Your favorite movies of 2022 (1 Viewer)

[benbess]

What have been your favorite movies of 2022? Hope to see some top ten lists (or whatever number) here.

Here are my favorites of 2022....

1. The Fabelmans
A heartfelt and yet sometimes sharply pointed exploration of the intertwining of family and film. I hope to see Oscar nominations for Judd Hirsch, Michelle Williams, and Gabriel LaBelle.

2. Seeing Red
Although released on Disney+, this epic and hilarious comedy set in Canada is from my pov is the most original movie from Pixar in a while.

3. Till
A powerful performance by Danielle Deadwyler anchors this film, which had me reaching for my Kleenex. I hope she's nominated for an Oscar.

4. Avatar: The Way of Water
Dazzling 3D and motion capture animation in Cameron's new epic, which took a decade to make. Hope to see this one a second time in the next few weeks.

5. Dragon Ball Super Hero
OMG this one was so funny! And spectacular. Jaw dropping animation.

6. Poupelle of Chimney Town
Another masterpiece of animation from Japan.

7. Armageddon Time
Haunting evocation of an era that I lived through. Anthony Hopkins, one of my favorite actors of all time, brings it home again. His last gaze at the end of the film, part smile and part pain, is still haunting me. Really liked Anne Hathaway in this. And newcomer Banks Repeta is also strong in a demanding role. He'll be one to watch.

8. Downton Abbey: A New Era
Cinematic comfort food, but I really enjoyed it. Some poignant moments.

9. The Woman King
Historical fantasy blended with some real life things in a powerful and action-packed drama set in Africa. The real-life inspiration for Wakanda's women warriors.

10. Bullet Train
What a great popcorn movie! Laughs and action all the way.

11. The Rise of Gru
I thought this animated origins story from the 1970s was actually the best in the whole series. Lots of laughs. Fun animation.

12. Pearl
A very twisted and funny horror movie set during the time of the Great War. A bit of love for the cinema is thrown in. From my pov this is the best horror movie of 2022

13. Memory
Liam Neeson in a tough neo-Noir directed by Martin Campbell (Goldeneye, The Mask of Zorro, Vertical Limit, and Casino Royal)

14. Mr. Harringan’s Phone
A thoughtful adaptation of a Stephen King story. More suspense than horror, but I liked it for that reason.

15. The Worst Person in the World
She's far from the worst person, but is something of a muddled Norwegian mess in this comedy-drama

16. Halloween Ends
Thank goodness. But a good ending nonetheless from my pov.

 

[Thomas T]

The year's not over and I have much to catch up on but so far:

Apples (actually 2020 but not released in the U.S. until 2022).
Crimes Of The Future
Everything Everywhere All At Once
The Forgiven
Glass Onion
The Hours
Nope
The Outfit
Peter Von Kant
Three Thousand Years Of Longing

and yes, I've seen Tar but it was a disappointment overall.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

My favorite movie of 2022 was The Menu.

Nothing else has even come close.

 

[benbess]

My favorite movie of 2022 was The Menu.

Nothing else has even come close.

Interesting. Haven't yet seen The Menu, but it's still in theaters so maybe I'll get a chance to in the next week or so.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Interesting. Haven't yet seen The Menu yet, but it's still in theaters so maybe I'll get a chance to in the next week or so.

I think it also comes to Hulu/HBO Max and disc within the next couple weeks as well, though I will say it’s the only new film I’ve seen twice in theaters this year. It played well with an audience.

The less you know going in, the more you’ll enjoy it.

 

[benbess]

Another vote for Fabelmans....

 

[BobO'Link]

I have to say Hocus Pocus 2 simply because it's the only movie released in 2022 that I've seen to date. I own copies of 7 or 8 others that I'm 100% sure are going to be far, far, superior to that entry, but just haven't yet made time for them. I only saw that one because it was on at a relative's house when we did a birthday thing there during October - basic captive audience...

