MY TOP 50 MOVIES OF 2022
For the year 2022, I found that a lot of my favorites came from the 2nd half of the year. Last year it was Streaming that really brought about a lot of the greats. For me, this year, THEATRICAL releases really stepped up. Especially in the horror genre. We got some real Gems this year. Not to mention some Indie flicks that really pushed ahead with some great originality and freshness.
Doing a top 50 instead of just a top 10 ...like most do...always gets some critiques. I just hate leaving out movies I loved and only focusing on 10 out of the 100 plus movies ive seen that year. This year I officially saw 106 2022 releases.
Before I start my list, i want to point out the top 10 WORST movies I saw this year. There were some notable stinkers that were hard to get through. Heres the 10 worst of them for me.
10.
Moonfall
*I love me some Roland Emmerich disaster porn...until now. This was horribly made. Ridiculous but not in the fun way. Just embarrassing.
9.
Goodnight Mommy
*The absolute laziest remake of a great foreign movie. Completely pointless
8.
Infrared
*I watch a lot of Found Footage and this was definitely the worst of the year.
7.
Revealer
*Shudder original with potential based on the logline...unfortunately just mostly dull.
6.
Tin Can
*This one wasnt necessarily bad, just a boring sci-fi movie that tried to be creative but was mostly a slog. More of a disappointment.
5.
Crabs!
*This should have been right up my alley. Silly Asylum level killer animal flicks are my jam. This was just bad and unfunny. And gave life to the worst character of the year, Radu. Fuck Radu.
4.
The Retaliators
*Saw this posted all over my facebook. Made me think it looked interesting but instead its a complete mess with thrown in cameos by various rockers. Love you Papa Roach but... acting aint for you.
3.
Student Body
*Watched for Harley Quinn Smith and ended up getting one of the dullest and worst made slashers ive seen in a while.
2.
THEY / THEM
*Such potential here. A slasher movie set at a Conversion Camp. Has Kevin Bacon as the sinister head of the camp. An inclusive cast of LGBTQ actors. Unfortunately they just didnt include anyone that could act. Conversion therapy is scary in itself...yet they managed to screw this up so bad that it is a complete laughing stock of a film. And wasted Kevin Bacon.
The Worst Movie of 2022 is:
1.
BLACKLIGHT
*This was it. This was the movie that might send Liam Neeson to Direct to Video land. I can enjoy a generic action movie. This one though it insultingly generic. It makes all those DTV Bruce Willis movies look like The Professional. This was the hardest time I had making it to the end of a movie. I never quit a movie... but god I wanted to.
So there you have the worst of the year. Now here is my countdown of my top 50 FAVORITE Films of 2022.
50.
ELVIS
Austin Butler was better than I would have thought as Elvis. Star making performance. Flashy and entertaining bio pic from Baz.
49
TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
*Shame that a new Texas Chainsaw flick doesnt make it higher on the list. I enjoyed it more than most seem to. Has a lot of issues but some great kills and an awesome final scene.
48.
GLASS ONION
*Another fun murder mystery from Rian Johnson. Like the first ones, there were some flaws that kept it from being great but I still had a lot of fun with it.
47.
HALLOWEEN ENDS
*Totally get the hate for it. I found myself liking the hard swing they took with the Corey Cunningham character. Even though they ultimately waste that potential.
46.
TROLL
*Fun Norwegian kaiju flick except instead of Godzilla or King Kong you get a giant mythical TROLL.
45.
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
*This is probably number 1 on a lot of peoples lists this year. Having only seen the first one for the first time this year, I didnt have the connected nostalgia. Still found this to be incredibly exciting and also better than the first film.
44.
OLD MAN
*New Lucky McKee movie. Just a small story with 2 great actors bouncing off each other. Loved it.
43.
INCANTATION
*Spooky good Netflix horror flick. Has some moments that will make your hair stand. Also a great ending for viewers.
42.
WEIRD
*Hilarious parody bio pic of Weird Al who ive loved since I was a kid. What better way to make a bio pic of the man than full on parody. Radcliffe was great as AL. Lots of fun.
41.
