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Best and Worst Films from June 2022

Best Films from June 2022:

3. Child’s Play

The third place this month has to go to Child’s Play, a stupendous horror comedy that is one of the more underrated genre movies from the eighties. Chucky is an instantly iconic horror creation and the film actually being all about buildup and not jump scares was surprising to me. It’s such a confidently made movie with great mythology and even a touch of genuinely witty dialogue that made the film self-aware. It’s so much fun.

2. Monkey King: Hero Is Back

By far one of the most underappreciated animated flicks from the 2010s is this Chinese epic fantasy. Monkey King is a family movie for sure, but its humor is hilarious despite being aimed to kids. The animation is very good while the action is frequently thrilling. It’s a fun, funny spectacle that also benefits from tremendous characterization and a lot of heart at its core. It really needs more love out there.

1. You Won’t Be Alone

Unquestionably the best movie I saw all month is this North Macedonian horror gem. You Won’t Be Alone has its creepy elements and it is a folk horror tale at its heart, but the execution aimed mostly for moving, timeless drama that is insightful and oh so human. It is such an epic, gorgeously shot, superbly acted and wonderfully directed arthouse movie that gives these artsy festival films a great name. It also further affirms that Macedonia is starting to have a great wave of quality movies now.

Worst Films from June 2022:

3. So Proudly We Hail!

Claudette Colbert was reliably excellent here while Paulette Goddard stole the show in one of her best roles in this competently made, but dull war drama that is utterly forgettable and uninspired in every single aspect besides acting. It’s not bad. It’s just weak.

2. Fire Island

Fire Island also isn’t bad per say. It’s suitably funny for a rom-com and it has a great main friendship that is well developed. However, this is an overly praised movie just because it’s LGBT, but in reality it is clichéd, totally implausible and very toxic and unrealistic in its Jane Austen parallels.

1. Men

The first place goes to an obvious pick. As a huge Alex Garland fan, it came as a shock to me just how bad Men turned out to be. It’s a terrible movie that is well acted and shot, but its treatment of “toxic masculinity” is toxic in and of itself. It preaches terrible messages that lack nuance while also being strange and boring throughout. It’s an artsy movie that gives artsy movies bad name unlike my best pick for this month.