My Top 10 Favorite Films of 2022

by Darian Scalamoni

    2022 was a year that in my opinion, opened up the possibility of a renaissance within movie theaters. Though 2020 had studios shifting their priorities to streaming with audiences being stuck in their homes and 2021 seeing a more staggered approach to big releases, this past year gave us a ton of new films to devour across so many genres. Some made us cry, some made us laugh, some made us cower in fear, and honestly, some made us to all of the above. However, these 10 films (plus a few honorable mentions) were my absolute favorites of 2022.

10. Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me

    This documentary following pop star multi-hyphenate Selena Gomez and her mental health struggles is way more than your average paint-by-numbers attempt at a story for celebrity. Through tremendous editing and an emotional authentic following of Gomez's struggles with mental, physical and emotional health, the aptly titled My Mind & Me, makes you feel like you are following Gomez through her struggles as a fly on the wall. The countless enduring distressful moments for her creates a frantic documentary structure at times makes you feel like you're battling demons with Gomez, but the pacing and tone set by director, Alex Keshishian makes this my favorite documentary of 2022 and cracks my top 10.

9. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

    There were 3 separate films released in 2022 revolving around the wooden child who wants to become a real boy. And while the first two failed on many levels, Guillermo del Toro's 15-year stop motion passion project is one of the best films of the year. Through amazing voice performances from Ewan McGregor, Christoph Waltz and Gregory Mann as the titular character, it's clear that this version of the story differs from the 1940s Disney film. The film is dark at times filled with tyrannical viewpoints of the fascism of Italy in the 1920s but is also filled with wonder, faith and amazement. Pinocchio is a terrific visual spectacle that was well worth the wait and a terrific film to watch on streaming through Netflix.

8. Nope

    Jordan Peele has worked himself into the upper echelon of creative entities within film. He's become such a visionary that every movie he's made has been wholly original and diverse. Nope is about a pair of siblings who have a history as horse wranglers but are also in the media business when things start to get thrown out of whack when they believe they see a UFO. The movie features some of the best cinematography of the year, boasts great performances from all involved with Keke Palmer being the standout, but it also features such a terrific blend of genre-bending through supernatural thriller, horror, comedy and sci-fi. Nope is terrifying but is a movie I will revisit time after time because of how inventive the mind of Jordan Peele is becoming. We're watching the making of a legend in cinema and it's great to be a part of the ride.

7. Cha Cha Real Smooth

    Discovering new talent behind the camera is something I look forward to as a passionate lover of film and television. Within the last few years, we've seen people like The Duffer Brothers, Damien Chazelle, Greta Gerwig and more, however, Cooper Raiff had been getting rave reviews out of the Sundance Film Festival for his film, Cha Cha Real Smooth, which was picked up by AppleTV+. I managed to squeeze this film in for the last week of 2022 and I am so happy I did. Raiff is only 25 years old and writes, directs and stars in the movie which follows him as a recent college graduate trying to find his way in the world as he becomes a party starter for Bar Mitzvahs and falls in love with a woman, he meets at one of the parties. He also takes on the role as caretaker for the woman's autistic daughter. Dakota Johnson plays Domino, the woman in which Raiff's character falls in love with and they have instant mysterious chemistry adding more to the emotions within the romantic dramedy. The movie is heartwarming, sentimental, funny and unique. I believe this is probably the most underrated film of 2022.

6. Pearl

    I'm not much of a horror fan however, the chronicling of Pearl in both her sequel film X and my number six film of the year, Pearl is a horrifying tale of a psychotic and complex woman who just wants to be a star in will do anything in her power to reach stardom. Martin Scorsese dubbed the prequel movie based in 1918; "deeply disturbing, mesmerizing and wild." The movie follows Mia Goth as Pearl, who is a young woman on the brink of madness amid her isolation and lovelessness in arthouse horror. Though it was an amazing year for horror in general, Pearl stands among the rest as one that I will revisit due to the star making turn from Goth, direction from Ti West, pretty cinematography and deranged visuals. Watching her psychosis play out on screen is petrifying but is done in such a tasteful way that this moviegoer, who is usually not akin to horror films wants to revisit time and time again.

