It has come time to finally lay the movie year of 2022 to rest. Yes, in January of 2023. I have always found it nice to take time to savor the year and really think on the films (aka use any extra time I have to catch up). Later this week I will share my Oscar categories but today, let’s take a look at the top 10 movies of 2022.
Top 10 Movies of 2022
10. The Outift – One of the year’s earliest films to catch my eye, The Outfit was a really taut thriller that at first seems unassuming before revealing the more sinister underbelly. Come for Mark Rylance in subdued mode and stay for a plethora of top notch supporting performances including Dylan O’Brien.
9. Mr. Malcolm’s List – A movie I wish we got more of, this delightful and lovely film gives us familiar period piece trappings and romance plots, but brings with it an ensemble of actors who truly make the most of the story. I’m still thinking about Zawe Ashton’s performance.
8. Argentina, 1985 – One of the last films I watched for the year, this movie is just a thrillingly composed movie. There’s lots of wonderful character moments and extremely strong performances, and the direction is superb.
7. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande – When you see a movie like this you know that if even one thing slips, the whole movie will flop. Luckily Emma Thompson and Daryl McCormack are so intune with their characters and so emotionally available they make this lovely script really sing.
6. Top Gun: Maverick – American exceptionalism is quite annoying but damn if it doesn’t look good on screen when done right. Tom Cruise leads this ensemble and Joseph Kosinski takes them to extreme heights. The action is dazzling and there’s just enough of a sense of foolishness to make this one of the enjoyable movies of the year.
5. The Bad Guys – This movie is just brimming with style and as such does Cohen’s words an even greater service by lifting them off of the page in an exciting way. Director Pierre Perifel uses the medium to do some fun visual things such as 2D textures, interesting camera angles and shot composition, that bring a fun energy to The Bad Guys. You’ll easily find yourself immersed in the world and having fun with the characters, and the movie will pull off a cool shot or make you say wow.
4. The Northman – Robert Eggers has established himself as a master of mood and tone and The Northman is one of the most well directed movies of the year so far, and his understanding of composition and storytelling helps take what is a very simple story to immense heights. I was dazzled by the imagery but also in how he maintains tension and directs the performances.
3. Happening – Audrey Diwan’s adaptation is a lean, mean, brilliant movie machine about a young woman in the 60s in France who wants to get an abortion. It’s power is not just in the timliness of its release but a movie that spares no eye for showing the truth, be that the character’s decisions or their hopes and dreams.
2. All Quiet on the Western Front – Just an impeccably made movie. This new adaptation of the seminal anti-war book adds some new material not featured in the first Oscar winning film and brings the story into a new life. What I loved most was how this movie felt like a complete experience, you get the good, the bad, and the ugly of what war is and the craft on the screen is out of this world.
1. RRR – It’s almost impossible for me to espouse all of the things that made this the best movie of the year. In fact, I’m almost reticent to talk about this film lest I mention anything. RRR is a movie best experienced with little to no understanding of what it’s about but I can say that director SS Rajamouli has crafted something so incredibly special with this movie. Every element of the movie works and it has some moments that you legit haven’t seen before.
You can view my full rankings over at Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/terencebjohnson/list/2022-films/