The Optimist's Top 10 Films of 2022
Like any other year, 2022 has delivered some really great and memorable films that have moved me, made me laugh, cry, contemplate, and even question my own perspectives. Great art will do that, and this year did not have a shortage of fantastic cinematic art to behold. In yearly tradition, I've compiled my top 10 favorite films of this past year and as always, it was a tough endeavor. In what has been a weird year for me, personally - in that I've gone almost the entire year without posting any reviews (unheard of, for sure) - I'll try to give more than just a quick blurb for each entry. As with most years, trying to rank them from 1-10 proved to be extremely hard; it would be easier to simply list them out in no particular order, but people love lists and so I shall deliver! But just know that I loved all of these picks for a variety of reasons, and the ranking has many variables included. Okay, enough with the rambling, which has gone on long enough. Without further ado, here's my top 10!
10. PREY
I'll be honest, I'm just as surprised as you are that a Predator movie made this list. The Predator franchise is one that, like many, has been plagued by mediocre sequels to what is easily a masterful first film. I've enjoyed most of the Predator sequels on a purely entertaining level, and haven't put much thought into them once the credits rolled. But with Prey, it stuck with me...and I was shocked that that was the case. This prequel stands as not only what I think to be the best Predator movie since the first one, but arguably one of the most entertaining films of the year. The action is amazing, tense, and story-driven, which is not often the case with these kinds of movies. So many times action set pieces are simply thrown in for spectacle, but Prey delivers some really intense moments that actually have weight to the larger narrative. The production of this movie is breathtaking, and the performances by the cast as a whole, led by a brilliant turn from Amber Midthunder in the lead role, are way better than they needed to be. I was in awe throughout my whole viewing, and was at the edge of my seat from start to finish. All of the Predator elements we love to see are on display - the gruesome kills, the hunt-or-be-hunted mentality, etc. - but they all service a really well-written, beautifully-shot, and captivatingly-acted film, rather than just being there for the sake of being there. My only regret was not seeing this in the theater, which I don't believe was even an option. I think it came straight to streaming (Hulu), but if ever a movie deserved to be seen on the big screen, it would be this one.
9. BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER
The insurmountable task of making a sequel to Black Panther - one of the most important cultural moments in cinematic history - without the central component of Chadwick Boseman was one that many thought couldn't be done. But it was, and to an incredibly moving degree. The movie itself is heavy on the story side of things, but what really makes this movie shine is the overall presence of T'Challa in this movie, while also being a beautiful story about dealing with grief head on and overcoming differences to rise above those hard-to-deal-with issues that every human faces. I don't know what I can say that hasn't been said already, but this movie had me in tears from the first few minutes and didn't let up on the gas until the end. The introduction of Namor was thrilling, with a wonderful performance by Tenoch Huerta that will stand the test of time and be great to see in the MCU moving forward. The entire cast was amazing, with standout performances from Leticia Wright and Angela Bassett, who honestly deserves an Oscar Nomination for her performance here. The movie has narrative elements that seem very bloated at times, but the entirety of the experience as a whole rises above those issues and is one that I won't forget. I have to hand it to director Ryan Coogler and the entire cast and crew for making what seemed impossible a beautiful reality.
8. Guillermo del Toro's PINOCCHIO
The story of Pinocchio has been told so many times, and in so many ways. Earlier this year Disney released their live-action version of their original animated feature starring Tom Hanks, but that movie fails to even reach the smallest amount of magic that Guillermo del Toro's film exudes. I am a huge fan of stop-animation, which is a medium that doesn't get enough love. The amount of work it takes to make a film like this is arduous at best, but there's no denying the beauty that comes from the finished results. That's the immediate takeaway with this movie. The animation is astounding. I could go on for pages at a time just talking about the detailed nuances of the character performances in this piece. The animators are the true stars here, bringing to life characters that move and live within a realized world. Watching this movie muted would still feel magical. The story in this iteration will feel very familiar to anyone who has heard a Pinocchio tale, but this version is a darker, more serious telling that focuses more on Geppetto being a father than Pinocchio being a real boy. Even that notion of what it means to be a "real boy" is put into question here, and del Toro weaves a heavily themed narrative that is not afraid to go to some really dark and dire places. There wasn't a single moment watching this where I didn't feel captivated, either by the story or the visuals. If you haven't checked this movie out yet, I cannot express enough the importance of doing so. It's on Netflix, so do yourself a favor and make a movie day of it. It's truly fantastic. (Also, sorry Disney and Pixar, but this movie - in my eyes - is the clear front-runner for Best Animated Feature).
