Top 5 favorite movies of 2022

 

1) The Batman - Was there ever any doubt in The Batman being my favorite piece of cinema this year?? absolutely not. Written and directed by Matt Reeves this take on The Dark Knight was sheer quality from beginning to end. From the utterly fantastic opening 10 minutes and introduction to this very different version of Batman to the villainous Riddler, Penguin and even Catwoman The Batman was a sight to behold this year and something I have gone back and enjoyed a couple more times since. Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne / Batman was a bold choice but boy did he pull it off. With a near constant rain effect and a fantastic supporting cast including Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Paul Dano as The Riddler and Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle / Catwoman I have no trouble crowning The Batman as my ultimate, favorite movie of 2022. 

2) Top Gun : Maverick - I was never the biggest fan of the original Top Gun movie. I enjoyed it but was never truly blown away by it or anything but with this the sequel to Top Gun I absolutely was blown away. Tom Cruise returned as Maverick and this time he was in top form. Top Gun : Maverick really has to be seen on the biggest screen possible to enjoy. It is intense, stuffed with intense action sequences and just an understanding of how a movie sequel should be made. Magic cinema from beginning to end with spectacular stunts throughout. 

3) The Banshees of Inisherin - Filmed on location on an island off the coast of Ireland the latest from Martin McDonagh was simply breathtaking in both it's beauty and in it's tale of a friendship between two men. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson were on tip top form throughout and prove that not everything needs to be big, brash and loud to be thoroughly entertaining. From it's witty dialogue to it's immense message of a severed friendship The Banshees of Inishering is not just must see Irish cinema but must see cinema full stop. 

4) Barbarian - The words original, unique and terrifying come to mind when I choose to describe Barbarian. A really enjoyable, fresh take on the horror genre. From beginning to end I was hooked on each characters word and actions. The secrets it houses too are also disgustingly brutal leading to a climax that is as intense as things can get leading to a pretty surreal ending that left me reeling for a bit afterwards. Simply put Barbarian is the horror of 2022 in my opinion and showcases that there is plenty of original, unique and thought provoking horror still out there waiting to be found. 

5) Nope - The latest movie from Jordan Peele at first glance I wasn't too interested truth be told but once I sat in that theater and took it all in I feel like Nope is such an underrated movie. It's strange, out of this world but once it gets going it never truly lets up unleashing an underbelly of horrific proportions. Get Out will always be my favorite Jordan Peele movie but Nope has so much going for it from terrific performances to it's premise to even it's space like entity that haunts the farm of our brother and sister protagonists. Nope is like Barbarian very unique and original and Jordan Peele once again proves that his masterful way of creating and weaving stories together. A must see. 

Honorable mentions : 

Wendall and Wild - Hey look Jordan Peele is back but this time in stop motion along with his other half of the comedy duo Key and Peele. Wendall and Wild is a stop motion animated movie much like Coraline, Corpse Bride or The Nightmare Before Christmas. And while not on the level of those it is very strange but very good. It's wild as the title would have you believe and honestly it's a little bit magical too. 

Bullet Train - Just nonstop chaotic action bouncing between train carriers. Featuring a ton of cameos some more ridiculously funny than others Bullet Train at least for me was a breath of fresh air this year and proved that nonsense action films are still relevant and entertaining as heck. 

X - Oh look another horror movie but this time it's a lot more focused on the slasher sub-genre. X is a wild and chaotic journey full thrills, kills and everything else in between. Mia Goth is sensational here and proves that her future is very bright indeed. The kills are gory, the acting cheesey at points and overall X is a perfect little treat for horror fans and cinema goers alike. 

See How They Run - A classic who done it, who doesn't like those? See How They Run is a hilarious very self aware crime caper featuring Sam Rockwell, Adrian Brody and Ireland's own Saoirse Ronan. It is hilarious and very, very entertaining from start to finish. It's silly but not overly silly, the writing and acting was on point for the most part and as a whole See How They Run is easily one of the years most underrated movies. 

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 - Yes I know video games never transfer to live action movies very well but this movie and it's predecessor seem to have the right formula. Sonic 2 was bigger, more bold and a whole lot more funny than the original mainly because of the stakes that were brought to much greater heights from the introduction of side characters Tails and Knuckles to Jim Carrey going full on ham with his version of the evil genius Dr Robotnik (Eggman) Sonic 2 was just fun plain and simple. 

Scream (2022) - One more horror to add to the list and while not universally loved I did quite enjoy this new version of Scream. Jenna Ortega was a revelation and by the end of it all I was deeply satisfied. Some hardcore fans of the series might not agree but after the first two movies this would be my favorite sequel. Let's just hope the next installment coming next year turns out to be just as good. 

And there you have it. My top 5 favorite movies of 2022 along with some honorable mentions thrown in for good measure. This year was pretty rough for me on a personal level with some issues I don't want to get into on here but just know that I did take in some really amazing movies this year to those above and some not so good movies but we're not here to talk about them. My reviews did take a hit towards the latter half of the year but I am aiming to fix all of that in 2023. To end I just want to thank everyone who read this blog / reviews throughout the year whether it be for my movie reviews or the weekly DC TV content I had a blast typing all of this up and will continue to do so in the future. This isn't a goodbye or anything just a farewell until 2023. Thank you once again and happy new year to all I hope 2023 is simply amazing to you and those you hold dear. 

- D.C.