Top 10 Films of 2022
The past year was a strange one for film, with Covid-19 still lurking in our everyday lives but mandates slackening. Audiences returned to the theatre, albeit not quite at pre-pandemic levels. This year also felt the effects of the pandemic on filmmaking: plenty of films came out but there weren't the huge array I usually find myself struggling to keep up with.
Until this past month, I actually had not even seen enough films that I liked this year to fill a top 10 list. Luckily December was filled with release dates for films I was eager to see, and the blizzard over the holiday weekend allowed me time to catch up on the handful of movies I hadn't yet gotten to from my watchlist.
A lonely scholar, on a trip to Istanbul, discovers a Djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.
Directed By:
George Miller
This movie can be summed up as "The Fall but make it George Miller". The visuals are unparalleled and it's brimming with the never-ending depths of George Miller's creativity. While it was by no means perfect, I don't agree with other reviewers who are saying this film feels "slow". While it isn't the high-octane gut punch that is Fury Road, it doesn't want to be. This is an adult fairytale that finds strength in its hypnotic art direction and sharp editing. It serves as a commentary about the modern age, and it’s lapse in enthusiasm for exploring fresh or unique ideas.
09. Banshees of Inisherin
Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.
Directed By:
Martin McDonagh
When I first heard about this film I was confused and intrigued at how basic the premise of it was. Had this been done by anybody other than Martin McDonagh, I don't think I would have rushed to see it. The plot is so simple yet so easy to empathize with that it is impossible not to see yourself in at least one of the main characters. Films don't often make you laugh and cry simultaneously. This film has the sharp dialogue and fully realized characters we've come to expect from McDonagh while also being unlike any of his previous works.
08. Bones and All
Maren, a young woman abandoned suddenly by her father, learns how to survive on the margins of society.
Directed By:
Luca Guadagnino
I almost skipped this movie entirely due to the terrible trailer, but I got bored one night and decided that Timothée Chalamet is at too much of a high point in his career to do a mundane romantic film. Yes, this film is technically a "romance", but it also circumvents those genre tropes and never feels sappy. I'd say more but I'd rather not spoil the premise in case you aren't already aware of the finer details of the plot. If anything, the gorgeous coloring and cinematography should be enough for you to give it a chance.
07. All Quiet on the Western Front
Based on the novel about a young German soldier's terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I.
Directed By:
Edward Berger
Since I enjoy war films, I knew I would enjoy this by default. In anticipation of its release, I read the book again. The choice to make a war film from the losing side's viewpoint offers a lot of material that isn’t often explored. This film does not shy away from the innate trauma that war instills on soldiers. While it differed from the book, I believe every creative liberty they took was well thought out and allowed for equal emotional impact.
06. Nope
The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.
Directed By:
Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele is 3/3 with feature films (I'm one of the few who really loved Us and everyone in their mind loved Get Out). The marketing for this film was as much of a misdirect as we assumed while simultaneously being perfectly honest about what to expect. The entire movie was shot so magnificently that you could really feel the love that Peele poured into this movie. He is one of the few directors whose enthusiasm is so intricately apparent down to the last detail, leaving no part of it not well thought out.
05. Athena
Hours after the tragic death of their youngest brother in unexplained circumstances, three siblings have their lives thrown into chaos.
Directed By:
Romain Gavras
I didn't know anything about Athena except for a single person online mentioning it supposedly had "one of the most memorable opening sequences" and they were NOT wrong. Not only is the beginning incredible, but the entirety of the film is a masterclass in complex scene structure and cinematography. This film starts off with a bang and somehow maintains pace with its ever-evolving conflict until the end credits roll.
04. Triangle of Sadness
A fashion model celebrity couple join an eventful cruise for the super-rich.
Directed By:
Ruben Östlund
I felt like this was two separate films at first but the more I considered each part both together and separately I just fell more in love with this movie. The long setup is beyond worth the eventual punchline and makes perfect sense when you consider the fact that it needed you not just to meet these characters but to wholly understand them in order for the circumvention of social hierarchy to work as well as it did.
03. Ted K
An exploration of Ted Kaczynski's life in Lincoln, Montana in the years leading up to his arrest as The Unabomber.
DIRECTED BY:
TONY STONE
A surprisingly honest exploration into what drove a man like Ted Kaczynski to become the Unabomber. Often Using actual quotes from Kaczynski manifesto in lieu of dialogue, the film doesn't shy away from giving us an unflinching glimpse into the mind of such a person, while never glorifying the violence that came to define him.
Ted K was actually the first movie I watched in 2022 and I am not surprised that it stayed with me enough to make it onto the end-of-year list. I'm a huge fan of Sharlto Copley by default and he somehow still surprised me with how well he did in this film. It is not easy to play a criminal so infamous without making him feel like a cartoon or a super-villain.
02. Everything Everywhere All At Once
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.
Directed By:
Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
I know, I know. If you haven't seen this movie yet you've definitely seen people singing it's praises. Trust me, this is one of those rare films that is absolutely worth the hype it received. This is the kind of film that literally anyone can appreciate and everyone will love. I went in blind before seeing this in theatres and boy was I in for a one-of-a-kind experience. This movie is like nothing else and it has more heart than anything I've seen in a while.
01. Blonde
A fictionalized chronicle of the inner life of Marilyn Monroe.
Directed By:
Andrew Dominik
This will be a controversial choice due to the widespread criticism of this film received on release (much of which is valid!). However, I have to admit that I am an avid Andrew Dominik fan. He can do no wrong in my eyes. There's just something in his movies that really speaks to me and Blonde is no exception. This film's long runtime is well worth it, thanks to the tour de force that is Ana De Armas' increasingly fragile Marilyn Monroe is.
Honourable Mention
Pearl
The Northman
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Brian and Charles
The Stranger
White Noise
