It’s easy to say that 2022 was the greatest comeback year for films since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and even a few years before it. Films that have been in “development hell” for years, or passion projects that have slipped by various studio goalies, have emerged to create a nostalgic cinematic experience that I have yearned for but have not been able to experience in so long.
With the cinema landscape having been open to the public continuously over the past year, Hollywood, and some more silent heavy hitters, have emerged to bring beautiful films both internationally and domestically. Since the release of films this year has been so broad, I would like to start off with a few honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the Top 10 cut, but rightfully deserve recognition for their stellar achievements in filmmaking. Keep in mind, these mentions will be brief.
Honorable Mentions
Nope dir. Jordan Peele
It’s no surprise that Jordan Peele and his fabulous production team at Monkeypaw Productions are one-of-a-kind in the films that they delivered, with Get Out having one of the greatest screenplays in cinematic history, but Nope is certainly no exception to this. Bringing stellar visual effects and performances, especially by the inimitable Keke Palmer, and being one of the first horror/thriller films to be shot on IMAX almost all in broad daylight deserves easy placement in my mentions. It did not receive any Oscar nominations this year, unfortunately, but I hope to cement my love for this film, which did not come to me on my first watch, on this list.
Barbarian dir. Zach Cregger
Easily one of the most surprising films I have ever seen. Working off a $4 million budget, exceeding $45 million at the box office, and directed by all-time comedy legend Zach Cregger, Barbarian is one of the most creative, disturbing, and hilarious films I have seen in recent years, all while under the umbrella of the horror genre, which has not received its proper recognition in the awards space. I truly cannot say much about this movie without asking you to see it for yourself. Truly, you can’t have nice s*%t in Detroit.
White Noise dir. Noah Baumbach
I think the Roger Ebert review of this film does a great job of capturing the many themes that resonated with me so much in this film through its absurdist translation. White Noise is an especially ridiculous film that touches on internal/external reactions to death, consumerism, and the heavy unspoken trauma that everyone around us deals with, but we tune out and continue to treat it like the eponymous title itself. So obscure, but I had to mention it because of the final grocery store scene. I want to inject LCD Soundsystem directly into my veins.
With that out of the way, time to move into the top ten!
10. The Northman dir. Robert Eggers
Having not seen Robert Eggers other undeniably famous works, that being The Witch and The Lighthouse, I was unsure what to expect going in. Needless to say, I was met with a gritty epic tale of one man’s goal for vengeance to join his fellow Norse warriors in the halls of Valhalla. I somewhat knew of the straightforward simplicity to be expected going into a Viking tale such as this. Still, the raw costuming, makeup, performances, and acting by the cast made the entire experience that much more worthwhile. Eggers’s passion for the story he is trying to tell speaks for itself once we are met with the vast green landscapes and old Norse combat. The true standout was Alexander Skarsgård, but Nicole Kidman and Anya Taylor-Joy even held their own in such a large-scale story as this one. I truly believe that this is an easy recommendation if you are in the mood for an all-time revenge story of epic proportions.
9. Avatar: The Way of Water dir. James Cameron
My expectations for Avatar in the weeks leading up to its theatrical release were dim. Having not remembered the spectacle and cultural significance of the original Avatar, mainly due to the almost 13-year time difference, I was not expecting much. However, I could not have been more wrong, as within the first 30 minutes of the film, I was again immediately whisked to the world of Pandora, all in part thanks to the magic of James Cameron. The visual effects create continuous waves of euphoria that washed over me with every frame. I am and always have been, a proponent of practical vs. CGI. Cameron takes that notion and blows it completely out of the water by making the unreal become reality. Truly, every detail from the humming of Pandora’s grass influenced by the spirit of Eywa to every single creature and landscape, and the water. As simplistic an element as water is within a film and the everyday world, Cameron finds a way to connect you to the mundane in the most spiritual way possible. Simply put, I need more, and I don’t think Cameron is gonna stop any time soon, thankfully.
