The best movies of 2022

The Fabelmans

I am convinced at this point in my life that Steven Spielberg can do absolutely no wrong.

There isn't much that gets people to theatres like a Spielberg spectacle – Indy, Jaws, Jurassic Park, E.T. And so many others have skyrocketed his net worth to over $4-billion.

The man is a genius filmmaker, three-time Oscar winner and 21-time nominee. He's my favourite, so when I realized The Fabelmans would be loosely based on his early life, I was all in.

He's the only filmmaker who could make a movie about how he developed a love for the medium without it feeling pretentious.

Instead, it's a cinematic love-letter, and one that features award-worthy performances from young Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, and Judd Hirsch. I absolutely loved this movie, and I was entranced every second.

The Banshees Of Inisherin

Not far behind was the hilarious, absolutely mad Irish film Banshees Of Inisherin.

It revolves around lifelong friends who see a major issue form when one of them decides out of nowhere to end the friendship.

What ensues are consequences that affect their entire small town as well as both their lives.

Writer-director Martin McDonagh – who did amazing work with the two leads for In Bruges – makes a profound, truly interesting film.

Colin Farrell deserves his Oscar right now, and Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan are all fabulous as well.

It'll make you think and it'll make you laugh, and I loved this dark little film from start-to-finish.

Triangle Of Sadness

Winner of the Palme D'Or at Cannes, Triangle Of Sadness is point-blank the funniest, most raucous and surprising film of 2022.

It follows an Instagram influencer and fashion model couple who are given access to an illustrious cruise for the super wealthy. But the trip doesn't quite go as planned.

Writer-director Ruben Östlund deserves an Oscar for the wicked, intelligent screenplay here at the very least.

Young, late actress Charlbi Dean, Harris Dickinson, Woody Harrelson, Zlatko Buric, Vicki Berlin and more make up a fabulous cast, but the best of them is Dolly De Leon.

I was choking I was laughing so hard in the cinema, and it's a perfect skewering of the rich and famous. Triange is satire at its very best.

Close

Not a single film made me cry this year like Close.

This Danish film absolutely broke me, and with a packed FIN audience, I sobbed for more than half of its runtime.

It follows two 13-year-old boys – Leo and Remi – and their close friendship. But as they start school, things become complicated. Relentlessly teased for their fondness for each other, a wedge forms between them.

Leo approaches Remi's mom for answers following a disruption in their friendship. The results in director Lukas Dhont's film are shocking.

Lea Drucker, Eden Drucker, and Gustav De Waele all give beautiful performances in a movie that affected me more than I can even describe. It opens wide in January, and you need to see it.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

This long-awaited continuation is miles above Knives Out, and I truly wish I’d seen it on the big-screen.

Daniel Craig returns as detective Benoit Blanc, who ends up at a murder mystery party in Greece. But when someone is actually murdered, things become dangerous for all involved.

It’s a skewering of the rich, and a hilarious, twist-a-minute offering that generated so much awe during my first viewing.

Craig, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, an Oscar-worthy Janelle Monae, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn and Leslie Odom Jr. make up a perfect ensemble.

Director-writer Rian Johnson makes a near-perfect film here, and one of the best of 2022.

Prey

I had no interest in a Predator sequel, prequel or remake after the last few attempts, and yet Prey managed to absolutely blow my mind.

Director Dan Trachtenberg creates a memorable, incredible action film that has more heart than 90 per cent of what was on display this year.

It follows a Comanche Nation, and warrior Naru. She longs to become a hunter within the tribe, but cannot find the killer instinct that their male counterparts have.

However, when a highly-evolved Predator – one of the first – begins hunting the hunters, she must fight back.

Writer-director Dan Trachtenberg creates a horror-thriller with intense, human themes, and it's a cut above other blockbuster fare this year.

Amber Midthunder gives a star-making performance in a film that could reinvigorate the franchise.

Top Gun: Maverick

There hasn't been a cinema experience since Avatar that single-handedly blew my mind like this long-awaited Top Gun sequel did.

We drop in on Maverick thirty years later, and not much has changed. He's still taking chances and flies in the face of the rules.

But when he goes too far, he's sent to lead Top Gun's graduates on a mission where they may not make it out alive. His past comes back to haunt him during his stint, and he must reckon with his choices.

It's the singularly must nostalgic film this year, and the visual effects were absolutely mind-blowing. Couple that with an Oscar-worthy turn from Tom Cruise, and superb performances from newcomers Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, and Glen Powell, and we have an absolute triumph.

It's one of my favourite action movies of all-time, and it will leave your jaw on the floor.

Tar

Maybe it's a product of timing, but the #MeToo movement has coincided with some of the strongest, most damning films to come out in years.

People are upset, and stories – both real and fictional – carry so much weight. This fictitious account of Lydia Tar – a Western classical music conductor – who is renowned for her work.

The first-ever female music director of a major German orchestra, things begin to fall apart when former students begin to accuse her of manipulation and abuse.

Writer-director Todd Field creates an incredible film, and Cate Blanchett may just have another Oscar in the bag here.

It's a showstopping performance in a fabulous film, and it's stirring how it all unfolds.

Scream (Scream 5)

When I heard they were resurrecting my favourite franchise, I was terrified for all of the wrong reasons.

Convinced the studio was going to ruin it for a cashgrab, I sulked for months. But once I saw the first trailer, things changed.

Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett breathed life into a franchise on life support, and gave me a movie I've watched upwards of six times since January.

With a cracker-jack script from James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick, Scream manages to be an ode to the legacy of the franchise while forging new ground at the same time.

The cast features returning old-school cast members Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, but also introduces us to memorable actors like Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Dylan Minette, Mikey Madison, Jasmin Savoy Brown, and Mason Gooding.

This one doesn't shy away from what works, but takes plenty of chances to distinguish itself from other entries. It's just a great genre film, and I loved every second of it.

Bros

I have to be honest. I was really, really disappointed that Bros faltered at the box-office.

Not only because it was queer-themed, but because it was a genuinely great film that deserved to find a proper audience.

It's an up-close look at gay dating, relationships, and our pitfalls as well as upside to a gay relationship. It's told through the lens of two commitment-phobes.

Director Nicholas Stoller makes a raunchy comedy with gay men as leads, and it's actually a whole lot of fun.

Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane are really well-matched, and the film has an all-gay cast, which I absolutely loved. The ensemble was so funny.

It was predictable, but it was sweet, hilarious, and for once I saw myself in the characters on-screen. If you haven't seen it, regardless of sexuality, you really should.

Other Movies I Loved This Year:

The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent, The Batman, Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, The Northman, Elvis, Where The Crawdads Sing, Barbarian, The Woman King, Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio, Bystanders, Brother, The Swearing Jar, Spoiler Alert, Deep Water, She Said, Hustle, Vengeance, All Quiet On The Western Front

Well-Reviewed Movies I Missed:

Avatar: The Way Of The Water, White Noise, Babylon, Puss In Boots, Marcel The Shell With Shoes On, Empire Of Light, The Whale, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Decision To Leave, Return To Seoul, Living, The Inspection, Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris, The Menu, RRR, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever