After a rough period for Cinema during the Covid-19 pandemic, things now appear to be finding their way back to “normal.” And while there is still uncertainty surrounding the future of movies — especially in view of the current crisis in the streaming market — 2022 was able to show us that great films are not over.
In fact, the year had a lot to offer: from provocative sociopolitical studies (such as The Good Boss, Another World and Argentina, 1985) to poignant self-reflexive autobiographies crafted by acclaimed filmmakers (Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans and James Gray’s Armageddon Time), we were also offered dashing biopics (Elvis, Blonde and Benediction), welcome, long-awaited sequels (Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water), mainstream surprises for all tastes (Everything Everywhere All at Once and RRR), and even a record number of Pinnochio adaptations.
Not to mention all the excellent series that came out as well. Netflix’s stomach-turning Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story proved too tough for many to digest (pun intended) but remains a disturbing examination of a failed society who enabled a monster to be out and about in a murderous spree for so long. And while Better Call Saul made history with its magnificent conclusion, other highlights included HBO’s remarkable premiere of House of the Dragon, Season 3 of the always brilliant Succession, and a surprisingly strong year for Westworld that sadly didn’t prevent the show’s cancelation.
And let’s not forget the episode The Sound of Her Wings of Netflix’s The Sandman — a masterpiece I would have definitely included in my list (and probably at the top) if it had been made as a film. The rest of the show, however, can’t even compare and is instead quite forgettable, which is such a pity and a waste of talent.
With all that said, here are the best and worst movies that became available to the public worldwide in 2022, across cinemas, streaming platforms or elsewhere online. Enjoy.
THE BEST MOVIES OF 2022 (in order of preference):
- The Good Boss (Spain, 2021)
- The Fabelmans (USA, 2022)
- Tár (USA, 2022)
- Another World (France, 2021)
- Argentina, 1985 (Argentina, 2022)
- Aftersun (UK/USA, 2022)
- Elvis (Australia/USA, 2022)
- Nope (USA, 2022)
- The Innocents (Norway, 2021)
- Licorice Pizza (USA, 2021)
35 OTHER FILMS THAT DESERVE MENTION (in alphabetic order):
Avatar: The Way of Water (USA, 2022)
The Banshees of Inisherin (Ireland/UK/USA, 2022)
Benediction (UK/USA, 2021)
Casablanca Beats (France/Morocco, 2021)
C’mon C’mon (USA, 2021)
Cow (UK, 2021)
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (USA, 2022)
Decision to Leave (South Korea, 2022)
Downfall: The Case Against Boeing (USA, 2022)
Everything Everywhere All at Once (USA, 2022)
Fire of Love (USA/Canada, 2022)
The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft (UK/Switzerland, 2022)
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (USA, 2022)
The Good Nurse (USA, 2022)
Great Freedom (Austria/Germany, 2021)
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (USA/Mexico/France, 2022)
Happening (France, 2021)
Hatching (Finland/Sweden, 2022)
Hellraiser (USA/Serbia, 2022)
A Hero (Iran/France, 2021)
Hit the Road (Iran, 2021)
Men (UK/USA, 2022)
Moonage Daydream (Germany/USA, 2022)
Nightmare Alley (USA/Mexico/Canada, 2021)
Olga (Switzerland/France/Ukraine, 2021)
Pearl (USA/Canada, 2022)
Red Rocket (USA, 2021)
RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) (India, 2022)
