As 2022 comes to a close, I've gone through the 65 movies reviewed this year and settled my 10 favorites.
There were plenty of highlights and lowlights this year with it being a particularly good year for horror films which always makes me happy.
Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water delivered the goods in terms of onscreen spectacle, even if they didn't nail the story, something sorely needed after the last few years.
So, without further ado below are my 10 favorite films of 2022 in no particular order.
This list isn't necessarily based on my original grades.
X
There have been plenty of horror films that have tried to replicate the look and feel of Tobe Hooper's original Texas Chainsaw Massacre but never quite hitting the mark. Ti West pulled off a fun surprise with X which captured the grimy violence paired with a dark sense of humor. Its final act aims to make you squirm and it does so in spades.
The superhero genre has brought the concept of the multiverse to the masses but Everything Everywhere All At Once manages to nail the concept while delivering an emotionally poignant story which grounds the overall story.
Robert Eggers The Northman is visually mesmerizing from start to finish. Its story plays like a blend of Gladiator and Excalibur stacked with a excellent performances across the board.
Avatar: The Way of Water is far from a perfect film, but you can't deny the technical and visual achievements James Cameron delivered on screen. Its story never reaches those heights, but the visuals alone make it one of the more memorable big screen experiences of the year.
Alex Garland's Men isn't an easy film to digest especially as it gets more bizarre and headier in its final act. It’s the type of film that stays with you whether you loved or hated it due to searing imaginary and stellar performances from its two leads.
Martin McDonagh's films tend to be as darkly funny as they are pensive and deep. The Banshees of Inisherin reteams him with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson for the first time since In Bruges. The result is an immensely watchable film that's as funny, sad and meaningful as their previous collaboration.
By this point in time, another Elvis biopic seems like beating a dead horse into the ground, but Baz Luhrmann's name was enough to get me intrigued. His exuberant, kinetic style paired with a career making performance from Austin Butler elevate the film making it feel more like a fantasy than reality.
For me, Jordan Peele's first two films were overpraised for my taste. I enjoyed them but can't say either one really blew me away. I expected more of the same with Nope and was genuinely taken aback at how much I enjoyed his twisty, genre bending film. Peele keeps you off balance by toying with your expectations throughout and once the reveal occurs you are either all in or rolling your eyes. Needless to say, I was in the first camp.
Sometimes you run across something unexpected and original like Marcel the Shell with Shoes. Its stop motion star is charming and lovable, but the story's arch is surprisingly profound, moving and heartfelt.
When I heard that Ti West and Mia Goth had written and shot a prequel to X I thought it was interesting but figured it would be a nice companion piece at best. I was utterly unprepared for the visual flair and overall craftmanship they both delivered on screen. This film is its own living breathing entity, a distinct and separate creation which more than stands on its own. Mia Goth double role in X was impressive but with Pearl she exceeds it in everyway, capped off with a monologue for the ages.
Trapped on her family's isolated farm, Pearl must tend to her ailing father under the bitter and overbearing watch of her devout mother. Lusting for a glamorous life like she's seen in the movies, Pearl finds her ambitions, temptations, and repressions all colliding in this origin story of X's iconic villain.
Director: Ti West
Cast: Mia Goth, David Corenswet, Tandi Wright, Matthew Sunderland, Emma Jenkins-Purro
Release Date: September 16, 2022
Genre: Horror
Rated R for some strong violence, gore, strong sexual content and graphic nudity.
Runtime: 1h 42m
Review:
Ti West's X was one of the biggest and most welcome surprises of the year. It was the first modern film to truly capture the feel of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre before going on it's own path in the final act. Incredibly, West and Mia Goth plotted out, wrote and shot a prequel right after finishing up X. The speed of it all can make wonders if they would simply rehash the same material in a different time period but thankfully Pearl is very much it's own thing and stands on its own two feet. This entry is more of a character study that allows us to witness the gradual decent into madness the central character goes through. West's film is beautifully shot with plenty of nods and visual cues to classic filmmaking especially The Wizard of Oz even though I don't recall Dorothy dry humping the Scarecrow. The film's aesthetics are wonderful and the story's slow burn approach gives the audience more time to appreciate it and a particularly impressive performance from it's central star. Mia Goth turns in a simply amazing performance as the titular Pearl. She drives the film from the opening sequence straight through an incredible 10 minute monologue in the final act that should be shown in acting schools. Goth dominates the screen but she's aided by an equally impressive turn from Tandi Wright who plays Pearl's imposing and domineering mother. Wright and Goth share a wonderful sequence together that just sizzles with incredible energy as it builds to a fiery finale. West and Goth have truly delivered something special that somehow works with the original even though its very much something different and original.
