My Top 10 Films of 2022

Best Movies of 2022

Hello there. It’s been a while since I last wrote a review or made a list on here, but I’ve been doing my best of the year lists for a while and wanna keep up with that. As always this is just my opinion and I can only judge the movies I’ve seen. The only honorable mentions I’m going to mention is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness which had a lot I liked but a lot that I found disappointing and the other is Black Adam, which which fun and had good action and had a credits scene that made me very happy for a month and now it just annoys me when I think about it. Onto the list.

10. “Violent Night” - Dir. Tommy Wirkola

To start off the list at number 10 is Violent Night. David Harbour stars as a Santa who’s become disillusioned with his job and is thrust into a Die Hard scenario. Violence ensues and Christmas is saved. This premise is so stupid but so brilliant. The debate for the last several years has been “is Die Hard a Christmas movie?” and so they decided to make a Christmas movie that is also a Die Hard movie. The filmmakers couldn’t have been clearer where their influences were between the aforementioned Bruce Willis classic and references to classic Christmas films like Home Alone or A Christmas Story. This is easily now a holiday classic for me and plan to watch with my friends next holiday season and would recommend it to anyone who wants to see Santa Claus smash in someone’s head with a sledgehammer.

9. “Bullet Train” -Dir. David Leitch

Similar to Violent Night, Bullet Train is an all-out action fest. The cast is stacked with great talent and everyone gets time to shine. This movie had amazingly choreographed action, constant twists and turns, and many laughs. The dialogue throughout the movie reminded me of a Guy Ritchie or Quentin Tarantino movie and it kept me constantly engaged even when there wasn’t action. They also made great use of flashbacks as they always popped up in unexpected moments and there’s always a solid pay-off for them. Just a ton of fun.

8. “Elvis” -Dir. Baz Luhrmann

At this point the Oscars haven’t yet aired, but if anyone deserved the best actor award for 2022 it’s Austin Butler for Elvis. He completely embodied the role and brought so much depth to the king of rock and roll that I didn’t realize was there. This movie stands out from other musician biopics due to Baz Luhrmann’s unique vision and style and doesn’t just show how Elvis came up with his songs but showed all of his ups and downs and how he was manipulated throughout his entire career which is something that surely happens often in the entertainment industry but to see how someone as famous and as iconic as Elvis Presley in that situation was surprising to see. Amazing performances and a ton of style set this film apart.

7. “Nope” Dir. Jordan Peele

Jordan Peele does it again with arguably his best directed film yet. This time he’s made a very unique Sci-fi western with incredible cinematography and acting with clever reveals and mis-directs. All set in the world of filmmaking with a message of just how far people will go for fame and spectacle and a very fitting title, Nope was more thriller than horror film and a great time at the cinema.

6. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” Dir. Ryan Coogler

After the tragic passing of the late Chadwick Boseman, it was unknown how Marvel would handle his passing in the Black Panther franchise. Many people people wanted and still prefer they had separated the character and the actor and recast. They even more recently recast the role of General Ross after the passing of William Hurt to Harrison Ford. They ended up giving the character of T’challa a very similar end to Chadwick himself. I do understand the reasoning of this as the cast and crew were greatly affected by his passing and they used this film as a way to grieve his passing. In the end, this aspect really worked for me as it brought forth emotion to a level absent from pretty much every other MCU movie. Sure, there’s still some of the usual marvel humor, but it’s not overbearing and it doesn’t take away from the emotions. Angela Bassett deserves all the praise she’s been getting for her incredible performance and steals the show whenever she’s on screen. Letitia Wright really surprised me as I didn’t think she had what it took to take up the lead role but she killed it and she had a very interesting arc throughout the movie. For the antagonist, Namor, I loved what they did with him and his hidden underwater kingdom. They very clearly differentiated him from DC’s Aquaman in a way that made him one of my favorite MCU characters. Lastly, Chadwick Boseman and his place in the story is clearly missing but you can feel his presence throughout the full film and the way they honored him should bring anyone to tears.

5. “Glass Onion” Dir. Rian Johnson

A sequel/spin-off of Knives Out, Glass Onion once again follows Daniel Craig as the great detective Benoit Blanc and his crazy accent. This time he’s brought to an island of rich people during the pandemic and the rest you’ll have to watch the movie to find out. It’s on Netflix. It’s really good. The cast is all perfect and just as star-studded as the first movie. The dialogue is clever and hilarious and the twists are often surprising and stupidly predictable on purpose. The finale was very morally satisfying just like the first movie and I loved all the commentary on the different types of people during the pandemic as well as their commentary on [REDACTED]. After sitting on this one for a while I think I prefer Knives Out but it’s very close.