Sissy (Australia, 2022)
Speak No Evil (Denmark/Netherlands, 2022)
The Tinder Swindler (UK, 2022)
Top Gun: Maverick (USA, 2022)
Triangle of Sadness (Sweden/France/UK/Germany, 2022)
X (USA/Canada, 2022)
You Won’t Be Alone (UK/Serbia/Australia, 2022)
THE WORST MOVIES OF 2022 (in order of mediocrity):
- Lingui: The Sacred Bonds (Chad/France/Belgium, 2021)
- Bergman Island (France/Germany/Sweden, 2021)
- Halloween Ends (USA, 2022)
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre (USA, 2022)
- Scream (USA, 2022)
- Executive Order (Brazil, 2020)
- Moon Knight (USA, 2022)
- Prey for the Devil (USA, 2022)
- The Black Phone (USA, 2021)
- Broker (South Korea, 2022)
COMPLETE LIST OF FILMS SEEN IN 2022 (in alphabetic order):
- Abducted in Plain Sight (USA, 2017) — ***
- About Endlessness, or Om det Oändliga (Sweden/Germany/Norway/France, 2019) — ***
- Aftersun (UK/USA, 2022) — *****
- Ahed’s Knee, or Ha’berech (France/Israel/Germany, 2021) — **
- Alcarràs (Spain/Italy, 2022) — **
- All Hallows’ Eve (USA, 2013) — **
- All Light, Everywhere (USA, 2021) — ****
- Alphaville, or Alphaville, une étrange aventure de Lemmy Caution (France/Italy, 1965) — ****
- The Amulet of Ogum, or O Amuleto de Ogum (Brazil, 1974) — ***
- Another World, or Un Autre Monde (France, 2021) — *****
- Antebellum (USA, 2020) — ***
- Argentina, 1985 (Argentina/UK/USA, 2022) — *****
- Armaggedon Time (USA/Brazil, 2022) — ****
- Ascension (USA, 2021) — ***
- Attica (USA, 2021) — ****
- Avatar: The Way of Water (USA, 2022) — ****
- Azor (Argentina/Switzerland/France, 2021) — ****
- Ballad of a White Cow, or Ghasideyeh gave sefid (Iran/France, 2020) — ***
- Band of Outsiders, or Bande à Part (France, 1964) — ****
- The Banshees of Inisherin (Ireland/UK/USA, 2022) — ****
- Barbarian (USA, 2022) — **
- Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, or Bardo, Falsa Crónica de unas Cuantas Verdades (Mexico, 2022) — **
- Barefoot Gen, or Hadashi no Gen (Japan, 1983) — ****
- The Batman (USA, 2022) — ***
- Being the Ricardos (USA, 2021) — **
- Belphegor, or Belphégor ou Le Fantôme du Louvre (France, 1965) — ***
- Benediction (UK/USA, 2021) — ****
- Bergman Island (France/Belgium/Germany/Sweden/Mexico/Brazil/UK, 2021) — *
- Beware the Slenderman (USA, 2016) — **
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (USA, 2022) — ***
- The Black Phone (USA, 2021) — **
- Blonde (USA, 2022) — ****
- Blood and Black Lace, or 6 Donne per l’Assassino (Italy/France/West Germany, 1964) — ****
- The Blue Flower of Novalis, or A Rosa Azul de Novalis (Brazil, 2018) — ****
- Bones and All (Italy/USA, 2022) — ****
- The Boy Behind the Door (USA, 2020) — **
- Brawl in Cell Block 99 (USA, 2017) — ****
- The Bridges of Madison County (USA, 1995) — *****
- Brightburn (USA, 2019) — *
- Broker, or Beurokeo (South Korea, 2022) — **
- Bros (USA, 2022) — ***
- A Brutal Pact: The Murder of Daniella Perez, or Pacto Brutal: O Assassinato de Daniella Perez (Brazil, 2022) — ****
- The Carabineers, or Les Carabiniers (France/Italy, 1963) — ***
- The Card Counter (USA/UK/China/Sweden, 2021) — ****
- Carta para Além dos Muros (Brazil, 2019) — ***
- Casablanca Beats, or Haut et Fort (France/Morocco, 2021) — ****
- Cat People (USA, 1982) — **
- Causeway (USA, 2022) — ***
- Charcoal, or Carvão (Argentina/Brazil, 2022) — ****
- C.H.U.D. (USA, 1984) — **
- Cleveland Abduction (USA, 2015) — **
- C’mon C’mon (USA, 2021) — ****
- CODA (USA/France/Canada, 2021) — ***
- The Color Purple (USA, 1985) — ****
