The best films of 2022, the ten titles to recover (or review)

Even in this 2022 best movies they have taken us to new worlds, to splendid, terrifying, moving, magnificent adventures. We at pridenerd have been lucky enough to often go to the cinema to see some of the most interesting stories told this year and we thought we’d offer you a list of films that are worth recovering. All stories that, in compiling this selection, made us want to come back and see another time.
The best films of 2022: the selection of pridenerd
To refresh our memories and hear the opinions of other film enthusiasts, we combed through several year-end lists of the best films of 2022. And the truth is, we could have write at length about stories that have captivated us and glued the screen. But we have set ourselves some limits.
First of all: only ten movies. Without any order, because they are too different from each other to be able to catalog them from one to ten (although undoubtedly each of us in the editorial staff has his favorites). We have also decided not to include films presented at festivals this year (such as The Whalewhich we saw in Venice) but which will only be released in cinemas for the general Italian public next year.
We have tried to compile a list with popular titles and which we think are exciting to see and see again, without forgetting auteur cinema. But we reluctantly managed to include the most watched film in theaters this year, Top Gun: Maverick. Nor have we found room for the MCU, though Black Panther: Wakanda Forever brought us to tears.
We failed to include either RRR, Indian epic that wowed on Netflix. And we haven’t found the space for The Woman King, Bones and All, The Menu and even Licorice Pizza by Paul Thomas Anderson (which we also loved). There wasn’t even room to say which one Pinocchio we liked best out of the three thousand different adaptations released this year (*mock cough*… that of del Toro).
We have mentioned these films and we would have some dozens more which we would gladly recommend you to watch. But from here on there is only room for the 10 best films of 2022.
Nope
Jordan Peele with Escape – Get Out he went from being a great comedian to a great horror director. With We confirmed his talent, so much so that Nope it seemed like an already assured success. And she did not disappoint.
Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer they have crazy chemistry as the brother and sister at the center of this film that bends the boundaries of horror and adventure film. And Peele has been able to amaze us with scenes worthy of the best Spielberg and images so strong that we will carry them with us also in 2023.
The best films of 2022: the Glass Onion murder mystery
Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.
Few things give as much satisfaction as a good whodunit story. After Knives Out, Rian Johnson he repeated bringing Benoit Blanc in glass onion. As we explain in our review, the movie has enough twists and turns that you’ll change your mind about who the killer might be until the very last scene.
But the skill of Johnson and his cast led by Daniel Craig (but with one Janelle Monae simply perfect) is to make us enjoy every dialogue and every action. We love Agatha Christie too much to make comparisons. But let’s say Johnson is doing his best to live up to the Lady of Murder Mystery.
The Northman, epic and brutal
Aidan Monaghan / © 2022 Focus Features, LLC
In our review we immediately explain that the new film by Robert Eggers, technically, is a version of Hamlet (based on the Danish legend that also inspired Shakespeare). But forget the subtle plots and virtuosic dialogues of the Bard: that of The Northman is a brutal show. But magnificent.
This film manages to balance Alexander Skarsgard that slaughters entire villages, Ethan Hawke howling like a wolf while Willem Dafoe causes hallucinations as a druid, aAnya Taylor-Joy ruthless, Nicole Kidman and Claes Bang (that of Dracula and Bad Sisters) beautifully theatrical. And there is also the singer Bjork, why not. All in a dense and theatrical film, with divine images and violent scenes that seem to come from the best metal video clip ever shot. In short: a film that seems madness to describe, but to admire is magic.
The best films of 2022: Red, the pearl of Pixar
To get the blatantly violent scenes of The Northman out of our eyes, let’s go to the cartoons. And again this year what struck us the most was a film Pixar: RED. Although it is only one of two animated films with RED in the name (and we also liked One Piece Film: RED a lot) released this year, this story is unique. Yet he speaks to everyone.
The director Domee Shi (formerly Oscar winner for the short Bao) wrote this story about a huge red panda starting from his childhood, talking about the relationship with his mother, the traditions of his culture. But the specificity of the story helps make it universal: the Pixar recipe still works, so much so that it won a place among the best films of 2022.
