The Best Movies of 2022

Well, we’re done with another year – and that means it’s time to take a look back on the best and worst of cinema from 2022. Let’s kick things off on a positive note, and share our favourite movies from the last twelve months.

10. The Bob’s Burgers Movie

Unlike other animated shows, Bob’s Burgers managed to release a big-screen adventure while the quality of the show is still very high. The Belcher family bring a warmth that no other cartoon is as consistently capable of, especially when they are deep into a ridiculous mystery like in their first, and hopefully not last, silver screen outing. While the animation style didn’t work for everyone, we loved the detail and step-up of the show’s aesthetic.

9. Prey

This is how you do it. I want to throw Prey’s quality in the face of everyone who was behind the Terminator, Alien, and previous Predator movies (or the Paxton trio) and war-cry into their faces: THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT. The best creature feature of the year and the best movie in any of these tired franchises for decades.

8. Men

Jessie Buckley is terrifyingly talented. Rory Kinnear is obscenely amazing. Alex Garland is a sick, sick puppy. All of the above makes for a distinctly unsettling, unforgettably strange, and generally very effective gender-centric horror that builds to an insane climax few movies have rivalled in terms of sheer discomfort.

7. See How They Run

I liked Glass Onion, a lot, but my favourite whodunnit of the year was this little seen English gem starring Sam Rockwell and Sairose Ronan. See How They Run isn’t just a riff on the old Agatha Christe Thrillers, though she and her work do make an appearance, it’s also a charming, well performed, and decidedly less smug than the adventures of Monsieur Blanc.

6. Nope

If there is one film that has really wriggled underneath my skin this year, it’s Nope. Jordan Peele’s sci-fi horror is an expert blend of truly unsettling dread and impressive commentary on the world of media. Steven Yeun’s Ricky Park is probably my favourite new character in film this year, a mini-masterpiece within Nope’s B-plot.

5. The Batman

After the debacle that was the Snyderverse, and no, I will not be going easier on old Zack in 2023, the only way was up for the Caped Crusader. The Batman blasted all of the my expecttions out of the flood water and relaunched the character yet again for audiences old and new. 2022 was the year of emo Batman, and my gothy behind was delighted.

4. Parallel Mothers

Pedro Almodovar is never going to be a stranger to these best-of lists, and his latest, Parallel Mothers, is another in his amazing hot streak of quality. A soap opera drama told with the earnestness of a Tenessee Williams play, it’s another killer turn from Penelope Cruz and a great introduction for Milena Smit in the titular roles. Delving in to the history of Spain in a compelling and beautifully-realized wraparound plot, it truly feels like Almodovar is at the top of his game here.

3. The Tragedy of Macbeth

Now, in these parts, we happen to love a Macbeth adaptation, so maybe we’re coming to this with a little more confidence than we might have otherwise – but damn, if this version doesn’t blow (most) of the rest of them out of the water. A unique and instantly-memorable visual style matched with Denzel Washington’s commanding, powerful performance in the leading role lifts this into pure brilliance, along with Coen’s obvious understanding of the original work.

2. The Banshees of Inisherin

Were it not for the sensational movie at the number one spot, Banshees would have been the no-brainer to end up there. A darkly comic tragedy about the end of a friendship, it takes a tiny story and imbues it with incredible depth and wit. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson shine against the backdrop of Martin McDonagh’s war-stricken Ireland, in the kind of movie that lingers long after the credits roll.

1 Everything Everywhere All At Once

There was nothing else that could really end up on the top of this list, if we’re being honest with ourselves. Everything Everywhere is not just the best film of the year, it’s very probably the best movie of the decade so far – and it’s going to take a hell of a lot of beating. Not just beautifully-made and exceptionally performed, it’s a film with deep, abiding heart, and the number of people it’s connected with and spoken to just proves that. It’s a true gem, an insta-classic, a must-see, and an utter joy.

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By Kevin Boyle and Lou MacGregor

(header image via johnscience.com)