Logan’s Moving Pictures returns for a Year-End List as only Logan can do. We’ll let him explain it …
In the closing hours of 2022 Adam (ye-olde-EiC) shot me a text asking me if I had any interest in contributing a Top 10 (or Top 5 even) to the site’s year-end lists. After a few minutes, I shot him a response and told him to let me think about it because truthfully I couldn’t even come up with five movies I’d loved this year, or ten movies I’d even seen. Until Glass Onion there were maybe two 2022 films I’d seen that I would even consider very good, let alone excellent to the point of being among best/favorite consideration. So, I pulled up a list of films that were all released last year just to have an idea of what had even come out. Turns out I saw a lot more than I remembered…it’s just that most of them maybe aren’t worth remembering.
So, in lieu of a Top 10, and once again breaking the rules of my own column, I’ve decided to just write, briefly and personally, about the films I did see from 2022, ordered by the date of their release.
Scream
Calling it Scream was maybe the single worst thing about this film. I took Ryan’s daughter, Kaysi, to go see it and we both had an absolute blast. I’m not generally one for horror, but the Scream franchise will get my butt in a seat, and I’m glad she got to come along with me this time. Kaysi is a big fan of horror films, and like most fans, she doesn’t like 90% of them but watches them anyway. Scream was a series she discovered through Ryan, and they watched them all, including the TV show. It was bittersweet getting to take her, it always is, but this time doubly so. I know it’s something they would have rewatched and discussed and, after that trailer for Scream hit, they would have revisited the entire franchise and come up with all kinds of theories. Kaysi and I don’t have that, and that’s okay, that was something for them. I’m happy to just be the guy that buys the tickets and gets to go along for the ride.
The Batman
I said this in a previous column, but of all the films I’ve seen since Ryan passed, this was the one that truly made me angry that he wasn’t here to see it. He loved the character of Batman, and he would have adored this movie. It exceeded any expectation I had of it, and while I haven’t revisited it as a whole since it was released, I think about parts of it quite often. It’s not a perfect representation of the comic book Bats, but it does capture aspects of that character that have never been portrayed in live-action before. I lament the never-had conversations between my brother and I surrounding this movie. There would have been many.
Turning Red
I watched this Pixar effort in my sister, Kelly’s, living room surrounded by most of my nieces. I loved watching them watch it, and found a lot of joy in the movie for myself as well. But, it’s an amazing thing to watch a flm that wasn’t made for you with an audience it’s actually for. I know there are those out there who might say “well, every movie should be for everyone,” but they’re wrong. Because that’s how you get what you’ve always got. New and different and not for you is okay because artists create using their own (often negative) experiences, and if you can’t relate to those experiences, well, maybe that means you’re lucky. What you can do is sit back and appreciate that there are young girls out there with very complicated relationships with their mothers and grandmothers, who maybe have a lot of body confidence issues and who need to know they aren’t alone in that, and that it doesn’t mean it won’t still be okay in the end.
Morbius
What can I say about possibly the worst film of the year? Well, I desperately want to see the original version we would have gotten two years ago, just to compare them, and maybe it actually was a decent watch! I actually didn’t hate the film, at all, I just wish they’d leaned into the kitsch and camp of it and gone full-on crazy. Like so much of this list, I often think about the discussions my brother and I would have had post-screening. This one would surely have been a podcast full of loving mockery, which was the way we discussed the last Fantastic Four film from Fox. I believe this is on Netflix right now, and I’d bet money there’s a solid drinking game based around it somewhere on the internet.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
I missed this in theatres, the timing just never worked out, but having greatly enjoyed the first one I couldn’t wait to see what was next. It helps that two of my nephews, Jace and KJ, had become massive fans of the character. So, once again, we piled into my sister’s living room when it his streaming, made some Sonic-themed snacks and had the best time watching the latest adventure of our furry blue friend. It was a great time, and you can’t ask for more than that.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
This is one of a handful I’d actually forgotten about and were this a more traditional Top 10, would have easily made my list. It’s fun, hysterical, poignant, and oddly action-packed. It set me about revisiting (and writing on) Con Air earlier this year, and for that alone it was worth it. I think this would have been a hard sell to get Ryan to watch, and the fun would have been had in me endlessly pestering him to see it once it was streaming, and him ignoring my request because he was a season behind on Yellowstone or something. He would have loved it once he did see it.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
This is the oddest duck on this list, I think. I saw it in the theatre (on a date no less) and walked out just appreciating it, not really loving it. It’s maybe a case of knowing that there was a lot of drama behind the scenes; writer/director shake-ups, COVID delays, etc. So, the story here wasn’t the story that the film started as, and instead, it’s just what it had to be to move the MCU forward. Then, when it hit Disney+ I rewatched it with Jace, worried that it may be a little dark for someone his age (let’s just say he’s younger than 7), but who’s also a big MCU fan. He really liked it, and seeing it with him helped me to truly appreciate it for what it was instead of being upset at what it wasn’t.
