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Top Ten Films from 2022

2022 wasn’t the best year for me when it comes to movies, but it was a solid one. During this year, I ended up watching just one five-star movie, but many received 4.5 stars from me. As is usual for this list, the new 2022 releases are discounted as they will be getting their own list in the near future. Without further ado, here are ten best movies I watched this year.

10. The Ox-Bow Incident

This is a rare western movie that I ended up absolutely loving. It was a deserved Best Picture nominee (I watched it as part of my quest to see every single BP nominee). It is a cinematic, powerfully acted and directed treat, but its highlight is the tight script that is thematically rich, in particular focusing on the immense dangers of mob mortality.

9. This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection

This is the second best movie I saw during my African Cinema Marathon back in the fall of 2022. Hailing from the small country of Lesotho, it’s an arthouse drama that is layered with important themes from the dangers of capitalism to the importance of keeping the traditions alive in smaller places. And it’s a very moving film all-around.

8. The Song of Bernadette

The Song of Bernadette is this highly underrated 40s biographical drama that is particularly interesting in its interesting spiritual tale that was handled in a pleasingly ambiguous way. It’s a very cinematic movie that is also superbly acted across the board. It was nominated for 12 Oscars, but apart from that it rarely gets much love today, which is unfortunate.

7. The Madness of King George

Stupendously performed by its talented cast with Ian Holm, Helen Mirren and Nigel Hawthorn being the standouts, The Madness of King George truly is one of the best stage adaptations as well as a rare period piece that is both elegantly constructed and highly engaging throughout. It started as a witty comedy, but it ended with a lot of heartbreak, all the while remaining immensely engaging.

6. Deconstructing Harry

You just gotta appreciate Woody Allen for being so honest about his numerous flaws as a person. He laid them all on the table gloriously in this hilarious 1997 comedy that is populated by colorful characters and many hysterical lines of dialogue. It surely is one of his best and most underrate works. I watched it in the theater and the audience there was having a blast.

5. Felidae

One of the most brutal animated movies ever made is this German Nazi parable starring these feral, dangerous cats. Felidae is difficult to watch, but it deals with some interesting themes and it’s very well scripted overall. The highlight its its suspenseful atmosphere that made it seem like a genuinely lovely homage to noir movies.

4. Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

This Almodovar flick is a crazy mash-up of romantic comedy and thriller genres that really worked due to stellar dialogue, superb direction and particularly impressive thematic resonance. It makes the point that all romantic/sexual relationships are inherently obsessive and possessive, and if that makes you uncomfortable, that is exactly the point. It’s a ridiculously underappreciated film.

3. Muriel’s Wedding

By far the most purely entertaining film on this list, Muriel’s Wedding is a true gem of Australian cinema as this deft, brilliantly scripted dramedy. It starts very funny, but ends with a lot of moving, potent drama. It’s a great case for dramedies as the most realistic representation of life itself. It also features a truly incredible central turn from the always amazing Toni Collette.

2. The Nightingale’s Prayer

Masterfully edited, directed and scripted, The Nightingale’s Prayer is a late 50s Egyptian melodrama that easily rivals the best that Hollywood produced during this period. The main performance from Faten Hamama was incredible. Brilliant dialogue coupled with phenomenally realized characters made this layered drama such a compelling viewing experience. It was definitely the best African movie I saw during my marathon of that continent’s cinematic output, and it makes me want to see more Egyptian classic movies sooner rather than later.

1. Far from Heaven

Todd Haynes’ Far from Heaven is a movie that effortlessly and realistically deals with race and sexuality in the context of 1950s suburban America. It is never too modern due to its approach of telling the story through the characters’ eyes. It’s a somber, beautiful melodrama that is gorgeously shot in color photography that is reminiscent of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Perfectly emulating Douglas Sirk and his family melodramas, the film greatly bridges old and new into a stunning, charming whole.

Honorable Mentions:

Citizen X – Wonderfully acted and highly sophisticated in its themes, Citizen X is a rare television movie that elevates the confines of its budget and is such an underrated gem.

Office Space – Great central message and memorable personalities helped cement Office Space as one of the greatest comedies of the nineties, an era that otherwise wasn’t great for this genre.

Steamboat Bill, Jr. – Mixing action with comedy nimbly, Steamboat Bill, Jr. is definitely one of the best and most memorable Buster Keaton movies that is still enjoyable to watch to this day.