 

[Jake Lipson]

I always have trouble with ranked lists because there are so many really good movies and ranking them feels somewhat arbitrary. It is almost easier to make a list of least favorite/worst movies because I don't see anywhere near as many things that are bad enough to be on a "worst" list, so when I think something is bad enough to go on that, it's really notable.

I'll have to think more about a longer best list. That being said, I will say that without question my favorite movie of the year is Lightyear. I was just so happy while I was watching it. I was seven years old when Toy Story came out and I've been a huge fan of Buzz ever since. Like most people, I was taken aback when Pixar announced a movie for him that wouldn't star Tim Allen. But it didn't take much for me to get on board. It felt while I was watching it that it was made specifically for my inner seven-year-old Buzz fan. Not in a sense that it talks down to adults -- it doesn't, and I loved it as an adult too -- but I mean that in the best sense of making me feel like a kid in a candy store during the movie. It was everything I didn't know I wanted until it was in front of me.

It also has one of my favorite surprise twists ever, which left me shaken. There are a handful of jaw-dropping moments I've had in a theater that I will remember forever, and this was one of them.

I love going to the movies, but I have been doing significantly fewer repeat viewings than I would have pre-Covid. So Lightyear is also the only movie this year I saw in the theater three times.

And because I mentioned worsts, the worst movie I saw this year is the Disney remake of Pinocchio directed by Robert Zemeckis. It is an absolute abomination and the less said about it the better.

 

[Jake Lipson]

The Hours

What is this? Wasn't The Hours released two decades ago?

 

[benbess]

My favorite movie of 2022 was The Menu.

Nothing else has even come close.

I did like The Menu! A twisted mystery-horror movie with a great cast. Did not see the ending coming, but liked it a lot.

My revised favorites for 2022, adding The Menu and one I'g forgotten, the Korean War movie Devotion.

Top movies released in 2022
The Fabelmans: A+
Turning Red: A
Till: A
Avatar: The Way of Water: A
Dragon Ball Super Hero: A
Poupelle of Chimney Town: A-
Armageddon Time: A-
I Wanna Dance With Someboy: A-
Downton Abbey: New Era: A-
The Woman King: A-
The Menu: A-
Bullet Train: A-
Devotion: A-
The Rise of Gru: A-
Pearl: A-
Memory: A-
Mr. Harringan’s Phone: A-
The Worst Person in the World: A-
Halloween Ends: A-

 

[Indy Guy]

The French film Eiffel. I love stories that feature the creations of human imagination. Eiffel was released in the US briefly in June, but had a major release late 21 in France. It combines an in depth look at the struggle to get the Eiffel Tower approved and built against a “ménage a trois” period romance. They are woven together by an excellent score from Alexandre Desplat. English subtitles can be downloaded to a thumb drive to sync perfectly with the French 4K scope disc. The final scenes contain a twist that magically cements Eiffel’s two conflicting passions together forever in a most amazing way.

 

[JohnRice]

My favorite movie of 2022 is The Fallout.

In true 2020s fashion, The Fallout was filmed in the summer of 2020, but apparently wasn't viewed outside the SxSW festival until January 2022, so I'm counting it as a 2022 film.



Three high school students, Vada (Jenna Ortega), Mia (Maddie Ziegler) and Quinton (Niles Fitch), who would never interact under normal circumstances, are brought together during a mass shooting at their school. The Fallout explores the aftermath of the shooting, and the vastly different ways people cope with such trauma. Every character, from the three main ones to supporting ones, is powerfully written and portrayed, often in a distinctly realistic, "un-cinematic" fashion. Everyone has to move on in their own way. Some, like Vada's friend Nick, who seems to be inspired by David Hogg of the Parkland murders, turn it to action. Vada seems to be the most lost, initially denying the impact, then fearing she should find more purpose to it, while Quinton, who undeniably experienced the most trauma of the group, exhibits the greatest, quiet strength. Some parents are unintentionally harmful in their enthusiasm to see their children heal, while others are simply absent.

I've watched The Fallout at least four times, and I see more depth to it every time.

