Shane continues our celebration of the very best of 2022 with his own Top Ten + A few Honorable Mentions. Without further ado…
A few days ago I opened my Letterboxd account and filtered logged films in 2022 from Top to Lowest Rated. I figured that would be the easiest way to develop a Top 10 list. Unfortunately, I learned it’s just not that easy. My list isn’t based solely on a rating system. I could see a dozen 4-5 star films but will I ever revisit those again? Maybe, maybe not. I’ve decided I would rather provide a Best-of list that captures the films I enjoyed the most and will most likely revisit in the future. Not just the 10 best films I watched in a given year. The films on my list vary from blockbuster juggernauts to small films released only on streamers. Here is my best-of-2022 list.
Honorable Mentions: Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Last Movie Stars, Glass Onion, Triangle of Sadness, RRR, Pearl, Prey, Decision to Leave, Avatar: The Way of Water.
And now onto The Top 10 …
10. Scream
Scream is the best sequel and my favorite since the original. Great kills, script that includes the legacy characters while setting up a new franchise of characters. It’s exactly what I wanted out of a sequel. It breaks down the horror genre and comments on the community around horror fandoms. So glad I saw this with a packed crowd.
9. Jackass Forever
Comedy is best viewed with a crowd so I knew I had to see Jackass Forever in the theater. I ended up seeing it in a packed theater on opening weekend. That was the hardest I laughed in a theater for as long as I can remember. And I wasn’t the only one. The whole crowd was laughing right along with me. Such a fun experience. To think the Jackass crew is doing these stunts well into their 40s is truly wild.
8. The Fabelmans
Maybe the most disappointing reaction to a film I encountered all year was the reception audiences (or lack thereof) had to Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans. I had a feeling the writing was on the wall when I saw this opening day in a pretty much empty theater. I remember the days when Spielberg was a box office juggernaut. I guess audiences don’t care to see a filmmaker wrestle with their childhood on film. But I definitely did. I enjoyed every single frame of this raw, emotional portrait of Spielberg’s childhood. To see Spielberg, the most prolific filmmaker of our generation, put to screen his most personal film was a magical cinematic experience. Hopefully, this finds a wider audience now that it’s streaming on demand.
7. Ambulance
Why didn’t more people go out and see this in the cinema? It’s the perfect film to see on a massive screen with a bunch of people. Seriously, this is one of Michael Bay’s best films. The drone photography during the action scenes alone is worth the price of admission. And who doesn’t want to see Jake Gyllenhaal swing for the fences with an over-the-top charismatic performance. These are the types of roles I love to see Gyllenhaal take on. Michael Bay needs to keep making non-IP original stories. Ambulance was a certified banger.
6. Barbarian
One Friday last year I got off work early and stopped by the cinema with no plan in place. I saw that Barbarian was playing next so I got a ticket and found my theater. I went in with no expectations. I had seen no trailer and really hadn’t heard much about it up to that point. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. I couldn’t predict anything that was going to happen next and each act was more bonkers than the last. Genuinely one of my favorite horror films in years.
5. Cha Cha Real Smooth
Cooper Raiff’s sophomore feature, is such an enjoyable and heartwarming picture. The performances are terrific. Cooper Raiff and Dakota Johnson specifically; their chemistry is off the charts. Newcomer Vanessa Burghardt is also great. She’s the heart of the film playing Johnson’s autistic daughter. This one hit a similar emotional sweet spot that Coda did last year for me. I laughed, I teared up, and I felt sadness and joy in equal measure. If you liked his first feature, Shithouse, then I suspect you will enjoy this one as well. Cooper Raiff is the real deal and I will watch anything he makes moving forward.
4. Bones and All
Simply put, Bones and All is the best damn cannibal love story I’ve seen all year! But in all seriousness, this tragic tale of romance set against the backdrop of a wasted America is a real gem. Timothee Chalamet and Taylor Russell are both great as the couple making their way through a tattered America, searching for their next meal. Mark Rylance is terrific as an older cannibal who drifts in and out of the film like a ghost. This one really packed an emotional impact, especially the final lines of the film uttered by Chalamet. “Bones and all.”
3. The Banshees of Insherin
Every year I usually get behind a few performances that I rave about and cheer for come awards season. This year one is Colin Farrell in The Banshees of Inisherin, a pitch-black comedy that follows two lifelong friends that decide to end their friendship. His performance is darkly sad, desperate, and tragically funny at times. If I was handing out Oscars today he would get my vote for Best Actor. I wouldn’t say this is a fun time at the movies by any means but the performances are so good it’s definitely worth your time.
PS – That one Barry Keoghan scene making the rounds on social media is top-tier work from a brilliant actor.
2. Nope
Might be the film I rewatch most in the coming years. Jordan Peele is my favorite modern filmmaker and so far I think he’s a solid 3 for 3. Each outing he seems to improve his technical craft and deliver on genuine storytelling that captures the imagination. Nope is Peele’s most ambitious film to date and I hope he continues to take more creative swings moving forward.
1. Top Gun: Maverick
Insane practical action, endearing characters, and a screenplay that had me tearing up at points and cheering by the credits, Top Gun: Maverick was the best cinematic experience I had in years. No one does big-budget practical action like Tom Cruise and Co. and I’m here for just about anything they produce.