8. Marcel the Shell With Shoes On dir. Dean Fleischer Camp
I was lucky enough to get the chance to watch this film quite early in 2022. With so many good films coming out in the latter half of the year, it is so easy to forget all of what came before it. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On tugs at your heartstrings in the purest of ways by putting you in the position of falling head over heels for this cartoon shell who simply wants to find his family. That’s it, that’s the movie. The quiet moments that exist in the in-between, as well as the naive yet important moments that Marcel experiences along the way, are what make this movie truly magical. No matter what happens, Marcel always finds a way to keep going and pushing toward a better life and future. His hope is an inspiration to everyone, and his existence is a constant reminder to us all just how lucky we are as humans and how much we can take for granted in the smallest of moments. Even the smallest of creatures can have the biggest of hearts.
7. The Banshees of Inisherin dir. Martin McDonagh
I struggled with this film the most when deciding where to rank it. Initially, I didn’t feel the need to rate it at all, as my first experience left little to be desired. However, I couldn’t stop thinking about the film several weeks after my first watch. The film is so deceptively simple, all the way up to the film’s end credits, that it felt so difficult to describe the experience. After some thought, I can tell you now that the film’s depiction of the spiraling depression Brendan Gleeson’s character goes through is grueling and, at times, hard to watch but leaves you feeling immense sorrow for him and how he affects those around him. Despite Colin Farrell and Gleeson’s longtime friendship, its complete upheaval tears up the entire island, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter to the rest of the world. For the tiny island of Inisherin though, their friendship is essentially their entire world and both Gleeson and Farrell are right in their own ways about how significant their relationship with one another is. For Gleeson it is meaningless, but for Farrell, well, it is partly his reason for existing. I need to rewatch this film several more times to finalize my opinion on it, but for now, it remains at the number 7 spot.
You can read Harrison’s review of The Banshees of Inisherin here.
6. Cha Cha Real Smooth dir. Cooper Raiff
I highly doubt anyone else is going to have this film in their top 10, but this film will forever hold a special place in my heart for several reasons. To sum it up, this film is the best depiction of a 20-something-year-old trying to adjust to life, romances, and family after graduating from college. Keep in mind, Cooper Raiff is also a 20-something-year-old trying to make his way into filmmaking after having left college. Also, Cooper was born and raised in Dallas, Texas just like me, so when the opening credits start with ‘The Show Goes On’ by Lupe Fiasco, a wave of nostalgia, middle school dances, and unfulfilled/impossible crushes washed over me. This second movie from amateur Raiff is something so perfect in my heart, that I expect greatness in the director’s future. Seriously, I do not doubt that Cooper Raiff will be the next big upcoming filmmaker. Check it out!
You can read Rohan’s review of Cha Cha Real Smooth here.
5. Top Gun: Maverick dir. Joseph Kosinski
In a year full of surprises, Top Gun: Maverick follows this same pattern by completely surpassing my expectations and outshining the original in every way. The sequel departs from uninteresting plotlines, besides the central romance which I felt was unnecessary, and instead engages in severe generational conflict between old friends, as well as the past catching up to an aging Cruise/Maverick. The cheesiness factor and cliches that were present in the first film are not completely removed, but still play a charming enough role that it doesn’t detract from the greatest asset to the film, the stunts. The way the nearly impossible and never-been-done-before dogfighting choreography mixed with a clever drama piece between Maverick and Rooster truly achieves a level of emotional depth that was so entrancing to the eyes and the senses. Top Gun: Maverick was the blockbuster we needed to reignite an industry of action that, in the eyes of Hollywood, was in fear of dying. While the military propaganda is there, and Cruise continues to garner resentment globally (as he should), that doesn’t mean I can’t deny this is one of the greatest action films I have seen in a while.
You can read Luke’s review of Top Gun: Maverick here.
4. The Batman dir. Matt Reeves
To this day, people will continue to debate amongst one another about which version of Batman they love the most represented on the silver screen. Within the debate, you always have fans of The Dark Knight still trying to shoot down any opinion that counters it. I believe that this Batman is undeniably, at least for me, the best Batman film yet. The Batman places Robert Pattinson, who I believe absolutely nails playing the World’s Greatest Detective, in a neo-noir setting within Gotham almost 2 years into his career as the Caped Crusader. This film goes deeper into embracing the villain/hero dynamic like The Dark Knight but also takes the Riddler villain and turns him into a much more disturbing character, until we reach a familiar game of cat-and-mouse that I always crave in detective films such as this one. This is a detective film, no matter which way you spin it. We are now in an age of the moody modern Batman grappling with the social refuse of Gotham while trying to deal with the internal conflict of how similar he is to the criminals he puts away. An absolute joy to see a return to the Batman character in the best way possible.
