I've heard some critics complain that 2022 was a weak year for movies. I have no clue what they've been watching. From where I'm sitting, this was an excellent year. The rankings on this list were fluctuating almost constantly since summer or so, and I even extended this year's honorable mentions out to 25 so I could shout out a few more movies. No complaints here.
It's not the quality of movies that's in flux, it's the distribution. Movie theaters themselves are still on life support, clinging to a handful of big event movies to tide them over for an entire year at a time. Meanwhile, everything else is divided up among the ever increasing number of streaming services. It's both a blessing and a curse - streaming allows for the chance to see movies that would likely never get into a theater in most parts of the country, but we all have to pick and choose which services to commit to, meaning that all but the independently wealthy will miss out on something.
I think that unless the studios are a little more generous in terms of making their stuff available on multiple streaming sites, we're in store for a resurgence of piracy that takes advantage of advancing streaming technology. As one example, the bizarre experimental horror film Skinamarink played at some festivals this year (one of which I was lucky enough to participate in digitally), but the word of mouth was so overpowering that it was pirated like crazy. I did some digging and found that most people were seeing it on a piracy website with a domain that appears to be registered in the small Pacific island nation of Tonga. Good luck reining that one in. The movie is scheduled to premiere on Shudder in January, which is good news, but at this rate everyone will have already seen it.
I don't have the magic answer to these issues, but it's clear that movie distribution needs to throw out a lot of the conventional wisdom and adapt to rapidly changing times. But for now, let's talk about my favorite movies of 2022.
10. Navalny
A compelling profile of Alexei Navalny, the lawyer and anti-corruption activist who emerged as the chief domestic adversary of the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. He’s everything authoritarians hate - irreverent, quick-witted, a skilled communicator and, as it turned out, very resilient. In the summer of 2020, he was poisoned by agents of Putin and would have died had he not been taken to Germany to receive treatment. During his recovery, he investigates the incident with the help of a genius Bulgarian hacker with the alias "Bellincat" who almost steals the show. While the film is sympathetic to the cause of Russian freedom, it’s thankfully not a hagiography. Some valid criticism is discussed and Navalny is given the chance to respond to it. It’s a strong example of truth being just as dramatic as fiction, particularly the astonishing scene where Navalny prank calls one of the henchmen behind the poisoning and tricks him into divulging crucial information.
9. Glass Onion
The sequel to Knives Out places the genius detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) in the midst of another complex mystery. At the height of the COVID-19 plague, Blanc unexpectedly receives an invitation to a Greek island owned by famous billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton). The character is an unapologetically obvious (and scathing) parody of Elon Musk, so it's pretty funny that I've seen so many ads for this movie on Twitter. I wonder if he'll ever put two and two together. Probably not, the guy's an idiot. Not long after the group gathers, it’s revealed that one of the rich and influential guests has murder on their mind. It’s an incredibly entertaining film, with a clever structure and many delightful observations about the absurdity of life in the 2020s. Janelle Monae is a standout as Bron’s ex-business partner, but like the original film, it has a great ensemble cast, including Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, and Leslie Odom, Jr.
8. We're All Going to the World's Fair
A haunting low-budget film that begins with an eight-minute static shot of the teenage Casey (Anna Cobb) recording a YouTube video where she formally signs up for the “World’s Fair Challenge,” an online horror role-playing game where participants are supposed to record the mysterious changes that might happen to them afterwards. Right from the start, the movie nails the eerie tone and aesthetics of these “creepypasta” stories. Casey’s videos attract the attention of another World’s Fair player, an older man who goes by “JLB” (Michael Rogers). His intentions aren’t easy to determine but eventually he, along with the audience, becomes unsure whether or not Casey is really suffering from a real breakdown or if she’s just giving some sort of method acting performance. It’s a stark, unsettling look at desperate loneliness and a certain kind of madness unique to the internet.
Or maybe it's about something else altogether. In the months since I first watched this, I've realized just how deep its themes run. Numerous viewers have described it as a perfect representation of what it's like to be transgender, which is fascinating because on the surface it doesn't appear to be about anything of the sort. The director, Jane Schoenbrun, is trans herself, so I'm sure there's plenty to work with here for folks with the experiences necessary to spot it.
7. Not Okay
This razor-sharp satire begins with a cheeky message warning viewers of “an unlikeable female protagonist.” That refers to Danni (Zoey Deutch), a lonely, ditzy photo editor who fakes a trip to Paris to try and get attention on Instagram. Unfortunately, there is a terrorist attack in Paris during that same week, forcing Danni to incorporate that into her deception. It brings her all the attention she ever wanted, but a lie like that can’t last forever and the only thing the internet loves more than a hero is to destroy a hero. It’s hilarious but also quite emotional - Danni is terrible, but Deutch gives her enough humanity that we have to wonder if even someone like her deserves the online witch hunts that happen every day.
6. Everyone Will Burn
As this absorbing Spanish horror film begins, Maria (Macarena Gomez) is preparing to jump off a bridge and end it all when the sudden appearance of a young girl named Lucia (Sofia Garcia) stops her. She is still mourning the death of her son years earlier and the revelation that Lucia has some unnatural abilities and a violent streak doesn’t stop Maria from taking her in. It’s obvious to both her and the audience that Lucia is evil, but Maria is too furious at the gossipy small town she lives in, where her son was bullied to suicide and where she has been treated callously for years, to care. There are some scenes where the audience may start to agree that letting these petty snobs get murdered by a demon child might not be such a bad thing. The blend of soapy rage-fueled melodrama and supernatural horror is impossible to resist. It should feel ridiculous and silly, but there’s an emotional truth to everything that makes it work.
