So, yes I am five month behind in sending this. Have some personal matters that have kept me from being open to writing my silly blogs I usually toss out there. After watching near 85 movies from 2022 this is what I have developed. I still hope you check out this list of the best movies from 2022. It's worth it to either get a new experience, not miss out on a gem, or catch up on what was hip last year. My taste vary from weird abstract conceptual films to a few Hollywood blockbusters. There should be something for everyone if you're ready to experiment or not.
The reason why there are 13 films is cause I choose the best film of the month and then number 13 is a wildcard, a film that wasn't the best of a month but still belongs on the list. Enjoy and let me know with what you agree, disagree, or are going to watch due to my recommendations.
13. Scream 5 by Matt Bettinelli & OlpinTyler Gillett<US> (Jan) B
Goal of this movie was to transition from the established Scream stars to some new kids. I can't exactly say if that was a success but it was a solid addition to the Scream franchise. Like always, I was into the whodunit mystery and the creative kills while the films kept the restraint to not go Jason silly with the deaths. To say the least this was a very studious horror movie, which hits the necessary notes. The story was a bit dramatic but the new characters sold the circumstances enough in their performance to keep the audience engaged. One can't wrong in catching this addition. To the filmmakers' credit they use the world developed in the first four movies and don't try to pull off a soft reboot. A tough competition for horror movies this year but I'm happy that this franchise is still showing vibrant signs of life.
12. Nope by Jordan Peele<US> (July) B-
This is another great twilight zone concept by Jordan Peele with a solid title too. It's the first thing that comes out of folks mouths when they something incredibly messed up in a horror movie. Similar to Us, this film was shot very well and had pretty decent dialogue. There was a lot to put together metaphorically but when applying to the films actual events it doesn't always make sense, which isn't always a problem as long as the audience is enjoying the ride. Peele pieces together some engrossing set pieces, that are very original but don't hold water for a feature length film. This isn't always why I watch these films, I don't need my feature length test to be passed, I just want to be brought new and riveting ideas. Nope definitely brings this forth. I definitely recommend watching this sci-fi/comedy/horror but don't ask questions you're not ready to get the answers to. I do want to share my admiration for when the monsters attack, I immensely enjoy their approach as those scenes had me on my toes the most. I do want to give props to the performances as they were fun and a great part of what kept audience engage throughout this whole monster fest. The duo of Daniel Kaluuya & Keke Palmer pull of a great contrasting performances. Even though he was a little over the top, intentionally so I'm sure, Steven Yeun also was a great addition as a supporting cast. If you want to see some new ideas with well shot visuals check out Nope.
11. Dr. Strange by Sam Raimi <US> (May) A-
The only superhero movie to make the list this year. It won me over but that is not the case for everyone, who has viewed this movie. A lot of factors enamored me about this movie including the style, finally seeing Wanda as the villain she was protected from being in her show, and the uncanny actions Strange takes to conquer his battles. What made this movie so fun was that no character was safe for the most part. It makes the ride much more engaging when all the characters aren't protected and willing to cross the line. There a lot of fun special effects that are warranted for a movie dealing with witchcraft and magic. With Sam Raimi as the filmmaker, I could definitely find the homages to his Evil Dead films. It had a solid story, kooky crazy fun special effect, and a few good surprising character twist. Folks weren't 100% happy with it but I was satisfied enough to add it to my list and will declare it's one of the more unique Marvel films if you're up for that.
10. Shut-In by D.J. Caruso<US> (February) B ^
A very solid film that'll leave audience at unease. It has the fun topics of domestic abuse and drug addiction. The protagonist, played by Rainey Qualley, does an incredible job of locking everyone onto her side as she attempts to find a new leaf to turn. It is an intense thriller as we have to discover with Qualley's character, Jessica Nash, how to escape certain predicament her ahole ex traps her in. It's a very simple story but edited and filmed well enough, where no sequence ever gets tiring. This is an incredibly intense flick, I recommend checking out, when you're in a Die Hard mood of sorts.
9. The Outfit by Graham Moore<US> (March) A-
A very fun movie that puts the audience on their seats. This one I came across by accident and was so happy I did. A thrilling gangster movie about outlaws covering their trail with some high suspense sequences. This is another where pieces are somewhat given to audience but the main key to this watch is the dread of what is going to happen next. Mark Rylance gives a remarkable yet subtle performance, where he tries to adapt the spiraling events. The film can almost come off as a play with how it stays in one location. This simple environment does not give the audience a chance to rest. Between Rylance subtle yet strong performance and the thrilling events encased upon him this is one gangster film worth checking out.
8.Woman King by Gina Prince-Bythewood<US> (Sept) B+
In my eyes Viola Davis can do no wrong. She transforms for whatever role she may come across. Woman King is a historical piece that shows how powerful the female tribe in Africa were when defending those tribes, who couldn't defend themselves. Davis and Thuso Mbedu give great performances of females, who are strong but in a realistic way. It is very insulting all these female badass movies, where they come off too cool for school, and it comes off as just annoying. When the characters are written like this, it becomes very difficult to get emotionally invested. This film does present us powerful female but here they are multidimensional characters as they're each dealing with their own inner demons. A lot of great action. There were no standout battle sequences but the actions was good & consistent enough to carry the film. It was fascinating seeing how the tribes hierarchy works. This was an intriguing and exciting learning experience. It's a little bit lower on the list due to the simplicity of the plot but besides that it holds strong performances, actions, and tribulations in story.