7. RRR (RISE ROAR REVOLT)
I could write an entire dissertation on why this movie is awesome, and it still wouldn't be enough space. I'll do my best to keep it to a meager paragraph. My biggest regret in 2022 is not seeing this movie on the big screen; it played for a while at my local theater and I never gave it a chance. Once it hit streaming, the world seemed buzzed on this crazy epic, and word of mouth convinced me to finally check it out...and my life changed for the better 😂. RRR is a fictitious story about two legendary revolutionaries that journey from home, meet, and form an unbreakable bond of brotherhood. Inspired by the stories of two real life revolutionaries, this movie posits what would have happened if they actual met, which never really happened. The movie is packed with insane visuals, over-the-top action, bombastic set pieces, and a sprawling story that is nothing short of a roller coaster of emotional intensity. It's a long movie, just over 3 hours, and yet it flies by in the blink of an eye. I've seen it twice all the way through and it was even better the second time around. Watch this with a group of friends, family, whoever you can get to experience the epic insanity with you. This movie is the funnest thing I've seen in a long time, and I'll be championing its awesomeness forever.
6. AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER
5. THE NORTHMAN
From the first moment I saw the trailer for The Northman, it shot towards the top of my must-see list. This movie came out earlier in the year, but has not left my mind one bit. Director Robert Eggers has delivered some of the most original and powerfully interesting movies in the last handful of years, with The Witch (which unsettled the crap out of me) and The Lighthouse (which was my favorite movie of 2019). Knowing this was a project he was doing was almost enough for me to see it, without seeing a single frame in a trailer. There's something to be said about the power of a filmmaker, and Eggers is one that I will see anything he makes because his pieces of art are going to be just that: ART. He has a specific style and approach to filmmaking that sets his films apart from others, making them unique in their own right. Eggers' visual storytelling is singular in its vision and style, and this movie has no shortage of insane visual storytelling. The Northman offers an epic story, with fantastic performances by Alexander Skarsgård and Nicole Kidman (which was arguably one of her best performances in anything as of late). This is a hard movie to watch at times with its brutality, but never once did that overtake the story. I felt like I was watching a true-to-life epic myth play out in real time, and I absolutely loved it. I think I saw this movie 2 or 3 times in theaters, and it just got better and better with each viewing.
4. THE BATMAN
I'm gonna keep this one brief because I feel like I've talked ad nauseam about this movie (and it's the one review I did manage to publish this year 😬). The Batman was fantastic. Utterly and unequivocally fantastic. The decision to lean into the detective aspect of Batman was a brilliant move, and this slow burn of a film gives us a Batman we really haven't seen on screen before - which for Batman is truly refreshing. Robert Pattinson's Bruce Wayne/Batman works incredibly well in this dark, noir telling, and it's by and large one of the best Batman films to date. Director Matt Reeves has delivered a film that is different enough in tone and style to set itself apart from not only other Batman films, but other comic book movies all together. I spent so much money on movie tickets to see this in theaters, and loved every single minute. As I said before, it's an incredibly slow burn, with a compelling villain (played to creepy awesomeness by Paul Dano), and will surely go down as one of DC's best films to date. I can't wait to see more of this version, hopefully sooner rather than later.
3. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
This movie, without a doubt, will and should be in the discussion for Best Picture come Oscar season. It's easily one of the most inventive and original movies I've ever seen, beyond just this year. It's a multiverse movie that does what Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness tried and failed to do: it delivered on the crazy aspect of a multiverse that not only seemed coherent but also interesting, evocative, and emotionally compelling. Is it fair to compare the two? Probably not, but seeing as how these two films were the two major "multiverse" movies that came out this year, it's hard not to look at what they both did with the idea. Doctor Strange: MoM was fun, but it wasn't this. Everything Everywhere All At Once explores so many different themes and ideas, from the immigrant experience, to familial relationships, and does so on a backdrop of multiversal action and large science-fiction ideas. It's brave in its storytelling because it feels confident and clear about what it is. I mean, there's a whole 10 minute sequence in this movie where we just watch two rocks, and it's one of the most touching and moving scenes ever put to screen. The performances here are off the charts, with brilliant turns by Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, and the always awesome Ke Huy Quan, who has resurged in the movie world to immense amount of love from fans. This movie is bonkers, and will forever be one of the funnest times at the theater for me. The events that play out are crazy, but at the core is an emotionally charged story that is incredibly relatable. If you've gone this long without having seen this, repent ye sinners and make it a priority. You won't be disappointed.
