As the year is coming to an end, I wanted to share some of my insights on the best films that have come out this year. But before we get into that, I want to say that I haven’t gotten a chance to watch some films that I believe would make this list, films such as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Banshees of Inisherin, or Where the Crawdads Sing. So, I want to focus on those that I have seen.
First, I’ll talk about some of the franchise films that have graced our screens this year.
Scream (2022)
Early in the year, Scream (2022) came out. The film followed the story of Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) and her sister (Melissa Barrera). It takes place 25 years after the original scream and includes many nods to the original film, such as the iconic first scene with Drew Barrymore. A new ghostface begins terrorizing Tara, her sister, and other teenagers in the hopes of uncovering past secrets. Notable members of the Scream franchise such as Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette join the young cast as the older, wiser generation of ghostface survivors. I found the film to be a nice continuation of the original story with its own unique storyline and main characters. Following the 2022 film, Scream 6 is set to release in theaters on March 10, 2023.
The Batman
Another film that came out in early 2022 was The Batman. This is the most recent film from the DC movie franchise, although it does not connect with any other films (yet anyway). I found the film to be an interesting and unique take on Bruce Wayne/Batman, played by Robert Pattinson. Rather than an elusive, rich, charismatic bachelor, this Bruce is a lonely, outcast, still rich, man who only wants to give the citizens of Gotham justice. Another unique aspect of the film is that it begins when Bruce Wayne has already become Batman. He has made a mark on the world and works with local police to solve mysteries. Catwoman, played by Zoe Kravitz, also makes an appearance in the film and sparks the beginning of Bruce Wayne’s romantic experience. The film is also set to have a sequel and with the interesting after-credits clip, we should be in for a treat in the next film.
Glass Onion
This is the most recent film on my list. The film released in theaters on November 23, 2022, and released on Netflix on December 23, 2022. The film is a “Knives Out mystery” following detective Benoit Blanc on his next adventure. He is invited to a tech billionaire’s private island for a murder mystery party, but things take a dark turn when someone is actually murdered. I feel like the film holds up well compared to Knives Out, although nothing can truly compare to the first film. But, if you couldn’t get enough of Detective Benoit Blanc, this movie is for you!
X, Pearl, and MaXXXine
A new franchise hit our screens this year, starting with X. This film follows a group of young actors who set out to make an adult film in a rural Texas home. But, when the elderly couple catches the actors in the act, the cast finds themselves in danger. Following the incredible audience approval of the film, A24 released Pearl a mere six months later. Pearl follows the story of the elderly woman from the first film. Viewers get insight into how Pearl turned out the way she did. The incredibly talented Mia Goth plays Maxine, the adult film star from X, as well as Pearl, elderly and young, in both films. I find that casting her in both of these roles gives her a unique perspective on each of her characters and both films create an intriguing world. The third film in this new franchise is set to release sometime in the next two years and MaXXXine will follow Maxine from X as she recovers from the events of the film and attempts to make it as an actress in the 1980s.
Some original, one-off films that hit the screens this year include:
Fresh
This early 2022 film tells the story of a young woman who is out of luck with online dating and meets a new man in real life. They hit it off, and Noa, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, visits Steve, Sebastian Stan, at his secluded mansion but things take a dark turn when she learns of his unique appetite. Fresh is not for the faint of heart, so fair warning for the “unique appetite” of Steve. Despite that, Fresh was a truly unique film that showed the impressive range of both Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People) and Sebastian Stan (Marvel franchise).
The Fallout
This is another somewhat heavy film. The Fallout was released on HBOMax in January of 2022. The film follows a young woman, Vada, Jenna Ortega, as she tries to recover from a school shooting at her high school. Vada goes through many emotions during this time and loses friendships as well as gains new ones, especially with Mia, played by Maddie Ziegler. The film definitely has its somewhat cringeworthy moments as the adult writers attempted to portray Gen Z culture, but overall it is a heart-wrenching film that tells an important story for our time. Ortega and Ziegler both give meaningful performances.
Not Okay
This film came out in July of 2022; it stars Zoey Deutch as a young woman desperate for friends and decides to fake a trip to Paris to up her social media status. Unfortunately, during the week that she “spends” in Paris, there were multiple terrorist attacks, including one, mere minutes after she was supposedly at a Paris monument. She must decide whether to own up to her fake trip or pretend that she was really there and make some friends along the way. I found this film to be an interesting take on social media and modern-day issues in the world. It was interesting to see the film through the villain’s perspective and I think it was one of the better films that came out this year.
Bullet Train
This film came out in late 2022. It tells the story of an unlucky assassin, Brad Pitt, determined to do his job peacefully. He runs into a few different adversaries as he tries to complete his mission. It turns out they’re all after the same thing. I really enjoyed this film. The action was really fun to watch, and the unique style of editing and twists throughout the film made it really interesting. The action sequences were choreographed very well and created suspenseful, well-paced scenes. I found all of the actors created interesting perspectives and everything together created a really amazing film.
Don’t Worry Darling
This film sparked much controversy over the internet as well as many interesting conspiracy theories about what went on with the cast, but, apart from that, I thought it was a great film. Don’t Worry Darling stars Florence Pugh and Harry Styles as lovebirds in a serene neighborhood secluded from the rest of society. Things begin to go awry when Pugh’s character, Alice, begins to notice absurd things happening around her. I enjoyed this film a lot. There have been many different perspectives on the film’s ending, but I found it to be an interesting twist. Florence Pugh was amazing in the film, and Harry Styles is beginning to make his mark as an actor as well.
Nope
Jordan Peele’s most recent film, Nope, hit the big screen in July of this year. The film stars Daniel Kalyuua, as OJ, and Keke Palmer, as Emerald, as siblings who take over their father’s business after he dies in a mysterious way. One night OJ notices something off in the night sky and spots a UFO. The siblings attempt to get the UFO on camera and get rich. This was one of the best films that was released this year. It told an incredible story and highlighted interesting topics in a unique way. Kalyuua and Palmer both gave incredibly funny, introspective, and heart-wrenching performances.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
This was, in my opinion, the best film of 2022. Everything Everywhere All at Once graced our screens on March 11 this year. The film stars Michelle Yeoh, as Evelyn, Ke Huy Quan, as Evelyn’s husband Waymond, and Stephanie Hsu, as their daughter Joy. The film starts as a married couple prepares to visit their tax auditor for the year and their daughter arrives home with her girlfriend to help translate. There is tension between Evelyn and her daughter. Evelyn and Waymond visit the office, but suddenly Waymond is overtaken by some other version of him saying that he’s from another universe and Evelyn needs to learn how to harness the skills of alternate versions of herself to help save the universe. The film is chock-full of hilarious moments, heartwarming connections, and interdimensional confusion in the best way possible. However, at the heart of the film, the story is about a family reconnecting: a husband and wife rediscover why they got married, and a mother and daughter mend a broken relationship. It is a beautiful story that has won multiple awards and is surely up for many Oscars in the coming award season.