5. The Batman

    The best comic book movie of the year comes from DC with the latest iteration of Bruce Wayne from the mind of Matt Reeves. Yes, we've been seeing different versions of Batman on screen since the 80s but the deep dive into the detective version of the iconic character prior to his playboy and philanthropy gives a much more sophisticated look into the dark knight. Many fans were skeptical of Robert Pattinson donning the cowl; however, he does a great job with THIS version of Bruce Wayne and I'm excited to see where Reeves takes the character next. The gritty, gothic and gloomy tones make along with an engrossing score and beautiful cinematography make this clearly the best on-screen Batman film since, The Dark Knight. Colin Farrell and Zoe Kravitz are standouts as The Penguin and Catwoman, respectively. The Batman sets the tone for the future of Matt Reeves take on Gotham and I think this was a great entry point to see where his mind takes us.

4. Top Gun: Maverick

    Tom Cruise had the pull to make sure that Paramount did not release the long-awaited sequel to the 1986 film Top Gun on their streaming service and that was the smartest business decision ever. The sequel, Top Gun Maverick, headed to theaters and had a remarkable box-office run that brought it all the way to the 11th highest grossing film of all-time. Seeing this movie in IMAX also enhanced the experience dramatically which meant that Cruise made the right decision savoring the visuals, audio, cinematography and environment made for this film. Cruise is terrific reprising his role as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell but the new franchise entries of Miles Teller and Glen Powell as "Rooster" and "Hangman" help build depth within the lore of this Top Gun universe. I can't recommend this movie enough, it's a high-octane film filled with heart, plenty of laughs and amazing action sequences.

3. The Banshees of Inisherin

    Martin McDonagh has directed two of my absolute favorite films of all-time, In Bruges and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. He's a director that I am always excited to see what he has bringing to the big screen next and to no surprise, his latest film, The Banshees of Inisherin is another favorite of mine and comes in at number three for 2022. The film sounds ridiculous in its concepts, however, only McDonagh and the on-screen chemistry of Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell make this movie work as well as it does. The film is a period piece set in 1920s Ireland where two lifelong friends come to grips with an impasse in their relationship when one character wakes up one day deciding he doesn't want to be the other one's friend anymore. It's the ultimate tale of kindness vs. silence as Farrell's character, Padraic, has no idea why they cannot just continue life as it's always been between them. All of the performances are terrific with standout supporting roles for Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan, as well. Behind immaculate direction, cinematography and witty Irish humor, The Banshees of Inisherin is an evocative, mysterious and hilarious journey of friendship and the lack of it.

2. Avatar: The Way of Water

    After an incredibly long wait for James Cameron's follow up to the visual spectacular known as Avatar, the highest-grossing film of all-time surpassed the wonderment of the original with The Way of Water. This movie is the definitive theater experience through Cameron's camera work, visual effects, cinematography but even more so, the way he is able to have you invest in these characters after over a decade away from them along with quickly returning to the land of Pandora and seeking new characters and worlds. The lore within this movie is much richer as the first hour and 20 minutes is similar to Avatar before heading to the water colony and interacting with other Na'vi that are not the same as Jake Sully's family. The movie sees new breakout performances from all involved, but none might be more impressive than seeing Sigourney Weaver embody a young teenage hybrid of Na'vi and human. As an audience member, you feel like you are playing alongside these characters but also feel like no time has passed at all when you're engrossed within the original creation of Cameron's. It's emotional, visceral, beautiful, heartbreaking and familiar all at the same time. I can't wait to see this film in theaters again soon and it just barely missed being my number one film of the year.

1. Everything Everywhere All at Once

    I was one of the late entries to Everything Everywhere All at Once. So much so, that I thought I would've been too late to the point that I wouldn't appreciate the film as much as others did. I watched this movie the day after Christmas, and it rocked me in so many ways. Everything about this movie, is spectacular. The unbelievable mix of visual work and editing brings the viewer on a trip across the multiple landscapes brought forth by the directing duo known as Daniels (aka Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert). The title will set the tone for the ride you will go on in this movie, as an original multiversal trip that has heart, laughs aplenty and also tender moments between family members wondering "what could have been" if one little decision was changed along the way. Michelle Yeoh is unbelievable in this movie but the whole cast is a delight which also features the true definition of attention-grabbing performance from Stephanie Hsu and the return of Ke Huy Quan to the big screen who is my personal pick to win Best Supporting Actor at this year's Academy Awards. This movie will enlighten anyone who decides to watch but I implore everyone to watch this film as it has something for everyone. The zany, heartwarming tale that features even people with hot dogs for fingers at times, creates an environment that makes for my absolute number one film of the year, and quite possibly, one of my all-time favorites.

Honorable Mentions:  Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, X, Hustle