4. “Top Gun: Maverick” Dir. Joseph Kosinski

For many, this was the movie of 2022. Tom Cruise just simply knows what the people want to see when they go to the movie theater. The original Top Gun is a classic but having rewatched it before this released it’s very much a product of its time with some quotable lines and great chemistry between its cast members. Maverick began with a stunning sequence and then proceeds to tell basically a modern version of the original film. If it ended there it would’ve been a good movie. But it didn’t end there. They proceed to go on a high stakes mission with the best fighter pilot action in any movie all thanks to Tom Cruise and crew’s commitment to realism. One of the best films in years that brought people back to the cinemas for a film best seen on the big screen. Exactly what the theaters needed coming out of the shutdowns in 2020. I don’t think Tom Cruise single handedly saved the movie theatre business, but Maverick was a great movie that put butts in seats for longer than most other recent movies.

3. “Avatar: The Way of Water” Dir. James Cameron

As someone who saw the original Avatar once at the movie theater under protest, I was never excited for this movie nor the countless sequels that James Cameron has planned. After hearing the buzz surrounding this movie that took so long to make that it could technically be counted as a legacy sequel I saw it. In 3D, no less. Man, was it worth it. The Way of Water boasts the best visual effects I’ve ever seen in a movie bar none. Sure, the story doesn’t blow you away, but he still has messages att he heart of it and even goes heavy on the message of conservation. The visuals are absolutely stunning for the entire run time and looked so good to the point that you’ll forget that the Na’vi are actually people in motion capture suits and not real aliens. There’s nothing else I can say about this movie besides it’s the best looking movie maybe ever and it’s still in some theatres after 3 months so go see it while you can.

2. “Everything Everywhere All At Once” Dir. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

The indie movie that had everyone everywhere talking all at once about. This movie was a unique masterpiece in that there’s simply nothing else like it. I can’t describe the things that happen in this movie because it all sounds insane. In a time where the MCU and other big franchises are deciding to dive into the concept of the multiverse, the Daniels had a different view on that concept and crafted a film that uses that concept to tell a small scale story about family and love and generational trauma all while giving the spotlight to an amazing set of Asian actors including Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, and James Hong. A film with great action, acting, visuals that’ll blow you away with a significantly lower budget than Avatar, and an everything bagel. Everything Everywhere All At Once is bonkers and incredible.

1. “The Batman” Dir. Matt Reeves

As a fan of the Batman mythos since I saw The Dark Knight which made me love both cinema and Batman, I have to say that Matt Reeves’ The Batman is the best solo Batman movie ever made. I say solo because I still prefer Zack Snyder’s Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition, but this movies just about Batman and not also Superman. Unlike even other Batman movies like Christopher Nolan’s trilogy or the older movies by Tim Burton or Joel Schumacher this film put an emphasis on Batman as a character with everything else being secondary. This film does feature some of the most iconic villains of the caped crusader in Riddler, Catwoman, Penguin, and even Joker, but the focus is always on Batman. Not even Bruce Wayne. We don’t have to see his parents gunned down yet again, but the effect of that event is still felt throughout the movie and even becomes plot important. Robert Pattinson barely takes the mask off throughout this 3 hour movie. He embodies the character in a way unseen in any of the other movies where Batman typically only puts the mask on for action scenes and when he wants to say “I’m Batman.” Zoe Kravitz is also an incredible Catwoman and her chemistry with Pattinson is off the charts. Colin Farrell is unrecognizable as the Penguin becoming more Tony Soprano than Danny Devito. Paul Dano becomes a true crime-like serial killer as the Riddler before becoming a classic comic book super villain. Jeffrey Wright kills it as Jim Gordon who’s more like Batman’s partner than ever before with the two of them sharing a ton of screen time. I loved their dynamic. Andy Serkis enters the long line of great Alfreds with a few incredible scenes. I hope he gets more time in the sequel, though. Not to mention John Turturo surprising as the perfect Carmine Falcone, the soft spoken, manipulative mobster kingpin. Director Matt Reeves homaged David Fincher thrillers like Se7en or Zodiac as well as classic Batman comics like The Long Halloween to create a comic book movie masterpiece. Amidst recent changes to the DC movie universe, I’m still very much looking forward to what Matt Reeves cooks up next in the sequel and the planned spin-offs for HBO Max.