- The Commune, or Kollektivet (Denmark/Sweden/Netherlands, 2016) — ***
- Compartment Number 6, or Hytti nro 6 (Finland/Russia/Estonia/Germany, 2021) — ***
- Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes (USA, 2022) — ***
- Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes (USA, 2022) — ***
- A Cop Movie, or Una película de policías (Mexico, 2021) — **
- Cow (UK, 2021) — *****
- Crazy, Not Insane (USA, 2020) — ****
- Crimes of the Future (Canada/UK/Greece, 2022) — **
- The Curse of the Werewolf (UK, 1961) — **
- Cycling the Frame (West Germany, 1988) — **
- Cyrano (UK/Canada/USA, 2021) — ***
- Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (USA, 2022) — *****
- A Dangerous Son (USA, 2018) — ****
- Daylight (USA, 1996) — ****
- Deadstream (USA/UK, 2022) — ****
- Decision to Leave, or Heojil kyolshim (South Korea, 2022) — ****
- Devilman: Crybaby (Japan, 2018) — ***
- Dexter: New Blood (USA, 2021) — ****
- The Divide, or La Fracture (France, 2021) — ****
- Divine Divas, or Divinas Divas (Brazil, 2016) — ****
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (USA, 1931) — ****
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (USA, 1941) — **
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (USA, 2022) — ***
- Don’t Worry Darling (USA, 2022) — **
- Downfall: The Case Against Boeing (USA, 2022) — ****
- Dry Wind, or Vento Seco (Brazil, 2020) — *****
- Dual (USA/Finland, 2022) — ***
- The Egg (short) (USA, 2020) — *****
- Elize Matsunaga: Once Upon a Crime, ou Elize Matsunaga: Era Uma Vez Um Crime (Brazil, 2021) — **
- Elvis (Australia/USA, 2022) — *****
- Encanto (USA, 2021) — **
- Enter the Dragon (Hong Kong/USA, 1973) — ****
- Everything Everywhere All at Once (USA, 2022) — ****
- Everything Went Fine, or Tout s’est bien passé (France/Belgium, 2021) — ***
- Executive Order, or Medida Provisória (Brazil, 2020) — **
- Extinction (USA, 2018) — **
- The Fabelmans (USA, 2022) — *****
- Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (UK/USA, 2022) — ***
- Fire of Love (USA/Canada, 2022) — ****
- The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft (UK/Switzerland/USA/France, 2022) — ****
- Flag Day (USA/UK/Canada, 2021) — ***
- Four Good Days (Canada/USA, 2020) — ***
- France (France/Germany/Italy/Belgium, 2021) — **
- Free Guy (USA, 2021) — **
- Fresh (USA, 2022) — ***
- From Scratch (USA, 2022) — **
- Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (USA, 2022) — ****
- Golden Mouth, or Boca de Ouro (Brazil, 1963) — ****
- The Good Boss, or El Buen Patrón (Spain, 2021) — *****
- The Good Nurse (USA, 2022) — ****
- Great Freedom, or Große Freiheit (Austria/Germany, 2021) — ****
- The Great Mystical Circus, or O Grande Circo Místico (Brazil/Portugal/France, 2018) — *
- Greta (Brazil, 2019) — ****
- Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (USA/Mexico/France, 2022) — ****
- Halloween Ends (USA/UK, 2022) — **
- Happening, or L’Événement (France, 2021) — *****
- The Harder They Fall (USA, 2021) — *****
- Hatching (Finland/Sweden, 2022) — ****
- Haunt (USA, 2019) — ***
- Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages, or Häxan (Sweden/Denmark, 1922) — *****
- The Hellbenders, or I Crudeli (Italy/Spain, 1967) — ***
- Hellraiser (USA/Serbia, 2022) — ****
- A Hero, or Ghahreman (Iran/France, 2021) — ****
- Hit the Road, or Jaddeh Khaki (Iran, 2021) — ****
- Hole in the Forehead, or Un Buco in Fronte (Italy, 1968) — **
- Holy Spider (Denmark/Germany/Sweden/France, 2022) — ***
- Horse Girl (USA, 2020) — ***
