Now that 2022 has drawn to a close, here are my top 5 films of the year.
5) The Whale
Brendan Fraser might be on his way to winning an Oscar for his performance in Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. Fraser is exceptional as the lead character but other actors in the film such as Ty Simpkins and Sadie Sink have their moments to shine as well. Much like The Wrestler and Black Swan, The Whale is a character study which might not be for everyone but it’s another example of why Aronofsky is so good at this type of feature film.
4) Everything Everywhere All at Once
In their second feature film, The Daniels successfully put together another wild adventure story featuring Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan exploring many versions of themselves in the multiverse. Swiss Army Man might have been a little bit weirder and crazier but Everything Everywhere All at Once is arguably a more fun experience at the movies. The film does a great job at making the viewer laugh but it also does not hold back when drama is inevitable. Overall, this movie can be labeled as so many different things and this is why it is getting so much acclaim. It is easily one of the best films of the year.
3) Top Gun: Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick might be the most fun movie experience I had in 2022. The movie was everything that a blockbuster picture should strive to be and Tom Cruise was at his very best once again in the sequel to the original Top Gun. Much like when I first saw the original John Wick film, Maverick surprised me with how much I enjoyed the movie as a whole. It’s a must-see movie that one had to see in theaters to get the full effect. It’s definitely a movie worth owning and I don’t say that often for movies nowadays when they eventually hit 4K and Blu-Ray.
2) Pearl
While I enjoyed X quite a bit, I enjoyed Pearl even more and Mia Goth carried this movie on her back with some help from visionary horror director, Ti West. Pearl is a fantastic psychological horror film that checks many boxes in terms of what makes a psychological horror film so good when made with care. It’s disturbingly beautiful at times but it has moments where it’s truly hard to watch. If it were up to me, Goth deserves a nomination for Best Actress for Pearl but that’s a whole different issue entirely that I won’t even get into. Pearl is the end result of what happens when a horror director knows what he or she is actually doing. The ending is masterclass. Much like The Lighthouse and The Witch, Pearl is a horror film that will continue to stick with me for many years.
1) The Northman
Robert Eggers might be one of my favorite directors in Hollywood and he knocked it out of the park once again with The Northman. The Northman is such a well-crafted experience that features fantastic acting, beautiful cinematography, and gritty action that doesn’t shy away from being gruesome. While it’s a slow-burn at times, The Northman is a very rewarding experience that tells the tale of revenge and redemption. Alexander Skarsgard is the standout in the film but Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicole Kidman give great performances as well. Robert Eggers is one of those directors I constantly keep an eye on and The Northman was another display of excellent filmmaking by him.
Matt has been desperately trying to convince James to do a best of list, but he saw so few films this year that Halloween Ends would end up on it by default, and that would be an injustice.
Tracking Lines 