Colin Farrell in the film THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN. Photo by Jonathan Hession. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

The Best Movies of 2022

Huge scale, populist films, the smallest foreign and indies and one polarizing work of serious art—this year I was passionately undisciplined in my tally.

1 min read

It was a terrific year in film, and while box office receipts for adult-oriented pictures took quite a hit this awards season with the majority of potential Oscar contenders grossing less than $10m each, the high bar quality of 2022 releases made creating a list of ten films an agonizing proposition.

From huge scale, populist entertainments to the smallest of foreign films and indies to one polarizing work of serious art, this year I was passionately undisciplined in my tally, breaking my 10 best “rule” to accommodate 15 (I simply could not part with any of them). Anything ranked here was close to four stars for me, and I adored all of them.

1. The Banshees of Inisherin

2. Bones and All

3. Nitram

4. Everything Everywhere All at Once

5. Tár

6. RRR

7. Avatar: The Way of Water

8. Happening

9. Blonde

10. Close

11. Great Freedom

12. The Northman

13. Emily the Criminal

14. Top Gun: Maverick

15. EO


And 15 additional, terrific films that could have easily made the list:

  • All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Argentina 1985
  • Babylon
  • The Batman
  • Decision to Leave
  • Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
  • The Menu
  • Playground
  • Resurrection
  • She Said
  • To Leslie
  • Triangle of Sadness
  • Vengeance
  • Watcher

2 Comments

    • Hi Nancy, thanks for this comment and I believe many share this sentiment. Note that this year’s “Oscar” films have not done well at the box office. I believe the types of films you may be referring to are an attempt to address realism, or social realism, in their views of the world — in other words, truth. But we do have Avatar: The Way of Water, Top Gun: Maverick and others this year that are superb and allow us to be entertained. We just need to strike that balance, right? 🙂 -Lee

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