5. Athena
An unnamed French city is turned into a war zone after a teenage boy is killed by police officers. Directed by Romain Gavras, son of the great Greek director Costa Gavras, this kinetic film focuses on the murder victim’s three brothers - Moktar (Ouassini Embarek) is a local gangster, Abdel (Dali Benssalah) is a decorated soldier, and Karim (Sami Slimane) is leading the uprising against the authorities. The already intense story is taken to new heights by the tremendous cinematic technique on display, with at least a dozen long takes ambitious enough to make Alfonso Cuaron jealous. The opening shot in particular is a ten minute marvel that moves in and out of buildings and cars, down entire streets, and onto rooftops. This style of cinematography is becoming more common as a directorial flex, but in this case the immediacy conveyed by a long take is a perfect match for the already arresting events. Even if the movie seems unwilling to fully commit to the radical aspects of its story, the sheer filmmaking verve makes it a stirring experience.
4. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Lots of movies with long titles came out this year. Not sure if that has any significance. Based on a YouTube series from over a decade ago, this is an adorable, creative film about a talking seashell (voiced by Jenny Slate) living in a rental house with his grandmother (Isabella Rossellini). Marcel, rendered in excellent stop-motion animation alongside his real surroundings, has remained hidden for years but is now being interviewed by a documentary filmmaker (played by the director, Dean Fleischer Camp). When clips hit the internet, he becomes a viral sensation and is even interviewed on his favorite show, “60 Minutes.” It’s a quick, engaging 90 minutes of delightful underplayed comedy that manages to both parody emotionally manipulative documentaries and also evoke a lot of genuine emotion.
3. Playground
In the first scene of this unsparing Belgian film, a sweet young girl named Nora (Maya Vanderbeque) is sobbing as she has to leave her father behind on the first day of school. Despite her fears, she makes friends without much trouble but discovers that her older brother Abel (Gunter Duret) is experiencing intense bullying. He refuses to accept help, the adults are useless, and the whole ordeal could have a calamitous effect on Nora’s still developing personality. The original title of the film is “Un Monde,” which translates to “A World.” The animalistic power structure of grade school does indeed seem like the entire world to kids, a feeling amplified by Wandel’s decision to keep the camera at eye level with the children for the entire film. It’s not easy to watch but it treats the daily humiliations of adolescence with the gravity they deserve.
2. Everything Everywhere All At Once
This word of mouth hit delivers everything it promises in its title and then some. Action cinema veteran Michelle Yeoh got the role of a lifetime as Evelyn Wang, a hapless laundromat owner who discovers the existence of countless parallel universes and is recruited to help save them from a cosmic threat. During her trip through the multiverse, she might also be able to repair her relationships with her neglected husband (Ke Huy Quan) and depressed daughter (Stephanie Hsu). The various alternate realities are often gleefully absurd and if you haven't had them spoiled yet, try to keep it that way if you have any intention of checking this out. It’s totally ridiculous and really shouldn’t work but the story is so emotionally involving that you completely buy it.
Movies this wacky don't usually make the kind of splash this one did, but it has amassed a legion of....let's say....passionate fans. So why has it connected so much? Part of it is because you rarely get such a committed look at the Asian-American experience in American films but there's more to it than that. Multiverses are all the rage lately but this film's heartfelt, maximalist storyline feels like water in the desert after so many years of detached, play it safe blockbusters. After some brutal years of plague and acrimony, people are more than ready for some catharsis.
1. Argentina, 1985
The enthralling true story of how the leaders of Argentina’s military dictatorship were tried by a civilian court for their crimes against humanity. The military overthrew the government in 1976 and terrorized the populace for six years, kidnapping and murdering tens of thousands of people during the "Dirty War." Eventually, public outrage forced them to hold elections in 1983, leading to a new government, but the question of what would happen to the perpetrators remained. The case is assigned to the worn down prosecutor Julio Strassera (Ricardo Darin) and the much younger lawyer Luis Moreno Ocampo (Peter Lanzani), who have to struggle against threats of violence and huge institutional resistance to finally get justice for the thousands upon thousands of people who suffered.
Mitre pulls off a deft balancing act, employing flashes of sardonic wit to keep the story from getting too heavy while also driving home just how difficult, and necessary, it is to bring powerful people to justice for their crimes. What this film captures so well is the high stakes and its depiction of an entire fascist apparatus lurching and lashing out to prevent actual justice from being done is incredibly relevant. It's not the kind of movie that gets a big audience in the United States, but our recent (and arguably ongoing) national trauma has shown that we could learn a lot from the history of other countries and maybe even adopt some humility(!). It's easy to say "nobody is above the law," but it's much harder to actually live by that. Regardless, the power of this film is that it demonstrates why it still has to be done.
Honorable Mentions
11. Till
12. RRR
13. Piggy
14. The Innocents
15. The Northman
16. Emily the Criminal
17. Tar
18. Soft and Quiet
19. Terrifier 2
20. Shin Ultraman
21. Barbarian
22. Pearl
23. Nightsiren
24. Pinocchio (Del Toro)
25. Skinamarink
That's all for now. Good luck in 2023, everyone.