Firestarter
I will pretty much watch any Stephen King adaptation that gets released. I had hopes this would be a decent one, based on the production company and the talent involved. I still think there’s a good story in there, and maybe even a good series/universe to explore, but no one seems to be able to really capture it. One day. Fortunately, I got to watch it from the comfort of my bed.
Chip n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Try as I might, I haven’t been able to convince anyone I know to sit down and watch this absolute treat of a film. It’s like they suddenly all inherited Ryan’s spirit about my recommendations. Ryan, however, would have watched it on Day One and bugged the hell out of me to get on board (I didn’t see it until months after it was released). I think Alanis Morrisette would define this as ironic. So, go watch it, it’s delightful.
Top Gun: Maverick
I don’t know that I need to say much about this one, as it made a gajillion dollars and almost everyone has seen it at least once. Easily one of the most exciting theatre experiences I had this year, and if you missed seeing it in IMAX, you may have still enjoyed it, but not as much as I did. I will say I got to go with one of my best friends, Shaun, who is a massive fan of the original, so that alone made it doubly enjoyable. And yeah, we both remarked how we wished more than anything that Ryan could have been there. The three of us saw Bad Boys for Life together, I believe it was the last film Ryan got to see in a theatre.
The Bob’s Burgers Movie
Another long-delayed, much-anticipated film for me, and it did not disappoint. If you’re not a fan of the show I can’t imagine this would make you one, but I watched it solo in the theatre and loved every second. It was Ryan who turned me onto the show and seeing the BB crew embroiled in a murder mystery on a movie screen would have made him damn happy.
Jurassic World: Dominion
One of the rare movie outings with my father that wasn’t through our annual Christmas Eve tradition. My stepmother and little bro Avi were along as well, and I think we all liked it just fine. Big dumb fun, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I do wish the OG cast had something more to do than what was given to them, but c’est la vie.
Thor: Love & Thunder
So, not only is nephew Jace a big MCU kid, he’s the BIGGEST Thor fan I know (movie Thor at least) and was stoked to go see this. We didn’t get to go together, which I think would have maybe lightened my opinion of the film, as he came away really enjoying it. Me, not so much. I know the Phase 4 stuff has mostly been maligned, but cinematically I think the only film I liked less was The Eternals. This was far too gag-heavy, with plots that arise out of nothing and resolve with a whimper, one of which is the death of a main character. It’s just not well-paced at all. I hope it isn’t the last we see of him, but if it is I think Brett Goldstein as Hercules is a great replacement.
DC League of Super-Pets
While I missed seeing Thor with Jace, we did manage to make it to see this, along with my Mom and KJ, both of whom I rarely get to go to the theatre with. KJ lasted about 35 minutes and fell asleep, then proclaimed he loved it. Jace and I ate an entire bag of popcorn, drank two sodas, and ate two boxes of candy and actually loved every second of it. He told me at the end that it was way better than Thor. I concurred.
Vengeance
BJ Novak, Ryan from The Office, writes and directs an oft-comical murder mystery. It is exactly what it sounds like and somehow better than you’d ever expect. If you haven’t seen the trailer, don’t watch it and go in blind. It’s good stuff.
They/Them
A decent horror-ish flick, it landed on Peacock and featured Kevin Bacon, so I convinced Kaysi to watch it one afternoon. I think we both walked away with a shoulder shrug about it. I think it needed to go much harder than it did to really get any attention about the message it wanted to drive home.
Clerks III
I’m a long-time Kevin Smith fan and even I get a little sick of the guy. His last few cinematic outings were naval gazing and goofy, so I didn’t expect more than that, which usually allows for a few chuckles from me. I was wrong. I don’t know how to talk about it without at least hinting at what could be a spoiler, but I do want to say this helped me confront and acknowledge things about my brother’s death that I’d been denying altogether. It’s not perfect, it’s not even really that funny, but it is a movie I’ll always be glad I got to see, sitting alone in a theatre, grieving my heart out.
See How They Run
I caught up with this over Christmas, having heard great things, and my cousin Anthony telling me it was his favorite film of the year. It didn’t land that high for me, nowhere near it, but I had a good time watching it. It’s very funny, and even though it’s a mystery, it’s staged in a way that would make it infinitely watchable. I can’t wait to revisit it, preferably by badgering someone to watch it with me and reveling in the fact that they wound up loving it too.
Confess, Fletch
People did not appreciate this movie enough. At all. As such, I put off seeing it until the end of the year. Turns out it’s exactly what this type of movie should be, and much like See How They run, will be one you can revisit over and over because of it. Hamm is the perfect guy to take on the character of Fletch and I think he delivers the comedy exactly as subtle as it should be. Stop sleeping on this movie.
