The film industry is still recovering from the pandemic, but 2022 signaled that we’re getting closer to the quality of films we were used to pre-coronavirus. Auteurs like Robert Eggers and Jordan Peele continued their reign of adventure/horror, while Darren Aronofsky and Damien Chazelle polarized audiences with their attention-grabbing works.
But the real story was the return of blockbusters: new Top Gun and Avatar sequels finally arrived, and Batman made it back to the big screen. Between big-budget popcorn flicks and poignant indie films, it was a well-balanced year for cinema, with something to satisfy everyone’s palate (The Menu, anyone?). Check out my 40 favorite films of 2022.
40. Bodies Bodies Bodies
39. Armageddon Time
38. Barbarian
37. She Said
36. Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
35. Jackass Forever
34. Bullet Train
33. Prey
32. Apollo 10 1/2
31. Thirteen Lives
30. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
29. Cha Cha Real Smooth
28. Spoiler Alert
27. Pearl
26. All Quiet on the Western Front
25. Broker
24. Till
23. Triangle of Sadness
22. Elvis
21. The Menu
20. Decision to Leave
19. The Whale
18. Babylon
17. Turning Red
16. Avatar: The Way of Water
15. Argentina, 1985
14. RRR
13. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
12. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
11. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
10. After Yang
9. The Northman
8. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
7. Nope
6. Tár
5. The Fabelmans
4. The Banshees of Inisherin
3. The Batman
2. Top Gun: Maverick
The Verbatim 