THE BIG 4
*Netflix film from awesome director Timo Tjahjanto. Insane action, fun characters, and lots of blood. Fun times.
40.
ORPHAN: FIRST KILL
*Long awaited sequel that was way better than it had any right to be. Great twist. Esther is a great horror villain.
39.
MOLOCH
*Shudder release that was a great surprise. Creepy and has a killer ending.
38.
DASHCAM
* This is one of those cases where you can have an absolutely horrible person as your lead character but still have tons of fun. A lot of people cant get past the character of Annie but as a found footage fan, I thought this had some great moments and while I hated Annie...this was still a super solid horror flick. Also some of the best end credits of the year. 2nd to PEARL.
37.
WYRMWOOD: APOCALYPSE
*Sequel to the super original Australian zombie flick Wyrmwood that I loved a few years ago. While not as good as the first one, I loved being back in this Mad Max infused zombie apocalypse.
36.
OLD PEOPLE
*Excellent Netflix horror flick with some creepy murderous old people.
35.
THE SADNESS
*This had been among my most anticipated of the year and while I expected this to land much higher, I still loved this sick and fucked up flick.
34.
DUAL
*Karen Gillan is great in this quirky and original flick. Filled with dark humor.
33.
DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS
*The only Marvel flick I saw this year that made any impact on me. Im definitely burnt out on superheroes at this point but Doctor Strange is one of my favorite Marvel Heroes in the MCU and of course you have SAM RAIMI. This was full of all the great Raimi-isms I expected and I loved seeing a tint of horror mixed in with the usual hero stuff. Sam Raimi is great even with the popcorn fluff.
32.
BODIES BODIES BODIES
*Had a lot of fun with this whodunit murder mystery. With an ending that makes everything that came before it funnier. Leaves you with a smile.
31.
NOPE
*Another Super solid movie from Jordan Peele. While this wasnt as good as Get Out or US for me, I still thought it was great.
30.
THE OUTFIT
*Great little surprise that plays out like Reservoir Dogs in the old gangster days. Mark Rylance is great here. Criminally underseen this year by audiences.
29.
HATCHING
*Twisted and cool body horror / creature movie. Great fx and a great lead performance.
28.
HELLRAISER
*While not perfect, easily the best Hellraiser film in years. Cool new Cenobites but lacking a good human villain like Frank and Julia. Otherwise I was impressed.
27.
VHS 99
*Another solid entry into the VHS series which has only had one misfire with Viral. I dug every story in this though there are definite highlights. Especially the final story Hell And Back. That story had one of my favorite characters of the year with Mabel the Skull Biter.
26.
SMILE
*Another nice surprise horror flick this year. At first glance this could have been pretty generic. It does borrow alot from films like The Ring. However its extremely well made and acted and I thought it was pretty great. Also one of the biggest horror hits at the box office which always makes me happy.
25.
THE BLACK PHONE
*Scott Derrickson has made some excellent horror and while I wouldnt put this up with SINISTER, this was incredibly solid. Great kid characters and actors. Plus you get Ethan Hawke as an extremely effective villain.
24.
BARBARIAN
*One of the big horror movies this year that got audiences talking. I thought it was pretty great although I think the first half is better than the 2nd half. Oh and Justin Long just pretty much rules. Even when hes playing a horrible person.
23.
VIOLENT NIGHT
*Super fun and violent new Xmas flick from fun director Tommy Wirkola. Had a blast with this one.
22.
SCREAM (5)
*Im a massive Scream fan and I thought this was a great re-entry into the series. My only hope is that the next film coming soon focuses more on the new characters and moves on from the legacy characters.
21.
PREY
*Great new entry into the Predator series that takes it back (way back) to the basics. I just wish this had gone theatrical instead of Hulu. Deserved to play on a huge screen.
20.
PIGGY
*Excellent new Spanish horror flick with a brave performance that felt really fresh. Highly recommended.
19.
CLERKS 3
*As a massive Kevin Smith fan, Ill pretty much love any return to the View Askewniverse. The new Clerks was as funny as I expected but more emotional that I ever would have thought. Thought it was fantastic.
18.
AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE: PLANTASM
*Yes, a direct to bluray animated film gets higher than a lot of great films. But sometimes its just about having fun and laughing your ass off. This had me laughing until it hurt. I love the Aqua Teen series and this was a great return. Hadnt lost a step.
17.
MEN
*Alex Garland is back with yet another totally insane and original movie. Beautifully shot and with an ending that is some of the most insane body horror youll see in a film.
16.
BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
*Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson teaming with director Martin McDonaugh once again and you get something that will make you laugh and then tear your heart out. Incredible performances here and cant wait to see this movie clean up at the Oscars. Id bet money on it.
15.
BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD DO THE UNIVERSE
*The boys were back in a big way this year. Im an insanely massive Beavis and Butthead fan and to get another movie after to many years...and for it to be so hilarious. Im a happy B and B fan.
14.
MIDNIGHT
*Excellent thriller that sees a deaf woman go against a sadistic killer. Loved this cat and mouse suspense flick.
13.
SISSY
*Shudder flick that really surprised me. If you thought Bodies Bodies Bodies didnt have enough horror and gore, give SISSY a try. Great kills and a great main character.
12.
THE NORTHMAN
*This hung around in my top 10 for most of the year but just recently got knocked out by some recent favorites. This is brutal and mesmerizing to watch.
11.
BULLET TRAIN
*I regret not seeing this one in theaters as it was a total blast. Memorable characters and inventive action. A ton of fun. Hoping for a sequel to this one.
AND NOW WE HAVE MY TOP 10 FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2022.
10.
THE WATCHER
*Great suspenseful thriller. Maika Monroe carries the movie. The movie had me guessing non stop about the inevitable reveal. A masterful thriller. (Available to watch on Shudder)
9.
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
*The movie im rooting for with Best Picture at the Oscars. One of the most original movies youll see. Made me emotional and I had a blast with it. Plus you have the return of Ke Huy Quan from Temple of Doom and Goonies with a role that will likely see him win an Oscar for. Amazing movie.
8.
THE MENU
*Just saw this great movie yesterday and it shot right into my top 10. Great cast and One of the best endings of the year. Supremely entertaining movie. Cant wait to watch it again.
7.
X
*Ti West and Mia Goth made a huge splash this year starting with this great love letter to 70s horror. I figured this would be in my top 10 but who knew wed get a prequel the same year and....
.jpeg)
6.
JACKASS FOREVER
*Im sure there are people who would scoff at this being in a top 10. But fuck those people because this movie brought me pure joy for 90 minutes. And that was sorely needed this year.
5.
THE BATMAN
*When people ask if im a Marvel guy or a DC guy I always say im a Batman guy. Love both but...Batman goes beyond comic book movies for me. This is a great Batman movie that brings the darkness and the Detective side of Batman that I love. Cant wait for more in this Reeves universe of the Dark Knight.
4.
BONES AND ALL
*Another recent movie that got right into the top 10 once I saw it. Knew this would be the type of movie id love. Plus you have a killer performance from Mark Rylance (his 2nd this year with The Outfit). A slow burn that wont be for everyone but I loved every second.
3.
PEARL
*I loved this movie so much when I saw it that I thought it for sure would be my favorite movie of the year. 2 other movies snuck past but that does not negate how fucking great this movie is and how amazing Mia Goth is as PEARL. The end credits in this is pure fucking magic.
2.
THE INNOCENTS
*This movie blew me the fuck away. I did not expect how much this movie would effect me and sneak into my brain. Ive thought about it everyday since watching it. Incredible movie.
AND NOW MY NUMBER 1 FAVORITE MOVIE OF 2022
1.
DEADSTREAM
*The reason i said Favorite is because I get that there may be "better" films. Some incredibly made pieces of art. But there is no movie that helped me escape from what was a pretty dour year more than this. That was more fun. That got me so excited to share with others. watched it twice within a week which rarely happens. Im a film fan but im a horror fan foremost. This was like a found footage Evil Dead. practical fun gore and monsters. A hilarious lead character. There wasnt a more fun movie this year. I needed that fun. So for those reasons, DEADSTREAM was my number 1 movie of the year. This is a movie I will undoubtedly watch many times.
Thanks for reading!