Jenna Ortega has been getting a lot of attention for the NetFlix show Wednesday, but I think she's the real deal.

 

[Thomas T]

What is this? Wasn't The Hours released two decades ago?

Not that The Hours. The Metropolitan Opera production filmed and shown in theatres (I assume it's also streaming). Here's what I wrote about it:

In 1923 London, the writer Virginia Woolf (Joyce DiDonato) is struggling with the opening line of her novel, MRS. DALLOWAY. In the late 1990s, a book editor (Renee Fleming) is planning a party for her friend Richard (Kyle Ketelsen), who is dying of AIDS. In 1949 Los Angeles, a housewife (Kelli O'Hara) dreads dealing with her duties as a wife and mother. Based on the acclaimed novel by Michael Cunningham and directed by Gary Halvorson (the film) and Phelim McDermott (the opera). The idea to turn Cunningham's novel (made into the 2002 Oscar winning film) into an opera was inspired! Comparisons to the book and film are irrelevant. What music brings to this complex work is exhilarating. Kevin Puts' sublime score accompanied by Greg Pierce's precise libretto is a thing of beauty. Opera on film can be problematic, usually because the performances are too exaggerated for film. They may have beautiful voices but they're not really actors. Luckily in Fleming, O'Hara and DiDonato we have three strong actresses who bring depth and naturalism to their performances, not just their superb voices. Kudoes to Yannick Nezet Seguin's conducting and the orchestrations are stunning. Yes, it's a film of the Metropolitan Opera production rather than reconceived as a movie but it's still one of the best movies I've seen all year. You don't have to be an opera lover to be enthralled by this production. With William Burden, Sean Panikkar and Denyce Graves.

 

[Alex...]

The best of 2022.

Downton Abbey: A New Era
Crimes of the Future
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Bullet Train
Nope
Top Gun: Maverick
Moonfall
Where The Crawdads Sing
Prey
The Northman
The Black Phone
Halloween Ends
Fall
M3GAN

 

[Keith Cobby]

I think it's been a poor year (possibly due to covid overhang) although I have seen a fair few, but except for Top Gun, it's been the Bond reruns. Next year should be better with Oppenheimer, JW4, and MI7 in the pipeline.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I need to catch up on a lot of stuff. This has been a horrible year for me actually getting to the cinema. So, hard to make a list at this moment.

Two pictures that likely will be on my best of 2022 list, The Banshees of Inisherin and Three Thousand Years of Longing. Both were outstanding films in every way and stuck with me after watching them.

The Northman is also likely to make my top ten of the year. Potentially the crazy entertaining Bullet Train, probably the best action comedy of the year. I need to look at the group I have seen and catch up on the many 2022 pictures I have not seen and see what rises to the top.

 

[Wayne_j]

My top 10 in alphabetical order.

1. All Quiet on the Western Front
2. Avatar: The Way of Water
3. The Banshees of Inisherin
4. The Batman
5. Everything Everywhere All At Once
6. The Fablemans
7. Glass Onion
8. The Menu
9. Top Gun Maverick
10. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

 

[Walter Kittel]

I probably shouldn't be posting as I really, really haven't seen much, but some of the films from this year that I've enjoyed include:

The Batman - Dark and stylish exploration of the title character. Terrific film.
Bullet Train - Terrifically entertaining and chaotic action cinema.
Everything Everywhere All At Once - Probably my favorite film of the year with a look at the multiverse that could teach the MCU a thing or two about its portrayal.
Prey - Arguably the best film in the franchise since the first Predator movie.
RRR - Incredibly entertaining and not quite like anything else I've seen this year.
Top Gun: Maverick - An entertaining exercise in nostalgia with some well executed action set pieces.
Werewolf by Night - Features a great homage to the Universal monster films with style to burn.

- Walter.

 

[usrunnr]

The Fabelmans. Outstanding. I love this film.

 

[Tino]

M3GAN

This is a 2023 film and hasn’t been released yet. How did you see it?