the year. Cave’s style also pairs very well with Lauryn Kahn’s horrifying and darkly comedic script. By all accounts, this is a simple movie done with refreshingly energetic craftsmanship. It is a straightforward story done right, elevated by the grounded acting of Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Sebastian Stan’s equally electrifying performance.
(Credits: TIME)
13. A Hero
A Hero is yet another great sociological film by Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, who also made one of the best films of the 2010s – A Separation. In this latest effort, Farhadi tackles the issue of performative morality, media romanticization, and economic exploitation, and ever so slightly questions the cultural complacency of modern Iranian society. It is an interesting glimpse that reveals the crooked structure, which explains the harrowing protests sweeping Iran today.
(Credits: NYT)
12. Turning Red
Turning Red encapsulates the best part of modern Pixar when its attempt to be socially conscious results in opportunities being given to a deserving rising star. Director Domee Shi, a Chinese-born Canadian animator makes her feature-length debut in a semi-autobiographical account of what it feels like to come of age as a young woman in an Asian diaspora family in Toronto. Turning Red borrows the allegorical style of Studio Ghibli, using fantastical premises to convey real-world struggles such as inter-generational trauma, domestic abuse, and stigma over menstruation. It is an entertaining, fascinating, and brave family film that reaches the heights previously reached by classics like Inside Out.
(Credits: The Guardian)
Considering director Ryusuke Hamaguchi made the best film of 2021 with Drive My Car, one is tempted to speak of Wheels of Fortune and Fantasy as his lesser effort. The film itself feels like an afterthought – a series of anthologies with loose thematic connections. And yet this film really stayed with me. Its story, its characters, the atmosphere, and the mood it evokes, all linger in my mind throughout the year. It is a testament to Hamaguchi’s strength as a filmmaker. Wheels also climb up high on the list because of how pleasant it is as a movie, even though it is tackling sad issues such as loss, unrequited love, loneliness, and longing.
(Credits: Entertainment Weekly)
10. Nope
Sometimes, Jordan Peele’s movies are less appealing as horror stories, and more as mysteries. Even more so than his previous films, Nope is an amazing mystery (even better than Glass Onion). By the time the mystery unravels, it devolves into scenes of utter terror. And that’s when the social commentary becomes clear. All the while, audience members attach themselves to myriads of fun and relatable characters. There is no better blend of arthouse cinema and summer blockbuster fun than this Jordan Peele joint.
(Credits: Rotten Tomatoes)
9. C’mon, C’mon
C’mon, C’mon is a simple film that evokes such beauty that it hurts. It presents a slice-of-life story with an optimistic twist that brightens the soul in dark times. While watching the film unfold, I prayed that it does not take some dark turns for the sake of drama. And it didn’t. It lets a simple story about a man hanging out with his nephew be just that – a simple, heartwarming story.
(Credits: Variety)
Martin McDonagh is one of the best writer-director of our era. He had already made what I think is one of the best films of all time with In Bruges, before taking a slightly disappointing turn in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, and then returning in blazing style with The Banshees of Inisherin. This movie reunites Colin Ferrell and Brendan Gleeson. They play two friends who started conflicting because one of them decided to end the friendship. It is a sharp criticism of masculinity, vanity, and perhaps subtly, war. Kerry Condon also gave a memorable performance, and so did the rest of the cast in fact. But the best part of it is getting to see McDonagh’s sharp, precise tragi-comedic dialog dancing in front of jaw-dropping cinematography.
(Credits: ARC Stockton)
From the tragi-comedy of Martin McDonagh, we immediately swing into the world of absurdist fantasy in Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All At Once. The film’s soaring popularity highlights the shameful contrast to the mediocre portrayal of the multiverse in Doctor Strange 2. And the filmmakers achieve all that with a very small budget. The creative use of visual imagery helps elevate Michelle Yeoh’s incredible performance. Most importantly though, this film presents itself as a cure to nihilism – something that we all need this year.
(Credits: Eagle Valley News)
6. Fire of Love
The only documentary to make the list, Fire of Love is like Wheels of Fortune and Fantasy in how it leaves a pleasant lingering taste that shields a seed of sadness. The only difference is Fire of Love is based on a true story. The film follows two volcanologists who fell in love and died doing what they love. Most of the films are interview footage, a narration of their writings, and gorgeous recordings of volcanic eruptions made by the two. The film respects its subject, and tried not to build grand narratives, rather letting the footage and quotes speak for themselves.
(Credits: The Guardian)
A bottled thriller that took place entirely in one restaurant and filmed seemingly in a single take, Boiling Point is held together by deft directing and well-balanced ensemble performances. That alone is enough to make Boiling Point worth a watch. But what elevates it to greatness is how much care the filmmaker gives to each individual character in the restaurant, while not losing sight of the central arc surrounding Stephen Graham’s character. I was particularly impressed when a small moment that hardly impacts the core storyline of the film somehow made me tear up. Of course, there was no time for the tears to dry before the film swings back into its frantic rhythm. This was a wild and emotional ride.
(Credits: MUBI)
4. Memoria
This year sees a lot of legendary modern directors producing some real masterpieces. From Martin McDonagh to Asghar Farhadi, and now Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s first completely international feature. Here, he teams up with Tilda Swinton to produce a beautiful meditation on collective memory, trauma, and the meaning of history. It is a haunting film that puts you in a deeply philosophical mood while contemplating the hidden histories of violence throughout human history.
(Credits: The New Yorker)
These final three films on the list have stood at the top of the list at least once before I finally reshuffled them to their respective spots. First, we have The Worst Person in the World, a Norwegian coming-of-age rom-com film that transcends the genre with its heady mix of filmmaking style. The film reminds me most of 2009’s 500 Days of Summer, but with sharper dialogues, a more grounded style, and impeccable directing. Renate Reinsve gives us what might be the best performance of the year, playing an aimless graduate student who swings between relationships as she tries to find a path for her own self.
(Credits: Variety )
2. Broker
Broker by Hirokazu Koreeda is the only film this year to make me cry unstoppably. This is not a surprise. Koreeda has done this before with the masterpiece that is Shoplifter. In many ways, Broker is even more ambitious than that film, tackling a subject as controversial as child trafficking. Once again, we find Koreeda peering his camera lens into the most depraved corner of the social order, only to find humanity in the most unexpected moments. It is that contrast between the dim light of humanitarianism and the darkness that surrounds it, that makes Broker so emotionally uplifting (and devastating at the same time).
(Credits: Tribune)
1. The Menu
The Menu takes the top spot because it gives me the most unforgettable experience, I’ve had in a movie theatre in years. From the first shot in this film, I was locked into a different world, entirely under the spell of director Mark Mylod and the perfect ensemble cast. The entire movie feels less like a series of moving pictures, and more like a live performance. Every moment feeds into the next seamlessly, like a perfect progression of chords, or perhaps a more appropriate metaphor – a perfect balance of flavor. The Menu gives us sharp social commentary perfect for the current era, and yet that isn’t the whole message. If anything, this movie is an ode to artistic integrity and how we can lose the connection to our creation in the whirlwind of commercialism. It is a reminder to all the overworked people of the world to take a step back and find themselves, to not be caught in the raging tide of perfectionism and productivity.
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