Chris’s 10 Favorite Films of 2022
By Chris Conkling
Top 10 lists have become incredibly popular online over the last decade, and the start of a new year is the perfect time to reflect on what the previous year offered in terms of media, as well as which pieces of content stood above the rest. That being said, lists like these are incredibly subjective, and will always be representative of one person’s opinion (my own).
The projects that follow are my favorite films of 2022! Enjoy!
10. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
“Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” is by no means the “best” film of 2022, however, I’ve chosen to include it on this list because of the incredibly enjoyable experience I had while watching this movie, as well as how it made me feel. Directed by Testuro Kodama, “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero” strikes a perfect balance of original creator, Akira Toriyama’s, comedic and action sensibilities, and chooses to remove the main characters of the franchise in favor of telling a story centered around a character who has been sidelined for many years. The film is refreshing and genuine and made a lifelong fan of the franchise feel like a kid again.
9. Three Thousand Years of Longing
George Miller’s “Three Thousand Years of Longing” is one of the more underrated films of the year. Tilda Swinton plays Alithea, a narratologist who discovers a magic bottle while attending a conference abroad. Upon releasing the djinn inside, played by Idris Elba, the pair discuss the djinn’s history, as well as the nature of wish-making and all the tropes surrounding stories that involve it. “Three Thousand Years of Longing” is a love letter to the art of storytelling, and a film about love and love lost. The film is visually interesting and has a beautiful score composed by Tom Holkenborg. My only critique involves the third act of the film. It feels apart from what is presented in the first two acts and ends rather abruptly. That aside, Three Thousand Years of Longing is still very much worthy of your time.
8. The Northman
If you are familiar with Robert Eggers’ work, you know he is no stranger to trippy period films. “The Witch”, “The Lighthouse”, and now “The Northman”, all 3 films ride this spellbinding line between fantasy and verisimilitude. “The Northman” adapts the Scandinavian legend of Amleth (the inspiration for William Shakespeare’s Hamlet) and is a tale of murder and revenge. Alexander Skarsgård is a ferocious lead, and as to be expected based on Eggers’ track record, the film is expertly shot with immersive set design. It expertly captures the gruesome aspects of Viking culture, while still catering to the more mythic elements of the source material.
7. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
I am not the biggest fan of Nicolas Cage, however, I love it when an actor, especially one as big as Nic Cage, knows how to poke fun at themselves. Tom Gormican’s “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” is an exceptionally meta film about a fictional Nic Cage being hired to go to a private island to entertain a super-fan, played by Pedro Pascal. The film is entirely aware of itself, and Pedro Pascal and Nicolas Cage have magnetic and hysterical on-screen chemistry. The narrative goes to some pretty chaotic places, however, the ride is worth taking.
6. The Banshees of Inisherin
“The Banshees of Inisherin” reunites actors Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson with director Martin McDonagh (director of In Bruges). The film takes place in 1923 on an isle off the coast of Ireland and follows the crumbling relationship of two lifelong friends played by Farrell and Gleeson. The film is intimate, funny, and deeply emotional. As we attempt to deconstruct masculinity and what it means to be masculine as a culture in contemporary times, the film gives us a glimpse into the complicated dynamics of an adult male relationship, and the coping mechanisms used when an unexpected paradigm shift occurs within it.
5. Glass Onion: A Knives out Mystery
In 2019, Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” was my second favorite film of the year, and its sequel, “Glass Onion” is a worthy successor to this ever-expanding “Knives Out” brand. Just like the first film, Rian Johnson has crafted an entertaining ensemble of eccentrics with recognizable modern archetypes. Daniel Craig is captivating as returning detective Benoit Blanc, and Edward Norton is both hilarious and infuriating as Billionaire and supposed genius, Miles Bron. The mystery itself is engaging, and like the first film, manages to subvert the expectations of the genre. With this track record, I cannot wait to see what Rian Johnson does with this series next.
4. The Batman
There have been many Batman films over the years ranging in quality from incredible to downright awful. “The Batman”, directed by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson as the titular character, falls on the incredible side of the spectrum. What sets this film apart is Matt Reeve’s dedication to depicting the Dark Knight as a detective. At its core, this film is a detective drama, an aspect of the Batman character other directors have shied away from for decades. On top of this, the film has dynamic cinematography, a top-tier sound mix, and some of the best prosthetics I’ve seen in film; Colin Farrell is unrecognizable as The Penguin. The only thing holding this film back is its runtime. The film is nearly 3 hours long, and you really start to feel it in its third act. Despite this, “The Batman” is a worthy addition to the pantheon of Hollywood Batman adaptations.
3. Avatar: The Way of Water
Never doubt James Cameron! After 10 years of production, “Avatar: The Way of Water” has finally made its debut in cinemas, and it was worth the wait! Say what you will about the narratives of both the first film at this sequel, James Cameron continuously pushes the Hollywood visual effect industry forward with his “if you can dream it, you can do it” attitude. "Avatar: The Way of Water” is an absolutely gorgeous film. The vistas of Pandora and the underwater sequences are so realistic, it is as though Cameron went to a real place and shot everything in real-time. The cast is just as good as they were 13 years ago, and the narrative, while simple, still feels mythic in nature. Cameron is still the only director who understands how to utilize 3D properly, enhancing the depth of the frame instead of pushing images outward toward the audience like a theme park ride. My only critique would be Cameron’s choice to use a variable frame rate for the film. Jumping between 24 frames and 48 frames per second from scene to scene can often be jarring, however, whenever the film gets the opportunity to present a longer sequence in 48 frames per second, it is beautiful. This is a theater-going experience I will not soon forget.
2. Prey
Dan Trachtenberg’s “Prey” was one of the more welcomed surprises this year. In terms of quality, the Predator franchise has had diminishing returns since the original was released in 1987. No film since the original has been able to capture or improve upon its premise, so going into Prey, I did not have high expectations. I could not have been more wrong. “Prey” follows a young Comanche woman, played by Amber Midthunder, as she strives to prove to her village she is an effective warrior. Set in 1719, the film shows us what it would be like for a warrior without modern technology to take on the franchise’s titular creature, but most importantly, the film crafts a narrative that makes us care for its lead and flushes them out as a person, something no other Predator film has really made an effort to do in the past. Prey is not simply a good Predator movie, it is an outstanding film, period.
1. Everything Everywhere All At Once
In an industry flooded with multiverse stories, “Everything Everywhere All At Once” stands alone at the top of the mountain. Directed by The Daniels, this movie presents itself as a story about immigrants and their interpersonal family dynamics, however, it is so much more. “Everything Everywhere All At Once” depicts universal themes of kindness and love, and when I was finished with my viewing, I felt like a changed person. Michelle Yeoh is magnificent as the lead character, Evelyn, and is finally given the opportunity she deserves to flex her skills as an actor. The same can be said for Ke Huy Quan. Ke Huy Quan returns to acting after a multi-decade hiatus to deliver a career-defining performance as Evelyn’s husband, Waymond. The film is also beautifully and meticulously shot to ensure every multiversal sequence fits together. If you only see one movie from 2022, it has to be “Everything Everywhere All At Once”.