My FAVORITE MOVIES Of 2022
Yet another end-of-year list is upon us, this time featuring my favorite films of 2022. If you know anything about me, then you know I have a deep infatuation with movies and all things related. Keep in mind; it’s impossible to view every film from this year, so don’t develop a bottomless hatred against me because of this list. Or feel free! Do whatever you want. It’s all subjective anyway.
Even for myself, I still have quite a few I need to view from the year on my watchlist, but the year is coming to an end, so this is what I got! I don’t have a final number, but I viewed around 250 movies this year, with 15 percent or so being 2022 releases. Humble brag, I know. Let me have fun. I’m sure I’ll mention great 2022 movies I missed out on in the coming months. Regardless, here’s the list!
Notable Mentions
Before mentioning the primary top 15 from the year, figured it’s worth mentioning a few I enjoyed that didn’t crack the top tier. I’ll just mention the film’s information without my personal thoughts, so feel free to skim through and make a note if any interests you.
Barbarian
Genre - Horror
Director - Zach Cregger
Writer - Zach Cregger
Starring - Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, Justin Long
About - A woman staying at an Airbnb discovers that the house she has rented is not what it seems.
Emergency
Genre - Comedy/Thriller
Director - Carey Williams
Writer - K.D. Dávila
Starring - RJ Cyler, Donald Elise Watkins, Sebastian Chacon
About - Ready for a night of legendary partying, three college students must weigh the pros and cons of calling the police when faced with an unexpected situation.
Men
Genre - Horror
Director - Alex Garland
Writer - Alex Garland
Starring - Jessie Buckley, Rory Kinnear, Paapa Essiedu
About - A young woman goes on a solo vacation to the English countryside following the death of her ex-husband.
RRR
Genre - Action/Drama
Director - S.S. Rajamouli
Writers - Vijayendra Prasad, S.S. Rajamouli, Sai Madhav Burra
Starring - N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan Teja, Ajay Devgn
About - A fictitious story about two legendary revolutionaries and their journey away from home before they started fighting for their country in the 1920s.
The Outfit
Genre - Crime/Mystery
Director - Graham Moore
Writers - Graham Moore, Johnathan McClain
Starring - Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch, John Gumley-Mason
About - An expert cutter must outwit a dangerous group of mobsters to survive a fateful night.
Watcher
Genre - Thriller
Director - Chloe Okuno
Writers - Zack Ford, Chloe Okuno
Starring - Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, Burn Gorman
About - A young American woman moves with her husband to Bucharest and begins to suspect that a stranger who watches her from the apartment building across the street may be a local serial killer decapitating women.
My Favorite Movies Of 2022
I really enjoyed all of these movies, some of which are among the best I’ve seen in years. 2022 has been a genuinely great year for cinema, and it makes me excited to see what’s to come. As always, I won’t mention any major plot points or spoilers.
15. Bones and All
Genre - Horror/Drama
Director - Luca Guadagnino
Writers - David Kajganich, Camille DeAngelis
Starring - Timothée Chalamet, Taylor Russell, Mark Rylance
About - Maren, a young woman, learns how to survive on the margins of society.
Why You Should Watch
You tell me Luca Guadgnino has a new film coming out, and I’m watching it as soon as possible. You tell me Guadgnino has a horror film about cannibalistic drifters and my excitement meter couldn’t be higher. Bones and All is very close to being great, with my only real issue being its third act feeling a little rushed.
Even with its 130-minute runtime, I could’ve easily been invested in this universe for another 30 minutes. That’s a major staple of how good the movie is and everything works from the score, to the performances, to the information surrounding these born-cannibals, known as eaters in the film.
14. Resurrection
Genre - Thriller
Director - Andrew Semans
Writer - Andrew Semans
Starring - Rebecca Hall, Tim Roth, Grace Kaufman
About - Margaret's life is in order. She is capable, disciplined, and successful. Everything is under control until David returns, carrying the horrors of Margaret's past with him.
Why You Should Watch
For whatever reason, I don’t think enough people are talking about Resurrection, at least in my inner circle. Resurrection is a genuinely terrifying thriller about a single mother Margaret (Rebecca Hall) whose life seems to be in order until she sees a person from her past. Once you discover why Margaret is so terrified of this person—thanks to a seven-minute monologue of unfettered terror from Hall—the film hooks you into a disturbing tale that isn’t for the faint of heart.
13. Speak No Evil
Genre - Thriller
Director - Christian Tafdrup
Writers - Christian Tafdrup, Mads Tafdrup
Starring - Morten Burian, Sidsel Siem Koch, Fedja van Huêt
About - A Danish family visits a Dutch family they met on a holiday. What was supposed to be an idyllic weekend slowly starts unraveling as the Danes try to stay polite in the face of unpleasantness.
Why You Should Watch
Speak No Evil is somewhat polarizing because not everyone can get behind the characters’ decision-making and their inability to say no or get out of the situation they find themselves in. Though, once you understand it’s a social commentary about the horrors of being social, it’s easier to get behind.
