Welcome to my review of film in 2022.

If you want to see my top 30 films of the year you can quickly scroll down, otherwise I was just going to share a few thoughts first.

Personally I have found the year to be rather middling in quality. The opening and closing months included the best films with a huge barren spell in the middle. The summer blockbuster season was particularly light on movies, especially good ones. Thankfully there was one particular stand out which you will see in my best of the year.

This year I spent quite some time transplanting all the films in my personal diaries into a Letterboxd account which tells me that since the beginning of the 21st Century I have watched 2,268 unique films. So just over a hundred a year. Hurray for statistics. Speaking of which…

The Stats

Cinema releases are starting to pick up although, as mentioned, there was a definite barren spell in the middle of the summer period. This has meant my cinema numbers are up on last year, but as a whole my numbers are down. With the rise in streaming I have tried to present these stats much more simply:

• Total Films Watched – 188
  • Cinema views – 86
  • Home views (Streamed or Physical Media) – 102
• How many were “New To Me” as a first time watch – 156

With the gap between films being in the cinema and available to stream now as short as six weeks I am starting to wonder how many films that do not have mass appeal will release in the cinema anymore. Nine of my top Thirty were watched at home this year. Which seems to suggest that I still favour the cinema experience.

Articles Of Note

This year I was really happy to deliver two director retrospectives. For anyone who is not aware, I love to pick a director whose films I admire and then watch all of their films in chronological order, reviewing each one in turn. You can find all of these in my “Features” section of the blog. This year I picked an all time favourite of mine in Martin Scorsese and a slightly more obscure pick in David Mamet. Links can be found below…

Martin Scorsese – including reviews of Taxi Driver, Goodfellas and Raging Bull

David Mamet – including reviews of The Spanish Prisoner, State And Main and Spartan

My review of the best TV of the year is also filled with some absolutely breathtaking shows this time around so feel free to check that out here…

2022 – Year In Review – Television

The top 5 most read articles on my site this year were as follows:

1. Turning Red
2. Top Gun Maverick
3. The Batman
4. The Northman
5. Death On The Nile (2022)

You might see some of those in my best of list which follows…

My Films Of The Year

If you want to read my original reviews for any of these just click on the title to be taken directly to it.

