TOPIC
The Best Movies of 2022
By Dan Dubon | December 31, 2022
2022 was a strong year for film, from big blockbusters, to indie movies, to Oscar contenders and to Horror there was something for everyone this year. Today I’m going to be ranking my Top 10 films of 2022, but first I have a few runner ups.
RUNNER UPS:
Emily The Criminal It’s no secret that Audrey Plaza is a quickly rising talent within the industry. “Emily The Criminal” provided her with a nice starring vehicle that gives you doses of anxiety similar to Safdie Bros movies, Uncut Gems and Good Time. If you liked those movies you should definitely give "Emily The Criminal" a watch. Decision To Leave Park Chan Wook awed audiences once again with Decision To Leave this year. A modern murder mystery that centers around a couple. Provided for one of the most intriguing, thought provoking and shocking movies that 2022 had to offer. The Northman Robert Eggers strikes again. Three years after The Lighthouse he brought us The Northman which is a captivating Viking revenge story with Alexander Skarsgard in the lead role. If you’re a fan of Eggers’ previous movies like me you’ll probably also be a fan of The Northman. The Black Phone After departing with Marvel/ Disney over creative differences regarding Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, Scott Derrickson lined up his next project with Blumhouse/ Universal. This is based on a short story that focuses on a mysterious man in a mask and his kidnapping of multiple children in a small town. Ethan Hawke is terrifying here as this ruthless kidnapper and the film also contains some of the best child actors I’ve maybe ever seen in a major movie. If you’re a fan of the horror/ thriller genre The Black Phone is definitely a must watch. Looking forward to seeing what Derrickson does next. Nope Following the breakout success Get Out and Us, Jordan Peele released Nope this year which is probably one of the most strange and terrifying movies I’ve seen all year. Daniel Kaluyya and Keke Palmer were great here in the lead roles. And Peele once again has proved that he’s a director to watch going forward. Cha Cha Real Smooth If the first thing that comes to mind is the dance move. You are indeed correct. Cha Cha Real Smooth released on AppleTV+ earlier this year and is Cooper Raiff’s follow up to 2020’s “Shithouse” which I was also a big fan of. Here Raiff portrays Andrew who is fresh out of college and still trying to find his path in life. Along the way he stumbles upon Lola and her mother Domino (Dakota Johnson) who he quickly forms a bond with. Cha Cha Real Smooth was one of the more relatable movies of this year for me on discovering who you are as a person and what you want out of life. Cooper Raiff and Dakota Johnson are both great here as the leads and I’m looking forward to whatever Cooper Raiff does next. 10. The unbearable weight of Massive TalentDid I hear that right? A Nicholas Cage movie released in theaters in 2022? And it’s actually good. Yes, indeed it is. Nicholas Cage has been having a bit of a comeback lately starting with Mandy back in 2018 and the continuing on to pump out good stuff like Color Out Of Space (2019), Willy’s Wonderland (2021), and Pig (2021). Nick Cage plays himself here and The Mandalorian himself Pedro Pascal joins him for the ride. This is probably one of the most entertaining and fun movies I’ve watched all year and hopefully the Nicholas Cage comeback is just beginning.
9. AmbulanceYeah yeah I know. Hearing the words “Michael Bay” if you’re a film lover is not a good sign for most people. Thankfully, Ambulance provides a bit of a comeback for him as it harkens back to his earlier work like The Rock and the Bad Boys movies. Ambulance follows Will Sharp (Yaya Abdul Mateen) who is desperate to cover his wife’s medical bills so he reaches out to his adoptive brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal) and they plan a heist but as always things don’t go according to plan so they have to steal an ambulance and end up taking an EMT hostage in Cam Thompson (Eiza Gonzalez) high jinks ensue from there. If the plot sounds crazy it’s because it is, but our core trio of actors here makes it work and Bay’s crazy directing style was just the cherry on top for me.
8. Top Gun: MaverickWhen I heard a Top Gun sequel was getting made I had to ask myself why? Does anyone need this? Yes yes we did is my answer to that question. Tom Cruise is a true movie star because he charms his way through this movie and also has a few good dramatic scenes. The rest of the cast is great including Miles Teller and Glen Powell. Top Gun Maverick is one of the best blockbuster movies I saw this year.
7. Bodies Bodies BodiesWhat if we made a slasher for the Gen Z generation? Is basically the premise of Bodies Bodies Bodies an A24 movie that was released earlier this year. As someone who is a part of the Gen Z generation, I have to say it is incredibly accurate for better or worse. Rachel Sennott is the true standout here in my opinion and I’m looking forward to what she does next.
6. Everything Everywhere All At OnceMichelle Yeoh takes center stage here in this wacky and bonkers multiverse tale. A24 has another win in their hands this year with this. This movie is probably one of the strangest but also best movies I’ve seen this year. I walked out of it amazed and was thinking about it for hours after I saw it. If that’s not the sign that you saw a great movie I don’t know what is.
5. PreyAnother Predator movie why? Was my reaction when I heard yet another Predator movie was coming to Hulu. However once I learned the film was directed by Dan Trachtenburg I became a lot more interested as he was responsible for the best Cloverfield movie 10 Cloverfield Lane. I think it’s safe to say this is the best Predator movie since the original. Taking this franchise back too the past is one of the best decisions ever as it allowed for a lot more creative freedom. The film follows Naru a Comanche warrior in 1719 who is eager to prove herself to her people. I haven’t seen Amber Midthunder in much but she was phenomenal here and she made for a pretty kickass protagonist. Now give us the Samurai Predator movie of our dreams Disney and release it in theaters this time.
4. The BatmanThe Batman is the best comic book movie I’ve seen all year period. Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves gave us The Batman movie most people have wanted for a long time including myself. Which is a noir mystery movie with Batman actually untangling a mystery. They don’t call the character the “world’s greatest detective” for nothing. The performances here are all top notch from Robert Pattinson, to Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano and an unrecognizable Colin Farrell. Easily the best comic book movie of the year for me and I’m eagerly anticipating “The Batman 2".
3. Glass OnionIt’s no secret that the 2019 Knives out was a surprise smash hit. So for me Glass Onion had a lot to live up to and it surpassed my expectations. I went into this almost completely blind and was surprised at every twist and turn thrown my way and was incredibly satisfied walking out of the theater. Everyone here gives great performances from Janelle Monae, Edward Norton, Dave Bautista (who continues to prove he’s the best wrestler turned actor) and of course Daniel Craig who is really shaping up to have an interesting career post Bond. Knives Out 3 can’t get here fast enough.
2. On the count of threeI think this is a movie everyone needs to watch at least once. Whether you’re depressed, have bad parents or are just genuinely frustrated with your life and the current state of the world, On The Count Of Three is the movie for you. I always say if a movie can make you feel something real or is relatable to you in anyway then it did it’s job well. Well I can admit On The Count Of Three definitely made me feel a lot of things. It’s scarily accurate, brutally honest and darkly funny at times. Christopher Abbott and Jerrod Carmichael knock it out of the park here.
1. The Banshees of InisherinI’ve always been a fan of Martin McDonagh and his voice that he brings to film. The Banshees Of Inisherin was a deeply moving movie for me. The camerawork is extremely beautiful, great uses of comedic and dramatic tones blended together, and amazing performances from all the cast members. The narrative is simple and basic but it worked because of McDonagh’s style of writing and his direction manages to take a simple story that is well explored and darkly hilarious. The characters are strange and funny to watch and the chemistry between Farrell and Gleeson is fantastic to witness. Hilarious, fun dialogue throughout, and is personally my favorite movie of 2022.
What were your favorite movies of 2022?
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