While it may appear that the movie industry is struggling to convince audiences to flock the cinemas again, certain films like Top Gun: Maverick and Everything Everywhere All at Once prove that people will come as long as it’s worth it. There’s also the sentiment that films like Prey and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story should’ve had a wide theatrical release, instead of being relegated to streaming services. Still, whatever your preferences are in how you watch your movies, there’s no denying the quality and diversity of releases this year (which I’d proclaim to belong to Colin Farrell) from new and veteran directors alike.

This list is my personal favorites from 2022 that are must-watch, in my opinion, so I hope you give them a try. Special mentions to All Quiet on the Western Front, Prey, Kimi, and Ambulance, all of which deserve a watch even if they didn’t make it here.

10. The Batman

Director: Matt Reeves

It’s amazing that no matter how much Batman gets rebooted, filmmakers find a way to bring something new to the table. Matt Reeves reimagines The Batman into a grisly serial-killer film, taking elements from gritty film noirs and David Fincher’s Zodiac. Batman (Bruce Pattinson) is on the hunt for The Riddler (Paul Dano), a sadistic killer terrorizing Gotham City’s elite, and leaving cryptic clues for our titular hero to solve. Reeves has crafted an inspiring superhero arc for this fairly novice Batman who starts out as a rough vigilante, no different from the criminals he beats up, then realizing for himself what heroism really means. As a result, he ends up becoming the beacon of light amidst the persisting bleakness, transforming into the Caped Crusader that saved Gotham. The Batman manages to tell a solid and fresh story that also acts as a character study, one that’s updated for our times.

Read the full review of The Batman.

9. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Director: Rian Johnson

Daniel Craig returns as the adorable Southern-inflicted detective Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson’s follow-up to Knives Out, the surprise hit whodunit that kept us wanting for more. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story brings in a lot more laughs and a more outlandish mystery, moving from an upper-class family of old money to a collective of new money tech influencers celebrating their annual reunion. While Johnson is not reinventing the murder mystery by any means, his intricate script continues to subvert genre expectations by seemingly conforming to its structure at the start, then going back again to deconstruct the whole thing. One great example: we already know someone is going to get killed, but the murder doesn’t actually happen until much later on. It’s a bit on the lighter side this time, but the top notch performance of its cast make this a worthy sequel. I still liked the original better, but I’d like for Johnson to keep making more.

8. After Yang

Director: Kogonada

At some point in the future, Jake (Colin Farrell) and Kyra (Jodie Turner-Smith) purchased an android named Yang (Justin H. Min) to serve as an older brother to their adopted daughter Mika (Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja). One day, Yang suddenly malfunctions, and in an effort to repair the android, Jake discovers that Yang had already lived an entire lifetime from his previous owners. When it becomes clear that Yang may never come back online, he unexpectedly mourns the loss of a robot whose purpose he’s taken for granted, and learns to appreciate the significance of every moment in his mundane existence. Malfunctioning androids are nothing new in the world of science fiction, but Kogonada’s After Yang tells a poignant yet cozy story about grieving, loss, and love in a future that’s neither dystopian nor utopian, all packed with emotional punches that build up with each revelation.

7. The Northman

Director: Robert Eggers

In The Northman, Robert Eggers delivers his signature touch of blending unforgiving realism and eerie surrealism on a much grander scale, and yet this classic Scandinavian Viking legend that inspired Hamlet is surprisingly the director’s most accessible one so far. As with Eggers’ films, this revenge tale thrives in accurately recreating not just the setting of 10th century Iceland, but more importantly, the mindsets of the people at the time. Its biggest strength, however, is how it makes the audience invested in Prince Amleth’s unwavering devotion to reclaiming his throne, despite how it becomes more self-destructive for our hero as he gets closer to his goal. Alexander Skarsgard plays the warrior-prince Amleth as an unrelenting force of nature, and the scene where he catches a spear mid-air and chucks it back at the enemy is still one of the coolest moments in film this year.

Read the full review of The Northman.

6. The Banshees of Inisherin

Director: Martin McDonagh

Martin McDonagh’s crafty ability in mixing witty humor and painful heartbreak shines best in his latest film The Banshees of Inisherin, a carefully constructed tragicomedy about the collapse of a lifelong friendship. The innocent contentment of Pádraic (Colin Farrell) shatters right before his eyes when his best friend Colm (Brendan Gleeson) abruptly cuts ties with him. It’s a simple premise, but McDonagh’s chewy dialogue and brilliant script adds multiple layers to this breakup story set against the backdrop of the Irish Civil War. Both fecking hilarious and melancholic even as it takes a wild turn for the worse, The Banshees of Inisherin is ultimately a film that explores masculinity, loneliness, and existential despair while being stuck in an isolated island with basically nothing to do. It’s certainly McDonagh’s best since In Bruges, which featured the same two leads.