2. THE WHALE
When word first came out of the Venice International Film Festival of Brendan Fraser's amazing performance in The Whale, I immediately placed the movie on my most anticipated must-see list. Brendan Fraser's career has been an interesting one to follow. He's been in some of my favorite movies ever, from George of the Jungle (highly underrated classic) to the epically awesome The Mummy; Fraser has been a staple in my movie-going experience. Hearing the amount of love he was getting for this performance before the public was even able to see it was not only heartwarming, but so incredibly inspiring. When it became apparent that the movie would finally opened in my area (it had a limited release before opening wide), I immediately bought a ticket the moment they went on sale and counted down the days until that viewing. The Whale is based on a play and tells the story of Charlie (Fraser), a reclusive English teacher who wants to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter. On paper, that sounds like a simple story, but there is so much more to it than that. Charlie struggles with obesity; he weighs over 600 pounds, and his life is fraught with sadness, grief, and longing, beyond just his physical limitations. Fraser delivers the best performance of the year without question, let alone his career, and deserves the Oscar for his performance. No one in my mind comes close. There's a humanity to Charlie that shines through the pain and size, and that's all due to what Fraser brings to the role. He's supported by a small but wonderful cast, with great performances from Ty Simpkins, Samantha Morton, and Hong Chau whose performance as Liz - Charlie's caretaker and friend - is almost as heartbreaking as Fraser's. Liz cares for Charlie and understands that his choices are often life-threatening, but she struggles with enabling Charlie. Hong Chau is wonderful here, but it's Sadie Sink's performance that almost rival's Fraser's. Sink plays Ellie, Charlie's daughter, and she approaches the role with such prowess and finesse that it's shocking to see. Ellie is vindictive, harsh, almost borderline vile, but it all makes sense as the movie plays out as to where these feelings come from. By the end of the film, the story circles around and brilliantly ties everything together in a thematic and emotionally charged moment that will be forever seared into my brain. Director Darren Aronofsky - known for delivering really bizarre and "out there" stories - delivers a film that is so incredibly powerful, with an ending that was satisfying beyond the emotional resonance it strikes. I can go on and on, but I won't. I'll end by saying what I've been telling everyone: SEE THIS MOVIE. Brendan Fraser is brilliant, and I can't wait to see all the recognition he'll receive for this, because it's well-deserved.
1. TOP GUN: MAVERICK
If I'm being honest, it was hard not to consider The Whale for number 1, but Top Gun: Maverick was and is a perfect movie. I said it. I stand by it. You can disagree with me and that's fine. But I'll say it again: Top Gun: Maverick IS a perfect movie. Nobody expected this movie to do as well as it did, and I think it's because of a few factors, the first being that this movie was made for theaters and people genuinely want to go to the theaters. Though some people may disagree, we're still living in a pandemic-influenced world, and theater attendance is nowhere near what it was pre-pandemic. The fact that this movie got so many butts in seats in today's current climate speaks highly of what it has to offer, which brings me to my next factor. This movie is, simply, so much fun and everything you would want from a theater-going experience. It's action-packed, funny, thrilling, intense, and beyond satisfying. The way they shot the plane footage, with the cameras in the cockpits and the actors actually up in the air (not really piloting, but also not simulating the action in a stationary simulator) made for some of the most thrilling sequences put to screen. The visceral nature of production was the product of many people, cast and crew, who worked to bring the best version of the movie to us, and all of that was driven by the principle force that is Tom Cruise (factor number 3). Tom Cruise is one of the last few actors who has the power to put people in theaters simply because his name is on the poster. It doesn't matter what the movie is, if he's in it people will see it. Not only is he returning as a fan favorite character from an iconic film of the past, but his influence and dedication to realism and thrilling storytelling is all over this movie. I saw this movie three times in theaters in the span of 10 days. I couldn't get enough of this movie. From start to finish, it thrilled, wowed, and entertained me. I have absolutely no issues with this movie whatsoever, because for this movie-lover, Top Gun: Maverick is (say it with me!) PERFECT. It delivers on what it sets out to be, and doesn't let up. As I said before, this movie was built for theaters, and it's movies like this one that will keep the theater experience alive.
So there you have it. I'm curious if your lists look different or similar to mine. Hopefully they're different because movie tastes vary and I love hearing what people think and feel about the movies they see. Obviously there were others I contemplated putting on the list, but when boiling it down, I feel good about the ten above. Below are a few honorable mentions that I thought were great but didn't make the cut for this particular list. At any rate, here's to more awesome movie-going experiences in 2023!
Honorable Mentions
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Nope
Elvis
Violent Night
Men
Emancipation
The Black Phone
Barbarian
Comments
Post a Comment