It’s extremely disturbing and has the most jaw-dropping last act I’ve seen in a few years. The acting is excellent, the score is unsettling, and the general idea of it will leave you in a hopeless state for quite a while. Ensure you’re in the right mindset for it.
12. Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood
Genre - Animation/Adventure
Director - Richard Linklater
Writer - Richard Linklater
Starring - Milo Coy, Jack Black, Lee Eddy
About - A coming-of-age story set in the suburbs of Houston, Texas in the summer of 1969, centered around the historic Apollo 11 moon landing.
Why You Should Watch
After watching Bones and All, Resurrection, and Speak No Evil, you should probably cleanse your body with Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood. Pretty much anything Richard Linklater does is worth watching, and his latest is no different. Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood is a very enjoyable experience that feels entirely different than the typical nostalgia-bait genre that’s been propagating lately.
As someone completely unfamiliar with the late 1960s—being a part of Gen Z as they say—the film does a great job of making me understand what suburbia for the average family was like in 1969. I plan on showing the film to my parents since they can probably relate better to it than I can. I should probably do that soon before I forget.
11. Nope
Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi
Director - Jordan Peele
Writer - Jordan Peele
Starring - Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun
About - The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.
Why You Should Watch
It’s always a great feeling to have a lot of faith in a Director and know that anything they do is a must-watch. Jordan Peele has been three for three since his 2017 debut with Get Out. His latest, Nope, is his most ambitious and largest film to date. It has the spectacle of a major blockbuster, and thankfully, it landed on every front—doing well with critics, audiences, and the box office.
Personally, while Nope didn’t surpass Get Out for me, I enjoyed it more than Us, and it’s probably my favorite theater experience of the year. The visuals, set-up, and general mystery make it a perfect theater viewing, and I don’t think anyone going into the film can predict where it ends up.
10. Pearl
Genre - Horror
Director - Ti West
Writers - Ti West, Mia Goth
Starring - Mia Goth, David Corenswet, Tandi Wright
About - In 1918, a young woman on the brink of madness pursues stardom in a desperate attempt to escape the drudgery, isolation, and lovelessness of life on her parent's farm.
Why You Should Watch
I knew Ti West had something special cooking after viewing X earlier in the year, and am blown away by how great Pearl is considering its predecessor came out six months prior. It’s not common for two films of a trilogy to come out that quickly together, even if they’re filmed back to back. What makes these films so great is how different they are from one another. X is a very well-done slasher, while Pearl is more of a character study with slasher elements.
I prefer Pearl—hence why I have it on this list—but they’re both must-watches, especially if you’re a horror fan. Mia Goth is truly incredible, and as her character devilishly says, she’s a star! Even though we know what happens to Pearl years later because of X, it’s an enthralling experience to see how she gets to that point, and if you’re hoping for a grand finale, it pays off in the end.
9. The Northman
Genre - Adventure/Action
Director - Robert Eggers
Writers - Sjón, Robert Eggers
Starring - Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang
About - A young Viking prince is on a quest to avenge his father's murder.
Why You Should Watch
I am a massive Robert Eggers fan and feel anything he’s involved with is worth watching. As unique and risky as The Northman is at times, it’s Eggers’ most palatable film and one I’d recommend first, before The Witch or The Lighthouse. I had the pleasure of viewing the film at the theater, and its epicness and rugged yet stunning nature felt heightened because of that experience.
It’s a shame it didn’t do better at the box office, but at least audiences and critics alike agree that it’s a great film. The Northman will work for you whether you’re a fan of action, fantasy, revenge stories, or epics. Watch it on the biggest screen you have, and enjoy it.
8. Everything Everywhere All At Once
Genre - Action/Comedy/Sci-Fi
Director - Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
Writers - Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
Starring - Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis
About - An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, in which she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led.
Why You Should Watch
What’s to be said about Everything Everywhere All At Once that hasn’t been said already? By now, if you haven’t joined the hype train yet, you should. Everything about this dense and sprawling film works effortlessly and perfectly represents why we go to the movies in the first place.
It’s hilarious and has incredible action sequences while being very touching and relatable as otherworldly as the story is. I hope it does well at the Oscars because it’s impressive what Everything Everywhere All At Once manages to accomplish, somehow blending widely differing influences from The Matrix to Wong Kar-wai’s In The Mood For Love, and many others. It’s awesome.
7. Funny Pages
Genre - Comedy
Director - Owen Kline
Writer - Owen Kline
Starring - Daniel Zolghadri, Matthew Maher, Miles Emanuel
About - A bitingly funny coming-of-age story of a teenage cartoonist who rejects the comforts of his suburban life in a misguided quest for soul.
Why You Should Watch
Funny Pages isn’t meant for everyone, and that’s okay. No matter how familiar you are with absurdist dark comedies, I promise the film will make you very uncomfortable at some point. Funny Pages somehow manages to have a slew of characters who are all varying grades of unlikeable.
