Finally got around to doing this! My favorite films of 2022 Banshees Of Inishirin Emily The Criminal The Menu Bullet Train I Love My Dad Hustle Vengeance Good Luck To You, Leo Grande Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Everything Everywhere All At Once My favorite TV shows of 2022 The Rehearsal Better Call Saul Severance White Lotus Barry The Bear Cobra Kai Stranger Things Hacks House Of The Dragon
1) The Banshees of Inisherin 2) Everything Everywhere All At Once 3) The Civil Dead 4) Crimes of the future 5) RRR 6) Top Gun Maverick 7) The Northman 8) Incredible but True 9) Thirteen Lives 10) On The Count of Three There's a ton of shit I haven't seen this year. I watched mostly older stuff this year, and I have an insanely hard time focusing on anything anymore.
https://reverseshot.org/features/3028/best_2022 Coincidentally, Saint Omer is going somewhat wide on Friday.
My top 10 plus short thoughts on each. 2022 was a really great year for movies. 1. Everything Everywhere All At Once - It's been a while since I walked out of a theater and instantly knew I've just seen one of my favorite movies of all time. It's held up for me on rewatches as a movie that almost perfectly captures the chaos, confusion, and overwhelming nature of the internet age. 2. Banshees of Inisherin - It's easy to be cold, cruel, and cynical. It's not so easy to be kind. Also, Collin Farrell's eyebrows. 3. Tar - Those in high towers would love to believe the narratives they build around themselves. If they can shield the world from their true selves, can they hide it from themselves too? This had my favorite ending of any movie this year. 4. RRR - This movie is what's missing from nearly every recent Hollywood blockbuster: sincerity. There's no winking at the audience to try and shy away from how silly it all is, it's just committed all the way through and that's what makes it such a great time at the theater. 5. After Yang - This isn't really the main theme of the film, but I'm fascinated with how it examines memory. Our memory of past events shapes our behavior in the present. Subtle differences in how we remember things can drastically reframe our understanding of that moment or relationship. 6. Aftersun - Similar to After Yang, this one features someone looking back, trying to hold on to someone, and using memory and documented footage to understand who they were. Even though our parents shape our lives more than any other figure, they can be difficult to truly know. 7. Nope - I don't have much to add that hasn't already been discussed with Nope. Each of Peele's movies since Get Out has been a little less straightforward and a little messier, but they continue to be a perfect combination of thought-provoking and entertaining. I hope he keeps getting funded and finding box-office success because we need more of this. 8. Triangle of Sadness - Most of the conversation I've seen around this is just how it's an unsubtle attempt at a class takedown. It's true, it's not subtle, but I think it's a little more complex than that. It's a (very funny) look at currency as a construct. What counts valuable in different environments and how does that shape class relationships? 9. Moonage Daydream - This one turned me into a full-blown Bowie fanatic. It fully engrossed me in his music and made me feel as if I could understand what might have been going through Bowie's head throughout his storied career. 10. Bros - There's a good chance recency bias put this one here. It hits all the typical beats but it's not just "typical romcom, but with two guys", (the movie states this thesis numerous times) rather it starts with the idea of exploring gay relationships and builds the romcom structure around that. The result was the most hilarious romcom I've seen in years but also one with genuine moving moments. Honorable mention: Fire of Love, Saint Omer
Nice to see Athena get love. For something so impressive, I thought it flew way under the collective radar. This also reminded me that I need add Return To Seoul to my list. Easy to forget movies that aren't easy to see in theaters and aren't streaming yet.