Prey: pure action not to be missed
© 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Let’s be honest: when we heard that on Disney+ would have debuted a Predator prequel, we didn’t expect to include it in the list of the best films of 2022. Yet, as we told you in our review, Prey is a great action movie, an hour and a half of pure adrenaline that even those who have never seen the other films on the race of alien-hunters can adore. But that fans of the series cannot miss.
Amber Midthunder as Naru she has proven to be one of the best action movie leads in recent years. AND Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) did what any good director should be able to do: show cause and effect, “explain” the action with the camera. So that instead of having a jumble of explosions like in other films (even of this franchise), you can enjoy scenes of pure adrenaline. Hunting a Predator with bow, arrow and wits.
Best movies of 2022: Avatar strikes again
Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Avatar: The Way of Water it is one of those films that deserve to be seen at the cinema. Luckily, you still have time to find the room with the largest 3D screen around and enjoy this show. Because there is no doubt: this second chapter of the saga of James Cameron it’s a big, huge, sensational show.
Maybe the three hours or so of duration and the somewhat cumbersome plot at the beginning of the film could discourage some. But once seen the amazing ending will leave you speechless in the darkness of the cinema, enchanted by what you see on the screen: the magic of cinema, in three dimensions.
Barbarian, for horror lovers
If Prey is the pearl to recover on Disney + for those who love action, Barbarian is one of the jewels of pure horror to recover in streaming. As we explain in our review, each new sequence of this film takes you in a different direction, keeping you tense from the first minute until the end credits.
A film that has well-defined themes, interesting and unexpected characters. But above all that he doesn’t use tricks to scare you: everything horror comes in a smart way. AND terrifying.
Best movies of 2022: The Batman
Photo Credit: Jonathan Olley/™ & © DC Comics © 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved
We will never tire of Batman movies? As we explain in our review (we also made one for the 4K UltraHD version), as long as the quality is as high as that of the film by Matt Reevesthe answer seems to be a resounding no.
Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne and Zoë Kravitz like Selina Kyle are great. But as is often the case in superhero films, it’s the villains that make The Batman memorable: Paul They give as Riddler, John Turturro like Carmine Falcone and unrecognizable Colin Farrell as the Penguin. We can’t wait for the next one to come out, but in the meantime we’re happy to rewatch one of the best films of 2022.
The Fabelmans, a sincere and funny Spielberg among the best films of 2022
Steven Spielberg tells himself like never before in the Fabelmans. In writing our review we explain how this is only in part a “love letter to the cinema”. This film is both a comedy and a tragedy, it manages to be both an “origin story” for the greatest of directors and a reflection on the weight (not always positive) that art has had on his life.
It’s a film that will move you and make you laugh out loud, thanks also to the Oscar-winning performance of Michelle Williams. And if you are a fan of Jaws, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Saving Private Ryan or another of Spielberg’s thousand masterpieces, is practically obligatory viewing. A pill of pure cinema, magical.
Everything Everywhere All At Once
We have seen more than once Everything Everywhere All At Once and we intend to do it again. Yet we still haven’t figured out what genre the new film by the Daniels. Michelle Yeoh in this film she manages to be the owner of a laundry and a martial art artist, Jonathan Ke Quan (that’s right, Data from the Goonies) is both the clumsiest of husbands and the wisest of philosophers. AND Jamie Lee Curtis she is a war machine but also a tax employee. Stephanie Hsu that’s it, for real.
The title is high-sounding, yet this film really manages to be Everything Everywhere All At Once. A movie that manages to show everything and remain contained, that manages to entertain you and make even the stones move (literally). Watch it and, like us, you will find yourself forced to suggest it to everyone you meet: it’s a film like you’ve never seen (and will want to see again).
This is the our list of the best movies 2022, however incomplete: this year has seen the release of many excellent products. Do you have any suggestions to add? Any title to dispute? Let us know in the comments.