7. Tár by Todd Field (Oct) – A-
Cancel culture is the newest trend in politics when it comes to shutting a figure down. The fear of cancel culture is the canceling doesn't even have to be based on a crime broken but nearly the reflection of an offhanded opinion. What the Cate Blanchett's character is dealing with is something worse than an invalid opinion. This gives an inverse take on cancel culture as usually men fall victims due to their high likeliness of sexual abuse. Now, this film does a great job of presenting the mental unraveling as Cate plays a figure of power, who is rapidly losing it due to her colleagues attempt to save image from what Cate, Tar, may have done. The inverse events of the movie had me interested but Blanchett's performance is what kept me logged into the whole thing. She plays an orchestra conductor, which is a fascinating world of prestige, art, and of course politics. It is long but I found myself getting lost in the little events, that would push Tar further to the edge. It's definitely a tragedy but gripping in how we are in a new world of a female dealing with the issue as a conductor. If you're not interested in seeing inverse politics Blanchett's performance should be enough to give this flick a chance.
6. November - The Menu (Nov) – A-
Was looking forward to this film and it did not disappoint. Ralph Fienes gives a solid performance as a pretentious chef who has to overcome an arc on it's own. I was worried the film was going to straight out do a Purge but with chefs; it really only teases this. There's a lot of fun character, who have their comeuppance but the film doesn't 100% revel in its righteousness. There's a lot of great set pieces that are all very well thought out. The pretentious is annoying yet still intriguing. Another fun flick that keeps one guessing and is even kind of fun if you're foodie. The characters are very diverse leaving a lot of room for various creative interactions. This is great watch from 2022 with plenty of fun violence, great kooky characters, and an intriguing plot of why these characters are being served this menu in the first place.
5. Glorious by Rebekah McKendry<US> (Aug) {Sh/Ama} B+
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HP Lovecraft films are such hit and misses. There is a niche crowd but not everyone is on board with such abstract and sometimes disturbing ideas. That's mostly the issue with Lovecraft based movies is there always based on ideas that are not easy to present in a visual media. This film decides to hide their conceptual entity in a glory hole. Honestly I didn't put the joke together until the end of the movie of the fact Glorious is an inuendo referring to the glory holy the entity is speaking out of. This film lets the audience unravel several important conclusions. When a film gives the audiences the pieces to a puzzle but doesn't solve it for them, that's when I enjoy a film the most. These top 5 movies hold some element of that. Glorious is dark, disturbing, and sometimes funny. Also, JK Simmons as the voice of the entity is a great choice. He has such a distinct voice and really rocks this role. There were engrossing special effects but when JK demanded the audience's attention, he would get it. Certainly something worth watching if you're ready to go to a acherontic place.
4. Puss In Boot – Last Wish by Joel Crawford & Januel Mercado<US> (Wild: December) A-
Another unexpected film to land on my list. I enjoy the Shrek franchise enough but after the third one I had no interest in finding out what happened to the characters. What makes Puss in Boots standout is the fantastic animation style similar but not quite the same as Into the Spiderverse; just that very stylized combination of 2d and 3d animation. The story and characters were actually well thought out too. This isn't just a dumb kids movie, where no matter what Puss does there's no consequence. He suffers them and has an intriguing arc in attempt to earn his redemption. Also, this movie does a sleek job of heightening their antagonist. Their are genuine emotions evoked any time the antagonist makes their presence. It's surreal. As Puss was clenching to the wolf so was I. It was nice to have a villain, who evoked this kind of fear and even then their situation wasn't quite so black and white as present. If you are seeking vivid visuals, intriguing characters and overall fun action sequences, jump back into this franchise.
3. Black Phone by Scott Derrickson<US> (June) A-
This movie came as a surprise due to BlumHouse not always putting out the highest quality films. As a horror fans, this was a pleasure to watch. The villain was legit chilling and kept the audience on their toes. The film ends up being a great mystery turned into a pseudo revenge movie. I genuinely wanted to see the villain get their comeuppance and cheered an opportunity this became a possibility. The films does a fantastic job of giving out information and let's the audience have the opportunity for the most part of putting the pieces together. A grand horror movie that even found my heartstrings to pull on for a seconds. Great villain, sound mystery, and compelling characters. Very fitting third place.
2. Everything Everywhere All at Once by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert <US> (April) A-
This runner up has everything between action, emotions, and even some quirky comedy. Now, time travel/mutliverse is just as hot as zombies were with the likes of Rick & Morty, MCU, and the Flash. Like a good sci-fi, movie does not care about the technology only the ideas, characters, and story truly matter. Michelle Yeoh gives a truly uplifting performance of a bumbling yet charismatic, caring, & strong mom, who is in over her head in this fish out of water scenario. It's not a simple black and white film either of who is right and wrong. That's what makes this film so enticing. It deals with a lot of different perspectives, that if they're not a part of out lives it's important to explore as part of American culture as parenting, work/life balance and being an immigrant. Fantastic movie that does not know how to take a break.
1. The Whale by Darren Aronofsky <US> (December) A
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Easily the most emotional tolling film on this list. Even though the setting is simple, it builds to an highly frustrating environment due to the actions of the main character, played by Brendan Frasier. He plays a very sympathetic yet infuriating even when he displays that oh so sweet smile. Great performances all across. The film feels very intimate like a play. This is a plot that may not apply to everyone but if it doesn't, it finds a way to get one's heart pumping as if it does. My number one choice is a very gripping choice, that will pull your heart strings with every line delivered.
Past list: 2009 X 2010 X 2011 X 2012 X 2013 X 2014 X 2015 X 2016 X 2017 x 2018 x 2019 x 2020 x 2021 x 2022
Extra stuff:
Best Male Performance – Ben Foster(The Survivor)
Best Female Performance – Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie)
Best Documentary - Navalny
Worst Movies –
Low budget - Dinner At my Place,
Big Budget – Hocus Pocus 2
