Movies are back, baby! Thank goodness they are, because looking at my post history, its about the only thing I write about here. I saw 28 movies in theaters (most but not all 2022 releases) and liked all but one (Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore, ugh). Low for a critic (which I am not) but high for just about anyone else. Clearly, its something I love to do and I am so happy that the pandemic has eased into the background for movies to be released and for me to go to them. Despite this, I still didn’t see a number of movies that were favorites of many others; e.g. Nope, Women Talking, Woman King, Triangle of Sadness (which I started but don’t think I gave a full chance), All Quiet on the Western Front, and Crimes of the Future. So this is merely my “Top” list, which is for me means a mix of “best” and “favorite.” As an example, Steven Spielberg’s The Fablemans should absolutely make a “best” list—maybe as high as #4 for me—but does not get an honorable mention (aside from this one I suppose) because it did not resonate with me as much as any of the 13 or so movies I’d rank ahead of it. The three that did just miss out were:

13: The Menu (HBO Max): Great farce about “high dining;” Ray Fiennes is incredible. IMO, the better of the two "eat the rich” movies between this and Triangle of Sadness.

12: The Bobs Burger Movie (Hulu)- Not a show I watch, but that was not necessary for enjoyment and the very good animation and heartfelt story elevated a movie that would have been entertaining on its humor alone

11: The Outfit (Prime Video): I really liked this movie, which is a credit to what a good movie year it was that it finds itself outside my list. A compact movie I suspect is adapted from a play; it is about a tailor caught in the middle of a mob war on one night in Chicago. Mark Rylance and Zoey Deutsch are exceptional in it. It takes its time and is dialogue heavy, but is worth seeking out.

Now on to the real list, just minutes before the Oscars conclude, because only real procrastinators also procrastinate their hobbies.

10 The Northman

Really kind of the polar opposite of The Outfit: low on dialogue but has just about everything you’d want from a Viking epic. An odd and sometimes unhinged adaptation of the Hamlet story, the action and visuals are the main attraction. An absolutely jacked Alexander Skarsgard does not let small things like Rus walls, a hot witch love interest, nor a volcano stand in the way of his vengeance. Anya Taylor-Joy and Willem Defoe give particularly memorable performances as well.

Streaming on Prime Video (all streaming services as of 3/12/23)

9 Barbarian

I am not a horror movie guy. I have nothing against horror movies and in fact it is a real hole in my movie watching. But I didn’t ride a rollercoaster until I was 17 for a similar reason: its not fun for me. I get anxious about being anxious. But enough people I follow said this one was worth it and not full of jump scares, so I gave it a try. I am so glad I did. It was still deeply uncomfortable but the twists, turns, and yes, even jump scares, made for a great ride. Everyone said to go in blind, so I won’t spoil even the basic premise for you, but the 20,000 foot view is that a woman accidentally shares an Airbnb with a stranger that has a basement she most definitely she shouldn’t enter (but of course does). The roles Bill Skarsgard (two Skarsgards in a row!) and Justin Long ultimately play are an excellent bait and switch if you know anything about their acting history. Also gets the award for “Best jump cut of 2022.” It’s more than a little gruesome (though not a slasher) and certainly intense/scary, but I say this as an absolute horror wimp: it is for just about anyone. It maybe made me a horror-watcher. But probably not.

Streaming on HBO Max

8 Avatar: The Way of Water

Big Jim does it again. You’ve probably heard that this movie took five years to make and is James Cameron’s first in 13 years. Well, it was time well spent, even if he’s probably the only director who can do that. In my mind, it is a massive improvement on 2009’s Avatar in visuals (even compared to the time) and certainly story and is with no reservation the best-looking movie I have seen. The water scenes are gorgeous and unlike anything I have ever convincingly seen. The story is nothing as groundbreaking but it works and is genuinely interesting. James Cameron made me sadder for CGI whales than just about anything else in movies or TV this year. It may play alright at home (on a television, please please please do not watch this on an iPad) but do see it in a theater if you can. It did so well, it’s still playing there in March 2023. This is my most surprising movie of the year because I had not given a passing thought to Avatar in more than a decade but the visual spectacle was exceptional.

