By: Kimberly Grant
There were a lot of feels this year for movies. There were highs. There were lows. There was downright confusion. But we persevered as movie lovers and I’m proud to say I’ve narrowed down a list of the top 10 movies of 2022; and a few that were so bad I had to write about them.
10. Glass Onion
There’s something about a good ole’ fashion murder mystery. Only this time, the deceased is playing dead. Daniel Craig gives a great performance as Benoit Blanc; accent and all. The ensemble cast for this sequel to Knives Out includes Janelle Monae, Kate Hudson, Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Leslie Odom, Jr., and Kathryn Hahn. While the killer is easy to guess from the beginning, the “why” and the “how” prove to be more interesting than the murder itself.
9. Luckiest Girl Alive
When I saw the trailer for this film, I knew I had to watch it. On the surface, the film seems to be about an ambitious New York woman: Mila Kunis’ Ani Fanelli, whose looking to marry rich. Ani has everything: a handsome wealthy fiancé, an upwardly mobile job in publishing, beauty, and a killer wardrobe. Underneath the surface, Ani is unravelling due to tragic events during her teenage years that are now coming to light, because of people from her past. This drama shines a light on the horrors young women have to face on a regular basis and forces the audience to confront their stance on victim blaming.
8. A Jazzman’s Blues
Someone told me that A Jazzman’s Blues was Tyler Perry’s first script that he wrote, but didn’t have the resources to get it made. Millions of dollars and a studio lot later, he got to make the film that mixes jazz, The Color Purple, and Imitation of Life into a bittersweet film about the limitations of blacks in the turn of the century South. Joshua Boone’s Bayou is the titular jazzman who is handed the opportunity to be a famous jazz musician and loses it all due to familial struggles. The film also addresses the themes of people “passing” in the South, rape/incest, and sibling rivalries. You may need a therapy session after seeing this film, but it is worth it.
7. The Menu
On first sight, The Menu seems like a waste of a movie. Once you past the first few minutes of the film, it gets interesting and twisty in a good way. Ralph Fiennes gives a rousing performance as a pretentious chef who wants revenge. The rest of the film is filled with a cast of characters that include John Leguizamo, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Nicholas Hoult. This film will keep you guessing and laughing while perched on the edge of your seat all the way to the end. The writing is really smart, too.
6. Avatar: The Way of Water
A lot like the first film, yet fresh. The latest installment in the Avatar series is 13 years in the making and worth the wait. Seeing it in IMAX and 3D is a must. Not only do you get to see the characters evolve, but you get to see other parts of the fictional Pandora. The film is also a beautiful love letter to indigenous people and nature; like the previous film. It will make you feel the feels and want to hug your family.
5. Till
A mother’s love leads Mamie Till to fight for justice for her son. I wish I could say that the heinous acts committed on Emmett Till could never happen in this day and age, but that would be a lie. Not only does the film show you what could happen if we allow racists people to get away with their violence, but it reminds us that we have a way to go as a society. Danielle Deadwyler gives a powerful performance as Mamie and I’m sure there are award nominations in her future.
4. The Woman King
Viola Davis put her heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears in the movie; along with her husband, Julius Tennon. Not only does this film show the real-life origins of Black Panther’s Dora Milaje, but it shows a sisterhood bond that isn’t on the screen enough. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood crafts a film that not only shows sisterhood, but pays homage to the richness of African culture. The film also treats us to the talents of Lashana Lynch, Thuso Mbedu, and Sheila Atim. Most importantly, it passes the Bechdel Test.
3. Top Gun: Maverick
I have a confession to make: I never sat down and watched the first Top Gun, until I was about to see Maverick. And, I’m glad I did. (Now, some people are going to fight me on this, but….) The first film was good, but not great. There was a lack of funding and belief in the first film while it was in production. For Maverick, there was a lot of funding and a lot of belief in the film; so it flourished in a big way. Tom Cruise is still an action movie star and a good actor.
2. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Yes, we all wanted to see Chadwick Boseman as the titular character, but the film is still great in its own right. I like that Ryan Coogler didn’t just hand the Black Panther mantle to Suri as a birthright. Instead, he took audiences through a true journey in the making of the first female Black Panther. And, the inclusion of the Yucatan Aztec as sea people is intriguing. Namor is a formidable foe for Suri.
1. Bullet Train
This Brad Pitt-led action comedy has an all-star cast that includes Bad Bunny, Zazie Beetz, Joey King, Brian Tyree Henry, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Michael Shannon, and had a cameo from Sandra Bullock. This genre-bending film is Japanese action meets British humor. Yes, I know that description doesn’t sound interesting, but in the hands of the talented cast, it works really well. I enjoyed every frame of this film. And, Pitt just gets better with age.
Dishonorable Mentions
This section is solely for the worst films of 2022. Below is a list of five films that either disgusted me to my core or just confused me.
Babylon
I wish I could unsee this movie about old Hollywood when silent films were snuffed out in favor of “talkies”. Silent film stars who could become rich and famous with mediocre talent were forced to adapt or get out of the business. That description sounds good on paper. However, this film is full of debauchery, Margot Robbie being absolutely disgusting, and there are scenes that are very hard to watch. It almost seems like the actors in the film were tortured in the making of it and the audience is forced to watch the final product. The only good thing about this film is Brad Pitt’s performance.
Amsterdam
Another Robbie film set in 1920s where she’s being disgusting. This time, her character is medicated so she a little less disgusting. The plot of the film has holes, but there’s a lot of talent in the film that includes John David Washington, Christian Bale, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, and Timothy Oliphant. I left the movie theater wondering why the film was even made. It made less than half of its budget at the box office. Shocker.
Nope
Now, I know there will be dissention about this next one. This one is definitely a nope for me. I spent half of the movie wondering what was going on in a bad way. Then when Jordan Peele had mercy on his audience to tell us what we were looking at, we were subjected to absolute gore. And, I left the theater with questions, because the plot isn’t fleshed out enough and there are a lot of moving plot themes that don’t gel with the story. It’s as if Peele took three different themes and threw them together in a movie; hoping they would stick. And, they do not.
Three Thousand Years of Longing
This is another film with tremendous talent, but a terrible storyline. This one has Idris Elba as a Genie-like entity who grants Tilda Swinton’s wishes. Along the way, they fall in love with each other and have zero chemistry. Their intimate scenes are cringe-worthy and hard to watch. And the story doesn’t have much of a plot to hold it together. At best, Three Thousand Years of Longing should have been a short film with different actors.
The Batman
For me, The Dark Knight franchise is the best Batman series. This Robert Pattinson as Batman film is just plain bad. The riddles are stupid and super easy to guess. Pattinson is a terrible Batman. The only saving grace in the film is Zoe Kravitz’s Selena Kyle who should have gotten her own film. Alas, she was relegated to being eye candy with claws. It’s a waste of her talents.
There you have it. Please don’t send me angry emails.
Want to see my reviews of the films above? You can read more on my Entertainment Blog.
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