Aurich Lawson | Getty Images
In 2022, film buffs weary of two years of a raging pandemic cautiously began to dip their toes back into the theatrical movie experience. And while the choice may have been a bit smaller than in the pre-pandemic years, there were still plenty of enticing options, from the usual blockbuster superhero movies from the Marvel and DC movie universes to quirky indie features and surprise gems from Netflix.
We’re once again opting for an unranked list, with the exception of our “Best of the Year” vote at the very end, so you can check out the variety of genres and options and potentially add surprises to your final watchlist. As always, we invite you to head over to the comments and add your own suggestions for movies released in 2022.
Studios from the 20th century
Barbarian
Don’t watch the trailer, don’t even read the synopsis – just watch this movie.
That was the advice I was given before checking out this year’s buzzing horror flick Barbarian, and I’m glad I took it. It’s advice I’d give to anyone reading this: if you like horror, don’t even read the rest of this blurb. Just check it out – you can stream it now on HBO Max.
But okay, for those who need a little more convincing, I’ll give the lightest of introductions. The film begins with a woman checking into a Detroit rental — until she realizes it’s double-booked and already occupied. She decides to sleep anyway. Things get weird. Then they get weirder.
That’s about all I want to give up here. At no point while watching did I know where the movie was going, and I think that’s the best way to experience this movie. Barbarian is one of those wild horror romps best enjoyed with like-minded uninitiated friends – everyone squirms and yells and jumps out of their seats together as the craziness unfolds.
The film, of course, has its fair share of chills and suspense, but that’s about it hilarious— it gave me the biggest, most genuine belly laugh of any movie I’ve seen all year. 2022 saw the release of a respectable number of good horror movies, but if you’re looking for the best, look no further.
—Aaron Zimmerman
The batter
The batter is a DC Comics movie for people who watch way too many movies. Director and co-writer Matt Reeves (War for the Planet of the Apes) has come up with a heady mix of indulgence, pulp, bombast, and vulnerability that definitely answers the question of why the world needs another Batman movie. Even better, Robert Pattinson (The lighthouse) generates a roll that would otherwise have run into the ground. Better than Michael Keaton? Phew, that’s a coin flip. Best Batman actor since Keaton? Absolute.
What Reeves is really interested in is showing us a very different kind of Bruce Wayne than in other movies: millennial, rich, gruff, ineffectual, and baffled. Other Batman actors have shrugged off the weirdness of a rich man turned masked vigilante, but Pattinson convincingly struggles with his inherited privilege – leading Wayne Lake therefore sympathetic and empathetic.
It’s not a perfect Batman production. You’ll have to endure about 15 minutes of aggressively grim, dark tone before Reeves and Pattinson settle in for their vengeful Batusi dance. And Reeves definitely loses control of his Batmobile by the end of the movie, especially since he fools viewers with one ending into taking them through an overlong, undramatic coda. But I’m not sure about a “producer discount” that would strip The batter of his most indulgent inclinations, this would make a better movie, and I applaud DC for letting Reeves go. The result makes Batman fascinating and tangible again, just as filmmaker Tim Burton and Keaton reimagined the character in the wake of the over-the-top 1960s TV series.
—Sam Machkovech