Read the full review of The Banshees of Inisherin.

5. Decision to Leave

Director: Park Chan-wook

Park Chan-wook’s latest film successfully manages to create a Hitchcockian love story out of a complex detective thriller. Decision to Leave is more interested in detective Hae-joon’s (Park Hae-il) romantic obsession on a mysterious prime suspect Seo-rae (Tang Wei) in a murder case, rather than the crime itself. While not as immediately gripping as Park’s previous films like Oldboy and The Handmaiden (and doesn’t contain as much sex and violence), the slow burn of its labyrinthine narrative builds to a great payoff when it finds its footing, with the emotional focus shifting from Hae-joon’s obsession to the inescapable gaze of Seo-rae. Park’s masterful usage of creative transitions, clever editing, and breathtaking cinematography are some of the best I’ve seen, adding more to the already nuanced visuals of the film.

4. Everything Everywhere All at Once

Directors: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

The multiverse has been all the rage this year. But Everything Everywhere All at Once comes out as the best of them. It’s a multiverse movie that’s not only done right, but also cleverly executed without getting too convoluted from its own established rules. The film follows a seemingly innocent Chinese immigrant family, mainly Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh), that’s suddenly thrust into saving all of existence from a multiverse-shattering threat. It’s exhilarating, and can sometimes be exhausting as well, but overall a fun experience.

Everything Everywhere All at Once reminds us why we love movies in the first place. The Daniels have crafted a film which has lots of extremely silly sequences, followed by sincere moments that will tug on your heartstrings, and yet somehow everything blends perfectly in a poignant manner. Performances from the cast are all compelling, with Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan (making a comeback after decades) as standouts. In a landscape of franchise-driven filmmaking, we could use a lot more of this.

3. Nope

Director: Jordan Peele

Jordan Peele’s Nope is a more straightforward sci-fi thriller that’s like a cross between Spielberg and The Twilight Zone. While not as complex and metaphorical as Us, Peele still manages to craft a spectacle that includes social awareness and satirical critique of mankind’s natural addiction to said spectacle. It’s creepy and brutal at times, and I actually found it more enjoyable than his previous outings. The way tension is built throughout set pieces is masterful, as Peele knows that the wait for something terrible to happen is more agonizing than when it finally does. Looking up at the sky has never been more frightening thanks to incredible sound design by Michael Abels and Peele’s direction – both the Gordy ’90s flashback and the screams of terror (you know the one) will stay with audiences after the film is over.

Read the full review of Nope.

2. Top Gun: Maverick

Director: Joseph Kosinski

The clench of the pandemic may haved eased up this year, but moviegoers still aren’t flocking to their nearest cinema complex to see the latest films like they used to. So leave it to none other than Tom Cruise himself, one of the last true movie stars, to put butts in seats again. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the mega smash hit Top Gun: Maverick is not just mere nostalgia bait, it’s a tremendously entertaining sequel that’s vastly superior to the original. Cruise returns 36 years later to the role that launched him to international superstardom, this time with a batch of young guns that complement well with the old dog. Maverick is also a surprisingly emotional experience, in addition to having exhilarating action sequences unlike anything that’s been put on a summer blockbuster. A perfect mix of commercial filmmaking and cinematic poetry, no one can deny that this will leave you saying, “now that’s a fucking movie!”

Read the full review of Top Gun: Maverick.

1. TÁR

Director: Todd Field

Lydia Tár may not be real, but her life is so strikingly believable that you’d think her character is based on an actual person – and in a way, she kind of is. Tár, Todd Field’s first film in 16 years, is a deeply engrossing journey of destruction. It’s a powerhouse of a film featuring Cate Blanchett at her best, who plays with captivating intensity the titular composer-conductor on the cusp of yet another professional achievement. And when allegations of past misconduct start creeping up, she learns just how wealth and power quickly vanish even from someone of such high status. If you look past its theme of, in modern jargon, “cancel culture,” Tár also comments on society’s natural tendency to accommodate people with power, which in turn allows abusive behavior to cultivate. Field cleverly scatters bouts surrealism and dark humor all over its protagonist’s downfall, with both aspects executed with perfection in the film’s incredibly fitting ending.

Read the full review of Tár.