You can read Spencer’s review of The Batman here.
3. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish dir. Joel Crawford
Let me start out by saying this probably should be my number 1 or 2 film, but a part of me just doesn’t think it feels right. If you know me, you know that I have talked about this movie at length, but let me just say that this movie had no right being as perfect as it is. This film is a sequel to a spin-off of another sequel of an animated film. That combination alone sets it up for failure, and yet its near 11 years in development have paid off in dividends to create what I believe to be one of the greatest films of the last year (possibly even decade). The eye-popping color and dynamic animation tears traditional 2D/3D animation, propagated by companies like Disney-Pixar, to shreds and mimics the beauty of why Into the Spider-Verse was so highly acclaimed. The beautiful watercolor backgrounds have flaws within each stroke, but the imperfections are what breathe so much life into the film. The voice acting is on-point with Antonio Banderas’s leading performance absolutely stealing the show as he is clearly having a blast while doing it. The plot, while simple, is executed perfectly. The way the film touches on death, family, and what it means to live a life all in a tight 100-minute runtime should honestly be studied. The humor is actually funny, and the villains are the real stars of the show (No spoilers on villains here). Seriously, go watch this movie. Also, I did a podcast on it along with UW Film Club Co-President, Luke Wilhelm. I go into much more detail on it there than I will here. Btw, I have cried to this movie at the same part every time I’ve watched it, and I’ve seen it 5 times. You do the math.
You can listen to the full podcast here.
2. Tár dir. Todd Field
One of the few actors who I think absolutely goes hand-in-hand with some of the greatest performances I have ever laid eyes upon in cinema, such as Michelle Yeoh in EEAAO, is Cate Blanchett who absolutely steals the show in Tár. Displaying the rise and fall of fictitious conductor who is supposedly the world’s best is something that, while doesn’t seem as interesting on paper, proves the point of politics in the world of music always seem to create some of the most cinematic experiences imaginable. Such an evil character having everything stripped away from them to the point where from the final minute of the film till the end of the credits left my mouth agape, is a rare feat. Every emotion and every movement are heightened to the nth degree. While Blanchett is already known for amazing character studies, there is nothing wrong with adding another accolade to the mix. You do truly love to hate her by the film’s end. While Todd Field claims this to be his final film, all I can do is sit here and stir over the chance of possibly waiting another 15 years, if it means we get something as fantastic as this once again.
1. Everything Everywhere All At Once dir. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
Everyone, everywhere, all at once knew that this was coming. Truly, this is a perfect film in every sense of the word. As hard as it is to grapple with all the emotions that overtook me in the theatre upon my initial watch, I will do my best. First of all, to see Michelle Yeoh and, especially Ke Huy Quan, share the screen with one another despite such severe gaps in their respective resumes was enough of a delight in itself. Newcomer Stephanie Hsu’s performance was so mesmerizing that The Daniels themselves changed the script just for her to bring an even crazier edge to her character in the film, which I loved. This film speaks to such a variety of themes that the overwhelming sense of maximalist dread it churns out and hypersensitivity to where you feel all emotions at once almost makes one feel nauseous. While the scale is truly larger than something we could possibly comprehend, The Daniels have created such a perfect pace so as the effects of the film as panacea help alleviate all ailments. You laugh, you cry, you sit in silence, and you sit in awe. The film oozes creativity, personality, fear, anxiety, passion, and love that it almost physically hurts. Some may highlight how this film and A24 as a whole have done masterful works when highlighting Asian-American experiences and intergenerational conflict/trauma. That is completely valid and true, but the beauty of the film lies in its beauty to resonate with a wide variety of audiences. For me, its ability to so succinctly capture the overwhelming sense of the modern world and how it can cause you to simply collapse at points struck such a severe chord with me that this film propelled itself to my top 4 films of all time. All I can remember is the feeling of catharsis that I had once the magical collaboration between Mitski, David Byrne, and Son Lux rang out at the film’s end. A 1-minute silence, dried tears all across my cheeks, and my best friend by my side at the film’s finish, I will never forget this experience. Thank you again to The Daniels and I could not be more excited for what comes next.