Lyle, Lyle Crocodile
Nephew Jace is getting a lot of mentions this week, but hey, he’s fast becoming my favorite movie-going partner. I took him and his sister Jaydin, another whom I rarely get to go see anything with, on a Friday afternoon to go check this one out. None of us really knew much besides “it’s a singing crocodile,” not even that it was based on a classic book, and we all had the best time. The songs are all pretty great, and I think it’s a perfect film for young eyes. Just, maybe don’t blame me when they watch it 100 times in a month and you wind up hating every part of it.
Amsterdam
Writer/director David O Russell is a known jerk (to put it mildly), but he makes movies that interest the hell out of me. Amsterdam is no different. It’s another murder mystery comedy, which seemed to be a big thing this year, and I think it’s easily one of the better ones. The cast is amazing, the plot is both fun and intriguing, and the dialogue crackles. I think it would have worked infinitely better as a miniseries or something more long-form, but for what it is, I think it’s a really great mess of a film.
Halloween Ends
Another Peacock streamer, and one I had planned to watch with Kaysi, but it just didn’t work out. I love the Halloween franchise and have since I was really young. My Uncle Bink was the one that introduced it to us, but it’s an all-around family favorite for sure. I mostly enjoyed this final effort of the recent trilogy, but I do think it’s an absolute mess. Ryan and I argued regularly over the Rob Zombie reboot, and I believe he only got to see the first entry in this saga, so of course I’ve oft wondered what he would think of it in total. I do hope the franchise isn’t dead, even if it means another reboot.
Black Adam
Well, you can hear Adam and myself discuss this a bunch on our podcast Nerds Ruin Everything, so the only thing I’ll say here is: I didn’t hate it, but it did not change the hierarchy of power in the DCU. James Gunn did that.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Chadwick Boseman died a week before my brother, and when I last spoke to Ryan I was on my way to visit Boseman’s hometown in South Carolina. Ryan had called and asked me to come back to our hometown to stay with him for a bit. I promised to call him back and discuss it. We never spoke again. The Black Panther character will forever be linked to Chadwick Boseman, who (for me) will be forever linked to the death of my brother. None of it negatively, only for sorrow for what never was and never will be. Moving on is a hard, often clumsy bit of business, but it’s something we must all do, otherwise, we’re just living in that sorrow.
Glass Onion
I didn’t get a chance to see the limited theatrical run, thanks to living in a city that Netflix doesn’t deem important. This was one of my most anticipated films of the year, and I think it mostly lived up to that anticipation. It’s incredibly fun, witty as hell, and plays with the rules of the murder mystery in new ways. It’s very much like seeing a magic trick and then learning how it was accomplished. You can lean in, believe in the magic, and marvel at the way the magician was able to pull it off with a bit of foolery, or you can be pissed that magic isn’t real and you were too dumb to understand that going into it. I liked it a great deal.
Violent Night
This year’s Christmas Eve outing with my father and baby bro, and we had a great time with it. It’s no reinvention of the wheel, and maybe it’s a little too homage-y to other great Christmas classics for some folks, but we were laughing and cheering the whole film. Not one for the young kiddie, but I think if you’re looking for something new and non-traditional to watch for next Christmas, this is one to consider.
Avatar: The Way of Water
I saw the first Avatar with Ryan and his stepdaughter Kayla the weekend it opened, in IMAX 3D. All three of us were enthralled by the sheer beauty film and got emotionally caught up in the plot as well. I got to see the sequel alone, but again in IMAX 3D, and while I was sad that she was far too busy with work and life to really nail down a time to see it together, and of course, Ryan is not with us to be able to see it, by the end (much like in Clerks III) I was happy to have had the experience by myself. It was more thrilling, beautiful, and emotionally charged than the first film, which may not feel like a huge compliment, but I loved this movie. Every part of it.
Everything Everywhere All At Once
This isn’t the film I ended the year watching, I actually saw it in theatres during its pretty stellar run early in 2022. I saved it for last because, really, I think it’s the only film worthy of bearing the title “Best of 2022,” no matter my feelings (or anyone else’s) about what I (or they) watched last year. Sure, it’s all subjective and the movie has its share of retractors, they’re just wrong. The film shook me to my core, moved my soul in ways I didn’t think possible, and made me reconsider my entire life. There wasn’t anything remotely like it last year, or possibly any year before it. Life is a beautiful, complicated, short, ugly mess and we have the ability to negatively and positively impact everyone we meet and everyone they will meet. Sometimes it’s all of those things all at the same time. We take it for granted when we shouldn’t and we hold it as too precious when we should be laid back and easygoing. It is everything. I laughed and cried, sometimes simultaneously, and when I walked out of the theatre I was a different person.
I know that was far more than I’ve ever written for this column, and I thank you all for sticking with me as I recount the films of 2022 that I was fortunate enough to see. As I said, there were more than I realized. Here’s to even more experiences at the theatre (or maybe even at home) with the films of 2023.