Best Movies of 2022

Movie viewing continued to be weird this year for me. As we're mostly but not quite back to normal in regards to the pandemic and large groups, my ability to go to the theater varied and thus the viewing of movies varied. Here are my top ten plus some honorable mentions. 

10. Bodies Bodies Bodies 

I don't watch Euphoria but I describe this movie as the Euphoria of horror/thriller/whodunnit. A bunch of beautiful Gen-Z-ers (+ the Millennial/Gen X dude) being horrible to one another in ways specific to early twenty-somethings while in a mansion and mostly on drugs.

9. The Bob's Burgers Movie 

Ah, my fave animated family on the big screen. Yes, please. Good to hang with the Belchers.

8. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande 

A mostly one (hotel) room conversation movie discussing sex and shame and pleasure and relationships. Oddly engaging and sweet and thoughtful.

7. The Lost City 

This is what I want out of a movie. Entertain me. I want big movie stars being funny. I want jokes. I was a little bit of action. (More on this later.)

6. Everything Everywhere All the Time 

Ok, the last movie took the formula of a action, comedy and did it perfectly satisfactorily. This movie took movie formulas and chopped them up, remixed them, and improved on them. So many universes. So much heart. So many wild gags. This movie is worth watching.

5. Fire Island 

Pride & Prejudice, but on (gay) Fire Island. Joel Kim Booster wrote and starred in this excellent romance (/comedy that suavely layered on elements of queer and POC identities onto the social status drama of the novel.

4. Top Gun: Maverick 

This is what I want from an action movie. Action that legit thrills me and has me on the edge of my seat. I want to see airplanes fly fast and fight an undefined bad guy. This doesn't satisfy what film can be but it 100% equals what I need when watching a movie in theaters in the summer.

3. Nope 

Ok, Nope did for me what Top Gun did but a little more Spielberg thrill and mystery and actual acting. I was here for the bizarre story, unraveling in big spectacular form.

2. Turning Red 

This straight to Disney+ movie has heart, is goofy, has lots of cultural references to the early aughts. I'm here for it. I enjoyed this one so much.

1. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Movie perfection. Actors entertaining me. A great whodunnit. Sharp script. Well shot. Goofy accents. Draw dropping costuming. This was so much fun to watch (with the whole family!).

Honorable Mentions (listed alphabetically)

• Barbarian
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
• Bros
• Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers
• Cha Cha Real Smooth
• God Forbid
• I Want You Back
• Lightyear
• Men
• The People We Hate at the Wedding
• RRR
• Scream (2022)
• Senior Year
• Thor: Love & Thunder

Highly Anticipated (listed alphabetically)

• Aftersun
• Babylon
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• Bones and All
• Till
• Strange World
• Emily the Criminal
• Guillermo Del Toro's Pinnochio
• The Fabelmans
• Halloween Ends
• Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
• She Said
• Tár
• Weird: The Al Yankovic Story