- House of Hammer (USA, 2022) — ***
- How to Die in Cinema, or Como se Morre no Cinema (Brazil, 2002) — *****
- I Just Killed My Dad (USA, 2022) — ***
- I Married a Monster from Outer Space (USA, 1958) — **
- I Remember the Crows, or Lembro Mais dos Corvos (Brazil, 2018) — ***
- I See You (USA, 2019) — *
- Incantation (Taiwan, 2022) — **
- Inferno (Italy, 1980) — ***
- Inkheart (Germany/UK/USA/Italy, 2008) — **
- The Innocents, or De Uskyldige (Norway/Sweden/Denmark/Finland/France/UK, 2021) — *****
- Into the Inferno (UK/Germany/Canada, 2016) — ****
- The Intruder, or El Prófugo (Argentina/Mexico, 2020) — **
- The Invisible Frame (Germany, 2009) — **
- The Invisible Man (USA, 1933) — ****
- Judge Dredd (USA/Netherlands/UK, 1995) — **
- Jumper (USA/Canada, 2008) — **
- Jurassic World Dominion (USA/China/Malta, 2022) — ***
- King of the Ants (USA, 2003) — ***
- The Kingdom, or Riget (Denmark, 1994) — ****
- The Kingdom II, or Riget II (Denmark, 1997) — ***
- The Kingdom Exodus, or Riget Exodus (Denmark, 2022) — ***
- Licorice Pizza (USA/Canada, 2021) — ****
- Lightyear (USA, 2022) — ***
- Lingui: The Sacred Bonds, or Lingui (Chad/France/Belgium/Germany, 2021) — *
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (New Zealand/USA, 2001) — *****
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (New Zealand/USA, 2002) — ****
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (New Zealand/USA, 2002) — *****
- Love, Plastic and Noise, or Amor, Plástico e Barulho (Brazil, 2013) — ****
- Luca (USA, 2021) — ***
- Lucy and Desi (USA, 2022) — ****
- Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (Bhutan/China, 2019) — ***
- Maddalena (Italy/Yugoslavia, 1971) — **
- Marjorie Prime (USA, 2017) — ****
- A Married Woman, or Une Femme Mariée, or Une femme mariée: Fragments d’un film tourné en 1964 en noir et blanc (France, 1964) — ***
- Me Tira da Mira (Brazil, 2022) — *
- Me You Them, or Eu Tu Eles (Brazil, 2000) — *****
- The Medium (Thailand/South Korea, 2021) — ****
- Medusa (Brazil, 2021) — ****
- Memoria (Colombia/Thailand/France/Germany/Mexico/Qatar/UK/China/USA/Switzerland, 2021) — **
- Men (UK/USA, 2022) — ****
- Mercy, or Piedade (Brazil, 2019) — ****
- Minnesota Clay (Italy/France/Spain, 1964) — **
- Mirador (Brazil, 2021) — ****
- Ms. Marvel (USA, 2022) — ***
- The Mitchells vs the Machines (USA/Hong Kong, 2021) — ***
- Moon Knight (USA, 2022) — **
- Moonage Daydream (Germany/USA, 2022) — ****
- Mother Joan of the Angels, or Matka Joanna od Aniolów (Poland, 1961) — ****
- Mother of Tears, or La Terza Madre (Italy, 2007) — *
- My Buddy Claudia, or Meu Amigo Claudia (Brazil, 2009) — ***
- My Dead Ones, or O Segredo de Davi (Brazil, 2018) — **
- My Little Sister, or Schwesterlein (Switzerland, 2020) — ***
- My Own Private Hell, or Inferninho (Brazil, 2018) — ***
- My Policeman (UK/USA, 2022) — ****
- My Sister Clara, or Clara Esperança (Brazil, 2022) — ****
- Next Door, or Nebenan (Germany, 2021) — ****
- Night of the Creeps (USA, 1986) — **
- The Night Sitter (USA, 2018) — ***
- Nightmare Alley (USA/Mexico/Canada, 2021) — ****
- Nine Days (USA, 2020) — ***
- 9/11: Life Under Attack, or 9/11: I Was There (UK/France/USA/Netherlands, 2021) — ****
- Nitram (Australia, 2021) — ***
- Nope (USA/Japan/Canada, 2022) — ****
- The Northman (USA/China, 2022) — ****
- Nostalgia (Italy/France, 2022) — **
- Obi-Wan Kenobi (USA, 2022) — **
- Of Miracles and Men (USA, 2015) — ****
- Olga (Switzerland/France/Ukraine, 2021) — ****