Streaming: None (but go see it at the biggest screen you can)

7 Jackass Forever

Sorry Mom, I am a Jackass guy now. This movie rocks. I had no prior experience with the show Jackass or three prior movies and wouldn’t have said it was something I could enjoy a whole movie of, much less liking it more than films from Spielberg, Chazelle, and a movie called Bullet Train. Am I person who enjoys a quiz show where contestants get slapped with a pneumatic powered flip-flop if they answer incorrectly? Apparently yes. It both is exactly what you think 90 minutes of Jackass would be, but also has such creativity and execution that it is clear that Johnny Knoxville and Co. have a little left in the their skulls after all the concussions. Far and away the most audible laughs of any movie this year. It takes disturbed minds to think of some of the stuff they do and then to actually go through it, but maybe a lot of us are a little disturbed.

Steaming: Paramount Plus

6 Decision to Leave

I would not be me if I didn’t have one east Asian drama on my list. Decision to Leave is a South Korean film about a police officer’s on and off again pursuit of female murder suspect. It has dynamics I don’t think I begin to understand—such as the dynamics of Korean illegal immigration and Chinese-Korean relations—but it is super accessible to foreigners nonetheless. Plenty of movies play with the idea of a cop who gets a little too close to a case but none that I have seen does so in this way and certainly none that humanizes the supposed murderess so convincingly. The way the officer’s investigation, surveillance, and inner monologue was depicted set it apart from your typical police procedural. This year’s list is high on emotional response and the gut punch I felt at the end of Decision to Leave was unmatched this year; no other movie did I like so much yet made me wish it ended differently. It was hard for me to stream but I think it has expanded to rentals which is great because this is a movie absolutely everyone should like.

Streaming: Mubi (try a 7 day free trial then cancel); Rental on apple and Amazon.

5 RRR

Oh man, what a movie. I had seen exactly 0 Bollywood movies unless Slumdog Millionaire counts, and I suppose I still haven’t because RRR is apparently a Tollywood movie (from a different region of India). This movie defies any unifying description, as it’s a historical epic about rebellion against oppressive British rule that also has song and dance numbers, leopards and motorcycles used as weapons, and the year’s best bromance. These two clips give some glimpse into the magical fun that is this movie. The language barrier (I watched the English dubbing I think), occasionally lacking CGI, and some bloat in its 3-hour run time hold it back, but there certainly is nothing like it in American cinema and I am happy it is seemingly getting a broad exposure here. I mean come on: Shoulder fight

Streaming: Netflix

4 Everything Everywhere All at Once

I struggle with this movie because it is really creative, well acted, and emotional and it could and almost should be my number one. It has a lot I love but I think the issue is that I am sensitive to/rebellious against hype and this one was a little overblown for me from the time it came out to today when it is the favorite to win Best Picture. But it is a great movie with something for everyone. A Chinese-American woman, played by Michelle Yeoh, is overwhelmed and disappointed by life, whether it be her IRS audit, an unserious husband, or a daughter who’s life does not fit with Yeoh’s character’s desires. All of this is interrupted by her husband from another universe informing her she must reach her true multiversal potential or all reality will be destroyed. Hijinks then ensue. One moment Evelyn is lying to her father about her daughter’s girlfriend, the next Evelyn is tickling her own face with a sex toy to gain the lung capacity and ability to fight without sight from another universe where she is a blind opera singer. It is weird movie but it is at its core a beautiful examination of broken relationships and how you choose to confront the disappointments and despair in life. And also how it would look in a universe where everyone’s fingers looked like hotdogs. If something holds me back, it is that it did not resonate with me on an emotional level like the next few here. It is easily the best mulitverse movie (in a time where there are many) and I like the same things the movie’s creators seem to , so it may be as simple that I am not, for example a mother, daughter, or immigrant for whom this movie might especially resonate.