1. Cyrano – I love this film so much! I promise you that I am not trying to be different and have some obscure film as my top film of the year and whilst I appreciate that almost everyone that I know who has seen it just considered it mostly fine I have somehow fallen in love with it. So far this year I have seen it twice at the cinema and twice at home. Thanks to the wonderful world of streaming giving me my ‘Most Listened” to statistics I can also tell you that I have listened to the soundtrack by The National for nearly 5,000 minutes this year. Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett and Kelvin Harrison Jr are all perfect. Joe Wright’s direction is wonderful and the songs are exquisite. My particular favourite song seems to change often but right now it is Close My Eyes. Available on Amazon Prime Video or digital rental.
2. Top Gun: Maverick – It is a rare thing for a sequel to be so good that it arguably surpasses the original but Maverick absolutely soars. The fact that this oft delayed film still managed to live up to and exceed my expectations is a true testament to how good it really is. It is a perfect mixture of nostalgic honouring of the original and an update to a modern action blockbuster. The stunt footage and realism is extraordinary, whilst Tom Cruise proves yet again that whilst he is the king of action he is a superb actor as well. You can be my wingman anytime! Available on Paramount Plus or digital rental.
3. The Batman – What is it about Batman? In amongst DC’s troubled slate of superhero films they can always turn to a man who dresses like a bat and stalks the streets to produce something special. This is another film that had a lot to live up to. Ten years on from Nolan’s near perfect Bat trilogy comes Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson’s incarnation and boy do they nail it. An epic coming in just under 3 hours long but every moment is propulsive and engrossing. Available on Sky or digital rental.
4. The Northman – Robert Eggers is proving himself to be an exceptional film maker. His third film can be stripped back to its basics and described simply as a revenge story based on Hamlet (it is not quite, but read my review for the details there). But what makes this great is that all the component parts come together to make something spectacular. Visually stunning thanks to its on location footage in Northern Ireland and featuring exceptional performances from Alexander Skarsgaard, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicole Kidman and Ethan Hawke. Its commitment to vengeance and the Viking way of life is to be commended. Available on Sky or digital rental.
5. Aftersun – Aftersun is the sort of film that has you frozen in your seat as it finishes. The sadness, the beauty and the love present in it can be quite crushing as it ends on a poignant and perfect final scene. It is a stunning debut feature from writer/director Charlotte Wells and the acting performances from Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio are wonderful. It also features the best use of a Queen song in film history. (Yes, I have seen Shaun Of The Dead.) Not available digitally at the time of writing.
6. Decision To Leave – Park Chan-wook delivers a breathtaking Hitchcockian murder mystery / love story that focuses on obsession. The ending is superb and gives the film title the impact of a sledgehammer. Oh and the transitions between scenes and representation of a detective at work are genius. Available on Mubi or digital rental.
7. All Quiet On The Western Front (Im Westen nichts Neues) – As per the final words of my review, this film enters the pantheon of truly great war movies. It seems to perfectly capture the disillusionment and loss felt by its characters, features battle sequences worthy of Saving Private Ryan and nature shots worthy of The Thin Red Line. The effects work is also quietly brilliant as it seamlessly weaves into almost every shot. Available on Netflix.
8. Living – This film came as a little bit of a surprise to me. Its credentials are of course impeccable. Based on Akira Kurosawa’s Ikaru, adapted by Kazuo Ishiguro, directed by Oliver Hermanus and starring Bill Nighy. And yet as a remake I was still not expecting it to be quite so perfect. It truly is a wonderful film with a beautiful message that I wish I could be more mindful of at all times. And Bill Nighy may never be better. Not available digitally at the time of writing.
9. The Banshees Of Inisherin – A black comedy that can be taken on face value or as allegory. Hilarious, insightful and moving. Colin Farrell is the stand out in a brilliant cast that includes Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan. Available on Disney Plus.
10. Licorice Pizza – Opening in the first week of January in the UK Licorice Pizza has still managed to find its way into my Top Ten. Paul Thomas Anderson created a semi-autobiographical story that captured the mood of the era beautifully. With two leads making their acting debuts (Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim) and a hilarious cameo from Bradley Cooper. Available on Amazon Prime Video or digital rental.
11. Nightmare Alley – Opening a few weeks after Licorice Pizza, Nightmare Alley contains a brilliant lead performance from Bradley Cooper. It is a wonderful film noir and one that deserved a bigger audience. Guillermo Del Toro’s best film this year. Available on Disney Plus or digital rental.
12. The Wonder – Arriving straight on Netflix and featuring yet another wonderful performance from Florence Pugh (more on her later as well) this film really does a great job of explaining the power of stories. Available on Netflix.
13. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – This is just so much fun! And just like the title suggests the more layers you peel away and the more you look at it the more there is to see. Even though it is all right in front of you. If Rian Johnson can keep the quality this high I would very much like to see a new Benoit Blanc mystery every 2-3 years. Available on Netflix.
14. Avatar: The Way Of Water – This is all about the spectacle and the world building. Complaints for this sequel will be exactly the same as for the original. It has too simple a storyline, it is all a bit basic and linear in its portrayals of colonialism and its message of environmentalism. But frankly, this is about a different type of cinema. This is about technical wizardry and creating wonder. James Cameron is a genius at it and he succeeds again. Still at the cinema as I type this.
15. Prey (2022) – The best Predator movie since Predator? Prey is a great action flick and Amber Midthunder delivers a great lead performance. Should have got a cinema release – it would have been amazing seeing this on the big screen. Available on Disney Plus.
16. The Menu – This was so funny and so stylish. A satirical swipe at capitalism, the service industry and the cult of personality. But also just a very funny, very stylish film with Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes on top form. Not available digitally at the time of writing.
17. Bodies Bodies Bodies – Another murder mystery! This time a taught 94 minute sprint through popular culture. Whilst the mic drop ending is perfect. Available to rent digitally.
18. Bones And All – A romantic road movie featuring two young cannibals. It features a wonderful score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and Director Luca Guadagnino does a great job of balancing the gore and the drama. Timothee Chalamet and Taylor Russell have great chemistry and there are some great cameos. Not available digitally at the time of writing.
19. Bullet Train – David Leitch can do action movies. Whilst the likes of Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Bryan Tyree-Henry can do banter. Add in the most moving Thomas the Tank Engine scenes you will see and this is winner. Available to rent digitally.
20. Don’t Worry Darling – Can Florence Pugh do no wrong? She is utterly sensational in this film and if you ignore all the media fuss surrounding its director and other star you might notice the film is quite good as well. But regardless, watch it for Pugh who is surely set for great things. Available to rent digitally.
21. Confess, Fletch – Pretty sure very few people saw this film as it had a very short very limited cinema run. It is a really good showcase for Jon Hamm and the Fletch franchise. Another murder mystery comedy – seems as though there might be a trend. Not available digitally at the time of writing.
22. Barbarian – A wonderful horror film that even prompted me to do an extra bit of spoiler discussion at the end of my review. If you have not seen the film yet just do not read past the spoiler shield in the review. 100% confident you will not guess where this film is going. Available on Disney Plus.
23. Nope – Jordan Peele sits alongside Ari Aster and Robert Eggers as the new up and coming wonder kids of horror movies. This features the brilliant Daniel Kaluuya, film making and a ranch that is under threat from something in the skies. Available to rent digitally.
24. Athena – The best opening twelve minutes of a film this year? Aside from the utterly genius and technically brilliant opening tracking shot this film has a lot to say about police brutality whilst being a great urban warfare movie. Available on Netflix.
25. The Black Phone – Ethan Hawke is chilling in this supernatural horror film that has a perfect period feel. Available to rent digitally.
26. Red Rocket – This is the sort of film that almost seems like a one in a million. A dark undertone, humour and unlikable protagonists portrayed by little known or non professional actors. Perhaps it will go on to be a cult classic. Available to rent digitally.
27. Men – Alex Garland’s most divisive film to date featuring a brilliant performance from Jessie Buckley. Some of you might check out at the end but I think it worked. Available on Amazon Prime Video or digital rental.
28. X – A horror movie set in 1979 featuring a group of people trying to make a porn movie. Has spawned a prequel yet to be released in the UK at the time of writing. Available on Amazon Prime Video or digital rental.
29. CODA – And the Academy Award for Best Picture goes to… CODA. This is a feel good movie that will make you laugh and cry in equal measure. Available on Apple TV.
30. See How They Run – Another murder mystery. This time about Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap. Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell are great as the detective and police officer on the trail. Available on Disney Plus.

There we go then, I hope you have enjoyed some of these films or this points you to a film that you find yourself loving. Let me know if I have missed your favourite.

And if you have not already seen it here is the link to my Top 10 Most Anticipated Films of 2023

Here is to a wonderful 2023