- Our Bodies Are Your Battlefields, or Nos corps sont vos champs de bataille (France, 2021) — ***
- Paris, 13th District, or Les Olympiades, Paris 13e (France, 2021) — **
- Pay the Ghost (USA, 2015) — **
- Pearl (USA/Canada, 2022) — ****
- Peter von Kant (France/Belgium, 2022) — ****
- Le Petit Soldat (France, 1963) — ***
- Petrov’s Flu, or Petrovy v grippe (Russia/France/Germany/Switzerland, 2021) — **
- Picnic at Hanging Rock (Australia, 1975) — ***
- Piggy, or Cerdita (Spain/France, 2022) — ***
- Pinocchio (USA, 2022) — ***
- Pontypool (Canada, 2008) — ***
- Prey (USA, 2022) — ***
- Prey for the Devil (USA, 2022) — **
- Propaganda (New Zealand, 2012) — *****
- Queen & Slim (USA/Canada, 2019) — ****
- Queer for Fear: The History of Queer Horror (USA, 2022) — **
- Raya and the Last Dragon (USA, 2021) — ***
- Re-Animator (USA, 1985) — *****
- Red Rocket (USA, 2021) — ****
- Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (Canada/Germany, 2021) — ***
- The Restless, or Les Intranquilles (Belgium/France/Luxembourg, 2021) — ****
- RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) (India, 2022) — ****
- Rush (USA, 1991) — ***
- Scream (USA, 2022) — **
- She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (USA, 2022) — **
- Sissy (Australia, 2022) — ****
- Skinamarink (Canada, 2022) — ***
- Smile (USA, 2022) — ***
- Sócrates (Brazil, 2018) — ****
- Sol Alegria (Brazil, 2018) — ***
- Soulbound, or Teus Olhos Meus (Brazil 2011) — **
- Southern Sorceresses, or Para Onde Voam as Feiticeiras (Brazil, 2020) — ***
- Speak No Evil (Denmark/Netherlands, 2022) — ****
- Stars at Noon (France/Panama/USA, 2022) — **
- The Story of My Wife, or A feleségem története (Hungary/Germany/France/Italy, 2021) — **
- Suspiria (Italy, 1977) — ****
- TÁR (USA, 2022) — *****
- Tent of Miracles, or Tenda dos Milagres (Brazil, 1977) — **
- Terrifier (USA, 2016) — **
- Terrifier 2 (USA, 2022) — ***
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre (USA, 2022) — **
- There’s Someone Inside Your House (USA, 2021) — **
- This Much I Know to Be True (UK, 2022) — ****
- Thor: Love and Thunder (Australia/USA, 2022) — ***
- Three Floors, or Tre Piani (Italy/France, 2021) — **
- Three Summers, or Três Verões (Brazil/France, 2019) — **
- Three Thousand Years of Longing (Australia/USA, 2022) — ***
- The Tinder Swindler (UK, 2022) — ****
- Top Gun (USA, 1986) — ***
- Top Gun: Maverick (USA, 2022) — ****
- The Tragedy of Macbeth (USA, 2021) — ***
- Triangle of Sadness (Sweden/France/UK/Germany/Turkey/Greece/USA/Denmark/Switzerland/Mexico, 2022) — ****
- The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (USA, 2022) — ***
- Unbelievable (USA, 2019) — ****
- Violation (Canada, 2021) — *****
- Vivre Sa Vie, or Vivre Sa Vie: Film en Douze Tableaux (France, 1962) — ****
- The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari (USA, 2022) — ****
- Vortex (France/Belgium/Monaco, 2021) — **
- X (USA/Canada, 2022) — ****
- Watcher (United Arab Emirates/USA/Romania, 2022) — ****
- The Weekend Away (USA, 2022) — **
- West Side Story (USA, 2021) — **
- What Josiah Saw (USA, 2021) — ****
- When We Were Kings (USA, 1996) — ****
- Who Killed Eloá?, or Quem Matou Eloá? (Brazil, 2015) — ****
- Wifemistress, or Mogliamante (Italy, 1977) — ****
- The Wolf Man (USA, 1941) — **
- The Wonder (Ireland/UK/USA, 2022) — ****
- Writing with Fire (India, 2021) — ****
- You Won’t Be Alone (UK/Serbia/Australia, 2022) — ****
- Zack Snyder’s Justice League (USA, 2021) — ***
Previous years: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016