Streaming: Showtime

3 Top Gun: Maverick

Did Tom Cruise save movies? Steven Spielberg thinks so and who am I go question such a man? What I do know is how this movie felt in theaters and in the public in the summer of 2022. Avatar may have been better looking but this was my top theater experience. Cruise is back as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell and must return to the Navy’s Top Gun academy to teach some young hotshots, including the son of his deceased wingmate, how to fly an impossible mission in an unspecified country. The plot is good, albeit nonspecific, but the attraction is the action. The flying scenes are exhilarating and all the more impressive because they were apparently all (or at least mainly) filmed for real. The montage around the 35-minute mark set to The Who’s “Won’t Be Fooled Again” will make you do a fist pump alone on your couch. Tom Cruise is a treasure and my lifetime’s greatest movie star; he makes you believe he really could be the best fighter pilot on the planet and simultaneously charm the pants off anyone. Miles Teller also gives an excellent performance as “Rooster,” the son-like figure for Maverick, and there is a really heartfelt scene with Val Kilmer’s Iceman. Maverick is an improvement in every way over the original and modern action classic.

Streaming: Paramount Plus.

2 Tár

For a while this was my number one movie for the year and perhaps it will be again when I give it another watch. Tár is the story of a world-class conductor at the crescendo of her career right before and during her fall. Cate Blanchett gives a best-of-the-year performance as the titular Lidia Tár and elevates a great script and tense plot to something breathtaking. I was so convinced by the story and performance that I thought Lydia Tar had to be real person they were borrowing from; she is not. Detractors have criticized its approach to and depiction of “cancel culture” but I think the fact that such criticisms have come from both the the “woke” and “anti-woke” means the movie nailed some level of reality. I suppose some may struggle with the length and slow-burn story but I would find it difficult for anyone to be bored. I have no musical talent and only moderate interest in classical music and performance but was riveted throughout. As I was scanning through the movie today (I wish I had found the time to rewatch it recently) I was reminded what a beautifully shot and lit movie it is. To borrow a Xennial phrase, the movie is a mood. It may not be the movie I revisit the most in the years to come but I think every time I do I will find something different.

Streaming: Peacock

1 The Banshees of Inisherin

I am starting to form a pattern: put out a movie set in Ireland’s past and I will rank it number 1. Last year’s was Belfast; this year it is Martin McDonough’s The Banshees of Inisherin. This seemingly simple movie packed such an emotional punch for me. It is so funny and witty, yet oh so bleak. Like the Irish. Colin Farrell is excellent as Padraic, a farmer on the fictional Irish island of Inisherin in the 1920s who finds that one day his best friend, Brendan Gleeson’s Colm, has cut him out of his life for being too dull. The dichotomy of Colm and Padraic is one I think a lot of us wrestle with both within ourselves and in what we choose to do: is it better to do impressive things and leave behind a legacy remembered by strangers or is it more important to be a “nice” person loved by those you know? I certainly don't have the answer and the movie doesn’t either but explores the potential that worldly greatness can be illusory and/or your contributions less than you think and also that perhaps we are not as nice as we show to others or a facade we use to elevate ourselves. If this sounds like homework, 1. it is incredibly artfully done with nuance and humo(u)r, and 2. The setting, accents, clothing, and dialogue are more than enough for anyone who wants to just enjoy their Friday night. Farrell and Gleason give top performances but Kerry Condon as Padraic’s sister and Barry Keoghan as the town’s number 1 dullard (to Padraic’s #2) steal the show for me. I would leave it all for Condon’s Siobhan. I am absolutely a sucker for the irish-ness of this film and that alone is probably why its my favorite/top/best movie of the year, but I feel validated that many people closer on the spectrum to Colm than a dull guy like me loved the movie as well.

Streaming: HBO Max