I don’t think I’ve ever watched a film where you don’t really have anyone to root for, yet you’re deeply invested in the story of Robert (Daniel Zolghadri) and the odd and infuriating choices he makes throughout the story. I’ve probably never laughed this hard while watching a movie and for that alone; I have Funny Pages ranked where it is.
6. Decision to Leave
Genre - Romantic Mystery
Director - Park Chan-wook
Writers - Park Chan-wook, Chung Seo-kyung
Starring - Park Hae-il, Tang Wei, Lee Jung-hyun
About - A detective investigating a man's death in the mountains meets the dead man's mysterious wife during his dogged sleuthing.
Why You Should Watch
Movies like Decision to Leave make me wish I lived in an A-Market so I can view limited-release films at the theater instead of waiting for them to become available on streaming. Regardless, Decision to Leave is a sprawling film with so much to unpack and analyze, and a string of surprises all the way to the end.
The cinematography makes it worth visiting alone, but pairing it with such an unnerving romantic mystery has Decision to Leave as a nearly flawless film. I haven’t seen enough of Park Chan-wook’s films, but now I need to view them all after this experience.
5. Tár
Genre - Drama
Director - Todd Field
Writer - Todd Field
Starring - Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss
About - Set in the international world of Western classical music, the film centers on Lydia Tár, widely considered one of the greatest living composer-conductors and the first-ever female music director of a major German orchestra.
Why You Should Watch
In its simplest form, Tár is a slow and provoking character epic that doesn’t have the answers you might expect or hope for. The film centers around meticulous self-destruction but doesn’t give a clear opinion on the events surrounding the character in Lydia Tár.
We get to make up our minds about Tár and the characters around her, while the film is open-ended and not detailed enough to make a clear decision. There’s a lot to unpack from the film, and it’s done so well, thanks to its masterful direction and performances, making it one of the best of the year.
4. All Quiet On The Western Front
Genre - War/Drama
Director - Edward Berger
Writers - Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell
Starring - Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer
About - A young German soldier's terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I.
Why You Should Watch
I’ve loved war films ever since I rented Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line as a kid in the late-2000s. Though there are plenty of bad or overly patriotic garbage war films, I’d argue that the good ones have accomplished something extremely challenging—telling a great story while not overly glorifying the notion of war.
Not only does All Quiet On The Western Front do an excellent job of having layered characters thrown into the depths of war, but it doesn’t romanticize the concept of war one bit and should be required viewing for anyone who idealizes it. This film genuinely strikes me, don’t miss out on it.
3. Triangle of Sadness
Genre - Comedy/Drama
Director - Ruben Östlund
Writers - Ruben Östlund
Starring - Thobias Thorwid, Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean
About - A fashion model celebrity couple joins an eventful cruise for the super-rich.
Why You Should Watch
Triangle of Sadness is a three-part scathing satire about class and social roles. Scenes go on in a painfully realistic fashion while being ridiculous and witty enough to spark a lot of laughter. The film has a lot to say and simultaneously has the most nausea-inducing scene I’ve ever witnessed.
The immaculate direction, incredible performances, and clever script make Triangle of Sadness a modern favorite for me. I really enjoyed this film and went into it completely blind, which only enhanced it for me. All you need to do is know Woody Harrelson plays an alcoholic Marxist ship captain. What more could you want?
2. The Banshees of Inisherin
Genre - Comedy/Drama
Director - Martin McDonagh
Writer - Martin McDonagh
Starring - Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon
About - Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.
Why You Should Watch
In my first Movies Worth Watching post, I mentioned how much I love The Banshees of Inisherin. It was my favorite of the year until yesterday, which says a lot about what’s first on my list. The film takes a simple premise of a friend cutting another friend out of their life without a straight reason and combines it with an interesting setting—a 1920s island off Ireland—and great acting while being painfully truthful.
The film digs deeper into memory and what lives on after our death. More specifically, it asks if niceness lives on or if just the arts or respective accomplishments continue without us. It’s a perfect movie in my opinion, and I’ll be re-watching it every year.
1. Aftersun
Genre - Drama
Director - Charlotte Wells
Writers - Charlotte Wells
Starring - Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio, Celia Rowlson-Hall
About - Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn't.
Why You Should Watch
Aftersun crushed me. All I’ve heard are good things about Aftersun and purchased it two nights ago without knowing much about it besides how universally loved it is. Right from the start, the film presents an unsettling tone where you know something terrible is going to happen, but you’re not entirely sure what. As the film slowly opens up, you enter an emotional rollercoaster that gives some sense into who Sophie is and why she’s reflecting on this holiday with her father.
To put it simply, Aftersun is the single best depiction of depression and grief I’ve seen in a film. That isn’t hyperbole. The film is beautifully done while being profoundly painful and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I watched it. With focuses on childhood, parenthood, and memory, Aftersun is not only my favorite of the year, but may become one of my favorite films ever made someday.